Jay Leno shows off his collection in ‘Jay Leno’s Garage’
Comedians love cars: There is something special about talk show hosts that you can’t find in the average person. A good talk show host really sells their guests — great modern interviewers, such as Ellen DeGeneres or Graham Norton, can have you falling for celebrities whose names you didn’t even know before they sat down. Great late-night hosts, such as Stephen Colbert, can make you laugh, learn and rage all at once.
The people who can combine both of these skills become household names, written in the history books alongside the very people they spent time showcasing. David Letterman, Johnny Carson and, of course, Jay Leno are among those names.
“Jay Leno’s Garage” isn’t something I would normally watch (both my knowledge and interest in vehicles boil down to little more than “I like the red one”), but after doing the most important kind of research — talking to fans — I ended up trying it out and having an excellent time. Viewers absolutely love this show. Leno isn’t just showing off the most expensive or the fastest cars, he’s also checked out unrestored vintage race cars with Patrick Dempsey (“Grey’s Anatomy”), crushed stuff in a tank with Arnold Schwarzenegger (“Predator,” 1987) and designed his own car after visiting with Keanu Reeves (“The Matrix,” 1999) at the actor’s own custom motorcycle shop.
At first glance, the show might remind you of Jerry Seinfeld’s web series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” and though there are similarities, Jerry obviously isn’t too upset about it since he was a guest on Leno’s show. Besides the guests and vehicles, what truly makes this series great is Leno’s ability to make his famous friends feel like YOUR famous friends. There have already been four seasons, but Leno doesn’t seem to be running out of celebrities who love cars.
The upcoming season features guests such as Matt Damon (“The Bourne Identity,” 2002), Martha Stewart (“Martha Stewart Living”), Charlie Sheen (“Two and a Half Men”), John Travolta (“Pulp Fiction,” 1994), rock star Billy Joel and many more.
Tune in to CNBC on Wednesday, Aug. 28, to see the fifth season premiere of “Jay Leno’s Garage.” Don’t worry, I’m sure Jay has run out of Monica Lewinsky jokes by now.
And the VMA goes to...: For the first time since MTV’s Video Music Awards debuted in 1984, the ceremony is being held in New Jersey. Live from Prudential Center in Newark on Monday, Aug. 26, the 36th annual VMAs are being hosted by comedian Sebastian Maniscalco (“Green Book” 2019). This year, the show is bringing back after 13 years the award for Best R&B Video, meaning Beyoncé will have to give up the title she has been holding on to since 2006.
MTV is also introducing two new categories this year: the Video for Good awards artists, whose music videos have generated positive messages, and Best K-Pop — well, that one speaks for itself. Really, it could have just been called the “BTS fans won’t stop shouting until we give them an award” award.
Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift both have 10 nominations each, meaning 50 percent of the categories could go to either one of them. Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X come in at third and fourth place with nine and eight nominations, respectively. In fifth place with seven nominations is (no, this is not a typo) Billy Ray Cyrus.
On Monday, Aug. 26, tune in to MTV and cheer on your favorite artists of 2019. Big Apple ballers: “Growing Up Hip Hop” began its first season in January 2016, chronicling the lives of the children of hip-hop legends Master P, Rev Run, Damon Dash and Pepa. The show’s first spinoff, “Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta,” has just wrapped its third season, and now fans can enjoy another version of the show. “Growing Up Hip Hop: New York” premieres Thursday, Aug. 29, on WEtv.
Expect a whole lot drama from Jeff and Brittney, kids of the 2000s rapper Ja Rule, as well as Flava Flav’s daughter Da’Zyna, Young Dirty Bastard (the son of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, of course), rapper Fat Joe and his son Ryan and more. You don’t need to know all about Public Enemy or Murder Inc. to enjoy watching the kind of wild antics these young rich people get up to, but if you’ve never heard of Flava Flav, you most likely don’t have a television.
The show certainly isn’t the first to follow the lives of rich kids, but having a father who grew up on the Upper East Side is whole lot different than growing up with one who still remembers what life was like on the streets. “Growing Up Hip Hop” alumni Jojo Simmons and Lil’ Mama will also return when the series makes its way to the Big Apple, and if you’ve seen them on the show before, you know you don’t want to miss them.
This series is a must-watch for hiphop fans, reality television junkies or anyone who loves New York City — imagine the Kardashians with “street cred.” Check out “Growing Up Hip Hop: New York” when it premieres Thursday, Aug. 29, on WEtv.