Whether he likes it or not, Jay Leno's got a date for his final Tonight: May 29, 2009.
NBC today set the calendar for the funnyman's mandatory retirement as part of a timetable for the network's rejiggered night-owl plans.
Heir apparent Conan O'Brien will be installed as Tonight Show overlord on June 1. O'Brien will abdicate his Late Night desk in the spring, most likely March or April, and move from New York to Los Angeles to prepare for his new duties.
Jimmy Fallon, in turn, will take over Late Night sometime in the spring, after a practice run online.
NBC will air O'Brien-fronted Late Night reruns until Fallon is deemed up to speed.
Facing questions about the much-publicized possibility of the supposedly disgruntled Leno taking his late-night antics—and possibly his sizable audience—with him to ABC, NBC Entertainment cochairs Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff stuck to their guns.
"We really believe in the decisions we've made with our partners, including Jay," Silverman told reporters at the Television Critics Assn. gathering.
Leno, who was on hand for the announcement, compared himself to Bret Favre, the retired Green Bay Packers quarterback who is thinking about unretiring.
He also joked that NBC offered him "a fifth hour of the Today show." When Silverman said it sounded like a great plan, Leno retorted, "That's a crappy idea."
In a subsequent statement, NBC tried to give props to the departing Leno as well as the new hosts.
"The Tonight Show has a remarkable history rich in tradition. We're proud of each and every show Jay has shared with America as we look forward to Conan carrying on that outstanding tradition next year," said Rick Ludwin, NBC's chief late-night programmer.
"We also can't wait for Jimmy to showcase his winning style following Conan. Jay has left his personal stamp on The Tonight Show for what will be 17 years. He is enormously creative, generous and professional."
In other words, don't let that door on the way out, Jay.