Tonight Show

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.

If the rumors are true and “The Tonight Show” is set to return to its ancestral  home at 30 Rockefeller Plaza with Jimmy Fallon as host, the move would be a boon for New York City - and maybe even the aging late-night genre itself. A relocation to the East Coast could also signal an effort by NBC to revitalize the “Tonight Show” brand, still the premier franchise in late-night but now seen as stagnant and too safe. “From '54 to '72, 'The Tonight Show' had the flavor and the feel of New York City,” said Ron Simon, curator of the Paley Center for Media in New York City.  “New York was at one point something that executives once shied away from, but with 'Seinfeld,' 'Louie,' 'Sex and the City,' New York is thought of in a different way. The New York spirit is obviously something people have a craving for, whether it's Jon Stewart or 'SNL.'” PHOTOS: Classic 'Tonight Show' moments Los Angeles offers proximity to celebrities and the entertainment business as a whole, but that can come at a creative cost, say some observers.

It's no joke: The mayor of Burbank wants 'The Tonight Show' to remain in the area formerly known as "Beautiful Downtown Burbank. " Burbank Mayor Dave Golonski said he is drafting a letter to NBC executives asking them to reconsider the plans to move “The Tonight Show” from Burbank to New York. “We would be extremely disappointed if the plans to move 'The Tonight Show' go through,” Golonski said by phone. “We would like it to remain in Burbank and the region.” PHOTOS: Classic 'Tonight Show' moments Former "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson jokingly christenend the headquarters of the show as "beautiful downtown Burbank" when the late-night series moved from New York to California in 1972.

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.

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.

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.

Halle Berry's dress on Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" had the late-show host conspicuously ogling the Bond girl Monday night. Berry, who's bantered with Leno often during her frequent appearances on "The Tonight Show," stopped by to promote her latest film "The Call. " She also dropped the knowledge bomb that she would be returning to "X-Men," but Leno seemed more staggered by her plunging-to-the-belly-button Reem Acra mini-dress, which showcased an ample amount of cleavage.  Leno kept the conversation on her wardrobe, including her other black and silver dress -- you know, the striped Versace gown that landed her on the Oscars' best dressed list . PHOTOS: 50 most beautiful female celebrities Berry, 46, divulged that she almost didn't wear the long-sleeved frock because it barely made its way to her in time for the show.

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.

This post has been corrected. See note at the end. Jay Leno, you are not the Perfect Match. The late night comedian opened "The Tonight Show" Wednesday night by propositioning model Bar Refaeli, asking his guest to re-create with him her epic GoDaddy.com Super Bowl make-out session. The commercial, with its extended, over-the-top smooch, was one of the post-Bowl talkers . So it's no surprise that Leno wanted in on the action. TIMELINE: Best Super Bowl commercials But the clever Refaeli, who dated Leonardo DiCaprio, had something else in store for the comedian: her GoDaddy sidekick, Walter.

Charlie Sheen didn't have anything good to say about disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong during his interview on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno on Wednesday. Of course, Sheen is an authority on the subject of bad behavior. When Leno, himself not a fan of Armstrong, asked Sheen about the cancer survivor turned seven-time Tour de France champion, Sheen got right to the point. "He's kind of a douche," Sheen quickly replied of Armstrong, who has been banned from competition for life and stripped of his championships for finally admitting what everyone had come to suspect -- that he used performance-enhancing drugs.