tavis: good evening from los angeles. i'm tavis smiley. tonight an exclusive conversation with median and talk show host jay leno. he kicks off a bold experiment debuts a new primetime variety show weeknights at 10:00 on nbc. in may he stepped down from "the tonight show." we're glad you can join us. jay leno coming up right now. >> there are so many things that

wal-mart is looking forward to doing, like helping people live better but mostly we're looking forward to building stronger communities and relationships because with your help, the best is yet to come. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports tavis smiley. tavis and nationwide insurance working to improve financial literacy and the economic empowerment that comes wit it. ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet public television] tavis: please welcome jay leno to this program. the popular comedian hosted "the tonight show" for 17 years. he spent his entire tenure as

the undisputed king of late night tv. on september 14, the day after my birthday. >> that's right. tavis: had to remind you of that. moving to primetime, as the host of "the jay leno show" at 10:00. just one of the many promotional spots the network is airing for the new series. >> what ideas have you got? >> we have some great ones. start off with this one. it is called leno man. we'll probably do some merge -- the leno man at 10:00 p.m.. he'll hit you with his joke ray. what do we do with your voice? punch of hilarity. spread laughter and saves everyone. tavis: there is so much writing. >> sad thing was that was a real pitch. [laughter]

tavis: first of all. good to see you. >> good to see you. thanks for having me on. tavis: my delight. there is so much writing on this. do you feel pressure? >> not me. write joke, tell joke, get check. that's what i do. no matter what happens, i did "the tonight show" for 17 years. it was given to me number one. i handed it off number one. no matter what else i do, they will go he also "the jay leno show". at my age, i'm glad i'm still in it. tavis: a beautiful answer. i expected no less knowing you. no different, i should say. but the talk is if you can pull this off, it revolutionized primetime testify. >> no, it doesn't. it's just tv. tavis: nobody has done this in a

talk show format in primetime. >> see, it is not a talk show. we're doing a comedy show. there will be some talk but it is not an earlier version of "the tonight show." we'll still have a monologue. we built a racetrack behind the studio. we're going to do this green card challenge thing. it will just be more literal. so it will be -- it will be a comedy show with some talk elements. there is nothing new with tv. this all harkens back to the benny show and the steve allan show. people forget and then it comes back again. there is nothing revolutionary. it is just within the last decade or so it seems like a new idea. tavis: if this -- and all my money is on you. >> that's why you have no money. tavis: you're right about that part. if this were not to work out,

how would you handle that personally? it's ok. whatever it is. i'm not one of those people that dwells. i would feel bad if i didn't give it my best shot. if i went into it halfheartedly and my heart wasn't in it, i would feel like i left people down. when you work in a nightclub, like i look around your studio if i see a guy not laughing there, i kind of aim my material at that guy. a after a while you see him go. then you say i got him. it took me two minutes but i got him or i got him right from the beginning. it is always a matter of literally getting the whole room. when i got on tv, i realized quickly, you can't get the whole room. there is somebody who doesn't like you because you look like their brother-in-law. you can't get the whole country.

you can get a good part of it but you can't get them all. that was the frustrating thing. you realize all right, i've got enough to keep everybody happy and working. that is the key to it. if you think you're going to make the whole world laugh, that is truff. tavis: over 17 years you became an iconic figure in this country. >> not really. it is really television. we do -- people go into show business because of a genetic fault. they feel the need to go out and act stupid. if we lived in a different period of history, we just happen to be in a time where it pays great dividends to do this. but no, you really can't put that much weight on this. people come up with phrases like that. you tell me and i go yes. i don't need you anymore. you're fired and then you're back to square one again. the real trick is not -- you

know, i grew up. my mother was one of these people who is just very -- like the reason it said "the tonight show with jay leno". she said oh, starring. mr. big shot. it has to be starring. i said all right, mom, i will just make it with jay leno. my mother kept the whole thing in perspective. tavis: i want to come back to your mom and dad in a second. the reason i use the word iconic. i'm not throwing smoke your way. it is impossible to be number one, for come on now, you're number one for all of these years. that's why i say ike onic. the point i want to get to that, why after that kind of run why even take the risk? and do primetime? >> i like to work. if i had gone to another network, against conan and the

other shows then it looks like bitterness. then it looks like oh, he's trying to beat "the tonight show." you can't be bitter. i always tell young performers, the reason show business pays a lot of money is when you get screwed, you have something left over. something will happen that will seem terribly unfair and instead it is here is a big pile of cash to get you through that. that's why it pays a lot. that's what i tell people. i like to work. i don't have an agent or a manager. the network came up with this idea. i like to work. it is a handshake and we'll do it. tavis: how close were you to leaving nbc? >> i was gone. i was let go from "the tonight show." ok fine. then you sit down for a while and other people express interest. you go oh, ok. nbc is like who is asking my

ex-wife out? wait a minute. ok. how about this idea? yeah, fine. we want you back? you want me back? you wanted me to leave. whatever you want. i like to tell jokes. you tell me where to stand. it is really that simple. tavis: when i was going through -- i was going through a difficult period in my career and you and i were sitting there talking one day and you gave me some great advice and it had to do with acting like you have some class. just be classy because even if you lose you'll still have class. you gave me some great advice. you make jokes all the time but i wonder how you dealt with what many perceived as the insult of nbc asking you to step down? >> well, i mean, you're in a very insulting business. [laughter] why are you surprised?

i mean, it is not like, i always tell guys about show business. don't fall in love with a hooker. ok? have a good time. enjoy yourself but don't fall in love with her. she will kill you and break your heart. that's what tv. i have been married to the same woman for 25 years. it is fun to come into show business and look at that and watch that and maybe go to a party and see who behaves badly. and do all that kind -- but just don't immerse yourself in it because there is nothing there. i mean, it is fun. it is a great business to be in. you know, you're not ruining the environment. you're just telling jokes but you can't become so immersed in it that you start to believe it. that is not a real city. people, that is a fake thing. tavis: no, it is not. that is not true! >> but if you really believe -- tavis: that is real! >> if i get up and run into the lights i'm going to het my head.

it is not a city out there. it looks real and it is fun but that is the trick. i always tell people lead a normal life and make show business money and you'll be the happiest person in the world. tavis: how did you develop that philosophy. my grandmother says it makes perfect sense. but a lot of folks in this business don't get it. >> i am a great believer in low self-esteem. only the ones with high self-esteem are actors and criminals. that's true. i was dyslexic as a kid. my mother said to me you're going to have to work a lot harder than the other kids to get the exact same thing. that was always my attitude in life. i never assumed i was better or smarter. i just figured if i worked harder i would at least stay equal to the other kids. that philosophy works for me. i know i'm not the smartest person in the world. you walk around and see and

figure what your strengths and weaknesses are and you obviously have a lot more weaknesses than strengths. that's what gets me through. tavis: you have been working on the nu new show. you might not have heard "the tonight show" has lost two million viewers. >> to be fair, conan is going through the exact same thing i was going through. when i took over from johnny. it is a travesty that they replaced johnny with someone. whoever has the job goes through this. it is all part of the growing pains. it goes down for a while and then it comes up again. i don't think it is fair to judge conan on what happened in a month or two. i got beat up for four or five months and you still go out with your chin up and then one day newsweek had a story, what is so bad about leno? that's what happened.

i don't think it is fair to kind of judge the whole thing. conan was number one for 17 years in a row in his spot. he moves to another spot. it takes a while to find yourself. tavis: what are your expectations for how -- what the ride is going to be like on the new show. you expect to start high and come back down and go back up? >> obviously i don't expect to beat "c.s.i. miami." that's the most popular show in the world now. we can probably do seven or eight shows for the price of one of those shows. but we can get them on the reruns. that's kind of the attitude i have. those shows are 22 weeks a year. we're on 46 weeks a year. to me, the future of television is what's happening now. the ideal story is probably what happened with the plane that landed in the hudson river. "the today show" gets it literally as it's happening. dateline does a human interest, the people on the plane and then

late night does jokes about it. here is an event that happened and nbc had it throughout the day. the human angle, the news angle and the funny angle. that's what i think we can do in primetime. we're not going to tape three or four shows ahead of time. we're going to tape, watch the news, boom. you give people your take on what the president did or didn't do that day. tavis: speaking of your take. i was dying without you over the summer because there were so many things i wanted to hear your take on. can i throw a few things at you? >> sure. tavis: in no particular order, what did you make over the beer summit? >> i come from boston. so it is just like a funny place to -- you know, it is better than it used to be. i mean, i think this is just a case of you know who i am. i'm a boston cop. sometimes it is just guys being

guys. you know, that's what i would like to think. that's what i go into it with. if i go into it with any other attitude then i go to a negative place. it seems to have worked itself out. they both seem to have -- i understand they are going to a red sox game or something. yeah, fine. tavis: bill clinton bringing those journalists back to burbank of all places? >> that's what he does great. he is a great diplomat. he doesn't represent the government. he went on a humanitarian mission. the fact that they were two attractive women. i'm not sure he would have rescued helen thomas. my favorite is governor mark sanford. that's the guy. tavis: i was going to go there. >> honey, i'm going for a walk and you go to argentina to see your girlfriend and then what do you do? you call her your soul mate? ! no, when you're married you

don't call your girlfriend your soul mate, you idiot! yor a dead man! tavis: you mentioned sanford. was there something beyond that. you're in the garage and this story is breaking this summer. >> that was the story. the perfect story is where men behaving badly, especially conservative ones who espoused those views. americans will accept anything but hypocrisy. you can do anything in america and get away with it as long as you're not a hypocrite about it. when you lie like this. you lie about it, it is hilarious. my soul mate! no! you don't call your girlfriend your soul mate. i'm getting back with my wife although she is my soul mate! no! idiot! tavis: i have read more stories over the years where people have

tried to literally analyzed your monologue months and years trying to figure out jay leno's politics. >> yeah. tavis: what do you make of that? >> well, that is not my job. i felt good when the media people said we were about 50/50. the funny thing was well, mr. leno, you and your republican friends. then i had president oba. you and your liberal democratic friends. that means you're doing your job. i'm a comedian. if you read into the jokes, it is more a humanist point of view. you sort of side on the human spirit side. not necessarily republican or democrat. so, no, i'm not a big fan of -- i don't think anybody turns on a comedy show to hear my particular point of view. i can do a joke about president obama and president bush. that's what they are. just jokes. tavis: there are two shows.

you mentioned president obama. you did the show for 17 years. opposite ends of the spectrum. two of the biggies that come to mind. the hugh grant moment. >> ok. >> tavis: and the barack obama moment. the first sitting president to sit on a late night show. what is bigger than that and can you justify those two? >> i think president obama is a lot bigger than hugh grant. hugh grant did not get enough credit there. he came in. no publicist. no support. he said look, i was stupid. ask me whatever you want and he was very open and honest. nowadays you have -- i can't remember, we had some ice skater on. she had been famous like seven or eight years ago and she was naked in playboy. we put her on. america's sweetheart. then in the dressing room.

hi, nice to see you. thanks for coming. we are not discussing playboy or me being naked. why don't you take your client home? your client hasn't said anything. they called us because she was naked. you say don't mention it. of course we're mentioning it. what was your question? tavis: i was just asking what you thought were the big moments on the show. >> that was great having the president on. i had had him on twice before as a guest. the difference, each time he would come, he would have his jacket over his shoulder. one person, maybe another aid and a cell phone. that was it. when he came back as president, oh, my god, the parking lot was tented. snipers up in the -- and you know what they do is they come in, secret service comes in a week before and go up to members of my staff. don't come in tomorrow. if you had a joint in your sock

back in 1979 and you got arrested for it. they have everybody's -- like oh, my god. tavis: it is amazing you got that show off the ground. >> the funniest thing, i said to someone, got his number. i dialed his number. hello. i said yes, barack obama? this is barrack. hey, it is jay leno. i had a direct line! tavis: one other story i want to ask you about, sarah palin resigning as governor of alaska. >> i don't quite get that one. i don't -- i want to be president so i quit my job. i don't quite understand that. you're governor, you don't want to be a lame duck but everybody's a lame duck. i'm still mystified by that one. i don't quite get that one.

but i guess she is traveling around the country now and she is going to run for president in 2012? you know, as a former beauty queen, i think it would be historic the first time a beauty queen could actually bring about world peace. they all talk about it. here is one that actually -- because they all want world peace. here is someone that could -- tavis: yeah, i get it. i have seen you -- your standup a couple of times in vegas. >> sorry about that. tavis: and learned manufacture about you. -- and learned more about you. jay leno. >> what did you learn from watching? i'm curious. tavis: for those that have seen you in stand up. i have never heard you talk so much about your parents and

growing up and what it was like in the little household. you took me inside -- it was funny but you took me inside your life and made me think jay doesn't do interviews. you don't talk about yourself. when you ask jay about himself he defers with a joke. we watched you every night for 17 years and nobody freaking knows you. >> oh, well, what do you want to moe? i talk about my folks quite a bit. it is not -- now what do you want to know? i'll answer any question. tavis: for those who don't know even where you were born or raised. >> i was born in new rochelle, new york. 1950. my mother was from scotland. she came to this country by herself when she was 11 because the family was too big. they had to give one away. my dad was italian.

it was a very funny household growing up. my mom said no matter what you do don't draw attention to yourself. my father always said you make sure everybody knows you're anglo leno's boy. when i was like 5 or 6, we would be in the supermarket and i would run away from my mother. i would say i'm lost. could you page katherine lone? for my mom to hear her name on the speaker. this was the most embarrassing thing. when i first made it in show business, i bought my dad a cadillac and of course being italian, it had to be a white cadillac. my mother, so embarrassed by this stuff. she would sit low in the seat like this . so people couldn't see her they

would say i saw your dad yelling at himself. no, my mom was there. she was just sitting low in the seat. she would motion to people to roll down the window. she would go, we're not really cadillac people. our son got us this. my dad would go of course we're cadillac people. we're driving a cadillac. to me tves jue a funny -- they loved each other. they were wonderful parents. could not have been more different in their viewpoints. i think i get some of the sensitivity things from my mother and the outwardness comes from my dad. tavis: since jay rarely does interviews it became obvious that we were going to need more time. next time part two of jay including advertise parents and the stats of his relationship with david letterman.

thanks for watching and as always keep the faith. >> when i was a kid, we were not allowed to have -- see my folks group during the depression so consequencely they make you feel very guilty about everything. even now i go home for the weekend, hey, dad, pass the assault. we didn't have salt. when i was a kid. we didn't have salt. your mom and i hunted wild dog for food. we had nothing when we were your age. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley on pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me tomorrow with part two of my conversation with jay leno. that's next time. we'll see you then. >> there are so many things wal-mart is looking toward to doing like helping people live beer. but mostly we're looking forward

to helping build stronger communities and relationships. because of your help, the best is yet to come. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports tavis smiley. tavis and nationwide insurance, working to improve financial literacy and the economic empowerment that comes with it. ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ >> and by contributions from -- to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

>> we are pbs.