161 replies to this topic

[grocery_mony]

10pm experiment is done and now Conan is out at NBC!

[LongLiveYorke]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/08/business.../08leno.html?hp

According to that:

Leno 11:30-12:00
Conan 12:00-1:00
Fallon 1:00-2:00

[Suited_Up]

I hope this is a fucking joke! Leno is the worst!!! God, what idiots!

[king_tanner]

I can't believe NBC is still messing with Leno. Just let him go already.

[SBriand]

I hope this is a fucking joke! Leno is the worst!!! God, what idiots!

[mr_druid]

Conan yes, Leno no.

Tom.

[Jeepster80125]

from warmingglow.

Wow. I’d heard rumors, but… just wow. Although NBC is denying it, TMZ says:

Jay Leno is going back to his 11:30 PM time slot, and it’s looking like Conan O’Brien is the odd man out … sources tell TMZ.

We’ve learned Jay’s 10:00 PM show will go on hiatus February 1. After the Olympics, Jay will take back his 11:30 PM time slot. What has not been decided — whether Jay’s show will be a half hour, followed by Conan, or whether Jay’s show will be an hour and NBC says sayonara to Mr. O’Brien.

We’re told Jay and Conan have both been told of the changes.

Just to recap: NBC promised “The Tonight Show” to Conan in 2004, and Leno agreed to step down when the time came. Except when the time came, Leno said he wanted to stay on the air, hence “The Jay Leno Show” at 10 o’clock, which quickly became one of the greatest programming f*ck-ups in network history. As Leno’s unwatched show was torpedoing viewership of NBC local news and the new “Tonight Show,” he openly lobbied to get his 11:30 slot back.

Gosh, what an awesome guy. If he’s not too busy during the Olympics, maybe he’d like to come over and get my sister pregnant, wait six months, then punch her in the stomach until she miscarries.

AND

All right, so since the Leno-Conan rumor/bomb yesterday, we’ve got some things that seem certain and some likely possibilities. Here’s what’s certain: Jay Leno is moving back to the 11:30 slot. What NBC wants to do is have “The Jay Leno Show” on for half an hour, then have Conan’s “Tonight Show” at midnight and Jimmy Fallon’s “Late Night” at 1:00 a.m. Whether or not that happens apparently depends on if O’Brien decides to accept this fate.

O’Brien’s handlers are likely mulling all of their options — and pitching their client to both Fox, which currently doesn’t have a late night franchise on the weeknights, and ABC, which would have to move “Nightline” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” out of the way.

But neither network appears immediately likely to make a play for O’Brien, insiders said. What’s more, Broadcasting and Cable reported that NBC has the option to bench O’Brien for the remainder of his contract but keep paying him. [Variety]

If Conan bolts, of course, you-know-who gets “The Tonight Show” back. Frankly, I’ve already reached the acceptance phase. NBC’s decision to put Leno at 10:00 was so epically disastrous that they HAD to get rid of Jay at that time slot, and while I would have preferred the network loosen the brakes on Leno’s fleet of cars, I can see how moving him to 11:30 makes more business sense.

As for Conan, I’ll continue to be a fan no matter what happens. Perhaps a move to midnight will open the door for more of the offbeat antics that he had to abandon when he moved to L.A., although leaving NBC would probably be more cathartic — for both O’Brien and his fans.

The bottom line is this: when TV-related stories start getting this complex and heated and I no longer have the ability to turn the conversation to a quick joke, that’s the moment I say, “It’s just TV.” I’d rather spend my worries on actual problems in the world. Things like war and the environment and what happens if TLC runs out of midgets.

[dna4ever]

you may have just said this above, i didnt read it all

NBC has given Conan O'Brien the option to either do his show from midnight to 1 or leave the network, sources tell TMZ.

As TMZ first reported, after the Olympics, Jay Leno will get his 11:30 PM time period back. We're told network execs have told Conan they will let him decide if he wants the midnight to 1:00 AM time slot. If he does, Leno's show will only be a half hour. If Conan walks, Leno will get a full hour, informed sources tell TMZ.

Our sources say Conan has not decided what he wants. We do know he's pissed, because he was given no advanced warning this was coming. Conan's people told NBC they are considering the offer. Translation: Mr. O'Brien -- I have Rupert Murdoch on line one, Stephen McPherson on line two, John Landgraf on line three, Jeff Wachtel on line four ...

We're told if Conan gets another offer, even though NBC could block the move, they will let him go and give Leno the full hour.

[JoeyJoJo]

If I was Conan, there would be no way I would stay with NBC.

Well, unless I really needed the money and there were no other options.

But that doesn't seem likely.

[El Guapo]

They are bastardizing the tonight show. But I don't watch it, so I really don't care.

[LongLiveYorke]

NBC really played this whole thing horribly.

Personally, I think Conan is much funner than the format of the Tonight Show allows him to be. He should be all over television, and not just limited to doing awkward bits and interviewing guests at midnight.

He should walk from NBC. They've showed him absolutely no respect or confidence with this whole thing. Major networks have absolutely no patience these days, it seems.

[SBriand]

I could be wrong but my understanding was that Leno was doing horribly. Like no one was watching him. I gotta think that might have to do with the fact that no one likes Leno. My guess is that Leno has some dirt on some exec to pretty much be the "king" around there. God I hate Leno. I really like Conan.

[Balloon guy]

The Tonight Show has been evolving into this wanna be cutting edge garbage that has completely come off the rails form the shoot at the hip days of Johnny Carson.

I had a friend in the comedy business, telling me of how the comedians were so excited when Leno got the spot because they were sure he would book lots of comedians, instead Leno booked less. Way less. He apparently didn't want anyone on that was funnier than him. At Bernie Mac's funeral there were even some people commenting on Leno not letting people on his show during the eulogies. ( pronounced as in Zoolander of course )

But the Tonight Show needs to get back to the older crowd that made it what it was. We have plenty of alternatives for the younger crowd who think "In the year 3,000" skit is funny enough to do more than once.

Conan was a horrible choice. Leno was barely able to be the guy. We need someone more sophisticated, who is secure enough with himself to allow the show to make the guests special, instead of just the host.

I do not have the right person in mind, but he would be strikingly like Johnny Carson.

[Sal Paradise]

I think conan would do really well at fox. he'd be able to do more of his own stuff. I still wouldn't be able to watch it of course, but I'd root for him.

I do not have the right person in mind, but he would be strikingly like Johnny Carson.

gee you're old.

[Balloon guy]

I think conan would do really well at fox. he'd be able to do more of his own stuff. I still wouldn't be able to watch it of course, but I'd root for him.



gee you're old warm.

[vbnautilus]

Jay Leno is just so awful.

[king_tanner]

Why is TMZ the first to hear everything now? They must have spies all over the world.

[grocery_mony]

Conan should call NBC's bluff and agree to 12am. I dont believe NBC really plans on having Leno only do half an hour and are just weaseling out of paying Conan severance. I have heard it said before that Leno's everyman nice guy image is just an act and he really is a backstabbing liar who will step on anyone to get his way. This makes me think that is 100% true. He tried to push Johnny out the door, backstabbed Letterman in that debauckle and now is pushing Conan out the door.

[SBriand]

Why is TMZ the first to hear everything now? They must have spies all over the world.

They pay good money for info.

[Speed Limit]

Conan was a horrible choice. Leno was barely able to be the guy. We need someone more sophisticated, who is secure enough with himself to allow the show to make the guests special, instead of just the host.

Disagree, Conan is one of the most sophisticated guys in the comedy world. Also he gave this world the gift that is The Sea Captain.