Jay Leno

In his "Late Night" monologue Wednesday, Jimmy Fallon joked about the flurry of reports about his imminent takeover of "The Tonight Show" and the show's possible move back to New York after four decades in Burbank. "Before we get started I have to talk about the rumors that came out today that we'll be moving up to 11:30, or as my parents call it, 'Eh, still too late,'" he said. "Actually the rumors are true. NBC is turning 'The Tonight Show' into a diving competition.

For any of you worried about North Korea, Dennis Rodman has some words of reassurance:  Despite what you may have heard about the oppressive and isolated regime, it's “pretty much like any other country.” On Tuesday, the retired NBA player turned global ambassador paid his second visit to “The Tonight Show” in the space the of a month.  When last we saw "the Worm" on Jay Leno's couch , he was erratic and emotional over the...

Two rules to live by are, don't argue with a man who has a microphone, and don't bite the hand that feeds you. At NBC, both are being ignored. Jay Leno, who gets well-paid to tell jokes and interview celebrities as host of NBC's "Tonight Show," has recently turned to his own network's prime-time struggles for material. It started last month when Leno cracked that it's so bad at NBC that "'The Biggest Loser' isn't just a TV show anymore; it's our new motto.” He followed that up with this dig: “It's so bad, NBC called Manti Te'o and asked him to bring in some imaginary viewers.” Bob Greenblatt, the chairman of NBC Entertainment, didn't take too kindly to Leno's cracks.

Stop me if you've heard this one before. NBC is finalizing its succession plans at "The Tonight Show. " Jay Leno, the longtime host, is expected to be replaced by Jimmy Fallon in 2014, people with knowledge of the plans confirmed. This isn't the first time NBC has tried to replace Leno. In 2009, Conan O'Brien succeeded Leno as host only to have Leno reclaim the job several months later. O'Brien now hosts a show on the TBS cable channel. PHOTOS: Celebrities by The Times But NBC is hoping history doesn't repeat itself this time.

Jay Leno's ascension to the host's chair at "Tonight Show" was tumultuous. And now it's looking like his exit might be rocky too. Relations between the comic and his NBC bosses have soured in recent days, with Leno calling them "snakes" during Monday's monologue. "You know the whole legend of St. Patrick, right? St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland, and then they came into the United States and became NBC executives," Leno joked, as some in his studio audience gasped.

After the coffee. Before pretending I know something about March Madness. The Skinny: I watched the season finale of HBO's "Girls" last night. Who knew that all these 21st century women needed to be happy were the men who weren't making them happy at the start of season one? At least that was my takeaway. Monday's headlines include a recap of the weekend box office and a review of the new A&E drama "Bates Motel. " Daily Dose: It's no secret that "Mad Men" creator Matt Weiner hates spoilers about his acclaimed drama.

Conan O'Brien may not have much to talk to Jay Leno about these days, but the rival talk-show hosts do share at least one thing in common: They both go a little gaga in the presence of Halle Berry. Leno couldn't help ogling Berry when she stopped by “The Tonight Show” Monday night wearing a plunging black minidress. On Wednesday, it was O'Brien's turn to lose his cool over the Oscar-winning beauty, meaning that, in one way at least, he's still following Leno. After a fun flashback to an appearance Berry made 20 years ago on a very early episode of O'Brien's NBC talk show "Late Night," wearing a hat that looked like it was borrowed from the “Blossom” wardrobe department, the conversation turned to her line of perfumes - specifically, how and where to apply them.

The Lakers weren't happy with recent comments from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban that the Lakers might need to consider using an amnesty on Kobe Bryant this summer. The NBA agreed, fining Cuban $500,000. Bryant would score 38 points against the Mavericks in a decisive 103-99 victory in late February, telling Cuban to "Amnesty THAT" on Twitter. On Wednesday, Cuban appeared on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," and while he touched upon the Bryant controversy, he didn't want to get himself in more trouble.

Olivia Wilde learned a valuable lesson about Justin Bieber fans: Don't talk smack about the most-followed person on Twitter. "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" actress, who appeared on "The Tonight Show" Tuesday, unleashed a tweet March 2 after photos surfaced documenting the pop star walking around shirtless in frigid London, which kicked off his very, very bad London trip. "Bieber, put your ... shirt on. (unless you lost all your shirts in a fire in which case my condolences and please purchase a new shirt.)

Dennis Rodman has plenty of faults, but being out of touch with his emotions surely isn't one of them. In an appearance on "The Tonight Show" Monday to promote the upcoming season of "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice," the former Chicago Bull was overcome with grief over the death of Lakers owner Jerry Buss and, well, a few other things. A few minutes into the interview, Rodman joked that many people are surprised to learn that he's still alive, despite his troubles with alcohol.