OT: NBC kicking Conan to the curb?
by ab03 on Jan 7, 2010 5:08 PM CST
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TMZ suggested Leno at 11:30 might be a half-hour show, with Conan sliding back to midnight. But it's unclear what provisions Conan has in his "Tonight Show" contract about having to change timeslots, or about Leno returning to late night (with or without the "Tonight Show" name). He may simply decide his pride has been hurt enough and leave, though his struggles the last few months have no doubt made him a less desirable commodity for ABC or Fox than he was before he took over "Tonight."
I always liked Conan but I have to admit that I never watch his show. Of course, I never watched Letterman or Leno before either so maybe I'm not the demographic that is important. Still, seems like an extremely funny guy who supposedly had a promising career suddenly has an uncertain future. I wonder what he's going to do now.
And the fact that NBC can actually make money by being third, sometimes 4th, in the ratings every night at primetime, is pretty ridiculous. TV is in a sad state.
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Craig Ferguson?
that’s an interesting take. I honestly can watch just about everybody (even Jimmy Fallon, mainly because Roots are the house band) but I definitely think he is not on par with Letterman, and I’d prefer Jimmy and Conan to him. Conan a few years ago was just ridiculously funny.
To me it's not even close he's hand down better than anyone right now.
Just because it’s not a normal boring late night talk show. With same ol’ lame boring late night jokes that were written by 5 men eating twinkies sitting across from each on a huge table while they all pass around their phones trying to beat each others high scores on tetris.
You gotta have a certain taste for Craig, though. A lot of people either love him, or hate him.
I'm just goofin' new boot goofin'
the twinkie thing
1) you have no idea if that actually happens anywhere
2) you have no idea that doesn’t happen on ferguson.
I’d be willing to wager that the writing process is about the same for every show.
No his show is different than the norm.
He does have writing sometimes for topics, and then the few sketches he does. But his monologue and the rest of the show, even the questions to the guests are just off his head.
There are some days he has got nothing to talk about, and he probably should have writers write something, but it still somehow ends up being hilarious either way. He can talk about grass for 15 minutes.
I'm just goofin' new boot goofin'
i guarantee it isn't
He’s just good at making it seem that way
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
I have never been a big late night show fan, but I really enjoy Ferguson
I like that he doesn’t act try to act high brow or self righteous, he just wants to be goofy and funny. And he’s had some good serious comments that show he’s got a good heart.
Plus I like that he’s featured some good musicians from my musical tastes, like Shooter Jennings, Ben Kweller, etc.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
I agree he always has "weird" music guests that turn out to be amazing.
I should have known better to bring up the detailed stuff on here because this is ground zero for the “People who love talking about stuff they don’t know much about” club. But oh well.
His monologues are unmatched, and completely different from any other late night show. He has stated that sometimes he has talking points for the monologue, but thats it. He’s not reading anything, or reading one liner jokes. It’s just him talking about stuff that he wants to talk about.
Same goes for the questions to the guests. I imagine that’s why he doesn’t get a lot of big names. Because he doesn’t spend the whole interview promoting their show, or promoting it at all really. It’s rare when he does if he does it’s probably cause it’s a big named celebrity
I'm just goofin' new boot goofin'
The few times...
I’ve watched Ferguson I’ve enjoyed it.
I’m still a Letterman guy though.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
That's probably the biggest reason I watch him.
He plays around with the guest. Doesn’t spend the whole time plugging their show/event. Honestly, if I watch Letterman or Leno and then see the same guest on the Today Show or Good Morning America, they are almost the same.
Craig does it different. He’ll talk about the show if that’s really what they want, but usually it’s about their personal life or he relates something in his life to them. I bet he would be awesome to meet at a party. He always has a story or something in the guests life that he can talk about the whole time and get the guest to show themselves. So either he really is this fascinating person who has done all these things, or he is an amazing bullshitter who does his research on his guests.
Either way he cracks my shit up.
Give me team chemistry and emotion over stats any day. Do you think 34,000 Ranger fans were screaming their asses off over Pudge and his .275 OBP?
yep Ferguson is my favorite..
He’s sooo damn funny and he does that shit on the fly. They don’t get much wittier than that IMO. His facial expressions are unmatched.
I did not ask you if you have herpes I said is that a hairpiece?!?
Ferguson is probably the most talented of the 4.
I do find it interesting that every gay dude I know loves Craig Ferguson. Is it the Scottish brogue?
+1
He seems like the coolest late-night host out there. And his accent alone is enough to make me want to watch his show. I’m a sucker for a good scottish brogue.
Plus Kristen Bell is a regular guest.
If the Rangers were in the playoffs... the soundtrack could be one long continuous fart, and I would love it. - cmkelly
by LSJ on Jan 7, 2010 8:49 PM CST up reply actions
Fallon
He’s still a poor interviewer, his monologues are still lacking, and he still gets noticeably nervous at times…but shit, his show’s not half as bad as I thought it was going to be after the first week. He also scored with some of the coolest shit in late night TV last year: Monty Python show (minus Palin), Sunny Day Real Estate performance, Goodie Mob performance, Jawbox performance, Fallon as Neil Young doing the Fresh Prince theme…
Would be a real shame if he’s the casualty of all this.
I still record conan every night
Though I’d say I actually watch like 10 minutes of it, I skip through the monologue and see what the second segmet is. I like the pre-recorded things where he goes out and talks to people.
I never watch the interviews, but I never have for any talk show.
the preceding post was a great success.
yeah
that’s I guess where Conan shines. He’s probably a better writer than anything else. But he definitely had his moments off the cuff as a host, though I feel like he toned it down when he changed slots.
But it’s Conan O’Brian. I can’t believe NBC wouldn’t give him a little time to adjust. It took him a solid few years before he hit his stride as a host the first time
This sucks if it's true.
I love conan and have been watching him pretty much since he started late night. I don’t see why NBC asked conan to take over the tonight show when leno was just going to be in front of him again. Obviously it’s all about the hamiltons, baby.
NBC didn't have a choice
Conan wanted the Tonight Show and NBC was afraid he’d pull a Letterman and move to a rival network. By moving Leno to 9 they assumed they could have their cake and eat it too.
"Losers assemble in little groups and bitch about the coaches and the system and other players in other little groups. Winners assemble as a team."
- Bill Parcells
i don't understand this move
unless he isn’t getting the ratings.
i can’t stand “Bobblehead Leno”
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
the issue
NBC is making money off of the status quo (though Conan in 2nd place isn’t a great development).
But the affiliates are getting screwed because local news stations are coming on after a 4th rated show. Additionally, I don’t think NBC likes the fact that they are getting left in the dust in terms of original programming.
The simple solution is not to have Jay Leno on every night during primetime and actually try to compete for ratings. So then you have to decide what you want to do – keep Leno or Conan. Leno is clearly much better than Conan at that time slot.
Just an unfortunate set of circumstances for Conan really.
Conan is the only funny person
in late night. It’s fucked up that nobody (including me) watches his show.
That's why they call them business sox
I never watch him
…but he’s really funny. Somebody will pick him up, even if it’s a cable network, and kick NBC’s sorry asses in the ratings.
The only way that would happen...
When Leno left, there was a large segment of the audience that just stopped watching late night. If Leno comes back but for some reason can’t bring those viewers back, Conan would have a chance. Otherwise, I think it is pretty obvious that Conan just doesn’t get the same ratings as Leno.
Wouldn’t be the first time I (or probably you) disagreed with the ratings.
My dad used to watch Leno every night, never missing a show
But now that he is on at 9 p.m., he hasn’t watched a single minute. He is usually watching either a show on another network that he already watched before the NBC shuffle or he is watching sports. Sports are almost always over by 10:30 but they are never over by 9. The Leno move was a ratings disaster and now all of the affiliates are pissed off.
The Rangers have rolled up the welcome mat and bludgeoned the Angels with it. - Josh Lewin
but the funny thing is
it is not a disaster for NBC. They still make a lot of money off the show given how much they spend on it. Really just an affiliate issue – which is still an issue.
the interesting question is would your dad watch leno at 10:30 again. If those are his reasons for not watching leno now, then you would think the answer is yes
I didn't necessarily mean a financial disaster
just that they moved Leno, who got great ratings, to a time slot where he now finishes in fourth place damn near every night. The funny thing is that Conan is steadily gaining an audience, at least if I am reading this article correctly.
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/01/04/conan-beats-dave-with-18-49-viewers-in-4th-quarter/37565
I can’t imagine Conan will agree to go back to his old time slot, so I look forward to seeing where he lands.
The Rangers have rolled up the welcome mat and bludgeoned the Angels with it. - Josh Lewin
I just think
The late night format is so dead. It’s no longer relevant or funny, in my opinion. These days you can shine a light up your asshole and find some comedy bits up there—there’s certainly no dearth of bits on the internet or TV. And I’ve never understood why anybody would want to watch Harrison Ford brood and say nothing, but now, the most interesting information comes from other sources, and if by some chance Harrison Ford said or did something interesting, Conan or Leno would never ask about it.
I think he would watch him again
From what he has told me, he didn’t stop watching because of anything Leno did, just that he would rather watch Lost or Castle or whatever else he watches in the 9 pm slot, over Leno. He said he now watches either Conan or Nightline (if they have anything interesting) in that 10:30 slot.
The Rangers have rolled up the welcome mat and bludgeoned the Angels with it. - Josh Lewin
well maybe not in raw ratings
…but he could get a spot somewhere that draws in some really good advertising. I don’t know anything about the business of TV. I just know he’s funny and won’t go away even if they drop him. Someone else will give him a go and he’ll still be successful and maybe do a better show elsewhere.
I can’t stand most of the shit that comes on television.
by Black Francis on Jan 7, 2010 5:58 PM CST up reply actions
Conan's problem
is his show isn’t as edgy in it’s earlier time slot. I’m afraid the Masturbating Bear and Comic the Insult Dog are too much for the new crowd.
Comic the insult comic dog was on it last night
And wasn’t particularly censored.
Of course overall you are correct, just saying.
the preceding post was a great success.
one of the funniest skits of all time
Triumph, the insult comic dog goes to interview the people waiting in line for ‘Star Wars’ (i think episode two). absofuckinglutely hilarious
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
Conan...
is a pretty good writer, but a bad host.
I’ve never really found his show to be very funny.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Well what can NBC expect?
Very very few people are going to sit and watch BOTH Leno and Conan every night, it’s the same material. It’s like the two shows are competing against each other.
by aggierangerfan00 on Jan 7, 2010 6:53 PM CST reply actions
Oh god...
Oh god no. This is my nightmare.
Really, let’s think about this. LENO decided to step down from the Tonight Show then he started to get cold feet as his days were numbered because I’m sure he realized he would be fading into oblivion and every old person would have the spell of his deceit lifted from them when they saw a real, actually funny, fucking comedian after they stayed up to watch the news and left the TV on so they didn’t feel all alone as they fell asleep. This was the fountain of youth for the Greatest Generation. For the rest of us. It was like seeing the statue of Sadam falling and the legions of oppressed dance in the streets!
But what’s this? No. Leno can’t go away. He’s Jay Leno. Owner of cars that must mean his penis is actually inverted. We can’t just see him telling Bill Clinton jokes on the streets for nickels. So NBC retarded out for him and made him a show that was doomed to fail because old people watch CBS for their NCIS and CSI and there NCSI Wilwaukees, or whatever before the news. Jeez, duh NBC. DUH!
So, great, whatever, Leno’d be gone in 8 months anyway after this turd of an idea was finally flushed. I could wait 8 month. I’ve been patient. I’ve been a really patient man. I’ve trusted God would do something about this. I’ve prayed. I’ve waited. If it takes a little longer for an even bigger public shaming, then that’s fine. That’s alright. I can hold out. Let him have his bullshit farce of a show. A butt-hurt saved is a butt-hurt earned later.
Conan travels to LA and does the Tonight Show. He ascends to Comedy Heaven. Which only means I could now watch Letterman unabated. I’m living in a world I should have been enjoying since 1994. Cursiary glances tell me the plan is going swimmingly. Leno is getting beat out by America’s Next Top Model RERUNS. The end is nigh you grotesque monster. But lo! The awfulness of Leno’s brand of comedy from anyone you could drag out of open mic night in any shitty comedy club if that someone were stuck watching the OJ Simpson trial forever and ever has dragged Conan’s ratings down with it. The Tonight Show is on thin ice. There’s whispers and rumors. However, what’s a better lead in for the Tonight Show, I wonder? ER, the highest rated show fucking EVER? Or a show hosted by a fucking halfwit retard with a mutated face and a muscle car fetish?
It’s time for the ban hammer, NBC. LAY THAT MOTHER DOWN!
Of course, then Leno starts complaining that he misses his old time slot. Of course he does. He’s already pissed on Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and into the mouths of every NBC exec. for probably 20 years now. He sees he is a sinking ship but he will not be the captain to go down with it.
So NBC caves? NBC is giving him back the Tonight Show? What the fuck? What the fuck, I say? NBC is a bunch of fools. It hasn’t even been a year. They look ridiculous and they’ve looked ridiculous in every dealing they’ve had with Jay Leno. You need to be razed. Burned to the ground and the earth salted, NBC.
Comedy will not stand for this injustice.
by ghostofErikThompson on Jan 7, 2010 7:18 PM CST reply actions 3 recs
overreaction...
conan wont leave the time slot. he doesn’t have Letterman like pride. It will be fine. Leno, if anything, will get his own show on at a Late Night time slot on a Cable network willing to pay him.
baseBALLIN!
none of that really makes sense
given that leno has been unbelievably successful in the 11:30 (EST) time slot
So you're in favor of giving the job Leno gave up back to him?
He quit. And then he pussied out and whined that he didn’t really want to leave and has now been a miserable failure while destroying hours and hours a week of original programming time. Affiliates don’t want anything to do with Jay Leno. Repeats of shows on cable networks are beating Jay Leno. He’s done.
So, less than a year later, NBC is shuffling the deck again just to satiate Jay Leno? It doesn’t make any sense. Where’s the continuity? Jay Leno passed his torch. NBC accommodated his whining more than once in his career. This time, he failed. He should be out. I can’t understand a network trying so hard to make something work so badly for someone that they’re willing to ruin themselves.
Jay Leno needs to be buried once and for all.
by ghostofErikThompson on Jan 7, 2010 10:31 PM CST up reply actions
i'm saying your premise is completely wrong
they aren’t satiating leno. Did you read the article? The issue is that the affiliates are getting hosed in ratings. So they want to go back to regular programming during prime time.
Then they have a choice to make. They have both Leno and Conan under contract. NBC has to decide who they want to go with in prime time, knowing they will lose the other guy. If they go with Leno, it isn’t like it’s a terrible decision, given past success.
And your original perception of Leno is wrong. He didn’t whine his way into another show. NBC approached him because they figured out that shows are expensive and paying Jay a relatively low salary (given that Jay has more money than God) is much cheaper than real programming. And it was working out except for the affiliates. Anyway, this isn’t Jay’s fault. Pretty naive to think that a studio would accomodate someone in this way. They did it because they wanted to.
I don’t think Jay is funny and certainly not funnier than Conan but you have the story completely wrong.
I don't...
For months before his end at the Tonight Show, Leno wouldn’t shut up about how unhappy he was and wished he could stay on.
I think you’re underestimating Leno’s ability to be a completely evil dick.
by ghostofErikThompson on Jan 7, 2010 11:37 PM CST up reply actions
I think you are completely underestimating money
so given that your theory relies on some sort of nbc loyalty to leno and my theory relies on money, I’m pretty confident in who is right.
You'll never convince me...
and I know I’m not exactly rational when it comes to this subject, but look at Leno connive and angle already:
During his monologue Thursday, Leno milked some laughs from the “rumor floating around that we were canceled. I heard it coming in this morning on the radio. So far, no one has said anything to me.”
But if it’s true, he joked, “it will give us time to do some traveling. I understand that (the) Fox (network) is beautiful this time of year.”
“I don’t think there is any truth to the rumors,” he went on, referring to his frontrunner status in the ratings when NBC took him off “The Tonight Show.”
“See, it’s always been my experience that NBC only cancels you when you’re in first place,” Leno cracked. “So we are fine. We are OK.”
Already Leno is using the show NBC is paying him for to tell them if they fuck with him he’ll go to FOX. It’s the same shit he pulled during his last year at The Tonight Show that caused NBC to panic and have their hand forced.
What a complete doucebag.
by ghostofErikThompson on Jan 8, 2010 4:04 PM CST up reply actions
panic how?
they thought jay was going to a different network? i really doubt it. And those are just jokes.
leno isn’t controlling this situation – nbc is.
you’re kind of ruining this for me. I like Conan more than you (trust me) but your spin almost has me defending nbc and leno.
so quit it.
Just jokes?
Leno has been doing this for like 20 years. He made on air mentions of going to ABC or FOX constantly the last year of his run on The Tonight Show before his own show was announced and after he had cold feet about giving up his spot. Hell, even as his show has been tanking he’s made comments that he would take the Tonight Show back if NBC would let him. Just jokes? If I were the network I’d have his ass on the street for those comments. Well, I’d have his ass on the street just for existing.
I’m not going to quit it. I absolutely detest Leno. You have no horse in the race and if you don’t want to defend NBC and Leno, don’t. If Conan is your horse, however, you need to realize that Jay Leno is the absolute WORST thing possible for Conan. Not only is he angling for Conan’s job, he’s also ruining Conan’s shot at The Tonight Show with his forced-hand show causing everyone to bail from NBC at 10:00 PM.
I’m just stating the situation as it happened and showing the levels of evil in which Jay Leno is dragging us to. The fact that you’d even want to defend Leno is worrying.
by ghostofErikThompson on Jan 8, 2010 4:53 PM CST up reply actions
From July 15th 2008...
Deadline Hollywood Daily’s Nikki Finke points out that on Monday’s “Tonight Show,” Jay Leno hinted at a possible future with ABC while reading the popular segment, “Headlines.”
Leno held up a TVWeek cover that said “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno…starring Jay Leno on ABC.” Then, Leno joked, “It’s like a headline from the future!”
You might see it as a joke, but I saw it enough to know it was Leno saying, “Do something about me or I’ll be your competitor.”
by ghostofErikThompson on Jan 8, 2010 4:56 PM CST up reply actions
From March 4th 2007...
According to the New York Post, the “Tonight Show” host is unhappy about NBC’s plans to replace him with Conan O’Brien in 2009.
But Leno’s unhappiness may mean smiles all around Fox.
The Post reports that Fox wants to grab a share of the late-night pie and could try to land Leno for its own program if NBC follows through and pushes him out of Johnny Carson’s old chair.
It was either NBC pony up for Leno or he was gone.
Regardless, making “jokes” on air in a situation that effects not only Jay Leno, but so many other people, including Conan O’Brien, to start your scheming into someone else’s job or else, is the height of douchebaggery. And again, I’m very well versed in this nonsense because I’ve been awaiting the ousting of Jay Leno for 20 damn years.
by ghostofErikThompson on Jan 8, 2010 5:02 PM CST up reply actions
Did you see Ferguson making wisecracks about it last night?
My two favorite lines were “the question nobody asks…how does this all affect Carson Daly?” and his promise that, amidst all the changes and rumors of changes, he would still have the crappiest show in late night.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
Lol did you see this from a few nights ago?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODopbdaK1BI
I'm just goofin' new boot goofin'
"How does this all affect Carson Daly"...
Now that is funny.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Awesome...
this reminds me of around this time last year when the Rangers decided Elvis was ready and they’d slide Michael Young to third base.
My immediate reaction was…“What about Travis Metcalf!?”
And the rest is history.
by ghostofErikThompson on Jan 8, 2010 8:49 PM CST up reply actions
Leno/Conan
I would be disappointed if Conan gets bumped for Leno. But if this happens it would make an example of NBC for dropping 5 hours of scripted shows from their lineup. NBC’s best night is Thursday night, which gets decent ratings, and Leno is a ratings failure. I score that as a victory for good television.
Not mediocre. Right about average
leno is better than conan
just in prime time he is killing the affiliates (who will soon become irrelevant.)
not that leno is good, he’s pretty bad, but he’s quite a bit better than the fairly terrible conan. of course jimmy fallon is a big joke and carson daly…forget about it.
letterman might be a douche but he’s quite a bit better than leno. letterman used to be great, not anymore. Ferguson is close to great.
" This is the inning that propels us to the playoffs. Mark it down."
- Rohn Warshington on Jul 27, 2009 9:19 PM EDT
5th inning against the Tigers
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