NBC to Conan O'Brien -- The Choice Is Yours

[Vulgar Display of Orange]

I know it's TMZ, but...

NBC to Conan O'Brien -- The Choice Is Yours

Posted Jan 8th 2010 7:25AM by TMZ Staff

NBC has given Conan O'Brien the option to either do his show from midnight to 1 or leave the network, sources tell TMZ.

As TMZ first reported, after the Olympics, Jay Leno will get his 11:30 PM time period back. We're told network execs have told Conan they will let him decide if he wants the midnight to 1:00 AM time slot. If he does, Leno's show will only be a half hour. If Conan walks, Leno will get a full hour, informed sources tell TMZ.

Our sources say Conan has not decided what he wants. We do know he's pissed, because he was given no advanced warning this was coming. Conan's people told NBC they are considering the offer. Translation: Mr. O'Brien -- I have Rupert Murdoch on line one, Stephen McPherson on line two, John Landgraf on line three, Jeff Wachtel on line four ...

We're told if Conan gets another offer, even though NBC could block the move, they will let him go and give Leno the full hour.

Stay tuned ...

--

Even though the ratings were rough his first few weeks I thought that people would be loyal to Leno, but I also thought that people would still watch the Tonight Show. I guess that hasn't happened...

[WyomingOSUAlum]

I know it's TMZ, but...


Dude, I'm nearly speechless !!!!

:)

[Vulgar Display of Orange]

There was a link to it from the huffington post. I'm not sure that's any better.

[Lewis the Pike]

tmz broke michael jackson's death,

[jakeman]

Even though the ratings were rough his first few weeks I thought that people would be loyal to Leno, but I also thought that people would still watch the Tonight Show. I guess that hasn't happened...


Different audiences for the different time slots.

Carson's viewers stayed with Leno in that time slot, Leno's didn't move time slots with him, and they didn't like O'Brien.

I thought it was a bad move to begin with to force Leno out to accommodate O'Brien. I guess now they are trying to remedy that mistake.

I gave up on network late night a long time ago. I still watch TV late, but I'm on the History Channel or something like that.

[OSUFan]

Different audiences for the different time slots.

Carson's viewers stayed with Leno in that time slot, Leno's didn't move time slots with him, and they didn't like O'Brien.

I thought it was a bad move to begin with to force Leno out to accommodate O'Brien. I guess now they are trying to remedy that mistake.

I gave up on network late night a long time ago. I still watch TV late, but I'm on the History Channel or something like that.

I didn't understand it as Leno being forced out to accomodate O'Brien. I thought Leno WANTED the prime time slot so he left and O'Brien took over. If I was O'Brien, I would tell them to stick it and move to another network. And I tried watching Leno's prime time show... it was really, really bad.

[WyomingOSUAlum]

tmz broke michael jackson's death,



Anybody can break stuff. Now if they FIX that sort of thing, I'm impressed!

[Roman Craig]

Conan is a better fit a fox. He can bring triumph and the masturbating bear with him.

He has had to do lame ass comedy on the tonight show and jay leno getting his own show has affected tonight ratings as well. The format of the jay leno show was like watching someone dry heave. It affected Conan's show too. Go to Fox conan.

[Pokit N]

If I were Conan I would mail NBC a polaroid of my middle finger. The whole thing is Leno's fault. Years ago he told them when he wanted to retire..so NBC went to Conan and told him they wanted him to fill Leno's shoes. They were all on the same page...

Then 2008 rolls around Jay changes his mind..doesn't want to leave. NBC says sorry, they've already cut a deal w/ Conan...so they give him the 9 PM slot instead...which was just odd.

Leno should have called ABC...I'll bet they would have taken him at 10:30.

[Pokit N]

Conan's gone see his statement below

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.

Yours,

Conan

[Vulgar Display of Orange]

NBC fail. Sometimes I wonder if 30 Rock is really just a documentary.

[76374_Poke]

What would happen if Leno bolter for FOX and Conan decided to retire? From what I understand NBC would still have to pay Conan's contract.
I'd love to see them both leave NBC.

[MajorMike]

NBC wanted to keep Leno over Conan. NBC would have looked like a genius if it would have worked. It didn't and they look like idiots.

I know there is this silliness about Fox, but Fox doesn't even have a nationwide latenight lineup. Their late local news slot is 9pm CST and everything after that is syndication, not nationwide. If Fox were to actually make a play for Conan they would either have to put him at 930, after Fox local news but still competing with not only prime time but other network's late local news, expect every local affiliate to come up with syndication that would keep people watching until 1030, or not only force every local affiliate to move their late Fox news from 9 to 10 but also come up with an hour of 9-10 programming every night of the week.

It doesn't seem like there would be any way any of those would work. For him to compete in the same slot, they would have to invest a sizable amount in him, but also new shows from 9-10. Don't see that happening.

[Roman Craig]

NBC wanted to keep Leno over Conan. NBC would have looked like a genius if it would have worked. It didn't and they look like idiots.

I know there is this silliness about Fox, but Fox doesn't even have a nationwide latenight lineup. Their late local news slot is 9pm CST and everything after that is syndication, not nationwide. If Fox were to actually make a play for Conan they would either have to put him at 930, after Fox local news but still competing with not only prime time but other network's late local news, expect every local affiliate to come up with syndication that would keep people watching until 1030, or not only force every local affiliate to move their late Fox news from 9 to 10 but also come up with an hour of 9-10 programming every night of the week.

It doesn't seem like there would be any way any of those would work. For him to compete in the same slot, they would have to invest a sizable amount in him, but also new shows from 9-10. Don't see that happening.


Most Fox stations now have a 10 o'clock news. Tulsa's starts monday. Going on at 10:30 would be no real feat.

[GoPokes83]

Most Fox stations now have a 10 o'clock news. Tulsa's starts monday. Going on at 10:30 would be no real feat.

What's on from 9-10? A syndicated program?

[Roman Craig]

What's on from 9-10?

news as well.

[Roman Craig]

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2010/01/14/2010-01-14_conan_obrien_could_be_off_the_air_next_week_as_ .html

[bleedorange]

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2010/01/14/2010-01-14_conan_obrien_could_be_off_the_air_next_week_as_ .html

It was pretty obvious that this was going to happen sooner than later.

After all the crap hit the fan making everything awkward, you knew NBC wasn't going to let Obrien go on nightly making them and Leno look stupid. I figured the end had to be near once the gloves were off.