Meltdown: NBC/Conan/Leno feud now a full-blown public spectacle
posted at 4:34 pm on January 12, 2010 by Allahpundit
The news is slow, the egos are huge, the embarrassment to MSNBC’s parent company is great, and this is a press release for the ages. I’d call it a palate cleanser, but it’s just too … zesty.
To steal an easy Leno-esque joke I saw on Twitter: NBC’s handling of personnel? A solid B+.
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.
Bottom line: Either he stays at 11:30 or he walks. Pretending for a moment that any of us cares how this shakes out, Ace is right that Conan’s really a late late night guy. Yeah, NBC could simply cut Leno loose, but he beat Letterman for years at 11:30, which, to paraphrase America’s second-most beloved ex-governor, is an effing valuable thing. Throwing senior citizens a bone by putting him back in that slot for a half hour and then Conan at midnight isn’t an insane compromise, even if it is a raw deal for NBC’s red-headed stepchild.
This, of course, is now the second time alleged nice guy Jay Leno has ended up in a nasty feud with another late-night host over the Tonight Show. To show you how surreal this situation has become, here’s 90 seconds from Conan’s monologue last night; note the “chin” crack. Exit question: What’s more annoying, O’Brien’s argument that the Tonight Show is some sort of quasi-religious institution that we dare not dislodge from the sanctified 11:30 hour or the realization that Jay Leno has this much sway over American entertainment?
Blowback
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The thing is that it should have happened a long time ago.
terryannonline on January 12, 2010 at 5:03 PM
Now, that made me laugh!
TXMomof3 on January 12, 2010 at 5:03 PM
That is so funny! Said he’s actually voting for Brown LOL
deidre on January 12, 2010 at 5:03 PM
I wouldn’t pee on him if we was in fire and I had just drank a six pack of Colt 45.
Not that I drink Colt 45.
UltimateBob on January 12, 2010 at 5:04 PM
The question to ask is…
Who is too big to fail, and how many billions will be wasted propping up a failed network?
Seven Percent Solution on January 12, 2010 at 5:04 PM
Amen brotha
Ugly on January 12, 2010 at 5:05 PM
I think this is all PR. IT WAS WAY iffy to move LENO TO primetime.
It’s not surprising it failed. Conan had to know this in advance.
much ado about nothing. Leno isn’t ready to retire. That’s all.
Conan isn’t all that funny. That’s obvious.
It’s just not that big of a story.
AnninCA on January 12, 2010 at 5:05 PM
I might actually watch one of these shows if Conan the Barbarian was the host.
tsj017 on January 12, 2010 at 5:06 PM
I always liked Conan, but he does seem more suited for later in the night. I don’t blame him or Jay though…NBC screwed this up. Promised Conan The Tonight Show, then wanted to keep Leno so promised him 2 years at 10. And Leno has been performing like they thought and promised advertisers.
NBC is such a mess, it’s hardly surprising that it spills over into late night.
changer1701 on January 12, 2010 at 5:06 PM
For a bunch of people who don’t care, we sure hit 105+ comments in record time on this thread!
Not even there yet on more important older trheads!
UltimateBob on January 12, 2010 at 5:06 PM
Conan fits the late late night demographic, for the older generation.
An older generation that no doubt is going to bed earlier and earlier, as Jay Leno ages.
As the younger generation ages, Conan would become a perfect fit for the Tonight Show.
Leno publicly passed the torch to Conan, and to crawl back after his prime time show fails, will make Leno look small and petty. A far cry from the class Conan expressed in the statement above.
That coupled with the fact that if Conan does go to FOX, his show would in all likelihood start a half hour before the Tonight Show, Conan would undoubtedly mop the floor with him. At least for the 5 years or so that Leno will still be on the air.
Leno should be a class act like Conan, and walk away.
jjrakman on January 12, 2010 at 5:07 PM
RASMUSSEN!!!
COAKLEY 49
BROWN 47
COAKLEY DOWN 1 SINCE LAST RASMUSSEN POLL
BROWN UP 6
Yes, I know totally unrelated.
btw, I liked Triumph the insult comic dog- give him the 1 show if conan bails.
theoneandonlyfinn on January 12, 2010 at 5:07 PM
im gonna miss em both
this sucks
blatantblue on January 12, 2010 at 5:07 PM
Conan’s Olde Time Baseball Clip (try not to laugh)
Ugly on January 12, 2010 at 5:08 PM
AND…
I don’t.
uncivilized on January 12, 2010 at 5:08 PM
Where is Arsenio Hall when you need him…
E L Frederick (Sniper One) on January 12, 2010 at 5:08 PM
the way that’s written, it seems you’re well into that six pack right now.
BobMbx on January 12, 2010 at 5:08 PM
I just love it when NBC people fight with each other. Comcast better get involved with this before Zucker screws the entire pooch.
d1carter on January 12, 2010 at 5:09 PM
Why is Jay a “alleged nice guy?”
He did not decide to leave The Tonight Show. NBC did that. For some reason they powers that be thought it was time for Jay to go while he was number one… Conan is getting screwed but not Jay.
This is stupid. The 11:30 and 12:30 spots are just different audiences. That’s why Jay always beats Letterman at 11:30, Letterman is 12:30 talent. And it is why Conan is bombing. He is the 12:30 talent, period.
Theworldisnotenough on January 12, 2010 at 5:09 PM
I care if you all care or not. Please let me know one way or the other!!!
I’m serious.
Abby Adams on January 12, 2010 at 5:10 PM
Sadly, a sure sign of Obama fatigue. How many days and ways can you say “Obama is stupid”?
BobMbx on January 12, 2010 at 5:11 PM
That is the way it is with Unions. Not sure about Unions in New England or the Rust Belt (SEIU is a different story). The Higher Ups are the ones donating to DNC causes. At the local level the Hall President might be a solid conservative.
I remember Republicans tried to pass legislation that forced Unions to represent their members with regards to political activity. It was the Democrats who killed it. If it had passed, they’d have lossed a significant money train.
Holger on January 12, 2010 at 5:12 PM
I think only a couple from that list are funny, and you can probably thank Conan’s writers for that more than him.
But on that note, he has written some of the funniest Simpsons episodes ever.
I guess he’s just a better writer than host personality.
Scrappy on January 12, 2010 at 5:12 PM
Not just yet. But as the saying goes, “It’s 5:00 Somewhere.”
Like right now, right here. I’m outta here, see y’all tomorrow!
UltimateBob on January 12, 2010 at 5:13 PM
I hope NBC fails.
El_Terrible on January 12, 2010 at 5:14 PM
While Leno has been the most politically “balanced” of the late night guys, I have been a fan of Conan for 5 or so years, and I have to say he has a point about not being given a chance.
He’s not even had a full year, and he’s got no prime time lead in. Remember the days when NBC had ER, Friends, Seinfeld, etc.?
BTW, has anyone been watching Jimmy Fallon? He’s actually been taking some digs at Obama lately. Sure, some sort of come from the left, while others are more from the middle of the road (“Has everybody here seen Avatar? Great movie. Even President Obama took his family to see it at a private screening in Hawaii. After the movie, Obama was like, ‘So that’s what it’s like when something lives up to its hype.’”), and there was one night recently where he zested him about 3 times in the monologue.
Although I still think Conan is funny, he’s a Harvard liberal and will never stick it to Obama or the Dems the way he does to Republicans. Like the rest of them, they’ll talk about how Biden says dumb things and Billy Jeff likes the broads, but then they’ll attack Republicans as greedy warmongers in the pocketes of big business. The attacks on the GOP are political smears, while attacks on Dems are “roast” type jokes.
RightWinged on January 12, 2010 at 5:15 PM
If CBS had any brains, they’d dump Letterman and hire O’Brien.
My collie says:
CyberCipher on January 12, 2010 at 5:15 PM
I stand with Coco.
Dorvillian on January 12, 2010 at 5:15 PM
Different strokes for different folks. For those who have a sense of humor, there are a myriad of late-night options.
For those who don’t, there’s Jay Leno.*
*Except for Headlines. Everyone likes Headlines.
YYZ on January 12, 2010 at 5:16 PM
Alright, well, I feel bad for both of them. Leno isn’t ready to retire but clearly shouldn’t have been moved. And what idiot at NBC actually thought this would work?
That said, Conan probably will lose a lot of ratings if his show is pushed back much further, even though I agree that he’s more of a Late Late guy anyway.
Esthier on January 12, 2010 at 5:20 PM
Yep. He’s not the least bit likable. He doesn’t even make me smile, let alone laugh. I’ve never understood how he got on national T.V. I’ve always just assumed that he must be really good in bed.
Fire them all and replace them with Craig Ferguson.
29Victor on January 12, 2010 at 5:20 PM
Jay had his run. He took a shot at Primetime, and failed. If he moves back to the Tonight Show slot, he’s going to end up killing those ratings, too. Seriously, if nobody was watching from 10-11 (or 9-10), who’s going to stay up to watch a show they weren’t watching?
NBC wants to go back to the way things were. If that’s the case, why not just see what Bill Cosby and Jerry Seinfeld are doing and slap them on Thursdays at 7 and 8 while they’re at it?
Nethicus on January 12, 2010 at 5:21 PM
More Fallon:
RightWinged on January 12, 2010 at 5:22 PM
I’ve always thought that the tonight show venue was supposed to be aimed at that 40+ demographic (probably because I started watching it with my great-grandparents), and Leno did a decent job of hitting his target, while still having something for those of us just “starting to like that sort of show”…. Conan is supposed to be funny to my generation and sadly, I just don’t get him????? I was one of the viewers they lost when they switched…. it’s not that I’m a huge Leno fan, but he really seems to be the grown up alternative to Letterman.
2nd Ammendment Mother on January 12, 2010 at 5:22 PM
Ah, here’s the section of Fallon’s monologue I was trying to remember from one night last week:
http://freedomeden.blogspot.com/2010/01/obama-jokes-jimmy-fallon-january-8.html
You have to give it to Fallon… No other late night guy is jabbing The One this good… And it’s only fair, given what they do to Republicans all the time.
RightWinged on January 12, 2010 at 5:25 PM
How much of this is Leno, though? My understanding of the timeline was that (1) Leno announced his retirement, which was in the bag; then (2) NBC, in a cost-cutting move, convinces Leno to do the prime-time gig; then (3) NBC executives decide to move Leno to 11:30 (probably because he beat Letterman, whereas Conan cannot) and to move Conan to 12:05. Where is the evidence that Leno is a black hat?
Outlander on January 12, 2010 at 5:25 PM
Rarely watch either one but prefer Leno when I do. If I’m up that late it’s because I’m posting on on some hot topic on HA. :)
jeanie on January 12, 2010 at 5:29 PM
Is there some other video repository site where those of us not living in the U.S. can watch this?
FierceGuppy on January 12, 2010 at 5:29 PM
I would add to your great list the In the Year 2000 skit and the HILARIOUS use of the picture of politicians with the moving mouth. He nails them all so well. I’ve been a fan since age 14 and will follow Conan’s humor wherever it goes.
Has anyone stopped to think Jay might hate NBC secretly and want to see it fail? He has plenty of money already and I find it hard to believe he’s a liberal with that fancy hot rod collection he has.
NTWR on January 12, 2010 at 5:32 PM
He is funny, but can be tiresome.
I do like the fact that he seems to love America so much.
Enough so to become a citizen & be proud of it on TV.
I do like that about him.
Badger40 on January 12, 2010 at 5:33 PM
The problem is the prime-time gig. NBC gambled big that Leno could produce and he’s not. Far from it. His ratings are so bad that the affiliate stations are yelling at them about losing revenue because Leno’s poor ratings are killing ratings for the local news, which is where the stations make a lot of their advertising dollars.
NBC is now scrambling to make good on their contract to Leno while also keeping the affiliate stations happy. The odd man out in the situation is Conan.
teke184 on January 12, 2010 at 5:34 PM
They should fire both Leno and Conan and just show reruns of The Three Stooges.
MB4 on January 12, 2010 at 5:35 PM
hilarious.
El_Terrible on January 12, 2010 at 5:35 PM
They should fire both Leno and Conan and just show reruns of The Three Stooges.
MB4 on January 12, 2010 at 5:35 PM
Certain’y. Nyuk. Nyuk.
kingsjester on January 12, 2010 at 5:36 PM
I vote for Ron White at 11:35 and Larry the Cable Guy at 12:35. At least the jokes would have some resemblance to being funny!
I apologize. Thet wuz funny rat thar!
BillyGoatGruff on January 12, 2010 at 5:39 PM
I don’t watch any of them. I’ve had my fill of network tv, so I take a pass, and either read, or sleep. So…I really have no comment. Though, the comments I’ve read are interesting :)
capejasmine on January 12, 2010 at 5:40 PM
Not quite. In 2004, to avoid the problems that led to this, and to ensure that Conan didn’t bolt to another network, NBC and Leno agreed to hand the reigns of The Tonight Show to Conan O’Brien in five years (2009). That’s where NBC first stepped in it. This, even though Leno has been beating Letterman consistently for almost a decade. Leno was and is a workaholic, so the arrangement never made sense, but he agreed to it.
Flashforward to 2008, and Jay still wants to work, and is still beating Letterman every night. So obviously ABC and FOX are interested in snagging him. But, of course, he stayed at NBC.
YYZ on January 12, 2010 at 5:43 PM
Wonder if this means Conan will be Olbermann’s “Worst Person In The World” for his part in the Official NBC Meltdown going on over there in Jerry Zucker’s Magic Kingdom?
pilamaye on January 12, 2010 at 5:49 PM
No, the Tonight show with Conan O. simply isn’t the Tonight Show. I agree with chickasaw42 — I’d much rather see Carson reruns. Then were wouldn’t have to endure the likes of Conan’s Florida-is-a-male-organ “joke”.
KS Rex on January 12, 2010 at 5:49 PM
I really tried to watch Conan when he first hit TV. He has no talent, he has the wit and imagination of a 12 year old, he is a poor interviewer and he is rude to his guests, and he isn’t funny.
NBC should have let him walk a long time ago: no loss. Carson Daly would be just as good: and he is capable of relating to an audience older than pre-teens.
landlines on January 12, 2010 at 5:53 PM
Of all the late night talk show hosts, Leno and Ferguson are the only ones I find to be funny. The others, I’m not going to watch unless they book some very very special guest, like the Pope.
RBMN on January 12, 2010 at 5:54 PM
Isn’t the market for “talk shows” saturated already? How many does NBC need? This “experiment” to move Leno to 10 was never anything new, experimental or risky. If they were actually going to be creative and innovative then NBC would be filming the American version of TOP GEAR with Leno as a host which they cancelled before filming the pilot.
Resolute on January 12, 2010 at 5:57 PM
And that was the last straw for me. Obama had won the nomination, Conan had his new TV show, and my husband wanted to start DVRing the episodes, but show after show after show, he wouldn’t say a word about Obama (or if he did, it was some joke that wasn’t about Obama but somehow included him) but couldn’t stop talking about Palin.
Thanks for the Fallon jokes though.
Esthier on January 12, 2010 at 5:58 PM
This is why I come here…
ReformedAndDangerous on January 12, 2010 at 6:00 PM
I don’t care about Jay Leno or Conan O’brien, I’m just glad NBC is in trouble. Karma is a remarkable thing.
anniekc on January 12, 2010 at 6:08 PM
That’s esssentially it. NBC squeezed Leno to agree to retire in 2009 although he was a “cash cow” for them. To show how smart NBC execs are, at the same time they squeezed out one of TV’s nicest guys, they also gave a one-hour prime time slot to one of the world’s biggest idiots, Rosie O’Donnell – that show lasted one episode! And then to prove how colossaly stupid they really are, they put ultra-liberal idiot Olbermann on their NFL pre-game which has high conservative demographics – not the brightest moves by any network exec.
PatMac on January 12, 2010 at 6:09 PM
I remember Jack Parr and Johnny Carson as great late night TV Hosts. Neither Jay or Conan measure up. Fire them both and I could care less.
old trooper2 on January 12, 2010 at 6:11 PM
I agree!!! Leno and Ferguson are the only ones who seem at ease with their guests and who are comfortable showcasing other talented people.
CBS should replace Letterman with Ferguson. Letterman isn’t funny anymore and he seems tired and not really into his job.
landlines on January 12, 2010 at 6:13 PM
Speaking of epic fails in TV Land, Danny Rather’s lawsuit against C-BS got laughed out of court yet again today.
Del Dolemonte on January 12, 2010 at 6:17 PM
Since I have to go to work early every morning, I’m in bed hours before any of these comedians come on. That’s the long way of saying I don’t care who wins this whinefest.
pugwriter on January 12, 2010 at 6:21 PM
He’s pretty good on Sunday nights, and has done a very good job of leaving politics out of it. But you’re right. I’m not sure how many liberals would want to see, say, Sean Hannity host The NFL Today, regardless of whether he discussed politics or not.
YYZ on January 12, 2010 at 6:23 PM
He injected politics into it during one of his first NFL programs by making fun of Palin.
Esthier on January 12, 2010 at 6:26 PM
Mediaite: NBC On The Verge Of Collapse? So Says Bill O’Reilly And Bernie Goldberg
http://www.mediaite.com/online/nbc-on-the-verge-of-collapse-so-says-bill-oreilly-and-bernie-goldberg/
StewartIII on January 12, 2010 at 6:27 PM
Conan is the one who is getting screwed. Jay is old, along with his audience. I’m with Conan.
DanStark on January 12, 2010 at 6:29 PM
Reruns of the old Johnny Carson shows would be better than either one of these 2 “warren whiners”. That being said, I like the Ron White/ Larry the Cable Guy idea, too!
huskerdiva on January 12, 2010 at 6:32 PM
I remember Jack Parr and Johnny Carson as great late night TV Hosts. Neither Jay or Conan measure up. Fire them both and I could care less.
old trooper2 on January 12, 2010 at 6:11 PM
—–
Part of the difference was when the Tonight Show got cut from 90 minutes to 60 when Carson got too old to go the distance.
That’s where the idea for Late Night originated, after all. Before they cut Tonight Show, Johnny would go off on funny tangents and in general be less scripted the later it got.
If NBC wanted to be very cheap, just fire ‘em all and follow the local news with a movie – a comedy would do just as well as Leno – and then bring in a “young and unsafe” comedian for the “Late” slot – Ralphie May for example?
Mew
acat on January 12, 2010 at 6:37 PM
You keep using this word “entertainment.” I do not think it means what you think it means.
greggriffith on January 12, 2010 at 6:38 PM
+1 for Craig Ferguson
Damn skippy
BTW, Jay Leno announced his retirement. Conan signed a contract. Asshat Leno decided he didn’t want to go after all and tried to bull his way into staying on the Tonight Show, which would have screwed Conan.
Not to mention Jay was ragingly anti-Bush before he left the show. MONTHS after obama had won he was still bashing Bush.
Hard Right on January 12, 2010 at 6:42 PM
Jay is a much better stand up comedian than Conan, the reult of Jay’s years of honing his skills on the Comedy Club circuit. That”s why Jay’s monolugue is usualy sharper and funnier. Conan never worked the circuit as a stand up and it shows in his tortured delivery of monologue jokes,
Conan’s filmed and after-the monoluogue bits, however, are usually more creative and funnier than Jay’s
GreenBlade on January 12, 2010 at 6:59 PM
With the 20% unemployment, nobody has a job to go to. Who cares if it\’s 11:30 or 12:30? Everyone\’s sleeping in till noon so can stay up as long as they want.
angryed on January 12, 2010 at 7:07 PM
I’ve liked Conan’s shows for years and have waited a long time for him to get the Tonight Show. Jay is good, too, but not so good that I want to see the Tonight Show knocked off the schedule. I’d like to see Jay do something different, maybe a cable show, not just his same old show in the 10pm time slot.
joe_doufu on January 12, 2010 at 7:27 PM
I was going to ask “who gives a shit about these three clowns?”, but apparently you guys do. And then a friend put a status comment on Facebook about “Conan O’Brien = Class” or some nonsense.
Wow.
Jaibones on January 12, 2010 at 7:56 PM
TMZ has sources saying that Jay is getting the Tonight Show back… full hour 1130 to 1230… looks like Conan is getting the boot :( I liked em both and wouldn’t have effed w/ them in the first place.
El_Terrible on January 12, 2010 at 8:12 PM
How about a Hennessey?
sulla on January 12, 2010 at 8:27 PM
I say give each of them one of Shep Smith’s spots on FNC. It’s a win win. The only funny thing about Conan is his stupid hairdo.
darwin-t on January 12, 2010 at 8:36 PM
Well played
Nathan_OH on January 12, 2010 at 9:02 PM
He REALLY is. Here’s a story: This happened about 15 years ago. My brother-in-law, who owns a number of Christmas tree lots in L.A., had Leno as a customer one season. Leno found a tree and asked for it to be delivered. He lived up in the hills (at the time). One of my brother-in-law’s workers, later that night, drove up in his truck with tree, but vehicle would not start up again in Leno’s driveway. Leno went out, took a look and tinkered around for some time. Fixed it. And, enthusiastically, to boot.
betsyz on January 12, 2010 at 9:14 PM
Somebody go dig up Johnny.
LarryG on January 12, 2010 at 9:16 PM
Wouldn’t a good solution be to try Leno out at 9:30 or 8:30? It seems to me a show that starts with a monologue and ends with an interview or musical act would be the type of show that would be a decent segue between a comedy and a drama. Since the main problem seems to be the affiliates refusing to accept a low-rated talk show before the news, that would seem to solve that problem. And jettisoning/restoring 2.5 hours would be a much easier task than swinging back and forth over 5 hours. If Leno fails at 9:30, forget about him; NBC lost Paar to prime time and Letterman to CBS and still came out on top in late night.
calbear on January 12, 2010 at 9:55 PM
I’d love to see a late night version of Point/Counterpoint starring Greg Gutfeld and Conan O’Brien.
O’Brien has a helluva sharp wit and was a writer for SNL back in the day when SNL was funny. Gutfeld, of course, is just flat-out hilarious and quick-witted as well.
I don’t agree with Conan’s leftish tilt, but the guy is funny.
hillbillyjim on January 12, 2010 at 11:16 PM
Screw em both and run Red Eye on Fox proper and kill em both in the ratings.
- The Cat
P.S.
Andy is the only thing I liked about Conan.
P.P.S. Bring back Andy Barker P.I.
MirCat on January 13, 2010 at 12:33 AM
I should have read your comment first. Doah!
- The Cat
MirCat on January 13, 2010 at 12:34 AM
If forced, the Red Head is Dead, because Mr. Leno represents humor that is mainstream, not just a stream of sleaze.
MSGTAS on January 13, 2010 at 10:03 AM
These shows are still on?
ne0365 on January 13, 2010 at 10:04 AM
Johnny Carson was an insecure jackass.
He was a great host for the Tonight Show, and I enjoyed watching him for most of my life. But I remember after he retired he took a lot of public jabs at Leno. So did McMahon and even Doc Severinson. It made them look like a bunch of pompous jerks.
I have a lot of respect for Leno. Not so much for the crowd that left their show to him.
UltimateBob on January 13, 2010 at 11:06 AM
That FN Jay Leno needs to just go away.
Something aint right with that boy.
TheSitRep on January 13, 2010 at 11:43 AM
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