Conan O'Brien set to leave NBC

[brooklynite]

from the NY Post:

'Tonight Show' star set to bolt over network snub

The peacock ruffled Conan O'Brien's feathers -- and now he's ready to fly the coop.

The "Tonight Show" host feels like the redheaded stepchild of late-night TV after NBC's abrupt decision to cancel Jay Leno's 10 p.m. experiment after just five months -- and return the car-loving comic to O'Brien's coveted 11:35 p.m. slot.

"This level of sh- - -iness was not expected," one source said.

...snip...

As it stands now, the source said, "Conan would be happier somewhere else."

So now they have to reprogram 5 hours of primetime and their late night lineup. Wonder how good the NBC corporate bonuses are this year...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. They should be getting rid of Leno, if anybody.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Agreed. You can't resurrect the dead.

[FSogol]

17. +1 Agreed. n/t

[Arugula Latte]

48. Agree. Leno is hellishly un-funny.

Conan is must better.

[pokerfan]

54. NBC is terrified that Leno will go to another network

They should be more concerned that Conan will ditch them. Conan represents the future; Leno is the past. Nine years ago the suits promised Conan the Tonight Show if he would just 'wait his turn'. They've now reneged on that promise. (NBC did the same thing to Letterman.)

Conan should leave.

[BlueIris]

67. Yep. nt

[Uncle Joe]

70. I never thought Leno was funny, he always seemed to be laughing at people not with them.

Leno is consistently at his worst when his target is down, I view this type of humor as cheap, petty, immature and even cruel; just piling on.

I believe Conan is much more creative, spontaneous, self-depreciating and overall head and shoulders above Leno in regards to comedy.

The one thing you don't see from any late night comedian is them really taking on corporate power, ala George Carlin, no doubt their job security would be threatened, but I believe it would be good for the nation.

[YOY]

2. Personally, I find Conan funnier than Jay...many times more funny.

but shit...that seems like it was bound to happen sooner or later.

[rucky]

24. It's not just opinion. It's fact.

Conan is 22.6 times funnier than Leno.

[YOY]

26. And according the Palin supporters who got miffed at Letterman Leno/Conan are funnier than Dave.

Of course...I don't think those protestors could have picked out Conan, Dave, or Jay in a line up.

[xultar]

3. I think he will crush nbc in the long run. Conan is for a younger audience...

He'll build an audience for the future.

His show will also be more racy and funny on Fox.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

5. Doen't this Leno asshole have enough money? I mean there's tons of things he

could be doing with his time than dicking over the younger guy.

[slampoet]

How many Bugatti's can you own? Jay Leno has FIVE !!!!

[Blasphemer]

57. He doesn't even spend his Tonight Show/Leno Show money

He lives off of the money he makes on the standup circuit. They pay him VERY well and he has always claimed it's what he really loves. I think he pulled a Brett Favre and un-retired because he couldn't handle being replaced as king of late night. Whether Letterman or Conan prevailed, he'd become a distant memory. I have never liked Jay. He strikes me as being extremely phoney. I am not at all surprised by the things Patton Oswalt had to say about him.

[City Lights]

6. I despise Leno.

I don't recall ever laughing at anything he's said.

Best of luck to Conan.

[rcrush]

7. Good for Conan.

Like Letterman he shouldn't have to stand for NBC's bullshit. He deserves better after 17 years of faithful service to NBC. I hear Fox is interested in his show which could be huge for Conan. Lets hope Fox doesn't treat him like they do everything else and cancel him after a few weeks.

[tridim]

8. Good move. He knows that he's being treated like shit.

His talent will be appreciated elsewhere, screw NBComcast.

[hlthe2b]

9. Well, they've certainly handled this well.

:sarcasm:


You'd think they'd have learned from the Letterman fiasco.

[Sebastian Doyle]

10. This is the second biggest mistake made by NBC in recent history

Allowing Comca$t to take them over is still #1, of course.

But this is lame. Leno is a hasbeen. Jimmy Fallon is a never was. How the fuck is Conan the one getting screwed? :evilfrown:


Leno walked away from the Tonight Show. He shouldn't get a chance to come back just because the little experiment to take 5 more hours of actual creative television off the grid was a miserable failure.

[MUAD_DIB]

13. One of the best lines that I had ever heard came from the simpsons.

Homer Simpson: "What are you laughing at in there, and if you say Jimmy Fallon I'll know that you are lying!"

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

I was was soooo happy when Peter griffin punched him out in Family guy for

fucking up every SNL skit by laughing.

[zipplewrath]

20. Um, he didn't walk

Leno was pushed. He'd a stayed at 11:30 forever if they had let him. It was NBC's attempt to eat their cake and have it too. They wanted to move Conan up to 11:30 before he left for greener pastures. They didn't want to lose Leno. So they tried this. It would have been called brilliant if it had worked. It was going to be cheap and a game changer. It didn't work. Especially in entertainment, there are more bad ideas than good ones. There's always some new "genius" at a network because he gets lucky for a year or so. In the long run, the house always wins. NBC has been losing for some time.

[Sebastian Doyle]

34. I seem to remember Leno announcing he would "retire" in 2009, several years before that

and that Conan would get the promotion to the 11:30 time slot. And indeed that was the way the story was being told up until a month or so before the change actually happened, when this ridiculous idea for the 10:00 show came up. Maybe NBC had the idea before then, or maybe they didn't, but they never publicized it.

In either case, Fallon is still the weakest link, and Conan is the best of the three. Though the truth is I prefer Letterman to any of them.

[blue_onyx]

43. Leno didn't walk away

He was pushed out by NBC because they wanted a younger host. Leno wasn't ready to retire and NBC was worried he would go to Fox so they gave him the primetime show.

This was a huge mess that everyone, except NBC, saw coming. Leno should have stayed at the Tonight Show (he was still number 1) and this mess would have been avoided.

[MadBadger]

47. Leno had way more viewers than Conan is getting this season

Just thought that was important to the conversation. Conan has given away all of Leno's big lead over Letterman, this year.

[high density]

59. Leno at 11:35pm didn't have to deal with Leno at 10pm losing a lot of viewers

That's the problem. Conan's ratings might be better if NBC was trying to compete at 10pm and give him and the local news a little bit of a lead-in audience.

[AndrewP]

62. I thought about that also.

Leno won the spot for 14 years, got shoved out, then O'Brien pissed away the lead in 6 months.

Can't stand Leno though. That douche is always sucking off the Rush Limbaugh crowd.

[JSK]

73. Echoing what 'high density' said above

It's really the local affiliates who are pissed off. They are losing viewers for their local newscasts at 11PM because of Leno's lousy ratings at 10. The local newscasts feed into the Tonight Show. It's not totally on Conan.

[fishwax]

75. Leno didn't walk away from the Tonight Show

six years ago NBC guaranteed Conan the Tonight Show after five years. But when the five years were up he was, by a substantial margin, the highest-rated late night host, so they gave him the prime time show to keep him from going to another network.

Meanwhile, the Tonight Show's ratings have declined considerably since Conan took over, and Leno's prime time show's ratings have been in decline since about the thirty minute mark of the first show.

On edit: I see others have already made this point. I should read before posting :)

[Lex]

11. NBC has screwed up Johnny Carson's legacy in every way imaginable.

That timeslot was bumbled and fumbled to the max by NBC after Johnny announced he was leaving way back when.

[kskiska]

37. Jay and his manager, Helen Kushnick, are responsible for Johnny's leaving

They put pressure on NBC to retire Johnny and hire Jay, who was cheaper than Dave Letterman.

[rcrush]

42. Jay hid in a supply closet in 93 and listened in a phone call between east and west coast NBC execs

Talking about how they wanted to keep Letterman and ditch Jay. Jay used that to blackmail people.

[librechik]

12. Jay's rightward slant has been very annoying in the new show

we watched a few at first then tuned out disgusted. Also, hackneyed and un-funny!

At least Conan is imaginative.

[rcrush]

14. In 93 they treated Letterman like shit and he went to CBS for a shit ton of money

Its now 2010 time for Conan to do the same thing at Fox.

[Algorem]

15. Leno's going to have Tom DeLay as his announcer and Condoleeza Rice as his bandleader.

And John McCain or one of the Bushes are going to be on every night.It'll get great ratings.He's a real genius.

[brooklynite]

18. Perhaps a revival concert by the "Singing Senators"?

[Algorem]

19. It'll kill!Leno's so hip to what's happening!

[Guilded Lilly]

16. I don't despise any of the Late Nighters

and NBC will handle their programming as they always have - doing what they think will help their bottom line profit margin.

Losing Conan is a bite for them, but doesn't make him lost for the rest of the world. He is very entertaining, as is Jay and David and etc etc in their own ways. I am sure someone will have the brains to grab him up and it is simply a matter of hitting a different number in the remote control to find him, which his fans (and I) will do.

[Blue_In_AK]

21. I can't blame Conan at all for leaving.

NBC has treated him pretty badly.

[donco6]

22. Haven't watched Leno in years.

Conan's funny though.

[xxqqqzme]

41. I haven't either.

He hit a time warp wall w/ Clinton's sexual prowess and never moved on. Does he still do Clenis 'jokes'?

[Initech]

23. Fuck you NBC. Conan kicks ass.

[rcrush]

25. I dont know why Leno wants to stay and become the most hated man in late night.

Leno isnt making friends right now. I just read a bunch of interviews with some comedians and actors and they are all saying Conan is getting screwed and Leno probably has a hand in it. Just like he did to Letterman.

Leno has more money than he can spend in the rest of his life he should just retire.

[monmouth]

28. I would love for Letterman have Conan on as a guest. Soon..LOL...n/t

[rcrush]

29. I just listened to an interview with Patton Oswalt on a radio show and he trashed Leno

And Patton is supposed to be on Leno tonight lol. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib5lVD8GBr8&feature=player_embedded

[Romulox]

27. Fox would do well to give Conan an 11:30 PM slot, a huge budget, and carte blanche

He's done some brilliant work for Fox in the past, which put Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook on the map!

[rcrush]

30. It does help that he worked on the one show Fox wont cancel

I hope he does well at Fox given the track record of shows at Fox.

[pokerfan]

65. Fox

http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/01/11/conan-obrien-future">Fox couldn't launch a breakout late night show if Johnny Carson came back from the grave backed by the musical stylings of Elvis Presley.

:rofl:

[ceile]

31. What is wrong with NBC lately?

It was obvious that Leno during prime time wasn't going to work. They should just drop him for good...

[goldcanyonaz]

32. Leno is an egomaniac, I'll never watch him again, but then again I never did.

[gmoney]

33. Conan on Comedy Central?

Give Conan the spot after Colbert for an hour? Could be great!

[Romulox]

35. NOOOOO! Comedy Central = "Comedy Ghetto"

The Daily Show and Colbert notwithstanding, Comedy Central is dire. Furthermore, I, for one, do not want to have to see 100 "Girls Gone Wild" commercials every night. All kidding aside, it would be enough for me to avoid the show.

[Missy Vixen]

46. Uh, it's a great idea

TDS/TCR and Conan would be the juggernaut that crushes network TV. I know we'd be tuned in. The "Girls Gone Wild" commercials don't come on till later in the evening and on weekends, anyway.

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert put that channel on the map. They are doing brilliant satire and snagging guests "The Tonight Show" and other talkers wish they could get.

I think Conan would fit right in. Plus, he wouldn't have to dumb down his show anymore.

[Romulox]

52. Comedy Central USED to be brilliant in the olden days, but aside from Colbert

Every new show debuted on CC in the past decade is trash. Strangers With Candy was CC's last brilliant show; I don't think Colbert rises to the same level (granted it's a different kind of show.)

But the rest of it is puppets and jackass and that awful cartoon with the bad-trip betty boop. :puke:

[rcrush]

36. Comedy Central wouldn't be a safe bet for Conan

Unless its South Park, The Daily Show or Colbert Comedy Central won't commit to his show. Its also part of the NBC network so I dont think that could work.

[SoCalDem]

38. I'd bet that the first phone call he got, was from Dave

Johnny Carson counseled Dave when NBC tried to screw him over & I'd bet Dave returned the favor to Conan.

Leno's a snake in the grass..

Conan was the epitome of the company-man.. he did what they asked..and then some.. he relocated his family ..and now Jay tanks in his new show & wants Conan to step back again..

I don't watch Conan (13 on the Top Ten of creepyness scale), but he did not deserve to be treated this way..

[virgogal]

40. I don't feel the least bit of sympathy for Conan---at least he is

walking away with money in the bank.

I know personally several people who got the boot after years of loyalty to a company and w/o the resources of the Conans of the world.

[izzybeans]

39. The only reason I say keep Jay is so that Bill Hicks' prediction

about how this all will end can finally happen.

I feel bad for Conan.

[blue_onyx]

44. I don't watch any of the late night shows

except for Chelsea Lately on E. Of the main network shows, I found Leno and Craig Ferguson to be the best hosts. I don't like Conan or Letterman.

[quiller4]

45. I can't stand Conan. I record Leno's show and watch it after the news in his old slot.

[Arugula Latte]

49. That sounds like torture. nt

[Hieronymus]

58. I can't watch Conan either. Buh bye.

[Dappleganger]

50. Am I the only one who can't stand either of them?

The only one who grabs my attention is Craig Fergueson.

[JSK]

74. Love Craig too

But when will he be in HD?

[Dappleganger]

76. He is!

HD programming began just after the new year.

[Bonhomme Richard]

51. Maybe Conan will move back here and we will see him.................

at the local movie theater again.
Leno and NBC are acting like dicks.

[Contrary1]

53. Dig up Carson and sit him at a desk...

He would still be funnier than anyone NBC has now.

[Blasphemer]

55. Smart move. I hear he's in talks with FOX

But they have a lot of things to work out if they are going to schedule an 11pm show - they need to get their affiliates on board. I would imagine he'd get an initial ratings boosts due to the controversy and curiosity and then it would settle downwards. It'd be interesting to see how the ratings turn out with Conan vs. TDS and Conan vs. Leno vs. Letterman. Leno will get the older viewers but it will be quite a scramble with the younger crowd.

[Xolodno]

56. I think Jimmy Kimmel wasn't joking when he said...

Mr. Kimmel then took a verbal swing at his own network, reminding the audience that ABC had attempted to hire away Mr. Leno when his tenure ended at NBC’s “Tonight Show.” But, according Mr. Kimmel, NBC said it would not give up Mr. Leno, “even if we have to destroy our own network to keep him.”

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/19/jimmy-kimmel-demolishes-abcs-upfronts/

[Ian David]

60. Give Leno's 10 PM slot to Conan. I bet Conan can make it work. n/t

[Ian David]

61. I couldn't remember where I'd heard the name Jay Leno before...

They actually gave the moron from Collision Course his own TV show?

WTF were they thinking?

Collision Course - Jay Leno and Pat Morita
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VjBFacTjls

[TexasObserver]

63. Good. Sooner the better. He'll be better off somewhere else.

[pokerfan]

64. Conan O'Brien's Future: Five Options For His Next Step

MTV Newsroom
By Eric Ditzian

"This level of shittiness was not expected."

That's what one source close to Conan O'Brien told the New York Post about NBC's sloppy bout of late-night musical chairs, and it's hard to disagree with that salty sentiment. Six months into his run as just the fifth host since the launch of "The Tonight Show" in 1954, the red-haired goofball is being asked to start his show 30 minutes later to make way for a revamped version of Jay Leno's talker.

So what's Conan's next move? Does he-who-rocks-the-dopest-pompadour-on-TV stay put? Does he leap to a new network? Does he strike out into entirely new pop culture territory? Let's take a look.

http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/01/11/conan-obrien-future

[apocalypsehow]

66. When Conan first came on in '93, the local affiliate took back to back reruns of ST:TNG off the air.

That was a downer for me, because I was then working swings while finishing my degree. I preferred seeing Picard in late night to Conan.

Sorry, just had to throw that in because I hadn't thought about it in years.

[bigwillq]

68. I'll still be watching Letterman.

Don't like Leno. Don't like Conan.

[Tx4obama]

69. The best and the blah

The awesome folks are Craig Ferguson (NBC), Jon Stewart, and Wanda Sykes (too bad she's on Fox)
CNN screwed up by taking D.L. Hughley's show off... he was just starting to rock it when it was canceled ;(

Letterman Leno Conan - none of their shows are anything that I ever remember to tune into.

[WildEyedLiberal]

77. Ferguson's on CBS, after Letterman

I think he's the funniest late night network guy by far, though I do like Letterman too. Letterman's monologues are good, but his skits are LAME - Ferguson has a good monologue and pretty good skits, too.

[Stinky The Clown]

71. First Letterman and now Conan. Psssst: NBC ....... LENO IS THE PROBLEM

Fire his unfunny ass.

[spanone]

72. i don't blame him, i'd walk and sue

[lpbk2713]

78. And rightfully so.

Dave could have told Conan what an asshole outfit NBC is.

[Nikki Stone1]

79. Where will Conan go?

ABC?