OT-More Late Night Drama
It is now offical that tomorrow's show will be Conan O'Brien's last time hosting The Tonight Show. NBC has released Conan from his contract in a buyout that will allow him to come back on the air at a seperate network (Fox) on September 1, 2010. It is currently believed that Jay Leno will once again take over as host of the Tonight Show at 11:30.
If Conan does switch over to another network and is on at 11:30 it will be intersting to see the rivalry between these two.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:19 PM ^
go a different route and do a stand-up/monologue type show with a few skits and sketches in between. Cut the BS celeb interviews out with maybe a cameo here and there, mixed into a skit.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:29 PM ^
I couldn't be less interested in the interviews, they just killed time while waiting for the next Masturbating Bear sketch.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:58 PM ^
Yeah this move could be good. There was no way we'd see the Masturbating Bear on NBC at 11:30. Conan's at his best with wackier, edgier stuff.
January 21st, 2010 at 9:32 PM ^
There are a couple bigger issues on the line. I assume that NBC gets to keep all 'their' intellectual property, meaning all of Conan's recurring characters; this was probably a major bargining chip and I am sure Conan would give up all of that in order to reach a settlement that gets him back on the air elsewhere.
As for the format, the interviews are the show. All those guests are plugging something. Those plugs are worth something.
January 21st, 2010 at 9:43 PM ^
Except for the fact that, you know, the masturbating bear did a cameo in last night's show.
I do agree that Fox would give him more leeway to do what he wants, but the Bear was back with a vengeance last night.
I really hope Leno fails on his return to the Late Night Show, but I fear that it won't happen. I think his target market is blissfully ignorant of what really went on here, and will continue to watch his crappy show at whatever time it airs.
January 21st, 2010 at 7:04 PM ^
I liked the interviews. I'd rather watch Conan interview Celebrity X than anyone else. Unless Erin Andrew did the interviewing. Hell, I'd watch Erin Andrews interview Rosie O'Donnell.
January 21st, 2010 at 8:29 PM ^
Haha, nicely played. It would take more than Erin for me to watch that interview.
January 21st, 2010 at 7:22 PM ^
This would be great - would they call it the "White Man's Dave Chappelle Show"?
January 21st, 2010 at 6:22 PM ^
It will be more interesting to see what Fox does to give Conan a lead in since local news ends at 11 on most Fox affiliates. They could give him an earlier timeslot, I guess, but that might be epically stupid.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:24 PM ^
potentially 200,000 dead in Haiti and the MSM is focused on this Conan vs. Jay/ NBC bullshit.
In the immortal words of Vince Lombardi..."What in the hell is going on around here?"
January 21st, 2010 at 6:30 PM ^
and you're sitting around on MGoBlog. Shame.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:32 PM ^
I've written a nice check to the Red Cross. Have you?
January 21st, 2010 at 6:34 PM ^
Just pointing out the irony of your post. Nothing personal.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:38 PM ^
connect your cognitive dots.
So there is an earthquake in Haiti so I am not allowed to be on MGoBlog despite the overzealous, unending coverage of the 11:30 time slot on NBC?
If you take MgoBlog away from me...just kill me now.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:41 PM ^
that the Haitian crisis doesn't mean no one can talk about the Jay/Conan BS. It was meant half jokingly anyways. MGoHandshake.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:44 PM ^
traditional or city?
January 21st, 2010 at 7:02 PM ^
I think bragging about a charitable donation negates any good karma that was originally headed your way.
January 21st, 2010 at 8:56 PM ^
if you really wanted your money to make it to Haiti there are numerous other charities that are giving 100% of every dollar donated or at least a bigger portion than the Red Cross gives.
Ie.
www.clintonbushhaitifund.org
January 21st, 2010 at 8:30 PM ^
political debate lol
January 22nd, 2010 at 10:57 AM ^
The effects are 30 years old, and are still FAR superior to cgi.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:37 PM ^
Why are you wasting your time threadshitting here? Don't you know that there are more important things like two wars, a recession, AIDS, SIDS, and Sean Parker's Facebook status? For shame VAWolverine.
January 21st, 2010 at 9:56 PM ^
Don't get on a soapbox and start preaching that we should be discussing the world's problems. That is not, never was, and never will be the purpose of this board. Try CNN.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:28 PM ^
33 million for him and I believe 12 million for the staff. That is just crazy
January 21st, 2010 at 6:47 PM ^
They are essentially paying Conan $45 million not to host the Tonight Show just so they can bring back Jay. Is this because they owe Leno so much dough anyway that it makes no sense to can him? Or do they think Leno on the Tonight Show (as opposed to Conan) is worth enough to make up the difference of that check to Conan?
This makes no sense to me.
January 21st, 2010 at 9:00 PM ^
Leno's buyout that is stipulated in his contract is $100+ million. So $45mil sounds like a hell of deal!
January 21st, 2010 at 10:35 PM ^
It's all relative. I don't know how much the Tonight Show is worth in advertising dollars, but it may well turn out very badly for them. Conan should be ok, though he did get screwed pretty badly.
January 21st, 2010 at 11:47 PM ^
this will be way more costly to NBC long-term than it will be the next 4 years. to not have a solid comedian in the wings for when Leno retires in 3-4 years is HUGE. jimmy fallon is likely 6 months or so away from being dropped and then who do they go with? zalifinakis?
between two ferns already has him on contract for 4 more years.
January 21st, 2010 at 10:40 PM ^
So just to cancel Jay's crappy 10pm show they would have to pay him $100 million (assuming they didn't re-hire him for the Tonight Show)? Yowsas! I need to get some chin implants and start telling awful jokes pronto.
Amazing that such a hack can wield so much power in the entertainment business merely because of the situation they are in. Reminds me of Matt LeBlanc making freaking millions (and still holding out for more) because Friends was such a big hit even though the guy had zero talent and would never be in anything people watch ever again.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:50 PM ^
Not really. A lot of those people moved across the country (NY to LA) in order to take that job, expecting years of steady employment, only to be told seven months later that because Jay Leno sucks they're out of a job. I know $12 mil might seem like a lot, but I'll bet that staff is a lot bigger than we imagine. Plus with the uncertainty of what comes next for Conan, none of them are really assured jobs on whatever show he decides to do next. The loser here isn't Conan, even though he's leaving the show he always wanted to host. The losers are the people on his and Leno's staffs that are going to lose their jobs in this mix-up. Assuming there are any people like that.
Otherwise, nobody is really losing but NBC and Leno's reputation.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:58 PM ^
associated with the show getting let go.... $12MM / 200 is about $60K a person.... Not much to move across the contry. Hopefully the new Fox show will be in LA as well and most of them can tag along......
January 21st, 2010 at 7:37 PM ^
In about three months, I'll be willing to move across the country for a desk and a non-binding assurance of a bus pass.
January 21st, 2010 at 10:21 PM ^
BTW - $4 million of that $12 million is going to his producer, but apparently Conan is taking part of his buyout and contributing it to severance for the staff.
January 21st, 2010 at 7:05 PM ^
Conan play "WHO CARES"
January 21st, 2010 at 7:08 PM ^
I believe that 12 million is divided up between 200 staff members, which would mean if divided evenly each staffer would get $60,000. Now that is not a bad chunk of change by anymeans, but I personally would much rather be working and not having to worry about finding another job or whether I want to move my family back to NY or not. This whole situation is jacked up and it's all Lenos fault.
January 21st, 2010 at 7:43 PM ^
You can't blame the whole thing on Leno infact most of the blame should go on NBC. They told Conan he could host the Tonight Show but then they wouldn't let Leno leave for another station. NBC got themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place and now it's blowing up in their face.
January 21st, 2010 at 8:30 PM ^
You are absolutely correct, this is why I don't get why everyone in the world thinks Leno is the evil mastermind. I support Conan, but I also am behind Jay and wish them well on both shows.
January 21st, 2010 at 9:33 PM ^
Your right GoWolvs it is NBC's fault. I retract my "it's all Leno fault" statement. I was just taking my bad day at work out on Jay. So I wonder if they are going to move Jimmy Fallon up an hour or find someone else to fill Conan's spot? But I agree with you NBC is responsible for this whole situation.
January 21st, 2010 at 9:51 PM ^
Here's the problem with that though: when NBC canceled Leno's 10pm show they had to gave him a new contract.
Basically NBC said we'll give you back the 11:35 time slot, and Conan will go along with it or he'll leave. Leno was at least complicit in this back stabbing, and given his actions in the first late night wars, I'm not willing to give him a pass here.
You are right that NBC and Zucker specifically need to take the heap of the blame, but Leno is not innocent here by a long shot.
January 21st, 2010 at 8:42 PM ^
Yeah, the real evil bastard here is Jeff Zucker, NBC Universal's CEO. He has handled every major decision at NBC for the past decade or so, and is thus responsible for driving the entire network into the ground, not to mention this shit storm.
Dude should have been fired five days before 6 years ago.
January 21st, 2010 at 8:43 PM ^
Damn. Double post.
January 21st, 2010 at 11:50 PM ^
If the monologue/Pee Wee Herman skit is any indication, the last two shows are going to be a lot of fun.
January 21st, 2010 at 11:57 PM ^
it's going well already. yesterday was the bugati satisfaction.
tonight? Mine that Bird wearing a mink Snuggy watching NFL footage. $4.8 million?
January 21st, 2010 at 11:57 PM ^
pee wee herman already dropped the ben stiller bomb during his bit. ohhhhh well.