Despite a symphony of noise from chainsaws and beeping trucks, Jay Leno maintained his calm demeanor Wednesday morning as he opened the doors to the set of his highly-anticipated new primetime show, which debuts Sept. 14 on NBC.
The set -- housed in a Burbank soundstage and still under heavy construction -- prominently features Leno's affinity for classic automobiles. A variety of photos shot at the host's own car garage showcase parts from Leno's cars, like engines or speedometers, and the images are displayed along the edges of the stage.
"When I get cancelled, I can go home and hang all of these pictures in my garage," said a trimmer Leno, who has lost 12 pounds -- and who ran 2 miles before touring a group of reporters around the studio.
He also imitated how he'll begin each evening on stage, walking through a pair of glass doors ("Ralph's market"-esque) surrounded by neon pink and blue lights and landing on his mark off the stage, near a group of audience members who will be seated in chairs.
Not surprisingly, Leno is paying close attention to the seating in the new set, which can hold about 370 people. During his "Tonight Show" days, he saw a spike in ratings when he remade his set to be more intimate.
Above the stage, a large ticker crawl will display messages like "more to come" to audience members. To the left of the stage rests a performance area, that will be capable of expanding to host larger acts like Cirque de Soleil or solo musical guests.
The set also features lots of glass throughout. It's an attempt to help break through the fourth wall, an NBC designer said. There is also wood paneling that appears to be Asian-inspired.
"We're putting a P.F. Chang's here," Leno quipped.
Earlier that morning, Leno seemed relaxed as he fielded questions about the format of the new show in a green room that had only been assembled with big lamps and plush pillows the day prior.
"I'm 59. I'm the world's oldest quarterback. I'm just happy to play the game," he said. "If this is successful, that's nice. If not, people go, 'did you do something after 'The Tonight Show?' And you say, 'no, no.'"
He also denied any trepidation about carrying NBC back to the ratings glory during its heyday of "Must See TV."
"No! They're in fourth place. What happens now? Go back to 'Lipstick Jungle?' It's not my fault. I was happy where I was."
Leno made a point of noting that as the host of "The Tonight Show," he both entered and exited the show with the number one talk show.
After departing the show in May and announcing he'd take up his new slot at 10 p.m., Leno has been the subject of ire from critics who claimed his weeknight programming was talking away valuable primetime slots from scripted drama.
It's a criticism Leno says he doesn't get, because his new program is employing 22 Writers Guild writers.
