What is The Tonight Show with Jay Leno about?

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show that was broadcast on NBC. As the fourth iteration in the Tonight Show line-up, it originally ran from May 25, 1992, until May 29, 2009, before returning from March 1, 2010, to February 6, 2014. The show made its debut just days after the retirement of iconic host Johnny Carson and was taped at NBC Studios in Burbank, California. Maintaining a Monday through Friday schedule, the production was notable for its consistent format which mirrored that of its forerunners: an opening monologue, a series of comedy sketches, guest interviews, and live musical performances. Jay Leno, known for his stand-up comedy and previous late-night appearances, hosted the show nearly exclusively without the use of guest hosts—a departure from the practices of Carson and Jack Paar. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno also established a footprint in broadcast technology history by being the first American nightly talk show to be recorded in 1080i HDTV in 1999. Despite the program ending its initial run in 2009, Leno made a television comeback in the 10:00 pm ET timeslot with 'The Jay Leno Show', which essentially followed the same format, before returning to helm 'The Tonight Show' once again until its conclusion in 2014.

The first episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno aired on May 25, 1992 and the most recent episode to air was on November 19, 2013.