Conan set to leave The Tonight Show, Jay Leno regaining his chair
Details of the agreement between Conan O'Brien and NBC were not disclosed, but it is known that an concord was hammered out late Friday night, with O'Brien suspected to sign over the weekend. It's believed that O'Brien will receive between $30 to $40 million for exiting the show, but it could be less if he decides to jump to another network.
Conan currently has the opportunity to launch another late night show elsewhere by fall or early 2011. The agreement will allow Leno to retake his 11:35 pm time slot several months before Conan is back on the air. At this time, Fox is the most viable option for Conan to return to the airwaves. He also has the option to move to cable, but his late night budget would be drastically reduced in that playing field. More details to come after the weekend.
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Johnnyblaze09
Jay Leno is like a fish out of water...
2 years agoby @johnnyblaze09Flag
Dt
i want to give an international perspective.i live in india and i used to watch leno everyday...funny show with a funny monologue(it had two or three really funny jokes everynight) and a good variety in other segments(from jaywalking to headlines).
when conan took over i was shocked to see that anyone could possibly allow such a childish not funny at all show to be aired...i promise 90% of indian audience left with leno.conan's show had the worst monologue,he should have fired his writers after the first episode aired..i personally believe andy richter had a better sense of humor than conan.then there was a time when every night of the week there was one segment dedicated to his 'war' with the newark mayor..or the segment with the new moon vampire assistant bit..it was so boring and repetitive that the remaining 10% audience also quit watching..most of the times even the guests were funnier than him...all he had to offer was jumping around,climbing his desk and act out the worst impressions ever...u could always see from the crowd sitting right behind andy richter that 99% of them never laughed during the show...just gave a fake applause.
finally i wud say that better sense has prevailed and leno has been brought back...and hoping with him some of the lost glry of the show would return.
2 years agoby @dtFlag
spynet315
This is total BS... Leno hands over the reins of the show, only to grab it back when his own show underperforms? What is he, 11 years old? What the hell is that? Conan has every right to be pissed. Not only is he vastly funnier than Leno, but he was promised the show. Leno should never have said he was leaving if he was not grown up enough to accept a change.... You just watch, Leno will get back into that time slot and his viewership will still be low.
2 years agoby @spynet315Flag
TypicalCat
never really cared for leno. i much preferred conan as a host. its not to say leno isn't a good host i just enjoy watching conan more. i hope he gets a job somewhere soon
2 years agoby @typicalcatFlag
I AM FRATSON
Im With Vital a 100%. I dont mind Leno, but Conan is def the funnier of the 2. Improv is where it is at. NBC f*cked itself. Keep leno's old ass for a few more years then what? his replacement is going to be Jimmy Fallon? gtfo. nice business plan nbc.
2 years agoby @iamfratsonFlag
Mutant
It's not Conans or Jays problem it's NBC. They expected that Conan would have higher ratings since he was all ready poplar, but Jay has a loyal fan base than NBC over saw hoping that Conan would out rate Jays old ratings right away.
It takes time to get used to a new host, I may not like Conan but I respect him for what he was gone through. Both of them are beginning used by the studio, in my eye both of them should just walk away where NBC is forced to find another host.
2 years agoby @zenderFlag
slysnide
CBF: they're both dragging, and weren't nearly as bad as they were before the switch. long story short, NBC is repairing the problem to get their ratings back. And to buy him off by 30mil is insane. After all, they don't write the majority of their material.
2 years agoby @slysnideFlag
Josh
Leno didn't "want" to retire. NBC took a gamble five years ago in predicting that in 2009 Leno would be on the way out, so they essentially forced the end of his contract. In reality, it turned out that five years later he was as popular as ever, but they had already promised the Tonight Show to Conan. So, in order to keep Leno around they gave him his own show.
Unfortunately, they did it in the most ridiculous possible way (creating a prime-time talk show) and people didn't buy it. And in the end, it hasn't been good for anyone.
2 years agoby @shuabertFlag
CBF
@Slysnide ~
"He loses ratings to Letterman while Jay did not." Not true. 7 months in, Jay wasn't doing good at all, and Letterman I don't think had the Late Show at CBS set up yet. You can't compare Leno's #1 spot in ratings to Conan's spot in ratings without measuring the exact range of time Conan has been on for. When Leno was in Conan's shoes, 7 months deep with the Tonight Show, he was getting sloppy ratings. It took Leno EIGHTEEN months (1 1/2 years) to get The Tonight Show to #1. Every new Tonight Show host has had to take some time before they came out on top. Sadly, they never gave Conan this chance, although they gave every other host this chance. Remember, 7 months in, Jay had sh*t ratings, too. They didn't try to push him back. And if they did, it would have killed the ratings because Letterman would have the early jump on him. Which is exactly what Conan was saying, would be the "destruction" of the show. Bottom line is they didn't put up much of a fight to keep Conan as new host.
@firstonetodieloses ~
You hit it spot-on, everything you said is the bottom line of it all.
2 years agoby @comicbookfanFlag
Chad Vital
I think Conan can do whatever he wants, I say get a better network who he can actually make the jokes he wants to make. Most of his jokes are for adults anyway, whereas Jay Leno is kinda "family friendly".
2 years agoby @chad-vitalFlag
kylenin51
Something about this doesn't seem fair.
2 years agoby @kylenin51Flag
slysnide
Their budgets are too high as it is already. Conan's not good under the Tonight format. He loses ratings to Letterman while Jay did not. And Jay didn't want to retire anyway. Plus, NBC can't stop Conan from jumping to another network. None of this was hard to forsee. And getting a 30-40 million dollar departure package is f*cking ridiculous, and renders zero sympathy from me.
2 years agoby @slysnideFlag
firstonetodieloses
It really comes down to this: Jay Leno is the biggest dbag on television right now. Wether you like or not like Conan the point is this: Jay Leno was set to retire, and he came back. They gave him a 10pm time slot and it didn't work. He should've bowed out and retired for real, that would've been the classy thing to do. Instead, NBC didn't even give Conan a chance to get settled in (every host prior to him INCLUDING Leno had a shaky start but it takes people a little time to warm up to a new host).
Jay Leno willingly took the Tonight Show back even though it was now rightfully Conan's. Why don't people see that? All the other late night hosts acknowledged NBC's betrayal of Conan and supported him in their own unique way. Never watching the Tonight Show again and I really wish people would follow suit so when Leno's ratings start slipping even he realizes what a complete douche bag he has become.
2 years agoby @firstonetodielosesFlag
CBF
In light of what might be Conan's last week as Tonight host, I am tributing him by making DVDs of his show and uploading them onto Megaupload. There's going to be 8 Volumes, and right now I am working on the first one - "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien - Volume 1: June 2009" (Disc One). Should be downloadable in ISO format soon.
2 years agoby @comicbookfanFlag
joelseph
I think people need to remember that Leno announced he was retiring. He gave up the Tonight Show. Then, he started this 10pm thing "without a desk" and it didn't work. I don't blame Jay for quitting the TS and I don't blame him or NBC for the 10pm thing. I do blame JAY for being willing to move back to 1135pm. Jay "Brett Favre" Leno.
I want to retire, no I don't, yes I do, ummmmm can I have my old job back? No? then screw you I'm doing something else in direct competition to you then.
2 years agoby @joelsephFlag
The Dark Knight
Im with Coco
2 years agoby @thedarkknight23Flag
Charles DeMar
Well said Messenger, well said.
I can't see how people find Leno funny. Conan isn't the one that thinks he's better then everyone, that's Leno. Leno reads from cards and then sorta repeats himself after his "so called" joke trying to make you laugh. I have to say that Conan seemed to change a little when he took the Tonight Show, but I guess it happen. I guess people can like who that want.
2 years agoby @nemesissisFlag
Messenger
If Jay was humble he was not take back that time slot but he won't because he is thinking about himself. And when you shuffle time slots you have to give it time to settle down, it's like when Fox shuffled 24 it lost some ratings for the next season but picked back up when people became used to the time change.
But my main point is that Conan, whether you like him or not is being screwed by NBC not necessarily Leno but NBC but Jay is not innocent, if he really cared for what was happening to Conan he would jump from NBC and go to another channel but he want because he lost his thunder and he wants it back which makes him an ass cause he is looking out for himself when there is really no justification.
2 years agoby @messengerFlag
Mutant
To this industry retirement is a two week vacation, it depends on the actor if they want to stay out of the light.
Would any of you like it if the press were talking about you and your life. NO you wouldn't, all of these actors have feelings, they just hid it when someone tells them they suck.
2 years agoby @zenderFlag
Mutant
Conan isn't funny at all, funny looking yes but not funny. I personally don't like him since he thinks he's better than everyone else. A little like Letterman God he needs to leave.
I stopped watching The Tonight Show when Jay left, at least he is funny. I don't care if he reads the cards or not, its about the timing.
It seems to me that NBC needs a good kick in the pants, in more ways than one.
Conan just rubs me the wrong way, he sort of looks like Kramer from Seinfeld with a really bad hair do.Plus he isn't funny at all, improv my butt, he reads as well, he just knows how to hid that fact.
2 years agoby @zenderFlag
Chad Vital
I like them both, I just think Conan deserves more than he gets. He got the Tonight Show, but not for very long lol. At least he can say he was one of the few ya know?
2 years agoby @chad-vitalFlag
Charles DeMar
This still pisses me off. I have always been a Conan fan. I'll follow him wherever he will go. I can't wait to see NBC lose more money. I don't want to even get started on Leno. I never did like him and I dislike him even more now if that's possible.
2 years agoby @nemesissisFlag
CBF
Jay's not the bad guy, he is being made to look like the bad guy by NBC Universal executives. Everything was fine until NBCU affiliate stations began threatening the company about sponsors and backing. The Jay Leno Show was doing acceptable numbers. The 11 O'Clock News, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon were all dropping in ratings because of the primetime lead-in from The Jay Leno Show. As I said it was doing OK in ratings, but it was not doing Tonight Show with Jay Leno ratings. A lot of people were switching the channel during Leno's show and not coming back after, during which all shows on after were suffering. This is one of the reasons NBC decided to switch its time, also to avoid a penalty payout to Leno if they were to cancel it instead. Remember Leno was granted 18 months to make his show work and beat Letterman numbers when he was given The Tonight Show. Conan only got 7. Leno doesn't want to take the Tonight Show back, but of course he will if NBC tells him to, which they are, because they unfairly screwed Conan. Remember they did this kind of stint to Letterman too. They almost did it to Leno in his first year and a half, but his ratings went up and he became king of late night. Otherwise they would have screwed him over. As I said, Leno may walk, too. If he decides to take back Tonight, he will have to get his audience back which some may not like him anymore because of it. Also he is damaged goods now because NBC is making him the bad guy by putting him in the middle of its mess. I like both Jay and Conan, but Conan holds all the cards here. If Jay also walks, it will be the end of NBC late night.
2 years agoby @comicbookfanFlag
Chad Vital
All of Conan's jokes about NBC are amazing, I'm surprised they let him do them lol. To that guy Artmom, which btw that name gives your already stupid comment no credibility even if we were to somehow agree with you, luckily, we aren't out of our minds and we know who is a better host. Jay appeals to the older crowds (same as Letterman), but Conan can be comedic on the spot without hesitation, he's just good at improv. Jay can't do improv, he has to read the cards and he isn't even subtle about it lol. So you have fun with a guy who reads his material, then tries to make a joke out of it, OR you can choose a guy like Conan, who has a funny bone in him at all times.
2 years agoby @chad-vitalFlag
Cripple
Dammit NBC. You pretend you listen to your viewers, then you can the best late-night host around despite massive public protest. Don't be surprised when this totally backfires on you sh*theads that run this network.
2 years agoby @crippleFlag
Messenger
Yes, he may have bashed NBC but they are empty words now that he is taking his slot back. And like I said before he NEVER refused the his old time slot and program. So, no, I am not proved wrong.
2 years agoby @messengerFlag
CBF
Messenger, the comments below yours prove you wrong.
2 years agoby @comicbookfanFlag
Messenger
Jay just isn't funny. Conan has more personality and more character than Jay ever will. Jay in no way refused the offer of having back his old show which makes him just as guilty as NBC, Jay is a self centered hack.
2 years agoby @messengerFlag
CBF
Just another tidbit: Now I am hearing that Jay Leno is upset at the network for the bad handling of Conan, and the mess it has made with his show, even though the ratings were "acceptable," and putting him in the middle of the mess looking like "the bad guy." And if rumor holds true, Leno may be thinking of leaving NBC also. Which would leave The Tonight Show in the hands of...... Jimmy Fallon or Carson Daly???!?!? Oh, man.
2 years agoby @comicbookfanFlag
CBF
I don't blame Leno either because when Jay heard the news, he heard it over the radio and Conan heard it in the media. No one told these guys, it came out in the press. So Leno bashed NBC too, the night after he first heard the news, saying that NBC stood for "Never Believe your Contract" and that "NBC only cancels your show when you're in first place, so we should be fine." Conan wasn't the only one pissed, and moving The Tonight Show back to 12:05, not 12:30, WOULD destroy the program, because it would never recover from the ratings-loss, as Letterman on CBS would get the jump ahead and The Tonight Show would be in shambles. So, yes, it WOULD be the end of the world, and Conan was right for protecting the integrity of his dream job, the legacy of the show. But it was unfair to both men, Leno and Conan. NBC just chickensh*tted their way out of paying two penalty fees - $80 million to Leno for canceling his show and breaching his contract, and anywhere from $45 million to $60 million to Conan for a breach of contract if he did not remain host of The Tonight Show as promised in his contract. By pushing The Jay Leno Show back to another time slot, the show was still on and they wouldn't be liable for Leno's penalty fee. They made a mistake with the primetime slot, and they had a mess on their hands. While Jay Leno was doing OK at 10 pm, the affiliate stations were threatening to drop sponsors and backing. NBC had some quick thinking to do, and both Conan AND Leno were caught off-guard. However, I don't think the solution was to move Leno back to late night. That cost them Conan, who had been loyal for 17 years and was a staple of NBC's late night lineup. They gave him The Tonight Show contract in 2004 to stop him from leaving NBC, and with the same contract, forced Leno to give up The Tonight Show by 2009. Otherwise Conan would have left anytime during or after 2004, he WAS getting other offers.
2 years agoby @comicbookfanFlag