Leno offers details of final turn as Tonight Show host

Jay Leno's last shift as host of The Tonight Show will blend both nostalgia and a bit of promotion, the outgoing comedian has revealed.

The final guest to chat with Leno on his May 29 finale will be his successor, Conan O'Brien, who officially takes over the gig on June 1.

The final musical guest will be James Taylor, a sentimental choice that harkens to what Leno said he recalls hearing on the radio when he left his native Boston to begin his comedy career, he told reporters on a teleconference call on Thursday.

Leno also vowed that a few surprises that "will make people smile" are in store.

"I have something really unusual and different planned, something really out of left field that we're going to end on. It's something really personal," he said.

The popular comedian will begin a new, hour-long, prime-time, eponymous program five nights a week on NBC this fall — taking over slots that have, in recent years, been earmarked for dramatic programming.

Speaking on Thursday, the hard-working comedian — who only recently took his first sick days in 17 years as Tonight Show host — lamented the lack of comedy on the TV dial.

"When I was a kid … there was comedy all over TV, and it was fun to watch," he said, citing examples like Carol Burnett's iconic variety show. He added that The Jay Leno Show would provide viewers an alternative to the myriad crime dramas typically peppered throughout U.S. prime-time TV schedules.