Jay Leno in His First Broadcast Interview About His Move to Primetime with PBS' Tavis Smiley

On Monday, August 10, Jay Leno will be a guest on Tavis Smiley in an exclusive broadcast interview. The talk show host and comedian will discuss his move to primetime, the state of late-night television, and his rise to success. Leno made television history earlier this year when he talked with Barack Obama on "The Tonight Show" and became the first-ever late-night host to feature a sitting President of the United States.

Jay Leno was born in New Rochelle, NY and raised in Andover, MA. He earned a Bachelor's degree from Emerson College in Boston, MA before pursuing a career in show business. Leno got his start as a comedian, performing in comedy clubs around the country. He moved to Los Angeles and began work in television and film, both writing and making appearances in shows such as "Welcome Back Kotter." Leno made his first appearance on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson on March 2, 1977 and eventually took over for Carson as the show's new full-time host in 1992.

On Sept. 14, 2009, Leno will premiere his primetime show, "The Jay Leno Show" airing five nights a week at 10 p.m. (EST) on NBC. In addition to his talk-show career, Leno still regularly performs stand-up comedy. Leno has written two New York Times best-selling children's books, an autobiography, and published four compilations of his favorite funny newspaper headlines. Additionally, Leno, a car aficionado, has created a website, Jay Leno's Garage where fans can learn more about cars and peek inside Leno's famous garage.

Tavis Smiley is a unique hybrid of news, issues and entertainment, featuring interviews with politicians, entertainers, athletes, authors and other newsmakers. Tavis Smiley was recently named to TIME's list of 100 "Most Influential People in the World."


Tune in for Tavis Smiley on Tuesday, August 11 at 1 a.m. on WGVU-HD or at 5 a.m. on WGVU2.