The Late Night Warz!

[Stennick]

Screw pro wrestling in all its dullness. Forget about the Monday Night Warz present or past.

 

This Late Night stuff is great. Jimmy Kimmel had an awesome Letterman impersonation and then they put him on the Leno show where he just SLAMMED Leno for ten minutes while Leno stood there trying to hurry through it.

 

Then Conan says something like "To the kids out there I want to tell them they can be anything they want in life.....unless Jay Leno wants to be that too"

 

Craig Ferguson with "Hey remember Tiger Woods? He's the guy we used to talk about in the olden times before Late Night T.V went crazy and we started talkin about one another"

 

David Letterman "Last night on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel did the entire show as Jay Leno. Jimmy Kimmel was so convincing as Leno, today NBC canceled him."

 

This has been great. I wasn't really around for Letterman/Leno or you know was a kid so didn't care but this stuff has been so much fun. I doubt even that had this sort of on air mud slinging in it. God bless a million different media outlets to air your dirty laundry in this century.

[Remianen]

I doubt even that had this sort of on air mud slinging in it.

 

Actually it did. When NBC lied to Letterman and he bailed to CBS, it was really nasty. This is a bit bigger because you have ancillary people taking shots but Leno-Letterman was really nasty (at least on one side of the dispute).

[MrCanada]

Actually it did. When NBC lied to Letterman and he bailed to CBS, it was really nasty. This is a bit bigger because you have ancillary people taking shots but Leno-Letterman was really nasty (at least on one side of the dispute).

 

There's a made-for-tv movie about the Letterman/Leno debacle.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Late_Shift

 

the differance is this is the first time its done in the open. Most of the Leno/Letterman stuff was behind closed doors and kept hush hush until it was announced Letterman was leaving NBC.

 

NBC never lied to Letterman though. It was just believed by Letterman, Carson, and pretty much everyone, that Letterman would take over the Tonight Show from Late Night.

[BHK1978]

I love how Letterman keeps on saying he does not know what will happen to Carson Daly (why they ever gave Carson Daly a late night show is anybody's guess).

 

Yeah the Leno-Letterman feud was pretty bad, and I never really blamed David because he was the heir-apparent to Johnny Carson (Even Johnny wanted him to have the show.) so I think he had every right to be bitter. That being said I think the reason why Letterman did not get the Tonight Show was due to the way he used to always slam NBC. Yes it was in good fun but I am also sure that GE were more than happy to stick it to Letterman.

[Stennick]

Yeah I know it was bad but I mean open shots on television is more what I was talking about. I've never seen guys taking such vicious stabs at each other. Kimmel DESTROYS Leno on his own show. Who in the world thought it would be a good idea to do that, and is that show live and if not why not edit it out? I mean Kimmel just man handled him. The strange thing is that I'm not a big Kimmel fan, his show atleast. I'm gonna try and give it one more go after this though. Does Fox have late night? Its about the only place Conan can go and not get shoved to late late night.

[MrCanada]

the best guy in Late Night right now is Craig Ferguson anyway.... I was surprised too. But I started watching his stuff on youtube and other such sites and the guys hilarious. I try to catch his stuff if I'm ever up that late.

 

Top Late Night Hosts:

1. Craig Ferguson

2. Jon Stewart

3. Stephen Colbert

4. Conan O'Brien

5. David Letterman

6. Jimmy Kimmell

7. Jimmy Fallon

8. Jay Leno

 

 

I do think Fallon is sometimes a little funnier then Kimmel, but that Late Night slot seems to warrant that extra "wackiness". Conan lost a bit of that when he went "mainstream", but thats what always happens to anything.

[BHK1978]

Yeah I know it was bad but I mean open shots on television is more what I was talking about. I've never seen guys taking such vicious stabs at each other. Kimmel DESTROYS Leno on his own show. Who in the world thought it would be a good idea to do that, and is that show live and if not why not edit it out? I mean Kimmel just man handled him. The strange thing is that I'm not a big Kimmel fan, his show atleast. I'm gonna try and give it one more go after this though. Does Fox have late night? Its about the only place Conan can go and not get shoved to late late night.

 

No Fox does not have weekday latenight, they do have Wanda Sykes on Saturday. Besides Arsenio Hall, Fox has not had the best track record with latenight.

 

Sorry Arsenio hosted a show on Fox for 13 weeks but the show I was thinking of was his syndicated late-night talk show. It was on Fox in my market so I thought it was a Fox show.

[MrCanada]

I think the current talk is Conan likely going to Fox or possibly ABC. But ABC would cause weirdness since Kimmell starts at 12, so if Conan goes on before does he go at 10:30 like Leno just failed to do? Does he go 11:30-12:30 and push Kimmell back 30 minutes?

 

I think a deal may end up coming out of right field and we could see Conan end up on Cable, maybe Comedy Network. Set up Conan at 10 opening for an hour for Stewart/Colbert? For all we know Spike TV may come up with an offer.

 

From what I've gauged, NBC has to pay Conan 20 million a year. Whether he does a show or not. And if he goes to another network, NBC still has to pay the differance of the contract offer. So he if goes to Spike for 5 million a year, NBC would still have to pay 15 million a year or something like that. I'm going to look for the link where I read that, and I'll edit it in.

[Remianen]

NBC never lied to Letterman though. It was just believed by Letterman, Carson, and pretty much everyone, that Letterman would take over the Tonight Show from Late Night.

 

False. CBS had been chasing Letterman for a few years prior to the split. Letterman wanted the 11:35 slot but didn't want to compete with his mentor of sorts. Carson anointed him his successor (though he had no power to do so) and NBC took advantage of that.

 

Perhaps you're familiar with a lie by omission? "The Tonight Show chair will be available once Johnny retires" while omitting the fact that they didn't intend to give it to him, is a lie by omission. You're leading someone to believe something that you know isn't true because you're leaving out an important fact.

 

I love how Letterman keeps on saying he does not know what will happen to Carson Daly (why they ever gave Carson Daly a late night show is anybody's guess).

 

Um, huh? BHK, when did Last Call first launch? What was Carson Daly's other job at the time? He got a show for the exact same reason Rachael Ray got a show. Same reason Wendy Williams got a show. They all had followings that are/were attractive to advertisers. If the advertisers are on board, everything is everything.

 

I think the current talk is Conan likely going to Fox or possibly ABC. But ABC would cause weirdness since Kimmell starts at 12, so if Conan goes on before does he go at 10:30 like Leno just failed to do? Does he go 11:30-12:30 and push Kimmell back 30 minutes?

 

I think a deal may end up coming out of right field and we could see Conan end up on Cable, maybe Comedy Network. Set up Conan at 10 opening for an hour for Stewart/Colbert? For all we know Spike TV may come up with an offer.

 

Comedy Central doesn't have a place for him. He can't displace the Daily Show or Colbert Report (which, oddly enough, are the two most profitable properties on the network. Yes, including South Park) and starting at midnight is just putting him in essentially the same place he would've been on NBC. I think it's 11:30/11:35 or nothing for Conan so Fox could work.

[BHK1978]

the best guy in Late Night right now is Craig Ferguson anyway.... I was surprised too. But I started watching his stuff on youtube and other such sites and the guys hilarious. I try to catch his stuff if I'm ever up that late.

 

Top Late Night Hosts:

1. Craig Ferguson

2. Jon Stewart

3. Stephen Colbert

4. Conan O'Brien

5. David Letterman

6. Jimmy Kimmell

7. Jimmy Fallon

8. Jay Leno

 

Where is Bill Maher on this list? But I do agree Craig Ferguson is great!

 

Um, huh? BHK, when did Last Call first launch? What was Carson Daly's other job at the time? He got a show for the exact same reason Rachael Ray got a show. Same reason Wendy Williams got a show. They all had followings that are/were attractive to advertisers. If the advertisers are on board, everything is everything.

 

How many of those tenny boppers, that watched him on TRL, are actually up at that time of the night/morning?

[MrCanada]

Where is Bill Maher on this list?

 

I've never scene his show. But from his stand up and stuff he reminds me of a more arrogant version of Jon Stewart. And I'd rather listen to Jon.

[BHK1978]

I've never scene his show. But from his stand up and stuff he reminds me of a more arrogant version of Jon Stewart. And I'd rather listen to Jon.

 

Yeah he is a very arrogant guy but his show is great. If you can manage to get past his, "My opinion is the only opinion that matters.", you would probably like his show.

[Stennick]

Ferguson has been the man since like 07. Conan got me through my high school years I'd crash after his show (sometime after 1 Central time). I haven't seen much of his Tonight Show run but I love Conan but Ferguson's monologues are simply awesome. I'm a sucker for a Scottish accent makes me laugh by just saying hello.

[Hive]

What exactly is the deal with Leno/O'Brien...?

[mjdgoldeneye]

What exactly is the deal with Leno/O'Brien...?

 

A few years ago, it was decided (I'm not sure whether it was by Leno, NBC, or a mutual understanding) that Conan O'Brien would take over The Tonight Show.

 

I think it was assumed Leno would wander off into the sunset.

 

But, in the summer, NBC instead decided to move Leno to 10PM (or Leno used his leverage to make it happen) and give Conan The Tonight Show immediately afterward. Both shows have been suffering and rather than get rid of Leno who has an awful time slot for a show like his anyway and give Conan the necessary grace period he needs to gain support, they decided they'd move Leno to 11:30, give him half an hour, and move Conan to midnight.

 

Conan, obviously, thinks this is dumb because he's always considered The Tonight Show a sacred cow of sorts and 12 AM is no longer even "Tonight", so he says he's leaving.

 

The whole situation has been a bit of a fustercluck and NBC is hurting. I almost sense it's becoming a bit of a work at this point because, otherwise, putting Kimmel on Leno was suicidal. Pretty much the entire internet has come to Conan's aid, with little support for Leno anywhere. Every late night host supports Conan.

 

If they have any hope of salvaging The Tonight Show in its current spot, it'd actually be a brilliant move to keep Conan where he is and sack Leno. Leno is widely despised at this point and Conan has tons of sympathy and publicity coming in now.

 

I've always been a big fan of Conan and support whatever he does. I do miss the spontaneity of Late Night a bit though. Late Night during the writer's strike was some of the best TV I've ever watched. It was just Conan being Conan.

[Remianen]

How many of those tenny boppers, that watched him on TRL, are actually up at that time of the night/morning?

 

It's not the teeny boppers they're going for. It's their MILFs, primarily. Carson goes over very well with the college age crowd and the 20somethings. His TRL stint made him recognizable and established a level of recognition with a very important demographic. His various flings with female celebs and starlets made him seem desirable and thus broadened his appeal beyond the teeny boppers. If you check the demographics of People magazine, you'll get an idea of Carson's primary audience.

 

Yeah he is a very arrogant guy but his show is great. If you can manage to get past his, "My opinion is the only opinion that matters.", you would probably like his show.

 

I think Bill Maher's approach is more akin to 'This is common sense. Why don't you get that?' He's more like the liberal foil to Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, I think.

[PeterHilton]

Conan put the Tonight Show up for sale in craigslist

 

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/clt/1551463643.html

 

How can you not love this guy?

[lazorbeak]

the best guy in Late Night right now is Craig Ferguson anyway.... I was surprised too. But I started watching his stuff on youtube and other such sites and the guys hilarious. I try to catch his stuff if I'm ever up that late.

 

Top Late Night Hosts:

1. Craig Ferguson

2. Jon Stewart

3. Stephen Colbert

4. Conan O'Brien

5. David Letterman

6. Jimmy Kimmell

7. Jimmy Fallon

8. Jay Leno

 

 

I do think Fallon is sometimes a little funnier then Kimmel, but that Late Night slot seems to warrant that extra "wackiness". Conan lost a bit of that when he went "mainstream", but thats what always happens to anything.

 

Great list- I'd put Colbert ahead of Stewart, but that's only because Stewart's shtick has been on TV longer and I'm more bored of it. But both are legit funny, so they're in front of most of these guys. I'd also put Fallon in front of Kimmell, who I can't stand for an hour long show. I don't watch either, so maybe he's dramatically improved.

 

Where is Bill Maher on this list? But I do agree Craig Ferguson is great!

 

Maher barely does anything any more though. Real Time is on what, once a week on HBO? Seth Meyers from SNL has more of a soapbox. He's not as good, but still...

 

 

As far as Maher goes, his stand-up is hilarious. His panel shows sometimes get kind of dry, but he's one of the best political comedians ever.

[ACCBiggz]

A few years ago, it was decided (I'm not sure whether it was by Leno, NBC, or a mutual understanding) that Conan O'Brien would take over The Tonight Show.

 

I think it was assumed Leno would wander off into the sunset.

 

My memory lacks at times, but this is my recolection:

 

Conan's contract was coming up and NBC did not want to lose him, and they sort of struck a deal with Jay Leno and Conan where in 5 years Conan would take over the Tonight Show. All parties agreed. Then it came out NBC was forcing Leno out and he had no intention of calling it a career at that point and NBC was fearful of him going to another network with his loyal Tonight Show viewers so they reached a deal where he would be a 10 o'clock show since their programming was sucking.

 

And now NBC wants to bring 10:00 programming back as they are ordering a lot of pilots so they were going to make Leno a 30 minute show at 11:35 where the Tonight Show has always been and pushing everything back. Conan was not going to let that happened and refused, and now it pretty much over as from my understanding:

 

NBC and Conan O'Brien are working on a buy-out that will allow him to go whereever (previously NBC was going to keep him off air for 3 years) and Jay Leno will take over The Tonight Show.

 

Leno merely looks bad because he could have stepped aside and said no to allow Conan to remain the host, but he doesn't want to retire from hosting.

[PeterHilton]

Leno merely looks bad because he could have stepped aside and said no to allow Conan to remain the host, but he doesn't want to retire from hosting.

 

Right. Be was also a backstabbing douche when NBC was looking for a host after Carson retired. The bad feelings for Jay among other comedians goes back years (and years..there was also some bad blood at the Comedy Store in the 70s)

 

Let's also keep in mind..Jays show at 10 was tanking. This horrible lead in meant that all NBC affiliates were getting terrible lead ins for the local news, which eventually turned into a terrible lead in for Conan.

 

Plus, with both shows based out of LA, Leno was tanking despite getting all the hottest guests.

 

So NBC decided to take a guy who failed epically at 10 and move him to 1130 to replace another guy who was struggling. They look stupid because they put both guys in bad situations, and now a dealing with a PR sh*tstorm they created in order to fix it.

 

Meanwhile, Conan is hotter than ever and will probably be given an epic build up before his show premieres on Fox this fall (because there's no way the legal broken contract stuff gets ironed out before then)

[MrCanada]

News in somewhat chronilogical order:

 

UPDATE: Looks like the move NBC is considering is having The Jay Leno Show start at 11:30PM ET and run for 30 minutes, thus pushing back The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien to 12AM ET and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to 1AM ET. This new schedule, if it happens, would go into effect on February 28th.

 

ORIGINAL: It looks like Jay Leno is headed back to the 11:30PM ET timeslot and that Conan O'Brien could be the odd man out. TMZ reports that Leno's show will go on hiatus starting February 1st, and that after the Olympics, Leno will return to his old 11:30PM ET timeslot. What remains to be seen is if Leno's show will now be a half-hour and lead-in to The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien or if Leno's show will stay an hour. If Leno's show is an hour, it raises questions as to what NBC will do with Conan.

 

TMZ reports that NBC has given Conan O'Brien an ultimatum -- either he accept that The Jay Leno Show is taking over the 11:35PM ET timeslot and that his show will be bumped back to 12:05PM ET, or leave the network. As reported earlier, NBC looks to be ready to move Leno to the timeslot currently occupied by Conan. If Conan decides to stay with NBC, Leno's show will be 30 minutes and be followed by Conan. If Conan decides to leave, Leno's show will be a full hour, essentially undoing NBC's move to make Conan O'Brien the host of The Tonight Show over Jay Leno.

 

Conan is said to be furious that NBC blindsided him with this situation as they apparently gave him no warning that this move was being considered. At this point, he is considering his options.

 

TMZ reports that FOX appears to be open to the idea of bringing Conan O'Brien to the network if Conan ends up leaving NBC over the issue with Jay Leno. As reported earlier, NBC is likely to move The Jay Leno Show back to 11:35PM ET, which would then push The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien to 12:05PM ET. NBC has apparently told Conan that he can accept the new arrangement or leave the network. One of the potential selling points FOX could offer Conan is a start time of 11:05PM ET, 30 minutes before Leno and Letterman.

 

According to TMZ, NBC has confirmed that Jay Leno is losing his prime time slot next month when the Olympics start. Once the Games are over, Leno will be getting the first half-hour of Conan O'Brien's timeslot.

 

Jeff Gaspin, NBC Chairman, added that he'd like to push back Conan and Jimmy Fallon to their previous slots, reverting Leno to the 11:35-12:35 timeslot, but said that was not yet confirmed. He also said that he has already spoken to both Conan and Fallon and that neither of them are pissed about the decision.

 

TMZ has more on the Conan O'Brien/NBC saga. As reported earlier, NBC is pulling the plug on The Jay Leno Show at 10PM ET and instead moving Leno back to 11:35PM ET, a move that would bump Conan back to 12:05 PM ET. Moving Conan out of the 11:35PM ET timeslot would breach NBC's contract with him, leaving Conan with three options...

 

1. Quit the show, leave NBC, and collect the $80 million or so that is guaranteed to him by NBC ($20 million a year for the next four years) while not having to do anything for the next four years.

 

2. Go to either FOX or ABC and start a competing late-night show. If this were to happen, NBC would still have to pay him the offset amount left by his new deal. So say Conan goes to ABC or FOX for $15 million a year, and his current NBC deal pays him $20 million a year, NBC would still have to pay him the remaining $5 million a year.

 

3. Accept the 12:05AM ET timeslot that NBC is now offering, and continue getting his $20 million a year salary despite being at a later timeslot. This is what NBC is said to be hoping for as they don't want Conan going to another network and competing against Leno.

 

The New York Post reports that Conan O'Brien is likely leaving NBC over their decision to move Jay Leno back to 11:35PM ET. Conan is said to be upset that NBC is changing things just five months after he moved his entire staff and family to LA to take over The Tonight Show.

 

The most likely option at this point appears to be Fox, which has been trying to get into the late-night talkshow game for awhile. Conan has already apparently spoken to Fox.

 

NBC is trying to keep Leno, Conan, and Jimmy Fallon (who will see his show fall back to 1:05AM ET) and wants to finalize everything right away but Conan is said to be taking his time, refusing to operate on NBC's timetable.

 

After all the talk that Conan O'Brien could jump to FOX due to his conflict with NBC and Jay Leno, it now appears that FOX may not really want him. Not only are most FOX stations tied into syndication contracts or local news spots that may prevent a new late-night talk show

on the network, but one of the network's General Managers seemed to not be very interested...

 

"If he didn't work on NBC, why would he work for us? I don't see a fit in our particular market."

 

Conan O'Brien has released a statement on NBC's decision to move Jay Leno back to 11:35PM ET and move The Tonight Show to 12:05AM ET, saying he won't be part of NBC's "destruction" of the show. Conan says that moving The Tonight Show out of its 11:35PM ET timeslot would hurt the show's legacy and it would cease to be The Tonight Show. He also said that when he took over The Tonight Show, NBC promised him time to build a lasting audience, but he says he was never given that opportunity (he took over just five months ago). He also says that he has not gotten an offer for another network, but seems to leave the door open to getting one.

 

Here's the full letter...

 

People of Earth:

 

In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

 

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

 

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

 

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

 

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

 

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

 

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.

 

Yours,

 

Conan

 

TMZ reports that NBC is finishing up a new deal with Jay Leno that will see him return to his previous role as host of The Tonight Show. The show will remain in its regular timeslot and run for an hour. Conan O'Brien has made it clear that he is leaving NBC and isn't happy with how they have treated him.

 

Leno and Conan have apparently not spoken to each other since NBC announced the shake-up.

 

And while there are conflicting reports on this, TMZ says that it is looking "increasingly likely" that Conan and FOX will reach a deal for a new late night show from 11PM ET to midnight ET.

 

Looks like Conan O'Brien has a bit of a problem, as it turns out that his contract with NBC does not specify when his show would run, meaning NBC could move him to any timeslot they want and Conan would have no recourse. It's pretty surprising that Conan's lawyers did not negotiate that into the contract, as Jay Leno's deal, for example, does guarantee his 10PM timeslot, meaning NBC will have to finalize a new deal with him before he moves back to 11:35PM.

 

All NBC guaranteed Conan was that he would host The Tonight Show which is why the network is willing to move the show out of the 11:35PM slot. Conan's arguing that given the history of The Tonight Show, the 11:35PM timeslot is an "implied" guarantee. Conan's people met with NBC executives yesterday to negotiate a settlement and an out.

 

TMZ reports that NBC has finalized a deal with Jay Leno that will see him return as host of The Tonight Show at 11:35PM (and run until 12:35AM). The deal finalizes what we're been reporting on for days now -- Conan is out, Leno is in.

 

Meanwhile, Deadline Hollywood reports that NBC President Jeff Zucker is pissed that Conan O'Brien didn't accept the new 12:05AM timeslot and now is trying to keep him off TV for the next three-and-a-half years. According to the report, Zucker is now trying to keep Conan off the air for as long as possible in an attempt to secure Leno's viewership and kill-off Conan's chances of being a threat if he jumps to another network, since Conan's ratings have gone up since this drama started. Conan is basically asking to be released from his contract now and for NBC to take care of his staff that relocated to California from New York due to The Tonight Show.

 

Update: Rumours have surfaced that suggest Conan's last night on The Tonight Show will be next Friday, January 22. A pre-scheduled hiatus was scheduled to start on January 25 according to NBC, but a source close to Conan says that he "does not currently plan on doing any more new shows after next week."

 

Credit: PerezHilton

 

Original: Yes, more Conan vs Leno drama as sources are now saying CoCo is lawyer-shopping in order to sue NBC. This comes on the heels of a report that NBC President Jeff Zucker is trying his best to keep Conan off the air for as long as possible, to build Leno's ratings back up.

 

Credit: PerezHilton

 

NBC chairman Dick Ebersol says Conan O'Brien has nobody to blame but himself for getting the boot from The Tonight Show and called Conan and David Letterman's decision to take shots at Jay Leno "chicken-hearted and gutless" since neither can beat Leno in the ratings.

 

Ebersol went on to say that "what this is really all about is an astounding failure by Conan," says Conan refused to take advice on how to increase his ratings. Ebersol met with Conan three weeks before the changes were announced, urging Conan to adopt changes that both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno had adopted to increase ratings in central time zones like Chicago and Des Moines.

 

"I like Conan enormously personally," Mr. Ebersol said. "He was just stubborn about not being willing to broaden the appeal of his show." He added that NBC "bet on the wrong guy."

[PeterHilton]

When it comes to celebrity gossip, I'm more of a What Would Tyler Durden Do man, myself.

[ACCBiggz]

Right. Be was also a backstabbing douche when NBC was looking for a host after Carson retired. The bad feelings for Jay among other comedians goes back years (and years..there was also some bad blood at the Comedy Store in the 70s)

I'm talking about in the public. The general public has little to no knowledge of Leno pre-Tonight Show and even the Letterman stuff was minimal at the time. The Tonight Show remained the best late night talk program for years, if he was "looking bad" it wouldn't have been. Comedians, Letterman, etc. and the public are two different sets of people.

 

Meanwhile, Conan is hotter than ever and will probably be given an epic build up before his show premieres on Fox this fall (because there's no way the legal broken contract stuff gets ironed out before then)

While Fox is the likely candidate to land Conan, it's entirely speculation at this point and shouldn't be stated as fact. Besides, as I mentioned above NBC and Conan are already discussing a contract buy-out which would allow him to move on instantly... there would in fact be a waiting period before a new show could come on, but that has nothing to do with a "broken contract" as the two sides are working on the said deal. It would have to do with current programming, building a new set, etc.

[PeterHilton]

I'm talking about in the public. The general public has little to no knowledge of Leno pre-Tonight Show and even the Letterman stuff was minimal at the time. The Tonight Show remained the best late night talk program for years, if he was "looking bad" it wouldn't have been. Comedians, Letterman, etc. and the public are two different sets of people.

 

 

 

Right. But that also explains the backlash by other people in the industry. I mean...NO ONE is defending Jay. And in this case alone, he's really not doing anything except asking for the opportunity to continue working.

 

NBC is the one who screwed this up, but Jay is the one getting hammered.

[Hive]

A few years ago, it was decided (I'm not sure whether it was by Leno, NBC, or a mutual understanding) that Conan O'Brien would take over The Tonight Show.

 

I think it was assumed Leno would wander off into the sunset.

 

But, in the summer, NBC instead decided to move Leno to 10PM (or Leno used his leverage to make it happen) and give Conan The Tonight Show immediately afterward. Both shows have been suffering and rather than get rid of Leno who has an awful time slot for a show like his anyway and give Conan the necessary grace period he needs to gain support, they decided they'd move Leno to 11:30, give him half an hour, and move Conan to midnight.

 

Conan, obviously, thinks this is dumb because he's always considered The Tonight Show a sacred cow of sorts and 12 AM is no longer even "Tonight", so he says he's leaving.

 

The whole situation has been a bit of a fustercluck and NBC is hurting. I almost sense it's becoming a bit of a work at this point because, otherwise, putting Kimmel on Leno was suicidal. Pretty much the entire internet has come to Conan's aid, with little support for Leno anywhere. Every late night host supports Conan.

 

If they have any hope of salvaging The Tonight Show in its current spot, it'd actually be a brilliant move to keep Conan where he is and sack Leno. Leno is widely despised at this point and Conan has tons of sympathy and publicity coming in now.

 

I've always been a big fan of Conan and support whatever he does. I do miss the spontaneity of Late Night a bit though. Late Night during the writer's strike was some of the best TV I've ever watched. It was just Conan being Conan.

 

Ouch. Thanks for the info.