Sources close to former 'Tonight Show' host Jay Leno tell me he is furious with the way NBC has treated him and Conan O'Brien and is considering walking away from the entire mess with his head held high. "Now that Conan has made it clear he is leaving the troubled network, Jay is considering doing the same. They have put Jay in a terrible position. It looks like he is the reason that Conan is now without a job. Jay is a great guy and it's not fair that due to NBC's stupidity he looks like the bad guy," a TV insider tells me.

"Plus, what happens when Jay does return to the 11:35 slot if his audience doesn't immediately follow? How can he possibly trust the same network that canceled Conan after only seven months?"

Check out the ethos on Jay! Good for him for sticking up for the guy he essentially got shoved out. And remember, if this mess continues and Jerry Seinfeld winds up on NBC yo heard it here first...

http://www.popeater.com/2010/01/13/jay-leno-leaving-nbc/

Watch Conan go to FOX and then Leno go over there. And once again Conan is following Leno, lol.

It would serve NBC right though if Leno walked as well.

Just when i thought things couldn't get any worse at NBC....they do! :rolleyes:

.....and it'll be just like Dave envisioned the other night. A talk show featuring Charles Grodin and Don King....


:crazy:

I actually would love to see it. NBC deserves it.

If NBC wasn't in trouble before, they sure are now!! And WHY is Jeff Zucker still employed by NBC? :mad:

If NBC wasn't in trouble before, they sure are now!! And WHY is Jeff Zucker still employed by NBC? :mad:
I wonder if Jeff Zucker has some very embarrasing info/pictures of one of his bosses? How else could he keep his job?

At the rate this situation is devolving we'll wind up with The Tonight Show with Arsenio Hall.

Actually, what I've seen of his old show I liked, soooooo....

"Turn out the lights, the party's over..." :sleep2: :tv:

NBC would be better off airing Carson reruns. lol

BREAKING NEWS: NBC's new late night line-up:

BREAKING NEWS: NBC's new late night line-up:

:lol: :lol:

BREAKING NEWS: NBC's new late night line-up:
I love it. :rofl:

I just watched Conan's monologue. He was great. He went after NBC real good. It's like he and Jay don't care anymore how much they slam NBC. :lol:

...because while the network is showing that, their affiliates are scheduling their own programming [syndicated talk shows, game shows, old movies, reruns of prime-time shows they have multi-year contracts to play...and perhaps local station talent fronting their own talk show]. They're not going to wait while the network makes up its mind as to how to fill those blocks of time; they're in the business of making money.

This is what the majority of NBC affiliates did when "TONIGHT! AMERICA AFTER DARK" appeared between January and July 1957 (mostly libraries of old movies); the successor to "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING STEVE ALLEN", "AMERICA AFTER DARK" was a late-night variation of "THE TODAY SHOW"...and it wasn't that good. In fact, Mike Wallace's "NIGHTBEAT" (hard-nosed interviews and news features) on New York's WABD {Channel 5} got better ratings locally. So NBC had to do something, or watch its late-night franchise disappear. That's when they got Jack Paar to host another version of "THE TONIGHT SHOW" in July of '57. He literally saved NBC from late-night oblivion....

...and returning Jay to 11:35 might not be such a good idea now. Viewers may see him as "damaged goods" after all this current ruckus....



:violin:

I think it would be good if Conan Would go to FOX because he would get a Jump on The other Late Night Show's.

BREAKING NEWS: NBC's new late night line-up:

:lol: That doesn't look far from the truth!!! :eek:

In my humble opinion, here is the perfect solution to the very interesting and enjoyable current late night talk show wars!

Jay should "Jaywalk" right over to ABC and take 11:35PM, Kimmel follows at 12:35AM (His demo)

Conan stays at NBC doing "The Tonight Show" at 11:35PM, Fallon follows at 12:35AM (His demo)

Letterman continues at CBS (no changes)

They all then battle it at on the big three networks at 11:35PM.....perfect solution if you ask me.....

If Conan or Leno goes to Fox, yes they get a head start, but Fox has a history of not staying with their properties and both could be ending their careers prematurely, Rivers, Johnson, Chase all failed at Fox......also especially Conan skews to an younger demographic which is glued to "The Daily Show" already @11PM, don't forget its "The Daily Show and its host" that wins the emmy every year.

Plus if you start an hour show at 11PM, It's too easy to have significant viewer drop off at 11:35PM when the other shows are just starting and the 11PM show is wrapping up with less than desired material.

I honestly feel my suggestion makes the most sense and that comes from someone who has worked in the TV industry for 30 straight years but unfortunately has no control to offer my solution to anyone but my friends here at this board!

We've got Tonight? Not after Jan. 22.

Conan O'Brien's last night as host of The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien will likely be next Friday, a source close to O'Brien tells PEOPLE.

"Conan does not currently plan on doing any more new shows after next week,” says the source. NBC declined comment.

On Tuesday, the host released a statement saying that he would not go along with NBC's plan for him to host a relocated Tonight Show at 12:05 a.m., following The Jay Leno Show at 11:35 p.m.

"I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is [The Tonight Show's] destruction," said O'Brien.

If Jan. 22 is indeed O'Brien's final broadcast, the show will have ended two weeks before NBC’s scheduled preemption for its 2010 Winter Olympics coverage.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20336890,00.html

In my humble opinion, here is the perfect solution to the very interesting and enjoyable current late night talk show wars!

Jay should "Jaywalk" right over to ABC and take 11:35PM, Kimmel follows at 12:35AM (His demo)

Conan stays at NBC doing "The Tonight Show" at 11:35PM, Fallon follows at 12:35AM (His demo)

Letterman continues at CBS (no changes)

They all then battle it at on the big three networks at 11:35PM.....perfect solution if you ask me.....

If Conan or Leno goes to Fox, yes they get a head start, but Fox has a history of not staying with their properties and both could be ending their careers prematurely, Rivers, Johnson, Chase all failed at Fox......also especially Conan skews to an younger demographic which is glued to "The Daily Show" already @11PM, don't forget its "The Daily Show and its host" that wins the emmy every year.

Plus if you start an hour show at 11PM, It's too easy to have significant viewer drop off at 11:35PM when the other shows are just starting and the 11PM show is wrapping up with less than desired material.

I honestly feel my suggestion makes the most sense and that comes from someone who has worked in the TV industry for 30 straight years but unfortunately has no control to offer my solution to anyone but my friends here at this board!
I agree with you TeeVeeCloset. Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel back to back would make a great programming block. Neither Conan or Jay would be well served to move to Fox as that network has proved to be a graveyard for late night hosts. That would be career suicide for either of them. I like your idea of Jay and Jimmy K going head to head against Conan and Jimmy F.

I've honestly been thinking of starting an "NBC Memories" thead here, based on my (and obviously, many others') feeling that the network's days are numbered. Seriously, can anyone see them coming back after sinking this low? I know it's possible, but not as long as Zucker and company are at the helm, imho.

A new and frightening villain has emerged in the late-night talk show Texas cage match over at NBC. It's NBC Universal boss Jeff "Bonecrusher" Zucker, according to Hollywood dirt expert Nikki Kinke. She says her sources tell her that Zuck, whose brilliant idea to give Jay Leno a prime time show before Conan O'Brien's "Tonight Show" slot started this whole embarrassing debacle, has threatened to keep Conan off the air for three-and-a-half years if he does not accept the network's offer to host the "Tonight Show" at 12:05.

Finke, citing the insiders, reports that Zucker has taken "a super tough threatening position" with O'Brien's representatives:

Quoting a Finke blog post: "To counter O'Brien's principled public statement which the late night host issued this week, Zucker "is threatening to ice Conan," according to his reps. "Zucker said, 'I'll keep you off the air for 31/2 years.' Which doesn't have a chance in hell of happening. What I really think Zucker wants is to hold him off the market for at least six months to a year until the dust settles and Leno is secure and Conan is squelched."

Other reports popping up on Thursday suggested that NBC had already told Leno he could have his full 11:34-12:30 hour back, but NBC denied it.

Finke further reports that "it has now become clear to O'Brien's reps that Zucker wants to jettison Conan altogether." She describes the idea of keeping Conan off the air for the duration of


his contract as "dastardly" and "cowardly" but says "it could be damn effective."

http://www.mercurynews.com/celebrities/ci_14194595

I've honestly been thinking of starting an "NBC Memories" thead here, based on my (and obviously, many others') feeling that the network's days are numbered. Seriously, can anyone see them coming back after sinking this low? I know it's possible, but not as long as Zucker and company are at the helm, imho.
I agree 100%. Brandon Tartikoff must be spinning in his grave! :(

I love it. :rofl:
Hey, the truth hurts. :lol:

NBC would be better off airing Carson reruns. lol
They may have to at the rate they're going!! :eek:

I have a question - aren't both Jay and Conan signed to long-term contracts with NBC? If one or both jump ship, aren't they in breach of contract? Is anyone out there able to clear this up for me?:confused:

I have a question - aren't both Jay and Conan signed to long-term contracts with NBC? If one or both jump ship, aren't they in breach of contract? Is anyone out there able to clear this up for me?:confused:

To help answer your question, Jay Leno's 10PM contract I believe was only for a year, so the wait to jump ship wouldn't be that long and Kimmel wouldn't argue about moving to 12:35AM, but it looks like conan is screwed anyway, as the latest is....he will go off the air on friday, january 22, 2010 and NBC can keep him under contract and off the air for 3 years! This of course could cause a huge backlash of negative support for NBC, so they would be wise not to hold Conan to his contract. His contract stipulated he would be the host of "The Tonight Show", it never said at what time, so Conan is actually refusing the offer, so he is still under contract which means he can earn 20 million a year for 3 years for doing nothing.

To help answer your question, Jay Leno's 10PM contract I believe was only for a year, so the wait to jump ship wouldn't be that long and Kimmel wouldn't argue about moving to 12:35AM, but it looks like conan is screwed anyway, as the latest is....he will go off the air on friday, january 22, 2010 and NBC can keep him under contract and off the air for 3 years! This of course could cause a huge backlash of negative support for NBC, so they would be wise not to hold Conan to his contract. His contract stipulated he would be the host of "The Tonight Show", it never said at what time, so Conan is actually refusing the offer, so he is still under contract which means he can earn 20 million a year for 3 years for doing nothing.
Oh, I see. Thanks for clarifying that for me. :cool:

I never understood the way this thing was done in the first place. If Jay Leno was doing well in the ratings and beating Letterman on a regular basis, why would NBC orchestrate his exit five years in advance?

If Leno is doing well, keep him there. If Leno decided to retire or the ratings go south, then make a change! NBC made a big mistake and I hope Conan gets released from NBC quickly so he can take his show somewhere where he'll be given a chance to build an audience.

"If it aint broke, don't fix it." One of the oldest sayings there is. Yet, network executives always, always have to tinker with their successes. And in this case, they sabotaged them.

Go figure!:rolleyes:

I never understood the way this thing was done in the first place. If Jay Leno was doing well in the ratings and beating Letterman on a regular basis, why would NBC orchestrate his exit five years in advance?

If Leno is doing well, keep him there. If Leno decided to retire or the ratings go south, then make a change! NBC made a big mistake and I hope Conan gets released from NBC quickly so he can take his show somewhere where he'll be given a chance to build an audience.

"If it aint broke, don't fix it." One of the oldest sayings there is. Yet, network executives always, always have to tinker with their successes. And in this case, they sabotaged them.

Go figure!:rolleyes:

History repeated itself like it usually does, 5 years ago Conan's contract was up, to make him stay with NBC, they offered him the tonight show, this exact thing happened when daves NBC contract was up and he was promised the same thing but then NBC renegged on the deal.....and lost letterman......so they didn't want the exact same thing to happen again, so they gave Conan the show, but in the fine print, it said it didn't have to air at 11:35PM, it just said he would host the tonight show.....I think conan is making a mistake by leaving, I am on his side....but leno's always held the #1 spot ratings wise and it would have been a strong lead in, after all they were only giving leno a half hour, that was a slap in the face, and leno would have stood still and taken the slap!....his 30 minute edition would have been modeled after the extremely successful award winning "The Daily Show" but for a older demographic. As far as the tonight show being a institution at 11:30 as conan said, true, but it was once 90 minutes, has had several hosts and what about the middle of the night reruns??? so The tonight show does air at another time.....times and TV have completely changed....its like saying, it originally aired in black & white, so now it can't air in color or HD .....we all have to accept "The Tonight Show" ended the night Johnny Carson retired.....how about all the hosts and different lengths of "The Today Show"...now 4 hours!.....things change, I am on team Conan, but he put a nail in his own coffin.....even if he went to ABC, people will forget and by giving Leno back the whole hour, people will return to their old viewing patterns, going to sleep with "The Tonight Show" and Leno will be the winner again in the ratings.

They didn't want the exact same thing to happen again, so they gave Conan the show, but in the fine print, it said it didn't have to air at 11:35PM, it just said he would host the tonight show.

I take it you've read the actual contract or is this just speculation on your part?

I take it you've read the actual contract or is this just speculation on your part?
I think what TeeVeeCloset is trying to say is that the Contract Conan signed specified that he would be the host of the "Tonight Show" but it didn't specify when the "Tonight Show" would air.

I think what TeeVeeCloset is trying to say is that the Contract Conan signed specified that he would be the host of the "Tonight Show" but it didn't specify when the "Tonight Show" would air.

Like I said, Did he read the contract himself or is this speculation? From the wording of his posts, He makes it seem like he read it himself.

Like I said, Did he read the contract himself or is this speculation? From the wording of his posts, He makes it seem like he read it himself.

I want to be as honest as possible here, you are both correct....but I have said many times on these boards that I have worked in the TV industry for 30 straight years and I need to leave it at that, but will say have many contacts....I am not trying to be secretive or mysterious.....just please understand.......

I will also say that sitcoms is the only message board I read, post and actively enjoy each day and all involved that work at sitcoms should be highly commended for their efforts and it is an extreme pleasure to post and read so many opinions from so many perspectives on the different threads.

Like I said, Did he read the contract himself or is this speculation? From the wording of his posts, He makes it seem like he read it himself.
I was reading several articles about this on several different websites (I don't remember which sites as I was linking from one site to another) and it was mentioned in some of those articles that these are the terms of the contract Conan signed. This is why NBC was within it's rights to say it would move Conan to 12:05 and why when Conan refused that move he was still under contract to NBC and needed to negotiate his release. (It's also why Jeff Zucker was able to threaren to keep Conan off the air for the next 3 and a half years)

Leno had the advantage of having the guy he replaced (Carson) actually leave, not just the network but the business. Leno also had the advantage of having higher rated programming at the 10 o’clock hour, which meant more viewers stayed tuned for the NBC news and thus stayed tuned for Leno. Honestly, I don’t understand why people don’t just turn the channel. But apparently they don’t. I mean I understand back in the day before they had remote controls, maybe they were just too lazy to get up and turn the channel, but whatever.

Leno also had the advantage of having the nice guy image. His competitor, David Letterman probably offended people because of his humor and so they’d switch over to Jay. I remember hearing about some celebrities who refused to appear on Letterman, though I don’t remember who they are. I don’t offend easily, so Letterman’s humor has always made me laugh.

Conan, on the other hand, had a replacement who before he started The Tonight Show had announced he would be staying with NBC with a 10 o’clock show. This made Conan lose steam. Some Leno fans figured “why should I try to like Conan when I’ll have my Leno back in the fall?” So even though Conan ratings weren’t as great as Leno’s had been, I honestly believe it was because of that. And then once Leno came back, Conan’s ratings got even worse. Leno’s low ratings (for Primetime, low ratings) affected the news ratings which gave Conan a lower lead-in.

Would Conan have gotten Leno high ratings if Leno was gone for good? Not right away. He would have needed a couple years (as Leno needed in the beginning) to build an 11:35 audience. It’s something NBC wasn’t able to give him. And Leno was more than happy to jump back into his old timeslot. And if Leno really doesn’t have any say in this, he’s just NBC’s bitch. Which isn’t a good thing either. Conan showed NBC that he wasn’t their bitch. Conan also was thinking of Jimmy Fallon. That shows that Conan is the more genuine guy and I am proud to be a fan of Conan O’Brien!

Conan is winning this fight in the online world. He’s gotten so much support, even from celebrities. Heck even Jimmy Kimmel (as the kids say) "owned" Jay Leno on his very own show! For those who saw the 10@10 bit, Jimmy was really giving it to Leno and you know what? The audience was laughing! So here is a guy coming onto The Jay Leno Show and bashing the host and the audience is laughing. Which to me, shows that Leno's audience will laugh at anything if it’s in the tone of a joke. Or even they think Leno’s screwing over Conan and were glad to see Kimmel ripping into him on the show.

Adamantium is TEAM CONAN!!!

I cannot wait to read the book they're going to write about this fiasco.

I hope Bill Carter who chronicled the Leno/Letterman/NBC mess in "The Late Shift" is writing it.

As far as who is responsible for this mess, I blame everyone.

:lol:

I cannot wait to read the book they're going to write about this fiasco.

I hope Bill Carter who chronicled the Leno/Letterman/NBC mess in "The Late Shift" is writing it.

As far as who is responsible for this mess, I blame everyone.

:lol:
Now THAT would be a fascinating read. This is the biggest soap opera NBC's had in YEARS!! :eek:

I highly doubt that Jerry Seinfeld would wind up as the Tonight Show host, but you never know. I just cannot see him doing a talk show. However, I would watch if that happened.
I feel bad for both Conan and Leno, though. NBC treated them both badly, IMO. I watched Conan on The Tonight Show a couple of times and it wasn't that bad, IMO. It's just that people are so used to Leno who is more established than Conan is. Not saying that Conan is perfect by any means, but I admire Jay for sticking up for his friend. I mean, to have Conan as his guest on his last "Tonight Show" was classy!

Honestly, I think all of them are forever in the large and irreplaceable shadow of Johnny Carson. I've never been able to enjoy The Tonight Show since he left.

The problem is that while all of them have the sarcastic, ironic thing down pat, none of them possess the sincerity and interviewing skills that Johnny had. While Leno and Conan and Dave and all the rest seem to use guests are sort of fodder for jokes, Johnny, while admittedly never turning away from an opportunity for a great line, did seem truly interested in what his guests had to say. Half the time these guys seem to barely listen, they're so eager to spit out whatever joke they've got planned for the moment.

I think Leno is a great stand up comedian, and that Conan is a great comedy writer. Letterman is a bit of both, plus (at least when he was with Merrill Markoe) he's got an absurbist streak that's very original. But they all fall quite short of the standard that Johnny set. To be fair, I can't think of anyone who wouldn't.

That's why I'm not too invested in any of this stuff; it just seems like a tempest in a tea pot, though obviously, a VERY expensive tea pot. :)