Los Angeles (AP) — Jay Leno ignored the note when he ordered him to retire from the prestigious role of hosting The Tonight Show.
Reno has been at a lively pace since his many years of late-night gigs ended in 2014. He regularly appears on television projects such as fellow comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Larry Wilmore, Tim Allen and Dennis Miller.
His passion for wheels and engines is on display at CNBC’s “Jay Leno Garage” back on September 22nd. He then debuted a syndicated reboot of his new game show, You Bet Your Life, on Monday (check the local list for times and stations).
“Everything past The Tonight Show was gravy,” Reno said. “So the fact that I’m doing something is fun.”
“You Bet Your Life” was first aired on the famous comedian Groucho Marx from 1950 to 1961, followed by a short-lived remake on Bill Cosby in 1992. In the new version, Reno shares host duties with former “Tonight” bandleader Kevin Eubanks, who happily ribbed comedians when jokes leveled off.
“People seem to like that friendship because we are friends and we know each other,” Reno said.
A guest judge for America’s Got Talent in 2019, one of Reno’s temporary jobs, had a serious impact. He was accused of making unbroadcast jokes about Koreans based on racist stereotypes and later apologized.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Reno talked about following the footsteps of great comedy at the game show, what makes a good player, and the risk of topical humor. The annotations have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: Why add a game show to the plate?
A: The time for this kind of show seems to be ripe. It’s very light and fun, and there is no politics. And it’s very diverse. We have people from all disciplines, including blacks, whites, Nigerians, and Indians. But there is never a stupid stereotyped nonsense. People are just trying to get together and make money. And it was really so much fun. We shoot 6 episodes a day, but they’re all ad lib, so they just fly. I don’t meet the contestants before the show. No spokeswoman said, “Don’t mention my client’s cocaine bust or divorce.” You get none of it.
AP: Contestants are more media savvy and more likely to play on the camera than they were in the days of Groucho Marx. How does it affect the show?
Reno: When doing a show in Los Angeles, the cheapest and most efficient way to do it is to bring people within 10 miles of the studio (and) if they aren’t in show business, they Has some connection to it. Last year we sent tentacles everywhere in Florida, Louisiana and flew people. We choose what looks like a character. And when they come here, they’re like, “It’s my first time to come to LA.” There is excitement and tension not available from those who hit Brad Pitt in the deli every day.
AP: You were a kid when You Bet Your Life aired. Did you get inspired by seeing Marx as a comedian?
Reno: He has always been my favorite Marx Brothers. Because I wasn’t a comedian who “wears a funny hat and throws a pie.” Bob Newhart, Johnny Carson: I’ve always liked people with language skills. I liked people who said something interesting even if they looked normal, rather than wearing costumes. I enjoyed the Marx Brothers movie, but I liked Groucho because he was a smart man.
AP: Did you miss hosting a late-night show and the forum it provided for comedy?
Reno: It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed monologues, that’s my favorite part. And I am enjoying everyone who is there now. I saw the monologue and talked to the man (celebrity), so I don’t see much interviews. But I really (thank you) how difficult it is to do different versions of the same joke every night. To be honest, the news doesn’t change much every day. It changes weekly. And you have to watch all the other shows. Make sure you don’t have the same joke as Conan or Samantha Bee, or whoever it is.
AP: You said that comedy will not change, but the target will change. Looking back on the criticized jokes, do you think “it was that time” or flirting?
Reno: When people were on the news, you joked about the news. I can give you a good example. There were a lot of jokes about it when Amy Winehouse, who was on The Tonight Show, was singing the song “I’m not going to rehabilitate.” Then she died, and people were “Jay Leno joking.” But I did it with her blessing, she was there (“tonight”) when I did it. But you know, you live only when you live.
Copyright 2021 AP communication. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.
Jay Leno bets on Groucho Marx’s 1950s game show restart | National News
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