From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Adam Scott had calculated everything, but overlooked the most crucial aspect: Jay Leno's pride and professionalism.

Sony Columbia's worries and panic, viewed from another angle, were a form of questioning, a kind of provocation that completely infuriated Jay Leno, to the point that NBC also hurriedly expressed their unwavering support for their talk show superstar, busily appeasing Jay Leno.

NBC's stance also completely changed the situation.

"The Tonight Show" was broadcast smoothly.

Not only that, but after learning about this, Sony Columbia's executives immediately ordered Adam to apologize to Jay Leno, at all costs, to repair the relationship.

Since Jay Leno took over the show in 1992, it had experienced a series of challenges and impacts; after all, he wasn't Johnny Carson, and he needed time for the audience to accept him.

In those years, "The Tonight Show" had always firmly held the throne of late-night talk show ratings champion, but this was largely due to the legacy of Johnny Carson; competition from other programs was still very fierce.

The turning point came on July 10, 1995.

The interview guest that day was Hugh Grant.

Just a few days before the show was recorded, to be precise, on June 27th, Hugh Grant was arrested by the Los Angeles police for receiving oral sex from a "streetwalker" in a car on Sunset Boulevard, caught red-handed, facing potential imprisonment, and plunged into a Hollywood scandal.

Almost everyone thought that Hugh Grant would not appear at the "Tonight Show" recording, but Jay Leno personally persuaded him.

And, after Hugh Grant sat down, Jay Leno said the classic line that shocked all of North America, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Although it wasn't profanity, it wasn't far from it.

That episode completely changed Jay Leno's position on "The Tonight Show," completely erasing Johnny Carson's influence and establishing his own prestige and reputation.

Since then, "The Tonight Show" has completely become Jay Leno's show, with viewership consistently staying above four million.

The highest viewership of other talk shows might be four million, and usually maintains around two million; but "The Tonight Show's" worst viewership is also four million, and it can easily break five million every now and then, and even higher numbers are not surprising.

For the 10 pm and 11 pm time slots, "The Tonight Show's" stability and strength is undoubtedly an incredible myth.

Including David Letterman, who had an irreconcilable feud with Jay Leno, his show in the same time slot could only watch "The Tonight Show's" back as they competed for second place in the ratings. There was an insurmountable barrier between them and "The Tonight Show," even a stark difference that was despairing.

Similarly, the advertising sponsors who are most concerned about the ratings numbers, the main consumer group between the ages of eighteen and forty-nine, also invariably locked onto "The Tonight Show."

When the ratings of other late-night talk shows generally hovered below 3.0, each breakthrough of 3.0 was a success worth celebrating greatly; "The Tonight Show's" average ratings had already broken through the 4.0 stage, and anything below 4.0 might require a meeting to review, while 5.0 was the working goal.

Simply put, the competition wasn't even on the same level.

Sony Columbia naturally didn't want to offend Jay Leno.

To be precise, no movie company in Hollywood wanted to offend Jay Leno, not a question of whether it was possible, but simply unnecessary.

Moreover, even in the eyes of Sony Columbia's executives, Adam Scott's handling of this matter was questionable, and they had no excuse.

Adam: So, this is what it feels like to be a scapegoat.

Worse, Jay Leno proved himself—

He was right, Adam's worries were unnecessary, how could Jay Leno risk his own brand?

After this episode of "The Tonight Show" aired, it ignited a complete sensation.

The first half featured the "Star Wars: Episode II" cast, led by Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor.

The second half featured an unknown indie band.

If you didn't watch the show and only read the first paragraph of the next day's "Los Angeles Times" report, ordinary people might have the misconception:

The show exploded, isn't that a matter of course? That's "Star Wars: Episode II"! Anything related to "Star Wars" immediately becomes a hit, okay?

Even if they know nothing about movies or talk shows, it doesn't prevent them from being shocked by the influence of "Star Wars" in North America.

Of course, the fact is indeed so.

In the first half, although the interviews with Natalie and Ewan weren't as interesting as expected, and the show was even slightly stiff, relying on the appeal of "Star Wars," the show still easily attracted 5.5 million viewers, and the ratings easily reached a high of 4.5, undoubtedly becoming the focus.

The North American market is ready to welcome "Star Wars: Episode II."

However, continuing to read deeper into the "Los Angeles Times" report, you will immediately find something wrong, and things are developing in a strange direction.

"...While everyone was immersed in the joy of 'Star Wars' being released again, Jay Leno conjured a rabbit out of a hat like a magician. No one knows how it happened, but the surprise came head-on, regardless of whether the audience was mentally prepared.

A band, a street performance, a viral internet wave. And, Anson Wood."

Reader: ???

Obviously, things are different from what was imagined, completely different—

Who could have imagined that "Star Wars" would actually be a wedding dress for others one day?

Thanks to the warm-up provided by Natalie and Ewan in the first half, although the show was not as exciting as expected, "The Tonight Show" easily retained most of the audience. A habitual action prevented the audience from picking up the remote control to change channels, and then they witnessed the show opening with a stunning and shocking band performance—

Surprise!

Absolute surprise!

In the original words of the "Los Angeles Times," "A cello appearing in a pop band is already a gimmick, a taste of something new. However, this is not the band's real adventure. The spectacle of four band members playing a single cello is just the beginning of a journey."

The talk show interview hadn't even started, and "The Tonight Show" had already ignited curiosity in the late-night hours.

Ratings are climbing steadily.

According to Nielsen statistics, after the band started performing, the viewership showed a slow rise, and the upward trend was not obvious; but the ratings ushered in a clear and steep rise curve.

From the data, it can be seen that the main consumer group between the ages of eighteen and forty-nine was immediately captured, and the curiosity and joy of young people were easily ignited and widely spread, which also became a rare and unique sight in the late-night hours.

And all of this is just the beginning.