Behind the curtain : an insider's view of Jay Leno's Tonight show

Take a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most memorable shows on late-night television-The Tonight Show. The show has spent sixty years on the air, delighting viewers with celebrity guest interviews, comedy sketches, and humorous monologues. Jay Leno served as host for twenty years, and Dave Berg acted as his co-producer for most of that time. With Jay Leno's retirement, Berg thought it only fitting to share his insider's perspective on America's oldest and most successful late-night program. Through personality-revealing anecdotes about guests, The Show Behind the Curtain serves as an introduction to the backstage antics and controversies of Leno's program. The Tonight Show has played host to television and movie stars, professional athletes, political leaders, and comedians. With each guest, Berg, Leno, and other producers came together to create an entertaining and becoming segment. Whether it was discouraging guests from telling bad jokes or encouraging them to portray themselves as three-dimensional individuals with lives outside of notoriety, Berg's role was crucial to the longevity and success of the show. Called "the best booker in the business" by Bill O'Reilly, Berg possessed a unique ability to garner relationships with The Tonight Show's many guests. The witty and engaging anecdotes in this collection feature such personalities as John Kerry, Russell Crowe, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Willie Nelson, Teri Hatcher, and Dennis Rodman. This is a book that could only be written by a privileged insider. Berg reveals an industry view into the booking and preparation for a guest appearance, reflecting on how some guests are difficult and unprepared and how others are spontaneous and hilarious. He details the five-year-long series of bookings and appearances of Barack Obama-the first sitting president to appear on late-night television-and the fearful scheduling of Dennis Rodman, who was perpetually late. In this compilation, Berg shares the secrets, insights, and blunders of late-night television. Biography & Autobiography,Entertainment & Performing Arts,Performing Arts,Television,General,History & Criticism,Entertainment "It was always a pleasure to appear on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Jay and his long-time producer Dave Berg would welcome me to the Green Room, and these moments before the show gave us a chance to laugh. Jay and Dave brought a great spirit and a lot of dignity to late-night television." -Mrs. Laura Bush, former First Lady of the United States Experience the wacky antics and ground-breaking appearances of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from a backstage perspective. Gain an insider's view of how Leno changed the face of late-night, inviting not just actors but also journalists and politicos to the show. What happens behind the scenes is sometimes even more revealing than what happens in front of the camera. Serious and shocking, author Dave Berg proves that these memorable moments can still surprise and entertain. Called "the best booker in the business" by Bill O'Reilly, Berg delivered a vast array of high-profile guests, including Barack Obama as the first sitting president to ever appear on a late-night program. Berg tells what really happened during the show's most legendary moments-Hugh Grant's mea culpa, the live Boston show with an inebriated Cheers cast, Jerry Seinfeld's appearance with John F. Kennedy Jr., and Arnold Schwarzenegger's surprise political announcement. "Jay Leno's Tonight show [is explored] in this book by insider Dave Berg, who spent 18 years as Jay's co-producer. There were always two shows: the one on stage and the one behind the curtain. This narrative weaves both together, featuring the show's most legendary moments, including Hugh Grant's game-changing mea culpa, Arnold Schwarzenegger's shocking political announcement, and the historic booking of Barack Obama as the first sitting president ever to do a late-night show"--Amazon.com. James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno Funny is funny The dangerous art of booking guests Guests The real reality show Gets I didn't get Spying on Dennis Rodman in Nashville John F. Kennedy Jr., the favorite guest Mr. Sitting President Political moments News people Sports greats The audience Jay Leno's garage Trying times The future.