So, how 'bout that Leno show tonight? That oughtta be fun...

Why is it the first night in months I have somewhere to be at 11 o'clock at night and Hugh is going to be on? Do the fates dislike me? I think yes.

I just hope Markyr (bless her) will upload it ASAP for us overseas wretches :)

I have faith in you. You can do it.

Ugh, I know what you mean Sauty. It pains me that Hugh keeps going back there. They are never even in the same level of conversation, Leno has the most pokey jokes, and Hugh looks just as pained as I am. Dashed PR.

I suppose they could discuss motorcycles. Doesn't Leno have a thing for them too? Hugh really needs an interviewer who more quick-witted than Leno. Even Conan would be an improvement.

I have no idea why Hugh himself keeps agreeing to go back to Leno, but the reason that Leno's the main show he does is out of loyalty/synergy/favoritism. His first appearance was pushed for hard by Jeff Zucker because of the whole NBCUni connection and they saw it as having been pretty helpful to the show. I don't know what Hugh's deep, dark feelings on the subject are (though I really do hope that he doesn't actually *have* deep, dark feelings on the subject because I'd prefer to think that I put more thought into it than he does), but all of the shows want him. If Leno was the biggest chore of them all he could say no at this point. Personally, while Craig seems more fun and Ellen gives you free shit, I'd probably do Leno just because more people watch it and you can rationalize that with a bigger audience you only have to waste an hour of your life instead of three hours of your life.

I've got to chime in with a defense of Leno. He's no Dick Cavett, for sure, but who on mainstream TV is these days? (Come to think of it, who in any arena is these days? Those who miss the real thing should know that he blogs rather amusingly on the NY Times web site.) All of these programs seem to be limited by the same format requirements, and give the guests no time or opportunity to actually say something of interest. Even the headline guest only gets two short segments separated by a commercial, and then it's over. In Leno's favor, he does seem at ease with Hugh and vice-versa. I think it's partly the motorcycle thing -- we mc'ists tend to bond with one another rather easily -- but I also think that it's because they're both quick-witted comedians who can parry on fairly equal terms, even if they're coming from very different places in the cultural sense. I must say, too, that Leno is far, far more intelligent than he appears on his show. That's the really watered-down Leno you see there, intentionally made middling to have the broadest appeal with the least controversy. He's also a really nice guy, genuinely humble and very down to earth. (I've never met him, but have spoken to him on the phone.) Always has been, apparently. A good friend of mine has known him well since Leno's early days in Boston -- his uncle owned the first nightclub that Leno played, and there's some sort of car-dealership connection there, as well, I think because a very young Leno worked at the dealership that another of my Bostonian friend's relatives owned -- and he has nothing but good things to say about Leno after a 40+ year friendship that's still going strong to this day. Character's a big thing in my book, and for a guy like Leno not to be a jerk is kind of miraculous in this day and age. That scores big points as far as I'm concerned, even if his interviews don't deliver the in-depth character analysis I'd love to see. (Or would I? That ITAS thing made me a little squeamish at times...) ETA: The worst interview Hugh's done, IMO, was the one on Letterman. That was almost painful, as if Letterman had no idea who Hugh was.

The interview (and I use the term loosely) on Regis was pretty painful... Hugh was mentioned on the TV Guide Fashion Wrap. They thought he looked classic and dapper. But not classic and dapper enough to beat out Mark Wahlburg or Denis Leary for best dressed male. And Hugh's charming and British - did you know that?

ISTR Hugh's last interview with Leno actually being pretty good. They do have the motorcycle thing in common, and they were already past the whole "So! You're British!" thing, and therefore had more interesting things to discuss.

I didn't see the Regis & Kelly one, but their interviews are always "Hi. Nice to meet you. NEXT!" The Letterman one was inexcusable. I don't require him to watch House (although one of his cue cards should have told him that the show was in S2.) But it would be shameful if Letterman (with his place in comedy) had never seen BlackAdder. And, even if Hugh had specifically said he didn't want to discuss BlackAdder or J&W, Letterman should not have been clueless as to who Hugh Laurie is. And there's an interesting question, why don't TV interviewers ever mention BA or J&W? Do you think Hugh specifically says he doesn't want to talk about them? I wouldn't expect them to take up the majority of an interview with Hugh, but zero time is funny. (Maybe next year, at Emmy voting time, he should do Leno and let his show a clip of Hugh as the Prince and as House. That would convince any viewers as to how good he is.)

I was under the impression that there's some sort of approved list of questions & topics for these things. Plus they'll emphasize House vs J&W or BA partly because the number of folks who saw that was so small in comparison & the networks want their current projects plugged.