LENO ON O’BRIEN: “I KNEW HE WOULD LAND ON HIS FEET”

Jay Leno, who was conspicuously silent on the Tonight show last week following the announcement that Conan O’Brien would be competing against him and David Letterman beginning in November on TBS, has finally commented on the report. Buttonholed by the syndicated tabloid show Access Hollywood at the TV Land Awards show over the weekend, Leno commented, “I knew he’d land on his feet. … It’ll be fun. Everybody will compete. 11 o’clock is now the most exciting place to be. … I think he’ll be great. He’s a very funny guy.” But can a funny guy on cable really compete with funny guys on a broadcast network? Leno appeared confused. “I didn’t know what to think,” he said. “I mean, well, FOX is a network but they have cable too, so, you know, it’s all sort of the same now. Everybody sort of reaches the same thing.” Nevertheless, he added, “I think it’s exciting. I think he’ll do well.”