Jay Leno will entertain his loyal fan base one last time in 2009, on Friday, May 29, as host of his long-running “The Tonight Show” before moving over to let replacement host Conan O’Brien generate laughter the following Monday, June 1, NBC execs confirmed Monday at a Television Critics meeting.

There has long been talk regarding Jay Leno’s move from his job of 17 years, hosting “The Tonight Show,” and network executives confirmed some major changes Monday at a Television Critics Association gathering.

NBC co-chairmen Marc Graboff and Ben Silverman answered reporters’ questions, among these a disguised Jay Leno who mirrored Jimmy Kimmel’s own stunt last week during ABC’s session.

Treading delicately on mined ground, Graboff and Silverman said they did not regret the decision they had made regarding Leno’s departure and replacement with O’Brien and explained that the network wished to keep Leno within NBC Universal.

“We’re not agreeing that he’s going to ABC,” Graboff said, as quoted by the Los Angeles Times. “We’re still talking to Jay about staying within NBC Universal. We’re not even going to concede at this point. ... We’re presenting him with a number of opportunities.”

While Conan O’Brien takes over jay Leno’s spot on “The Tonight Show” and Jay Leno…well, nobody at this point knows what he is about to do, “Saturday Night Live” alum Jimmy Fallon will take over O’Brien’s place as host of “Late Night” in March or April of 2009.

In the meantime, he will get his chance to practice the new craft in brief Internet shows, Silverman and Graboff said.

It was “Late Night” longtime executive producer Lorne Michaels who revealed that Fallon would try his hand first in online episodes, most likely to begin this fall.