Conan O'Brien to take over 'Tonight Show' in 2009 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 09-27-2004, 07:53 PM

Yaaaaaaaay

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/27/bu...ner=ALTAVISTA1

Conan O'Brien to Succeed Jay Leno in 2009, NBC Announces
By BILL CARTER

Published: September 27, 2004

BC announced today that Conan O'Brien will succeed Jay Leno as host of the "Tonight" show when Mr. Leno's contract expires in 2009, cutting off early efforts by competitors to steal away Mr. O'Brien.

Mr. O'Brien, the host of NBC's "Late Night" for more than 11 years, signed a new contract early today at NBC's headquarters in Rockefeller Center. The deal guarantees Mr. O'Brien will serve at least two years as host of "Tonight," still the leading show in late-night television, when he takes over from Mr. Leno at a yet-to-be-determined date in 2009.

NBC made the news official in a press release this afternoon, after it was announced to the staffs of both shows early in the morning. Mr. Leno planned to tell his own television audience tonight on his program, already billed as a special edition because it is the official 50th anniversary of the first broadcast of "Tonight," with Steve Allen as host. Mr. O'Brien will become the fifth host in the show's history.

Because of a desire to allow Mr. Leno the first public comment on the decision, the hosts and NBC executives declined on-the-record interviews today. But several people involved in the negotiations said they had been conducted in an amicable fashion, even though Mr. O'Brien has been surprised and disappointed earlier this year when NBC announced it had signed Mr Leno to a five-year extension.

Mr. O'Brien, with his own contract set to expire in January of 2006, had made it plain in interviews that his goal was to be the host of an 11:35 p.m. late-night show soon.

NBC executives said today that Mr. Leno was instrumental in making the new arrangement, having agreed when he signed his latest deal in March that he would be willing to step aside for Mr. O'Brien in 2009. He will be 59 at that point, while Mr. O'Brien will be 46.

In a statement, Mr. Leno said: "When I signed my new contract, I felt that the timing was right to plan for my successor, and there is no one more qualified than Conan. Plus, I promised my wife Mavis I would take her out for dinner before I turned 60."

The deal to secure Mr. O'Brien and to set a date for the end of Mr. Leno's tenure was put in place by Jeff Zucker, the president of the NBC Universal Television Group. Mr. Zucker had conducted complicated negotiations over a period of months with representatives of the two stars, trying to work out a plan that would keep Mr. O'Brien at NBC. Mr. O'Brien was expected to be heavily sought after by other networks had NBC not managed to re-sign him. Mr. O'Brien's representatives had already received some preliminary indications of interest from at least two other television companies.

One of the main inspirations for concluding the deal this early was NBC's conviction that it could not go through the painful and at times embarrassing process that attended the last decision to turn over the host job on "Tonight." In 1991, after Johnny Carson announced he was stepping down, NBC first handed the job to Mr. Leno, then a substitute host for the program. And then, as the contract of its other late-night star, David Letterman, was expiring, the network offered to give him the show at the end of Mr. Leno's first contract.

Mr. Letterman saw that as a ploy to keep him inside NBC and was not convinced that NBC would have gone through with that commitment, so he declined and joined CBS.

Some of the people who were involved in how that scenario played out wondered today about whether NBC might be employing a similar tactic, offering Mr. O'Brien what he most wanted, the "Tonight" show, in order to secure his services and keep him away from another network, while essentially postponing a real decision on Mr. Leno's future for five years.

But the people involved in the negotiations said that Mr. O'Brien's representatives had been completely satisfied that NBC's commitment was real. They said that the contract Mr. O'Brien signed today included a multimillion dollar financial penalty if he did not get the "Tonight" show, a penalty payment so substantial that the network surely had no intention of ever having to pay it, according to people involved in the deal.

For NBC, the "Tonight" show remains one of its biggest moneymakers. After Mr. Leno became the host in 1992, CBS lured away Mr. Letterman, and his competing show on CBS for a time beat Mr. Leno's in the ratings.

But Mr. Leno zoomed past Mr. Letterman in 1995 and has dominated the late-night ratings ever since.

Sucks though.. I dont want him to move all the way to LA!

AKA · 09-27-2004, 07:57 PM

We've already got it covered.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/...hreadid=121381

Rhiannon · 09-27-2004, 07:59 PM

ThirteenInchEscape · 09-27-2004, 08:00 PM

I wonder what the conditions of the contract are...I mean, is there a way that he could do something so they really wouldnt want him, to get them to pay the massive amount

theanswerman · 09-27-2004, 08:01 PM

this is so awesome!!!!!!!

congrats conan!! you deserve it

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 09-27-2004, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA
We've already got it covered.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/...hreadid=121381

my bad -__-. But I am just so excited. Ugh, I too am nervous about them showing the Masturbating Bear... I love him! Plus Conan does a lot of other things that might be too 'risque' for an 11:35 timeslot. Hopefully things wont change though. I would def. fly out to LA to see Conan live! He'll probably get better musical guests too since a lot of people are way out on the westcoast. Conan tends to get a lot of local unheard of bands and such.

theanswerman · 09-27-2004, 08:10 PM

i think its better that conan gets the indie bands.

theanswerman · 09-27-2004, 08:10 PM

did you watch radio 4 preform, i thought they were pretty good.

TheGreatPretender · 09-27-2004, 08:19 PM

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 09-27-2004, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheAnswerMan
did you watch radio 4 preform, i thought they were pretty good.

I dont usually watch the musical guests -____-

theanswerman · 09-27-2004, 08:24 PM

oh

*Pleasant Tomorrow* · 09-27-2004, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ¤I Love Clay Aiken¤
Sucks though.. I dont want him to move all the way to LA!

Aw, I know. That's the downside of it

But otherwise, that's pretty awesome.

Wooo Conan effing rules

theanswerman · 09-27-2004, 08:28 PM

WHAT?? la?

nooooo...i have to see him in ny before '09

AtlantaBravesFan29 · 09-27-2004, 08:29 PM

I wonder who will replace Conan when he goes over to the Tonight Show.

Dutabi84 · 09-27-2004, 08:29 PM

Cool!

Letterman will still be king of late night television though.

09-27-2004, 07:53 PM	#1
¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ MISS APRIL Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 19, 2001 Location: Parsonsfield ME Shaws - Screwing my way up the employment ladder! Posts: 68,780	Conan O'Brien to take over 'Tonight Show' in 2009 Yaaaaaaaay http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/27/bu...ner=ALTAVISTA1 Conan O'Brien to Succeed Jay Leno in 2009, NBC Announces By BILL CARTER Published: September 27, 2004 BC announced today that Conan O'Brien will succeed Jay Leno as host of the "Tonight" show when Mr. Leno's contract expires in 2009, cutting off early efforts by competitors to steal away Mr. O'Brien. Mr. O'Brien, the host of NBC's "Late Night" for more than 11 years, signed a new contract early today at NBC's headquarters in Rockefeller Center. The deal guarantees Mr. O'Brien will serve at least two years as host of "Tonight," still the leading show in late-night television, when he takes over from Mr. Leno at a yet-to-be-determined date in 2009. NBC made the news official in a press release this afternoon, after it was announced to the staffs of both shows early in the morning. Mr. Leno planned to tell his own television audience tonight on his program, already billed as a special edition because it is the official 50th anniversary of the first broadcast of "Tonight," with Steve Allen as host. Mr. O'Brien will become the fifth host in the show's history. Because of a desire to allow Mr. Leno the first public comment on the decision, the hosts and NBC executives declined on-the-record interviews today. But several people involved in the negotiations said they had been conducted in an amicable fashion, even though Mr. O'Brien has been surprised and disappointed earlier this year when NBC announced it had signed Mr Leno to a five-year extension. Mr. O'Brien, with his own contract set to expire in January of 2006, had made it plain in interviews that his goal was to be the host of an 11:35 p.m. late-night show soon. NBC executives said today that Mr. Leno was instrumental in making the new arrangement, having agreed when he signed his latest deal in March that he would be willing to step aside for Mr. O'Brien in 2009. He will be 59 at that point, while Mr. O'Brien will be 46. In a statement, Mr. Leno said: "When I signed my new contract, I felt that the timing was right to plan for my successor, and there is no one more qualified than Conan. Plus, I promised my wife Mavis I would take her out for dinner before I turned 60." The deal to secure Mr. O'Brien and to set a date for the end of Mr. Leno's tenure was put in place by Jeff Zucker, the president of the NBC Universal Television Group. Mr. Zucker had conducted complicated negotiations over a period of months with representatives of the two stars, trying to work out a plan that would keep Mr. O'Brien at NBC. Mr. O'Brien was expected to be heavily sought after by other networks had NBC not managed to re-sign him. Mr. O'Brien's representatives had already received some preliminary indications of interest from at least two other television companies. One of the main inspirations for concluding the deal this early was NBC's conviction that it could not go through the painful and at times embarrassing process that attended the last decision to turn over the host job on "Tonight." In 1991, after Johnny Carson announced he was stepping down, NBC first handed the job to Mr. Leno, then a substitute host for the program. And then, as the contract of its other late-night star, David Letterman, was expiring, the network offered to give him the show at the end of Mr. Leno's first contract. Mr. Letterman saw that as a ploy to keep him inside NBC and was not convinced that NBC would have gone through with that commitment, so he declined and joined CBS. Some of the people who were involved in how that scenario played out wondered today about whether NBC might be employing a similar tactic, offering Mr. O'Brien what he most wanted, the "Tonight" show, in order to secure his services and keep him away from another network, while essentially postponing a real decision on Mr. Leno's future for five years. But the people involved in the negotiations said that Mr. O'Brien's representatives had been completely satisfied that NBC's commitment was real. They said that the contract Mr. O'Brien signed today included a multimillion dollar financial penalty if he did not get the "Tonight" show, a penalty payment so substantial that the network surely had no intention of ever having to pay it, according to people involved in the deal. For NBC, the "Tonight" show remains one of its biggest moneymakers. After Mr. Leno became the host in 1992, CBS lured away Mr. Letterman, and his competing show on CBS for a time beat Mr. Leno's in the ratings. But Mr. Leno zoomed past Mr. Letterman in 1995 and has dominated the late-night ratings ever since. Sucks though.. I dont want him to move all the way to LA!
	__________________ DAVID COOK FOR AMERICAN IDOL

09-27-2004, 07:59 PM	#3
Rhiannon oh, snap! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Jul 19, 2002 Location: middle of nowhere Posts: 11,097
	__________________ Nothing better the feeling is so fine Simply put I saw your love stream flow

09-27-2004, 08:00 PM	#4
ThirteenInchEscape Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 21, 2004 Location: Palouse, Washington Posts: 1,218	I wonder what the conditions of the contract are...I mean, is there a way that he could do something so they really wouldnt want him, to get them to pay the massive amount
	__________________ *Member of the "God Lilith is so ing Cool" Fanclub* Freedom of Thought

09-27-2004, 08:01 PM	#5
theanswerman OMGWTFLOLZ Senior Member Join Date: Jun 04, 2003 Location: i lurve you! (israel) Posts: 2,636	this is so awesome!!!!!!! congrats conan!! you deserve it
	__________________ Originally posted by safety pin my cat woke up up at like 5:30 this morning. she wanted me to let her out of the room. then she came back in and wanted to play. rufus wainwright - in a graveyard This next song is a song about death, and...how you shouldn't be afraid of it. Also, I wrote it on acid, so it should be pretty good..."

09-27-2004, 08:19 PM	#9
TheGreatPretender just because Forum Veteran Join Date: May 22, 2004 Location: Trying to think of a creative, witty location. Posts: 7,628
	__________________ Peace is a good thing and so is salmon when it's smoked

09-27-2004, 07:57 PM	#2
AKA Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 17, 2001 Posts: 15,746	We've already got it covered. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/...hreadid=121381

09-27-2004, 08:10 PM	#7
theanswerman OMGWTFLOLZ Senior Member Join Date: Jun 04, 2003 Location: i lurve you! (israel) Posts: 2,636	i think its better that conan gets the indie bands.

09-27-2004, 08:24 PM	#11
theanswerman OMGWTFLOLZ Senior Member Join Date: Jun 04, 2003 Location: i lurve you! (israel) Posts: 2,636	oh

09-27-2004, 08:28 PM	#13
theanswerman OMGWTFLOLZ Senior Member Join Date: Jun 04, 2003 Location: i lurve you! (israel) Posts: 2,636	WHAT?? la? nooooo...i have to see him in ny before '09

09-27-2004, 08:29 PM	#14
AtlantaBravesFan29 Atlanta Braves Fan Senior Member Join Date: Aug 13, 2002 Location: Pleasanton,TX--40 Miles South Of San Antonio Posts: 1,859	I wonder who will replace Conan when he goes over to the Tonight Show.

09-27-2004, 08:29 PM	#15
Dutabi84 kittens must die Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 22, 2003 Location: MN/TX Posts: 11,026	Cool! Letterman will still be king of late night television though.