‘Garage’ closed
CNBC drops Jay Leno car series
‘Garage’ closed: Jay Leno and NBCUniversal have enjoyed a 30-year partnership, with the former “Tonight Show” host appearing on at least one of NBC’s channels or platforms since he took over the late-night show from Johnny Carson in 1992.
But that impressive run may now have come to an end: his most recent NBCUniversal show, the Emmywinning “Jay Leno’s Garage,” has been canceled by CNBC after seven seasons.
Leno launched the series shortly after departing “The Tonight Show” for a second time — the first being in 2009, when he handed over hosting duties to Conan O’Brien before returning in 2010. He continued to host the late-night staple until 2014, when Jimmy Fallon succeeded him, and that’s when “Jay Leno’s Garage” took off.
Starting out as a web series for NBC.com, “Jay Leno’s Garage” initially aired as a one-hour special on CNBC in 2014 and began its run as a weekly series in 2015. It allowed the comedian to indulge in his passion for everything car- and motorcycle-related, mixing celebrity interviews with stunts and challenges while delving into the history behind some of the 180-plus cars and 160plus motorcycles that are in Leno’s personal collection.
News of the show’s cancellation last month came on the heels of an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal in which Leno revealed he had suffered a broken collarbone, two broken ribs and two cracked kneecaps in a motorcycle accident on Jan. 17. He had also suffered third-degree burns in a garage fire in November.
Considering this string of unfortunate incidents, one might assume the cancellation of “Jay Leno’s Garage” would give him a bit of a breather, but Leno might not want one. While discussing his injuries, he indicated he was, “OK … I’m working this weekend,” and he has several upcoming comedy shows, so he may already be thinking of his next big project.
As for CNBC, it continues to retool its prime-time lineup, having already cancelled “The News with Shepard Smith” to refocus on market coverage and businessoriented reality shows.
Kidman’s ‘Nanny’: After picking up acting and producing Emmy awards for “Big Little Lies,” and after earning positive reviews for her star turn in “The Undoing,” Nicole Kidman is extending her collaboration with HBO.
Kidman is teaming up with “PEN15” co-creator/co-lead Maya Erskine to bring Leïla Slimani’s novel “The Perfect Nanny” to small screens as a limited series. Erskine is credited as the creator and series writer and will star opposite Kidman; both will serve as executive producers.
The novel, which was published in 2016 and became a much-lauded international bestseller, was inspired by the real-life murder of Lucia and Leo Krim in 2012.The fictional work — and now this HBO limited series — tells the story of a seemingly perfect nanny who is hired by a couple to care for their two young children, but “her helpful personality eventually deteriorates into something more sinister” per HBO, which is co-producing the series with Legendary Entertainment.
It’s the latest project for both actresses. Erskine, whose acting credits include roles in “Insecure” and “ObiWan Kenobi,” is hard at work on Amazon Prime Video’s “Mr. And Mrs. Smith” TV reboot, which is currently in production.
As for Kidman, viewers will next see the Oscar winner in the Amazon Prime series “Expats”; the Netflix romantic comedy “A Family Affair,” which has a November release; and in the upcoming film “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” which is expected to hit theaters in December. She also serves as both executive producer and star of Paramount+’s “Lioness,” which is currently in production and also features “Avatar” (2009) star Zoe Saldana; and of Amazon Studios’ “Holland, Michigan,” which is scheduled to go into production later this year.
Leaving ‘Los Angeles’: It is one of the longest-running scripted shows currently on CBS, but after 14 seasons, “NCIS: Los Angeles” is winding down.
The network has decided to end the popular drama, which stars LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell, after 322 episodes. This current season will be its last, and the finale has already been scheduled for May 14 on both the network and Paramount+.
This is disappointing news for fans, to be sure, though LL Cool J had a more positive outlook on Instagram, where he pointed out that the recent “NCIS” crossover event gave the series a nice boost before winding down: “After 14 seasons, this is the perfect time to end @ncisla on top of our game!!!”
According to Deadline, the cancellation came as a surprise to many associated with the procedural drama, which is still garnering strong ratings. Still, big-name leads and a Los Angeles shooting location don’t come cheap, and there’s speculation that cost-cutting may have factored into CBS’s decision to end the show’s run.
On the bright side, the May 14 finale should allow the “NCIS: Los Angeles” production and writing teams, led by showrunner R. Scott Gemmill, to bring the storylines to a satisfying conclusion. In a statement, Gemmill promised a series finale that “is both satisfying and does justice to these beloved characters.”