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NBC Allegedly Bullies Jimmy Fallon Guests Into Not Appearing On Other Talk Shows
Tina Fey is a guest on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" March 3 (Photo by Theo Wargo/NBC/Getty Images for "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon")
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon may be crushing it with ratings, but it’s also apparently crushing stars’ hopes of appearing on any other networks’ talk shows.NBC has been telling celebrities, agents and publicists that guests who want to be on Tonight can’t also go on other talk shows, neither late-night nor in the morning, sources connected to CBS, ABC and NBC told TMZ. Sources said guests who went on Fallon’s show were OK to go on NBC’s Today or Dateline though.
Though it may seem a bit extreme, there’s a reason why stars would oblige: Tonight got 10.4 million viewers in its first week, more than Conan O’Brien or even Jay Leno ever got during their tenures as hosts for The Tonight Show. And the ratings have continued, with Tonight still netting 5.5 million viewers in its second week, far more than the 4 million Leno was averaging earlier this season, the Los Angeles Times reported. He's already had such high-profile guests as Cameron Diaz, Bradley Cooper and Michelle Obama.
C’mon guys, even Coachella is loosening up and letting bands play in L.A. around the time of the show.
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