• Los Angeles Times, Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:31 AM

As NBC prepares to move Jay Leno out of "The Tonight Show" chair two years hence, he is becoming increasingly reluctant to go, according to insiders. Three years ago, Leno agreed to step down in 2009 and hand over the reins to Conan O'Brien. But as the end draws nigh, Leno is getting frustrated. "It's almost unprecedented in television for someone as successful as Jay has been to have his departure planned several years in advance," says TV historian Tim Brooks.

The last time such a top star left was in 1968, when Andy Griffith bolted from what was then the No. 1 show in the ratings. "This is a very different approach, and a very risky one for NBC," Brooks says. After all, Leno could just go to ABC or Fox -- or CNN might try to get him to take over for Larry King. Even CBS might have shot at him, if David Letterman doesn't renew a contract set to expire in 2010. So the Peacock Network is working hard to keep him on in some capacity.

"We are working with Jay to convince him that there is life beyond late night," says Marc Graboff, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment. "He's a great talent. We really want to stay in business with him."

Read the whole story at Los Angeles Times »