“I see we have a full house,” said NBC Universal TV chairman Jeff Gaspin, as he walked onto the stage and stood before a ballroom filled with TV critics, many of whom were poised to pounce. “I heard there were some scalpers outside.”

The levity quickly went by the wayside, however, as Gaspin went into the recitation of what one can only presume was a well-tweaked statement, confirming that, starting February 12th, “The Jay Leno Show” will no longer air at 10 PM. He admitted that, although the series performed at acceptable levels for the network, it did not meet the needs of the network’s affiliates, hence the change in programming strategy. He also stated that NBC’s goal was to keep all three of its hosts as part of the late-night landscape – “The Jay Leno Show” at 11:35 PM, “The Tonight Show starring Conan O’Brien” at 12:05 AM, and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” at 1:05 AM – while acknowledging that this plan was in no way a done deal and that talks are still ongoing.

“It’s a fluid situation,” said Gaspin. “Everybody has the weekend to think about it, and we’ll see what happens when we start the new week tomorrow.”

While he would not confirm the hosts’ specific reactions to the new plan, Gaspin said that all three gentlemen were “incredibly gracious and professional” and that they acknowledged that they knew it was a difficult situation. As for anything else that went down during the discussions, he merely described it as a “private conversation,” adding, “When it’s all settled, you can go and ask them what their feelings were.”

Gaspin expects that the new late-night line-up will be in place by the time NBC’s coverage of the Olympics begins in February.

Unsurprisingly, the critics’ claws were soon out, with one wanting to know exactly what happened with the network’s assurances during the summer TCA tour that the success or failure of “The Jay Leno Show” would not be determined fully until the series had run for a full 52-week cycle. Gaspin maintained that the 52-week plan still would’ve been his preference but again cited the affiliates’ concerns as being the driving force behind the comparatively-quick removal of the series from its prime-time berth.

“Starting in November, the affiliates started calling, saying that local news was being affected more than expected,” said Gaspin. By the end of the month, the stations which utilized people meters for their ratings continued their complaints, now citing statistics where, in some cases, #1 local news broadcasts had dropped to #3. Gaspin continued his constant dialogue with the affiliates, requesting that they wait and see how the show would do against repeats…and, indeed, “The Jay Leno Show” did do better, but only by about a tenth of a rating point, still coming in second to either CBS or ABC on a regular basis. When the smaller affiliates without people meters got their November book numbers, “the drum beat started getting louder,” Gaspin said, and as it became progressively more clear that they were only going to be getting more vocal about their displeasure, throwing around comments about possible preemption, “we realized things were not going to go well if it was kept in place.”

Gaspin continued to clarify, however, that despite the feelings of the affiliates, NBC did not feel that “The Jay Leno Show” was a disappointment on a network level. “It was working at acceptable levels financially, making money at 10 PM,” he said. “For the network, it was not a wrong decision.”

He also underlined that, insofar as he was concerned, the reason behind the limited viewership had nothing to do with the show or its level of quality. “There’s a lot of choice at 10 PM,” he said. “We thought it could be everybody’s second choice, but there were just so many other choices that people thought were better.” In the end, Gaspin conceded that “The Jay Leno Show,” while being easy entertainment, simply wasn’t the first or even second choice of enough viewers.

So now that the 10 PM slot is going to be vacated by our man Jay, what can we expect to see in its place? That’s still under consideration, with details still yet to be worked out, but Gaspin’s guess is that “it will net at least two more hours of scripted, another reality hour, and a combination of expanded ‘Dateline’ episodes or repeats.”

Angela Bromstad, the network’s president of prime time entertainment, revealed what’s on the slate for the future, and there’s some stuff that sounds pretty good:

* “Undercovers,” wherein a domesticated husband and wife return from years in retirement and are re-activated as CIA agents. As they work together for the first time on new cases, they discover new aspects from their past, even as they re-ignite their passion for each other. (Oh, God, can you tell that came straight from the press release?) J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” the 2009 feature film “Star Trek”), Bryan Burk (“Lost,” “Star Trek”) and Josh Reims (“Dirty Sexy Money”) are the executive producers, Abrams and Reims are the writers, and it was announced today that Abrams will be directing the pilot, his first since “Lost.”

* “Prime Suspect,” based on the award-winning BBC series, centering on a courageous female detective who investigates complex mysteries in a politically explosive big city. Hank Steinberg (“Without a Trace”) and Erwin Stoff (“The Blind Side”) are the executive producers.

* “Chase,” a new action-procedural drama from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer, based on a real-life group and set in the American Southwest, follows a crucial fugitive apprehension team comprised of U.S. Marshals that tracks down the nation’s most notorious criminals. Joining Bruckheimer as executive producers are Jennifer Johnson (“Cold Case”) and Jonathan Littman (“CSI,” “Cold Case”).

* “Kindreds,” created by Emmy Award winner David E. Kelley (“Boston Legal,” “The Practice,” “L.A. Law”), follows a curmudgeonly ex-patent lawyer and his group of misfit associates as their lives come together to form an unconventional kind of law practice. Kelley is the writer and executive producer.

* “The Event,” a thriller with a unique storytelling device that features multiple points of view concerning a decent, regular fellow who battles against mysterious circumstances that envelope a larger conspiracy. Steve Stark (“Medium”) is the executive producer, and Nick Wauters (“The 4400”) is the co-executive producer/writer.

* “Love Bites” is an hour-long romantic comedy from writer Cindy Chupack (“Sex in the City,” “Everybody Loves Raymond”) and Timothy Bevan & Eric Fellner (“Love Actually,” “Bridget Jones’ Diary”).

* “The Rockford Files.” Your worst fears are being realized, Seth Gordon: the iconic drama from the 1970s is being re-imagined by executive producers David Shore (“House”) and Steve Carell. Yes, the one from “The Office.”

* And, lastly (for now), there’s the Adam Carolla comedy project, featuring Jimmy Kimmel’s former “Man Show” co-host as a contractor who sets out to re-build his life following a divorce. The executive producers are Carolla, Kevin Hench (The Hammer”), Jon Pollack (NBC’s “30 Rock”), Jimmy Kimmel (“The Jimmy Kimmel Show”), Gail Berman (NBC’s “Mercy”), Lloyd Braun (NBC’s “Mercy”), Daniel Kellison (“The Jimmy Kimmel Show,” “The Man Show”) and James Dixon (“Ace in the Hole”).

There’s also still some interest from the network about having Dick Wolf pull together a “Law & Order: Los Angeles” (which Wolf has apparently taken to calling “LOLA”), but it’s still strictly in the talking stages at the moment.

A couple of random tidbits were also offered up about a few other shows which are currently part of the NBC line-up:

* “Heroes” is still under consideration for a fifth season, with Bromstad planning to meet with creator Tim Kring sometime in the next few weeks to feel out what his plans would be for the series.

* David Hasselhoff is leaving “America’s Got Talent,” and his probable replacement looks to be Howie Mandel.

Oh, hey, we just remembered: what’s NBC planning to do with Carson Daly? (See, even we hadn’t thought about where the Leno / O’Brien / Fallon brouhaha was going to leave him.) Well, according to Gaspin, “Carson is going to be part of NBC, regardless of what happens,” though he admitted that leaving him in the post-Fallon timeslot would involve some “rejiggering.” The problem at hand is that 2:05 AM, which would ostensibly be the new start-time for Daly’s show, is when the affiliates are free to air whatever the hell they want…and, really, if you had a choice, would you watch Carson Daly?

Stay tuned for…

Joe Lo Truglio: Hello there, Will.

Bullz-Eye: Hello, Joe. How are you?

JLT: I’m good, sir. How are you doing?

BE: I’m doing great. Pleasure to talk to you.

JLT: Pleasure to talk to you. Thanks for having some interest in talking to me.

BE: Definitely. I definitely dug the movie…and not just the movie, but the additional ad-libbing scenes that are in the special features of the DVD.

JLT: Oh, thanks very much. Yeah, we had quite a fun time there on that set. For some reason, nonsense Elizabethan came very easy to me.

BE: So how was it doing the live action role playing? It seemed like it would be fun, but…well, when I was talking to David (Wain), I said it looked like it was you guys were walking a tight rope by trying not to make fun of the people who really participate in such activities.

JLT: Yes, well, I think David Wain – the director – really wanted to not put the live action role players in a bad light. There is something endearing about their complete and utter insane commitment to the game. I think the most interesting part to me was having a stunt coordinator who did “The Bourne Supremacy”, and…of course I’m blanking on his name. Jeff…Imada! But having him choreograph these fights with foam swords and Styrofoam shields was quite funny to me, considering what he had worked with in the past.

BE: What was your favorite bit of attire you got to wear?

JLT: I think my favorite…although it was a little painful, I think it really kind of completed the character…was the chain nail hood that I was wearing. Although it was somewhat uncomfortable at times, I threw that on and, suddenly, the crazy, Elizabethan metaphors started flowing much easier after that.

BE: So how long did it take to film those scenes, all told?

JLT: Um, let’s see. You know, that sequence, they were shooting, I think, for about a week. I mean, it was spread apart. It was kind of split up by days, but I think all told, probably between like…probably around seven days, I think, for all of that to be shot. That sequence, anyway.

BE: What was the most challenging part of it for you?

JLT: The hardest part was not cracking up at Paul and Ken Jeong and Matt Walsh. The objective, I’ve found in these movies where I’ve been fortunate enough to work with so many people I know, is to try to crack the other person up while the camera is rolling. That is always a fun game to play and, usually, when you do that, you’re able to get some great ad-libs and some good moments. The biggest challenge was not laughing, I think.

BE: Who was the greatest accomplishment of the people in the cast when you made them laugh? Was there one in particular that was the hardest to get to break?

JLT: You know, Paul is pretty hard to break. He’s pretty poker-faced when he does his stuff. I would say Paul. I was going to say Matt and Ken…uh, Matt Walsh and Ken Jeong…but they’re suckers. I could break them pretty easy.

BE: Now how was it working with Christopher Mintz-Plasse? I mean, obviously, you had been on the set with him on “Superbad” as well.

JLT: Yeah, “Superbad,” that was great. I think Chris did a terrific job. I know he was in a tough spot coming out of “Superbad,” where he had to kind of break out of being McLovin, and I thought he did a great job of having a slightly different take on the “geek” teenager. It was great to work with him again. He’s very willing to ad-lib and improv with you. Like, he’s very open for trying different things. For someone as young as he is, it’s a great skill to have.

BE: Cool. Now obviously you’ve worked with David Wain as a director more than one time. In fact. you found your way into both “The Ten” and also “Hot Wet American Summer.”

JLT: Yes.

BE: Sorry, I meant “Wet Hot American Summer.” I always flip flop that.

JLT: Yeah, wet hot, hot wet…you can mix and match all the words. They all pretty much come out to the same type of porn name. (Laughs) Like I said, it’s been a blessing really to work not only with David so many times but also with Ken Marino. And Kerri Kenney, who was also in the movie. David is a terrific director, and I think what makes him a great director is that he’s very collaborative; he’s very calm in the midst of what could be a terrible production storm. “Role Models” was not the case, but certainly “Wet Hot” had its troubles. When you have someone who’s grounded and focused, you know, everyone takes their cue from the director. So I think that’s what makes him really great to work with: he stays calm and is always ready for actors to bring in ideas to him.

BE: David said that “The State” reunion for Sketchfest never would have happened without email.

JLT: The internet may have saved “The State” reunion… (Laughs) …and any future “State” collaborations, considering we’re about as big as the Waltons and half of us are on one side of the country and the other half is on the other. E-mail is really the only possible way for us to communicate…and it’s a little bit easier. because we’re not all in the same room.

BE: Has there always been enthusiasm at the idea of getting back together, or did it take some coercing?

JLT: It didn’t take coercing. I think the biggest problem wasn’t egos; it was really schedules. So many of us have been busy, and the entire group from the get-go wanted to do something. I think we knew even towards the end, way back in the day when we were kind of splitting apart, that we wanted to do something together again. We just needed our time away. So there was no coercing, it was really scheduling, and the group wanted to find the right opportunity and the right venue really to make that comeback. I think Sketchfest was a great opportunity for us to see what it’s like to be on stage together. We had done a smaller reunion show last March, at the UCB Theater in L.A. We had a great reception, and it was nice because it was a smaller theater and a more intimate setting, in a sense. It was kind of back to our roots. The Black Box Theater was around 100-150 seats, if that, and it was a good starting point. I think Sketchfest was the big coming-out party, and the group is certainly talking about doing a tour of some sort this year. So we’re excited. Again, the biggest challenge for us now is scheduling.

BE: And the DVD is very much in the works, I understand, even though it’s been forever on the schedule as TBD.

JLT: The DVD is an enigma wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in molasses, sunk at the bottom of a pit of quick sand. (Laughs) It’s amazing how long it has taken for the set to come out, and the group was discouraged with that. But we know that MTV is behind it now and pledges to us that it will be out, hopefully this summer. It’s a great set, and I think that our fans will really appreciate it. We have a lot of great or unreleased material. We have commentary on all the episodes, early promos, and…we’re excited about it. And, teah, we were told it’s going to come out in the summer .

BE: Now I know when you were doing comedy in New York, you also ended up finding your way onto an episode of “Law and Order” and an episode of “Third Watch”. Did you just throw your hat into the ring because you needed the work, or what?

JLT: That works like this: if you want to be taken seriously as an actor in New York, you must appear on one of the “Law and Order” shows. If you don’t, you have no right to be an actor. You’re not valid. You don’t count. It’s, like, you have to get on that show. Otherwise…I mean, come on, everyone and their mother has been on “Law and Order”! It was just one of those cases where I just went in, auditioned, and got the part. The actors of New York owe a lot to Dick Wolf.

BE: And you’ve also done quite a few video game voices as well.

JLT: Yeah, that was exciting for me. I had never done motion capture before and then…you know, after you have a sketch comedy show on cable, there is something humbling about being in a spandex one-piece suit with ping pong balls. You learn to kind of embrace what you have at the moment. It turns out I had a blast making those video games, in particular “The Warriors,” because “The Warriors” is one of my favorite films. So having the opportunity to play Vermin, the hairy chested Italian, was nothing less than a godsend.

BE: What’s your favorite film that you’ve appeared in that people might not have seen? Even if it’s just a small role.

JLT: You know, I have to say, I’m really proud of Artie Lange’s “Beer League.” Artie’s terrific, and Frank Sebastiano, they both wrote a great script that was completely unapologetic and really raunchy…and, I think, very loyal to the old school sports movies like “Slap Shot” and “Bad News Bears.” I’m certainly not saying it’s as good as those films, but I think it has that spirit of those films, definitely. I think more people should see the movie.

BE: You’ve also appeared in “The Baxter,” and you’ve turned up in “Reno 911” – both the show and the movie – as well. Of the films you’ve done within the “State” family, do you have a favorite?

JLT: Um, gosh. I would probably say “Wet Hot” was my favorite of all those, just because there are so many incredibly talented and, at the time, up and coming comedians that are in that movie. It was such a blast to shoot that movie; we had such a great time. So far as “Baxter” goes…well, I love working with everyone in “The State”. I mean, they’re good friends and people that I respect and look up to as comedians. But that also was a great experience for me working on “The Baxter” with (Michael) Showalter. I would just like to throw out that the upcoming “Reno” season is approaching, and that’s another great opportunity and I’m really happy with the work that we all did on this season. And aside from that, there’s a web series that I just recently produced with my partner A.D. Miles, who is now writing on the Jimmy Fallon show. And that web series is called “Hot Sluts Rated R”, which is basically “Flashdance” meets women-in-prison films meets 80’s soft core porn. It’s about a group of foul mouthed waitresses who try to achieve their dream in a terrible night club called Scenarios. And that will be launching on Atom.com in April.

BE: Okay. Awesome. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for it.

JLT: I appreciate that.

BE: All right. Well, pleasure talking to you. I’m going to see a screening of “I Love You, Man” next week, so I’ll keep an eye out for High Voiced Guy (Lo Truglio’s character in the film).

JLT: (Laughs) Fantastic. Thanks a lot, Will. It was a pleasure speaking to you.

BE: No problem. Thank you.