Conan O’Brien says he has no interest in following Jay Leno with a Tonight Show that airs at 12:05 a.m.
Here is his statement:
“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. …”
“and that [delaying the 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.” …“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
What I do not get and what is never discussed was the moment some years back when Leno pre-announced his retirement saying that Conan would get his show after that date. Leno now says he was fired from the Tonight Show (last night he said this) and wants his old slot back.
Who are these people, and why should I care?
Postman goes to bed very early.
So Conan is miffed, a bit bored, and will make a ton of money via breach of contract.
Why would any studio lawyer write a contract that could not be terminated for low Nielson Ratings?
Damn!!! I coulda been a contender!
Meanwhile, back to the REAL news….
It’s not the first talk show host that leno has screwed.
Fuck Leno.
Leno should suck it up — accept that the 10pm show wasn’t working — and retire.
Network television is so over.
This is like New Coke and Coke Classic. Unlike Coke Classic though, Leno sucks.
Leno and Conan are both better than Letterman. Ferguson is better than all of them. Gonna be interesting.
One explanation that I heard on the news was that the local stations complained that they weren’t getting the “promised” viewers for their local news after Leno. Maybe people weren’t watching the local news because the local news programs were B$? I watched Leno when I could and then switched to other shows rather than watching the inane talking heads on the local San Diego station. I have NEVER liked Conan and I’ve tried, but he is a big FAIL, IMHO.
NBC Screwed the pooch on this one. Leno has not been funny for years (if ever). I like Conan but the best one two punch on late night is Letterman and Ferguson.
I just can’t wait to see the POS reality show they put into Leno’s empty spot. NBC has sucked ass for the last few years and the only bright spots they had were yanked for Leno’s failed experiments (LIFE, Southland, and Law and Order) Although Law and Order may have run its course bad law and order is better than any amount of Leno anyday.
Stewart kicks all their butts. It’s 100 times funnier and the interviews are 100 times less canned and more interesting.
What I’ve heard is that Leno wasn’t fired so much as “strongly encouraged” to move to 10, because Conan was planning to walk if he didn’t get the Tonight Show soon.
and Madtown is right on the money…Letterman and Ferguson are the kings of late night, no doubt.
It would be interesting to see the contract. They might only have to cancel The Tonight Show, and replace it with “Jay Leno Tonight”, but I am sure the contract is pay or play – so in other words guaranteed. But, the contract might not define the exact hours of the Tonight Show as 11:35-12:35 and on the NBC main network. He could find no option to NOT do the same show at 12:05, or even worse, on Telemundo of USA Network.
I doubt any of that would happen though.
The only late night show is Ferguson anyway. Kimmel has potential but finds laughing at old relatives or Mexicans the height of humour.
Letterman has sucked for years. Thre’s nothing left of him but a bitter, partisan hack. It’s a good thing he never followed Johnny.
On the bright side, if any of us ever get the chance to run a network, we’re getting a wonderful lesson in how not to do it from the NBC execs.
Caption this photo:
– He farted.
– No, HE farted.
When Carson retired, Letterman was snubbed in favor of Leno, so Letterman said “Screw You!” and walked.
Leno retired, then came back, failed and now is trying to get his old time slot back.
Conan need to hold his ground and tell Leno to hit the road.
BRING BACK TUBS AND CROCKET!!
Favourite part:
“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.”
Adam Curry and his Ed McMahon…John C Dvorak should be the late night hosts. Or is it the other way around. The big guy has to be the sidekick, right? Could even have Sebastian Rupley as musical director…..
Just kidding…whatever. I don’t stay up past 11 anymore anyway.
I’m sooooo old!
Isn’t the bigger news that Palin just signed on to Faux? I assume its a late night gig.
“We hope she will bring her polarization.” ===hah, hah. There it is for all to see. Just like our Congress-corrupt and no longer embarrassed to show us.
Just where is the event horizon these days?
This is nothing but rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
I don’t watch Conan. I never cared for his show. I used to watch Lino but then his politics and mine clashed.
I’m in the wrong demographic for NBC to care.
I loved the Carson show but all good things must end someday if only because what was built up by talent and hard work was trashed by a dolt. It isn’t to big to fail. Nothing is.
TV sucks and Leno went stale 10 years ago..
however..
Conan will become a Rock Star because of this.
He’s flipping off the Majorly Corrupt Mainstream Network GE/NBC at a time when many [asleep] people can no longer ignore that the MSM on the take..
If I were him, I’d walk away with the 80mil severance, [and now a “free” agent] and convert almost all of it out of paper.a large portion of it OUT of all paper and into hard foreign assets, silver, and FOOD, ASAP.
-and take a break till after 2012, -mr O is about to tank America in a few months..it’s gonna suck being here for a while unless you have “means” and a good survival instinct
WTG Conan.
(Come spring or sooner, the fact that we have no grain reserves and all the fall and winter crops either froze on the vine or was washed away will hit the news…stock up..water shortage (on a frozen planet?) -to follow in 2011)
-s
ps: the short version
TAKE THE MONEY and RUN, -while it’s still worth something and exchange it for hard (and hard to devalue) assets.
-s
I’d watch a no-holds barred late night talk show if it was hosted by Adam Carolla… Let him say anything he wants and just bleep out anything that is a cuss word before airing the show (It’s already done this way on Ferguson’s show after Letterman).
I like Adam’s quick wit… he doesn’t seem to need to work from cue cards.
Comedy in general has gone downhill. I was watching one of the old Dean Martin celebrity roasts on YouTube…. and then I watched a clip from one of the Comedy Central roasts. Maybe I am a little old fashioned, but the Comedy Central roasts leave me cold.
There was a time when you could make fun of blacks, Jews, and Italians, et al. Do that today and you’re called a racist.
Gays are apparently fair game, though.
Late night TV is pretty much dead when it comes to ratings. Leno to me is not really that funny and to be honest I never stayed up for Conan. Why does NBC even have two late night shows? Maybe Conan and Leno should co host one?
Now you have become the elite of whom you criticize by blocking an entire community from posting.