Doing some damage control, Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon tackled “Tonight Show” rumors by teaming up for a jokey rendition of the “West Side Story” song, “Tonight.”
The hosts sang with operatic grandeur of NBC’s possible plans of replacing the longtime late-night veteran with the younger host.
Fallon sings, “In the news all they do is say I’m replacing you, they think I can woo the demo.”
Leno also sang about his possible jump to Fox: “Tonight, tonight, I’ve got Fox on the line, or maybe I could take over for Dave [Letterman].”
TheWrap noticed a second reference to Fox in a preview clip that was left on the cutting room floor. When the sketch begins, Leno is swarmed by reporters asking him questions about the future of his career. The question – “Are you gonna go to Fox?” – was cut from the final version.
NBC told the Web site that the scene was cut for time and mentioned that the other Fox reference was already in the final song.
The head of Fox’s powerful affiliate board said he favors building a new late-night show starting at 11 o’clock around the departing “Tonight Show” host. “If Fox were to present the right business plan, the affiliate board would be interested,” Steve Pruett, the board chairman, told The Post.