JAY 'TODAY,' KATIE 'TONIGHT' DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SET - IT IS LENO AND COURIC TRADING PLACES FOR SWEEPS STUNT.Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer THE BEST JOKE in Katie Couric's repertoire is a kindergartner's knee- slapper about a snail and a turtle. Jay Leno Jay Leno (born April 28, 1950) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, writer who is best known as the current host of NBC television's long-running variety and talk program The Tonight Show. Biography Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York. , who will be called upon to read a lot from a TelePrompTer, admits he's ``a little dyslexic dys·lex·ic or dys·lec·tic adj. Of or relating to dyslexia. n. A person affected by dyslexia. .'' The idea of today's job switch between NBC's perky perk·y adj. perk·i·er, perk·i·est 1. Having a buoyant or self-confident air; briskly cheerful. 2. Jaunty; sprightly. perk ``Today'' anchor and the ``Tonight Show'' host could swing from fun entertainment to extreme embarrassment that will send Couric and Leno back to their familiar corners of the network for a little ego Little Ego is a comic strip written and drawn by Vittorio Giardino, and the title character of the strip. Little Ego first appeared in Glamour International Magazine #12 (January 1984). repair. Either way, it's sure to be a ratings success for the already top-drawing programs of morning and late-night television. Couric's colleagues will extend the concept through the week as Ann Curry Ann Curry (born November 19 1956) is an American journalist and television personality who has served as news anchor on NBC's Today since May 1997 and host of Dateline NBC since May 2005. trades with soccer star Mia Hamm Mia Hamm (born Mariel Margaret Hamm on March 17,1972 in Selma, Alabama) is a former American soccer player. Playing for many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team, she scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male on Wednesday, Matt Lauer Matthew Todd Lauer (December 30, 1957)[1] is an American television personality, best known as a co-host of NBC's The Today Show (since 1994)[1] after being a news anchor in New York [2] trades with a New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of cabdriver on Thursday, and Al Roker swaps with chef and restaurateur res·tau·ra·teur also res·tau·ran·teur n. The manager or owner of a restaurant. [French, from restaurer, to restore; see restaurant. Daniel Boulud on Friday. The sweeps stunt (``I can't believe you're even saying that,'' Leno says. ``I am shocked and insulted!'') was Couric's idea. ``What, do you think I would dream this up?'' Leno said in a conference call with Couric. ``It's not a guy idea. 'Let's trade places!' Doesn't that sound like a girl idea?'' Both talked about the challenges they will face. Couric said she'll leave the comedy creativity in the hands of the pros. ``I'm definitely not going to write my own stuff,'' she said. ``Are you nuts? ... Luckily I have the very talented staff on 'The Tonight Show' helping me. I might even be calling Jay frantically on Sunday night.'' Couric, 46, said she intends to fill the Burbank studio audience with ``people I went to high school, college and elementary school with.'' ``That's just the demo we want,'' Leno replied. Leno, 53, said he was advising Couric to have fun no matter what happens, because viewers will be rooting for her. ``If a joke works it's funny, but if a joke doesn't work, that'll probably be even funnier,'' he said. ``Maybe to you, Jay,'' she said. ``It's different if it's somebody people hate. If it's Monica Lewinsky hosting, they're going to go, 'Oooo, booo,' '' Leno said. ``But I think obviously people like Katie. They want her to do well, and if a joke doesn't work and she squirms a little bit, well, that'll be even funnier. That will be hilarious. People will love that.'' The high-energy Leno, whose style is geared toward keeping viewers up past their bedtimes, said, ``I'm getting notes like, 'Jay, you know it's the morning, so don't shout like you do at night - they're sleepy.' '' Couric said Leno's challenges will include reading the TelePrompTer without looking like ``a deer in the headlights.'' ``Yeah, that's the tricky part, because I'm a little dyslexic,'' he said. ``If you watch 'The Tonight Show,' you'll see me get things mixed up.'' ``Oh God,'' Katie responded. ``We'll try to see what we can do to help you with that. Just don't call Matt 'Tam,' OK?'' The veteran stand-up stand·up or stand-up adj. 1. Standing erect; upright: a standup collar. 2. Taken, done, or used while standing: a standup supper; a standup bar. comic, accustomed to mainly entertainment-oriented chats with a couple of guests each night, will be called upon to take up more serious matters in ``Today's'' New York studio. ``We wanted to take it easy on him,'' Couric said. ``So I think so far he's got Tariq Aziz, Rick Santorum and, I think, J.D. Salinger in the last half-hour.'' ``Well, it is sweeps,'' Leno said, ``so I know I'm doing a thing on 'Strip Searches in Catholic Girls' Schools - Are They Necessary?' And 'Housewife Hookers - Are They in Your Neighborhood and Is Your Husband at Risk?' '' In reality, ``Today'' producers set Leno up with Secretary of State Colin Powell and former New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. Mayor Rudy Giuliani and on Friday were working up some lighter subjects for him to try. Couric, who lost her husband, Jay Monahan, to colon cancer colon cancer, cancer of any part of the colon (often called the large intestine). Colon cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in the United States. and has become a leading advocate for early detection of the illness, said, ``I was thinking of having (bandleader) Kevin Eubanks do a colonoscopy during my segment and periodically checking in with him.'' ``I would love that,'' Leno said. ``No, actually I'm going to stay away from the colons I think,'' she said. ``I mean, I do so much about it sort of on a regular basis on the 'Today' show, and I don't want people, every time they seem me ... to immediately think of colons.'' Couric dismissed a suggestion that her switching jobs with a late-night personality blurs the line between news and entertainment. ``If it fuzzes that distinction, the 'Today' show has fuzzed fuzz 1 n. A mass or coating of fine, light fibers, hairs, or particles; down: the fuzz on a peach. v. fuzzed, fuzz·ing, fuzz·es v.tr. 1. that distinction for over 50 years now,'' she said. ``I do consider myself a journalist, and I think I can handle pretty adeptly any hard news interview on a variety of topics. ``I feel, because I've done this show for 12 years and I've been in the news business for about 24 now, believe it or not, that my news credentials are well established. And I think what that has allowed me to do is it's given me the freedom to have fun, to try other things, to let my hair down and to enjoy myself.'' TODAY When: 7 to 10 a.m. today. THE TONIGHT SHOW When: 11:35 p.m. to 12:35 a.m. tonight. Where: NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. . CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Katie Couric pledges to ``stay away from the colons'' during her ``Tonight Show'' stint. (2) ``I'm getting notes like, 'Jay, you know it's the morning, so don't shout like you do at night - they're sleepy,' '' says Jay Leno. |
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