Ace of Spades HQ

January 12, 2010

Conan O'Brien to NBC: Drop Dead
— Ace

He's not moving back to after Leno.

He wants a Fox deal, I reckon, and will get one.

People of Earth:
In the last few days, IÂ’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, IÂ’ve been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, IÂ’ve been absurdly lucky. That said, IÂ’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 isnÂ’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 doesnÂ’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; itÂ’s always been that way.
Yours,
Conan

Conan has either been mistreated by NBC or treated well by them... depending on how you look at it. For most of his 16 years, he was basically re-upped every few months (or some short period). They would never commit to him. They were thinking about dumping him and replacing him constantly.

Finally after ten years, his ratings were solid enough they started to sign long-term contracts with him, and then they offered him this Tonight show gig, which frankly never suited him. (Come on -- he's a late late night guy.)

So... did NBC treat him badly, or did they treat him well to suffer along with his odd mannerisms and so-so ratings for so long? Not sure.

Anyway, this seems to mimic the whole clusterf*ck NBC got into 15 years ago with the Letterman/Leno thing, trying to keep both guys, etc.

Posted by: Ace at 11:30 AM | Comments (120)
Post contains 725 words, total size 4 kb.

1
you may begin...

Posted by: also bla bla bla at January 12, 2010 11:31 AM (z37MR)

2
Conan sucks.
He's lucky to still be on TV. And why isn't Jimmy Fallon out of a job?

Posted by: also bla bla bla at January 12, 2010 11:32 AM (z37MR)

3 Letterman was never funny again after he went to CBS. That cavernous room swallowed his show whole.

Posted by: someone at January 12, 2010 11:35 AM (njJQD)

4 Wait....after Leno's slams on national TV, he's staying with NBC?

Posted by: Curmudgeon at January 12, 2010 11:35 AM (ujg0T)

All NBC sucks. Hell all TV sucks. The only time they had a decent show in the past 30 years was the original SNL back when Belushi was on it.

Posted by: Vic at January 12, 2010 11:35 AM (QrA9E)

6 Bottom bitch .

Posted by: Bill D. Cat at January 12, 2010 11:35 AM (cx4Ll)

Reagan = Johnny Carson

Obama = Conan O'Brien

What?????

Posted by: Sort-of-Mad Max at January 12, 2010 11:36 AM (ERJIu)

8 I don't watch TV

Posted by: CanaDave at January 12, 2010 11:36 AM (Zyq4F)

9 I like Craig Fergusson, if I stay up late enough to see anything. That's about it.

Posted by: Ella at January 12, 2010 11:36 AM (vXmD9)

10 NBC strangled Conan's Tonight Show in its infancy. They should have killed it while it was still a fetus. Then no one could complain.

Posted by: Cicero at January 12, 2010 11:37 AM (QKKT0)

11 Lettermen started sucking once the gap in his tooth reach 1 cm

Posted by: Mike H at January 12, 2010 11:37 AM (cvvNY)

12 With such super smart management, it's hard to figure out why NBC is in 4th place.

Posted by: DrewM. at January 12, 2010 11:37 AM (UAnTc)

13 Jay Leno seemed funny when I was 12. I have a feeling he will seem funny again when I am 60.

Posted by: t-bone at January 12, 2010 11:37 AM (Xpxvu)

Leno said it best. NBC stands for "No Binding Contracts".

They heads at NBC are complete incompetents to let this turn into such a PR nightmare. Over/under when Zucker gets canned and finds himself working at the White House?

Posted by: laceyunderalls at January 12, 2010 11:39 AM (d2O3C)

15 Conan is a major force of comedy, love his band, love the whole show. This is a shame.

Posted by: rawmuse at January 12, 2010 11:40 AM (NhERI)

The title should really be: NBC Gave Me The Shaft and I'm Considering Leaving I have a deal with Fox.

Posted by: paranoid polly at January 12, 2010 11:41 AM (r7Vc3)

17 NBC moved too many things around too much. The network that owned Thursday night for 7-8 years has completely forgotten how programming and risk management go together. They knew that Leno's new time and format were untested and unproven, they didn't know what the changes would do for affiliates, they didn't know what it would do for Conan's lead-in, they didn't know what it would do for the Tonight Show brand.

That's about three variables too many for a gamble like this. There was so little upside (other than cost savings) that I still can't figure it out.

Posted by: tachyonshuggy at January 12, 2010 11:41 AM (yUybe)

18 Conan-Shmonan, is all I can think of at the moment.

Posted by: sporadic small arms fire at January 12, 2010 11:41 AM (dP6Ky)

19 Honestly, it is time to put the final nail in the coffin at NBC, give Olby the tonight show, watch the ratings plummet. They can blame the demise on racist Conservatives, we can celebrate and everyone can get on to more important things.

Posted by: Just Another Poster at January 12, 2010 11:41 AM (HAdov)

20 Conan has some funny bits and bobs, but on the whole he's not solidly funny/interesting enough an interviewer to be able to handle a show like "Tonight Show". It was a perfect fit for Leno, but Conan was a bit too dry for it.

What I find interesting is that they gave Leno that new primetime spot for a show that is basically The Tonight Show. Why would they do that if they weren't intending to give The Tonight Show back to Leno?

Posted by: Intrepid at January 12, 2010 11:42 AM (92zkk)

Either Ace quit drinking or really has been at it hard.

Posted by: 7th Sense at January 12, 2010 11:43 AM (LlaBi)

22 Tonight Show at 12:05? Works for me.

Posted by: Dan Rather at January 12, 2010 11:43 AM (QKKT0)

23
It's not a problem, just replace Conan with Wanda Sykes, a very unfunny high-yellow who tells whitey jokes and munches on cooters.

Posted by: Dallas Cowboys at January 12, 2010 11:43 AM (W3vrv)

24
Remember when NBC was always in last place? They were the shitbag network for decades. Then in the '80's they scored big with a Thursday night lineup. Cosby, Cheers, Night Court, Hill Street Blues.

NBC is going down the tubes again. Their 'comedy' shows are not funny. Yet they continue to air them. 30 Rock? Not funny. SNL? Not funny? The stupid show with Amy Poehler? Sucks.

Posted by: also bla bla bla at January 12, 2010 11:44 AM (z37MR)

Conan might've had a decent chance if he'd at least been funny.

I'd still like to see Leno on after the late night news on Fox, but they show their news at 10:00 here in FL, which is a tad early.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at January 12, 2010 11:44 AM (i3AsK)

26
Bring on the clowns: Nix the Dallas Cowboys moniker and stop the puppet show.

Posted by: Fish at January 12, 2010 11:44 AM (W3vrv)

27 Maybe he'll go back to writing for the Simpsons, and then they won't suck anymore.

_{I want a pony, too.}

Posted by: HeatherRadish at January 12, 2010 11:44 AM (mR7mk)

28 Conan was never funny. It was more painful to watch than anything else. Uncomfortable describes it best, I think. At least Leno had headlines.

Posted by: lorien1973 at January 12, 2010 11:45 AM (IhQuA)

29
Family Ties

Taxi, which NBC picked up from ABC for the show's last two seasons.

Fame, Dear John, L.A. Law...

Posted by: also bla bla bla at January 12, 2010 11:46 AM (z37MR)

30 I don't regularly watch any of these shows but I think Conan has done a decent job so far for what the show is. I remember that Leno got nothing but spite after taking over from Johnny so I think Conan is pretty much in the same spot Leno was at the time.

The 'exec's at NBC are extraordinarily dumb for not planning for this situation. "Hey, let's have 3 talk shows in a row every frickin' night! Yeah, that'll be cool!" Of course it wasn't going to work. Duh.

That's another thing. The late night format is kind of, you know, boring. Opening monologue, lame filler #1, lame filler #2, Hoover head celeb #1, Hoover head celeb #2 or Pop band#1, and "Thanks, good night."

The format is dying and Conan isn't the problem. It's that there is no innovation in H-wood. The web is eating their lunch and they don't know what to do.

Posted by: Iskandar at January 12, 2010 11:47 AM (doEqS)

31 NBC has chuck, the only reason for the network to exist. Yvonne Strahovski, picture of Reagan thrown in every episode, computer geek turned spy and weekly hoties. What more do you need in a show.

Posted by: Just Another Poster at January 12, 2010 11:48 AM (HAdov)

NBC's next winning move will be to resurrect "The Chevy Chase Show".

Posted by: Dirk Diggler at January 12, 2010 11:48 AM (L9UxB)

33
Dear John was a good show. It had an ensemble of wacky characters that had great chemistry with each other...a lot like the old & new Bob Newhart shows.

Kirk was a hoot on Dear John.

Posted by: also bla bla bla at January 12, 2010 11:49 AM (z37MR)

34
The last truly funny show on NBC?

Third Rock From the Sun

Posted by: also bla bla bla at January 12, 2010 11:49 AM (z37MR)

_{I want a pony, too.}

You should move to Ohio. There's so many of them here, people give them away for free.

Posted by: ErikW at January 12, 2010 11:50 AM (kvbOJ)

36 Perhaps Zucker can run our health care as he did such a good job at NBC. BHO is looking for talent !

Posted by: John at January 12, 2010 11:50 AM (6FYZ6)

37 A thought: The ratings at both NBC and CBS have declined as both networks became gayer and leftier. Concidence?

Posted by: Curmudgeon at January 12, 2010 11:51 AM (ujg0T)

38 The reason that Conan will stay at NBC is because, when he signed the contract, Conan's lawyers forgot to add a provision that stipulated the exact time of the show. Now there's no way to say that NBC violated the terms of the contract by moving the Tonight Show to 12:05. If Conan moves to Fox he loses 45 million that NBC would owe him. Conan needs to stay for at least two more years before he can move.

Frankly there are way too many talk show hosts and we need to cull the herd. George Lopez has a show? Wanda Sykes? Jimmy Fallon?

Actually none of the so called late night hosts have a talk show. All they have is a comedy variety clown show. No matter what you think of Charlie Rose he's the only one with a real talk show.

Posted by: jmchez at January 12, 2010 11:51 AM (W0h4C)

39 Network TV shows have all gone downhill in the last 5 years, I think, with the advent of reality shows. A few shows had/have new and fresh concepts - LOST and Heroes (until both went down the LSD taking writers' path) - and the successful franchises kept evolving (CSI and NCIS).

None of the sitcoms are watchable.

Posted by: Intrepid at January 12, 2010 11:52 AM (92zkk)

40
Wings was good, too.

Posted by: also bla bla bla at January 12, 2010 11:52 AM (z37MR)

41 I always liked Conan. He is odd, but that just makes him funnier to me because he's not like all the other funny men out there. He's such a goofball, and his hair is just hilarious by itself. Hope things work out for him.

Posted by: Adlib at January 12, 2010 11:52 AM (k/CNO)

Leno NBC + Kimmel ABC + Conan Fox = Letterman Done .

Posted by: paranoid polly at January 12, 2010 11:53 AM (r7Vc3)

43 >>>The reason that Conan will stay at NBC is because, when he signed the contract, Conan's lawyers forgot to add a provision that stipulated the exact time of the show. Now there's no way to say that NBC violated the terms of the contract by moving the Tonight Show to 12:05. If Conan moves to Fox he loses 45 million that NBC would owe him. Conan needs to stay for at least two more years before he can move. How do you know? Letterman insisted on a clause like that at CBS, so that NBC couldn't make a similar offer (they had the right to match terms); this was well known by the time Conan signed. Why do you think he didn't have a penalty clause like that too?

Posted by: ace at January 12, 2010 11:54 AM (Fue76)

44 Dear Fox, Move that RedEye guy to 1130 and tell Conan and Letterman to suck it. Problem solved.

Posted by: dr kill at January 12, 2010 11:56 AM (tGYpf)

45 >>>Conan was never funny. It was more painful to watch than anything else. Uncomfortable describes it best, I think. At least Leno had headlines. But Conan had "Actual Items," a parody of Real Ads.

Posted by: ace at January 12, 2010 11:56 AM (Fue76)

46 Was he treated fairly?
Did he get paid a gazillion dollars?

Posted by: Guy Fawkes at January 12, 2010 11:56 AM (DIYmd)

47 So, I'm supposed to pick which multi-millionaire to feel sorry for?

Posted by: nickless at January 12, 2010 11:58 AM (MMC8r)

The "Law and Order" franchise is unwatchable.

Apparently every murder in Manhattan is comitted by investment bankers, supermodels, and spoiled private school kids.

Posted by: Dirk Diggler at January 12, 2010 11:58 AM (L9UxB)

49 11 Lettermen started sucking once the gap in his tooth reach 1 cm

That must explain my show's ratings.

Posted by: Michael Strahan at January 12, 2010 12:00 PM (sey23)

50 "None of the sitcoms are watchable. " What the hell happened to the networks, sitcoms were a sure hit. Maybe after hitting 30 I got too old all of a sudden, but today's sitcoms aren't even close to what they used to be. You watch reruns of the Cosby Show and Seinfeld and you realize the best Hollywood has to offer in that area has long since passed. I just don't understand how execs have forgotten what works in sitcoms especially when most movies are remakes of movies or story lines that have been done a million times over.

Posted by: Just Another Poster at January 12, 2010 12:00 PM (HAdov)

51 The late night format is kind of, you know, boring.

I would have said, "stale." It hasn't changed in 50 years--Grampy's format and kiddie's guests, and neither demo wants to watch the other's crap.

And in the age of YouTube, there's no need to suffer through the gawdawful filler to get to the rare guest appearance that's worth watching (Tony Dungy during his book tour a couple years ago is probably the last time I watched a network late show). Watch Adult Swim or a DVD and catch the footage in the morning.

Posted by: HeatherRadish at January 12, 2010 12:00 PM (mR7mk)

52 Who needs late night tv when we've got the ONT! Waaaaaay more entertaining that anything these schmucks could provide.

Posted by: laceyunderalls at January 12, 2010 12:00 PM (d2O3C)

53 Apparently Conan fucked up or NBC wouldn't agree to it but it seems there's no time slot clause in his deal.

The contract, NBC is arguing, guaranteed Mr. OÂ’Brien would be installed as host of Â“The Tonight ShowÂ” Â— and unlike many other deals for late-night stars, Mr. OÂ’BrienÂ’s contract contains no specific language about the time period the show would occupy, NBC executives said. NBC has said Mr. OÂ’BrienÂ’s relocated show would be called Â“The Tonight Show.Â” The contractual terms could affect FoxÂ’s pursuit of Mr. OÂ’Brien in several ways. Mr. Reilly acknowledged that even if Mr. OÂ’Brien found a home at Fox, NBC could insist that it had the right to keep Mr. OÂ’Brien from starting a show for an extended period of time Â— as long as a year or more.

Mr. OÂ’BrienÂ’s side has a different interpretation of whether NBCÂ’s actions constitute a breach; but both sides predicted that the issue would not end up in a legal battle. Â“Nobody has the stomach for that,Â” said a senior NBC executive, who asked not to be identified because of the unsettled contractual situation.

NBC probably won't enforce any non-compete and Conan will walk away from the money. NBC because they just need it to go away and Conan because Fox will pay him more.

His new show will take a few months to put together anyway and that will give NBC and Leno at bit of a head start.

Posted by: DrewM. at January 12, 2010 12:02 PM (UAnTc)

54 NBC has chuck, the only reason for the network to exist. Yvonne Strahovski, picture of Reagan thrown in every episode, computer geek turned spy and weekly hoties. What more do you need in a show.

What more do you need? Why pictures of course.

Posted by: CUS at January 12, 2010 12:05 PM (wOGfT)

55 My God, NBC is terrible all around.

Lacey had it right (and the thread winning post) when she said:
Over/under when Zucker gets canned and finds himself working at the White House? Posted by: laceyunderalls

Posted by: Z Ryan at January 12, 2010 12:06 PM (cMo6P)

Network TV shows have all gone downhill in the last 5 years, I think, with the advent of reality shows

Probably so. Still, even when they are clearly staged and blatantly scripted, "reality" shows do have their funny moments. Add to that lack of production costs and an improvised storyline, and their advent did make sense.

Posted by: Curmudgeon at January 12, 2010 12:06 PM (ujg0T)

57 Always been a fan of Conan, but yeah, he's a late night guy, not Tonight Show guy. Go to Fox and bring back the masturbatin' bear!

Posted by: koopy at January 12, 2010 12:07 PM (XllG0)

58 Wait. Wouldn't 12:05 am be the Tomorrow Show?

Posted by: CUS at January 12, 2010 12:08 PM (wOGfT)

59 NBC is a great network....

FOR ME TO POOP ON!!!

Posted by: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog at January 12, 2010 12:10 PM (sYxEE)

The networks exist for one and only one reason -- football.

Oh and March madness (which ESPN did better anyway).

How NBC could fuck up a football game I'll never know. But if you can make a football game suck you probably can't do anything right.

Posted by: eleven at January 12, 2010 12:10 PM (7DB+a)

61 Fox should forget Conan and sign Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

Posted by: Some other TV dog, like Deppity Dog maybe at January 12, 2010 12:11 PM (YCVBL)

62 @2-you are right. Conan is rarely funny. That's the point. BTW, Saturday Night Live hasn't been funny since the 80's. They haven't killed that yet.

Posted by: jeff at January 12, 2010 12:11 PM (+uoRK)

How NBC could fuck up a football game I'll never know. But if you can make a football game suck you probably can't do anything right. Posted by: eleven

Take THAT, ESPN.

Posted by: Z Ryan at January 12, 2010 12:12 PM (cMo6P)

Good for Conan.

Personally, though this will never happen, Conan would fit best on ComCen after the Stewart/Colbert political hour. His humor fits with theirs (they all "fought" during the writer's strike over the course of all three shows) and would be better uncensored by broadcast executives.

Posted by: The Q at January 12, 2010 12:12 PM (pfStM)

65 Ace is right, the Tonight Show format and demo was never suited for Conan, his success came from the edginess of his skits

I loved his show in the 90s and his chemistry with Andy Richter was fantastic..

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the "Clinton Interviews" with the mouth cutout, "driving the desk", Andy's Little Sister (Amy Proeller), In the Year 2000, the Mute Monks, and the Staredown Contests were hilarious.

Fox would be a perfect fit for Conan

Posted by: kbdabear at January 12, 2010 12:14 PM (sYxEE)

How NBC could fuck up a football game I'll never know. But if you can make a football game suck you probably can't do anything right.

Remember the Heide Bowl in 1968? Yes, that was NBC.

Posted by: Vic at January 12, 2010 12:14 PM (QrA9E)

67 Michiganadvantage.org- when you really really need a laugh. Suck it Conan.

Posted by: dr kill at January 12, 2010 12:17 PM (tGYpf)

68 Fox should put Andy Levy and Greg Gutfeld up against this crap. The press will jump all over the 'scandal' of conservatives on regular television, and maybe they could get a surprise runaway hit, kind of the FOXNews of talk shows.

Bill Schultz can be the cameraman. He works better behind the camera.

Posted by: Z Ryan at January 12, 2010 12:17 PM (cMo6P)

Jesus, what a stupid dick-waving contest this has turned into.

Conan is right - the fact that some idiot at NBC still has a man-crush on Jay Leno, or a stupid refusal to admit he made a mistake with Leno'sn 10:00 show, should not be the cause of the network fucking up the Tonight Show franchise and screwing over him and Jimmy Fallon in the process. Conan and Jimmy are the best things NBC has going for it, other than Sunday Night Football. Leno is yesterday's star. Pay him off and let Conan and Jimmy show you what they can do with a decent prime-time lineup behind them.

Posted by: rockmom at January 12, 2010 12:19 PM (w/gVZ)

70 Everything else < Red-eye.

Posted by: Bosk at January 12, 2010 12:21 PM (pUO5u)

71 Conan's easily the funniest between himself, Letterman, and Leno, but I could see where his schtick wouldn't play at 11:35.

NBC's Thursday night shows are funny, but like the rest of network television, is easily skippable the rest of the week. What amazes me upon reflection is that after nearly 33 years on this planet, I don't think I have ever watched non-sports programming on CBS. Ever.

Posted by: Paul Zummo at January 12, 2010 12:21 PM (MVcnm)

72 Oh, and the behind the desk, tame liberal humor has gotten dull. Get some edge. I was kind of hoping Jay's new show would be good with the publicized NEW FORMAT.

It turns out the NEW FORMAT was just:

him sitting on a stool for a bit,

then they drive a "green car"

then he interviews Joy Behar.

Posted by: Z Ryan at January 12, 2010 12:22 PM (cMo6P)

Three cheers for Conan O'Brien! The funniest late night comedian since Johnny Carson did not deserve the shitheel treatment he got from NBC douchenozzles and told them to go to hell.

Now on to Fox, and bring back the Masturbating Bear.

Posted by: Reggie1971 at January 12, 2010 12:22 PM (b68Df)

74 And when I say put Levy/Gutfeld up against this crap, I mean the crap of the chaos. Conan isn't crap.

Posted by: Z Ryan at January 12, 2010 12:24 PM (cMo6P)

Sorry, didn't mean to copy your last sentence. Purely coincidental. I guess great minds think alike.

Posted by: Reggie1971 at January 12, 2010 12:24 PM (b68Df)

76 Wow, NBC is really dropping the ball these days.....

Posted by: curious at January 12, 2010 12:24 PM (p302b)

61, Sorry, didn't mean to copy your last sentence. Purely coincidental. I guess great minds think alike. Posted by: Reggie1971

So do you and Koopy.

_{^{wakka wakka}}

Posted by: Z Ryan at January 12, 2010 12:26 PM (cMo6P)

78 Masturbating Bear. Shotgun totin, NASCAR driving Jesus. S and M Lincoln. Conan was never going to fit on the Tonight Show having to sit there and laugh along with stupid celebs. Hope Fox gives him a show that caters to his talents.

Posted by: Hammer at January 12, 2010 12:31 PM (1kwr2)

79 I hope Fox signs him for $1/year since NBC is still on the hook for the other $19,999,999/year.

Posted by: Biff Dickman at January 12, 2010 12:37 PM (2vVAa)

Being a night owl for most of my life, I used to watch both Leno and Conan. In fact when I was overseas, I would usually see both Leno and Lettermen being as there was only one American TV channel. Later came Conan. Leno was suited for his role on the Tonight Show while Conan's antics were better suited for Late Night. Now, Conan seems too left wing, everything is a joke and many of those fall flat, I rarely watch him anymore. As far as Leno, I almost never watch him anymore unless I know he's going to have a specific guest on and I usually don't know about that until after the fact. That said, Conan is absolutely right about having good lead-in programming for Leno and him to succeed. NBC sucks.

I miss Johnny!!

Posted by: Bill R. at January 12, 2010 12:41 PM (EhlQq)

81 I just wish fox would move Redeye up to 11 so I could watch it live instead of from the DVR since there is no way I can stay up that late unless the insomnia is acting up.

Posted by: TEE866 at January 12, 2010 12:41 PM (penrP)

82 Conan delivers the written gags just fine. But his ad-lib stuff is all strange, nervous-y, unfunny-on-purpose schtick. It gets old after 30 seconds. That's why his show is best after 1am when the meds are kicking in.

The 11:30 slot is for folks that can ad-lib funny. Leno is just above the bar for that slot. Even he doesn't match up to Carson's level of humor. Back when Letterman was funny, and wasn't a bitter, leftist, intern-shagging horn-dog, he could bring The Funny Ad-lib. He even did a very good, Carsonesque double-take that brought down the house.

Hey, Carson reruns are funnier than any of these guys. That should be instructive to media types, but NBC, like its parent company, has become the idiot child of all media.

At least GE still makes MRI machines and Turbines and stuff that work. After Obamacare passes, even that too shall pass.

Posted by: K~Bob at January 12, 2010 12:42 PM (9b6FB)

83 #3 is correct, however Letterman was funny last night when talking about the machinations at NBC; kind of a disturbance in the space-time continuum that won't won't last.

Posted by: ParisParamus at January 12, 2010 12:46 PM (bN5ZU)

84 I don't think I have ever watched non-sports programming on CBS. Ever.

Posted by: Paul Zummo at January 12, 2010 04:21 PM (MVcnm)

Being 33, you probably wouldn't know about this but I believe Carol Burnett was on CBS, so I can claim at least one show I watched on that channel. Oh, and I watch NCIS occasionally and used to watch JAG, if only to pick out the errors. There are probably more but I can't think of any right now.

Posted by: Bill R. at January 12, 2010 12:46 PM (EhlQq)

85 Maybe Connan will come out as a non-Lib? I suspect that's his true self...

Posted by: ParisParamus at January 12, 2010 12:47 PM (bN5ZU)

I never got Carson. Every.Single.Joke was a sexual double entendre.

It got old by about 11:45.

Posted by: eleven at January 12, 2010 12:47 PM (7DB+a)

87 I think Conan on NBC is kind of in a conventional straight jacket. I feel that there's a funnier person inside that could breakout. Conan is very smart, so he might be a conservative.

Posted by: ParisParamus at January 12, 2010 12:50 PM (bN5ZU)

88 You can try to bring me back, but it'll cost you this time. This shit's harder than it looks. Especially in the cold.

Posted by: Masturbating Bear at January 12, 2010 12:53 PM (YCVBL)

89 Conan is fine for 11:35 and The Tonight Show. Conan is about as edgy as strawberry ice scream. He's floundering because of 2 things. First, bringing Richter back was a HUGE mistake. Doesn't matter if they work well together and he's, occasionally, funny. It's old and it looks old. You don't go backwards to go forward. Lettermen got a huge bump from his scandal. Over time Conan will pick up but if he wants to be number one at 11:35 he needs to dump Richter.
He also needs to get over the big budget. His humor does get funnier just because the props are bigger.

Posted by: Rocks at January 12, 2010 12:55 PM (Q1lie)

90 I watched Fallon exactly once and couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was physically painful to watch. His guest was Jimmy Buffett, and Fallon somehow managed to make JIMMY BUFFETT uptight and uncomfortable.

Posted by: Filly at January 12, 2010 12:57 PM (IcZ0b)

91 Conan is a tired, old, young commie with a bunch of tired, old, offensive, jokes based on Bush derangement syndrome, and those days are over. So is Conan.

Ferguson tells funny jokes on everyone. I was shocked a few weeks ago, and so was his studio audience, when he slammed Obama. First a few nervous giggles, then full throated laughter. Maybe PC fear is ending.

Ferguson's a patriot too, a real one. 'It's a great day for America, everyone.'

Posted by: Fred Z at January 12, 2010 01:02 PM (MVq0U)

92 Fallon was positively scary the first few weeks. I thought the guy was going to have a nervous breakdown on air or something. He has settled into his usual boring and not funny at all shtick though.

Posted by: Rocks at January 12, 2010 01:03 PM (Q1lie)

You turn this bitch loose sucker, or I'll cut you.

Posted by: Pimpbot 5000 at January 12, 2010 01:03 PM (VmtE9)

I watched Fallon exactly once and couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was physically painful to watch. His guest was Jimmy Buffett, and Fallon somehow managed to make JIMMY BUFFETT uptight and uncomfortable.

Yeah he's awful. Nothing but pity laffs. That show is what you will have to watch on a non-stop loop in hell.

So be good and don't go to hell.

Posted by: eleven at January 12, 2010 01:06 PM (7DB+a)

95 Craig Ferguson IS the funniest guy on late night, this I agree with. Simply a world-class improviser and interviewer. His "bits" (minus the puppets, of course) are actually the weakest part. I just like listening to him talk. In particular, anytime he has a Brit (especially a fellow Scotsman) on the show as a guest it turns into a nonstop awesomefest. His interviews with Gerard Butler are YouTube worthy classics.

That said, I've always loved Conan, neither I nor my equally conservative missus see any real "liberal" bias in his humor, and so I give a hearty FUCK YEAH to his pwning of NBC here. Flee to Fox, Conan. They'll let you be yourself over there.

Posted by: Jeff B. at January 12, 2010 01:09 PM (vJgDJ)

96 Fallon wasn't funny on SNL, so why would he be funny solo?

Posted by: ParisParamus at January 12, 2010 01:11 PM (bN5ZU)

97 How about just re-running old Johnny Carson shows? I tell ya.. if they started running Johnny from the beginning, in order, I would start watching the Tonight Show again. It hasn't been funny since he left.

The extra giggles from seeing those wide 70's ties and big bell pants would be a plus!

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at January 12, 2010 01:11 PM (f9c2L)

98 I have to say, I'm pretty perplexed to see all the people in this comment section saying words to the effect of "Conan is unfunny." Seriously? Have we been watching different gangly Irishmen for the past ten years? Before Ferguson he was the absolute class of the market, and he's still lightyears better than Leno (oh god please make him go away) or that GENUINELY LIBERAL DOUCHEBAG Letterman.

I wonder if some of the "conservative" bias against Conan is due his being perceived as a blue-state liberal type of guy. Trust me, as someone who's watched his show pretty much forever, he's not. Political jokes now and then? Sure, but only in the same topical vein as Carson or Leno. Mostly his humor just sings to a guy from my Gen-Y demographic. He's meta and weird the way the best modern comedy is, a la <i>Mr. Show</i> or <i>Sunny In Philadelphia</i>.

Seeing him get fucked over like this by NBC has been giving me mild heartache, actually. That's why I'm proud of him for standing up and saying "fuck you, fire me or leave me alone" back to them.

Posted by: Jeff B. at January 12, 2010 01:13 PM (vJgDJ)

99 Hey, NBC--can we talk?

Posted by: Chevy Chase at January 12, 2010 01:15 PM (YCVBL)

100 100 Fallon wasn't funny on SNL, so why would he be funny solo?

He was decent doing Weekend Update, but that was mainly playing off Tina Fey. Decent news tandem when they weren't doing the obligatory right-bashing jokes.

He was piss-poor in skits, though, as he and Horatio Sanz nearly blew the Cowbell skit by breaking up laughing on-camera.

Posted by: Brandon In Baton Rouge at January 12, 2010 01:19 PM (jbFPu)

101 103 Hey, NBC--can we talk?

Posted by: Chevy Chase at January 12, 2010 05:15 PM (YCVBL)

That'll be good for about five weeks of programming. Well, not GOOD, but on-air for about five weeks.

Posted by: Brandon In Baton Rouge at January 12, 2010 01:20 PM (jbFPu)

102 "I think the sitcoms have gotten better relatively speaking since the popularity of reality TV has peaked. The Office, Community, Gary Unmarried, Big Bang Theory, Scrubs." The American version of the Office is highly overrated and pretty terrible when you take a look at all of the characters. With the exception of Michael and Dwight, everyone else is boring and unfunny. Michael and Dwight make the show but they are so over the top that they are really cartoon characters. I didn't like Community at all. I found it to be really annoying and Cougar Town is quite possibly the worst sitcom I have ever seen. A lot of these networks are trying to produce HBO-lite type sitcoms and they are failing miserably.

Posted by: rex at January 12, 2010 01:32 PM (h50XM)

103 Did Conan even get to screw the women on his staff? Did he ever have a woman on his staff? Did his staff measure up?

Posted by: CoolCzech at January 12, 2010 01:40 PM (QECjC)

104 Craig Ferguson is very funny, he loves America, and he mocks Obama.

Community, The Office, and 30 Rock are the funniest shows on TV. Yes, 30 Rock. I don't care, for once, that its star--Baldwin, not Fey--is a lefty. He's great. He's the best comic actor in showbiz. Hell, he's the most versatile actor in the world.

Two and a Half Men is pretty funny too, especially in the segments where Jane Lynch plays Sheen's psychiatrist.

Posted by: Roughcoat at January 12, 2010 01:42 PM (hC6os)

105
Oh, right, Sunny in Philadelphia. Hilarious. Demented.

Posted by: Roughcoat at January 12, 2010 01:45 PM (hC6os)

106 You know, I drop politics with comedy. And a lot of music too. Robin Williams is hysterical funny to me, even if he is a total lib douche. I also laugh at "Two and a Half Men" and that features uber douche Charlie Sheen, and I think Sheen is really funny on that show. Same for Wanda Sykes and Larry David. Same for Mel Brooks. I have actually met a lot of these folks, and yes, I know they are total libs. I dunno, you can't take them seriously in other parts of their personal lives, which are usually a total wreck, but you have to give the devil his due sometimes.

Posted by: rawmuse at January 12, 2010 01:51 PM (NhERI)

107 Conan was much funnier before he moved to LA and it became the big, official "Tonight Show". After the LA move everything was Palin-bashing, Hollywood-mollycoddling, and typical, typical, bullshit.

Craig Ferguson is all right, but Jimmy Kimmel is definitely the funniest guy on late night television.

Posted by: The Drunken Conservative at January 12, 2010 01:56 PM (iaWNX)

108 I figured it out. I absolutely hate it when someone does not hire me based, not on my abilities, but on my politics (and it has happened, more than once). So, I try not to do that in my own hiring choices. In a sense, when you watch a program on TV, you are hiring for a temp job.

Posted by: rawmuse at January 12, 2010 02:08 PM (NhERI)

109

IMO, Conan's getting the shaft here. It's not his fault that Leno was a complete failure in prime time. His deal was that he would get the Tonight Show; the deal wasn't "well, we'll give you the Tonight Show and move Jay to primetime, but if that doesn't work out, we'll move him back and you'll get bumped."

It's a failure of NBC, but still, what a complete vote of no-confidence by the company towards Conan, when none of this was his fault. And BTW, here we also have Leno, supposedly a nice guy, someone with integrity, being a party to all of it. I hope he does move to FOX and destroys both Jay and Letterman in the ratings.

Posted by: Vyceroy at January 12, 2010 02:21 PM (+kejk)

110 Wow, for a funny site, AoSHQ has some commenters with a deficient comedy gene. Or they are just old curmudgeons (I think Belushi-era SNL was largely unfunny, for example, and 30 Rock is the funniest show since Seinfeld/Curb -- generation gap?).

My take: Conan was funnier in late-night, but even on Tonight, he's 10 times funnier than Leno ever was. Leno at 11:30 will kill the Tonight show dead. It would also kill the Late Night Fallon show, which is very funny and well-produced -- and the music is top-of-the-heap right now, if you're not an old curmudgeon -- for a new venture (remembering how ragged early Letterman and Conan were).

Conan will end up leaving, and it will get ugly for everyone. Then, when Leno is forced to retire in a few years due to bad ratings in the crucial under-75 age demo, there will be a scramble to find a suitable host.

NBC seems to be run by retarded monkeys. Feel sorry for Conan, who's really one of the dozen nice guys in TV.

Posted by: Bender Bending Rodriguez at January 12, 2010 02:25 PM (F1y/Z)

111 So, the nervous, unfunny-on-purpose schtick is really funny? Who knew?

I guess all these years of laughing at other comedians was just a big misunderstanding.

Posted by: K~Bob at January 12, 2010 02:47 PM (9b6FB)

112 Conan sucked ass, Leno is boring, Ferguson is freaking funny, but he might be a bit wild for the suits

Posted by: bob_hussein_dole at January 12, 2010 03:50 PM (DLaJY)

113 If Conan doesn't post here, I don't read him.

Posted by: dogfish at January 12, 2010 04:06 PM (GQwdV)

114 Ferguson was better than Fallon and (shoot me in the face boring)Kilborne. O'brian is funny but not granny and gramps funny. Leno was a family show, Leno's edge was as sharp as a basket ball. O'brian is much more crude but it is in the writing and that is projected in the environment and characters around him. So his humor makes him look like an innocent odd ball in an even more officense environment.

Posted by: annoyamouse at January 12, 2010 04:45 PM (Bv/e8)

115 10 NBC strangled Conan's Tonight Show in its infancy. They should have killed it while it was still a fetus. Then no one could complain.

Eh. Infants aren't really people.

Posted by: Peter Singer at January 12, 2010 05:02 PM (qyKoF)

116 For everyone complaining that Conan's not uproariously funny night after night -- well, neither was Johnny Carson. He phoned it in 4 nights a week in the last few years of his tenure. Jay comes off looking like a prick, too. He had his shot, now it's time to be a big boy and let new blood come in. The only thing he had going was the Headlines segment -- and that was because it had nothing to do with his insipid writers. Conan's a little offbeat, but at least he has (had) enough respect for the show to try to do well by it. NBC has screwed themselves again. Oh well... silver lining.

Posted by: red speck at January 12, 2010 07:27 PM (/vfpn)

117 I will be surprised if FOX hires Conan O'Brien. He is spoiled goods, and he isn't entertaining anyway. FOX's current cast of Red Eye is more entertaining. If O'Brien doesn't stay with NBC, his career is over. That's my opinion.

Posted by: Mystery Guest at January 12, 2010 08:18 PM (ITzbJ)

118 preparation h stu

try and step to that.

Posted by: jummy at January 12, 2010 09:32 PM (G5Rcp)

119 and the snl sketch in which sam waterston pitches pill-eating monster robot insurance to seniors?

conan wrote it.

Posted by: jummy at January 12, 2010 09:33 PM (G5Rcp)

120 Conan is a major MOD Converter force of comedy, love his band, love the whole show. This is a shame.

Posted by: terrepure at December 05, 2010 06:39 PM (EbliF)

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