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[AniHawk]

I think Fallon is coming out pretty good.

When Leno (in less than 10 years) retires, who do you think is taking The Tonight Show? Fallon.

Yeah but if you think Conan's ratings are bad, just wait until The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. In four months, they'll get Jay Leno back in the seat again.

 

[DeathbyVolcano]

Conan is fucking dumb, and I'm not sure why alot of people like him. I hate all late night shows actually, but he just makes no sense.

We like him because he's classy, light-hearted, and we can tell enjoys his job. He's quick, witty, and playful. A breath of fresh air in late night television, something he's mastered since his emergence into the foray.

If you can't understand that, then I don't know why you're in this job other than to rile up posters and fetch angry posts.

 

[Houston3000]

I loved Conan, sad day

 

[joshcryer]

I haven't been paying too much attention to this, is Leno the one pushing for the time slot change?

No, it was a suggestion, and everyone is overplaying what is occurring here. Jay would just do whatever the network wants. The network suggested the 11:35 time change for The Jay Leno Show. Jay should, if I am thinking about it right, cede and say he's not doing a 30 minute show.

Conan gave Jay a reason to actually say no to the network.

 

[grandjedi6]

You know, I didn't think of it until Conan mentioned it but moving the Tonight Show past midnight is rather idiotic.

 

[ronito]

that sucks, though I do think that Jay is an easier to sell to the older demographic getting rid of Conan screws your future.

 

[Danielsan]

I'm still somewhat baffled by the huge love for Conan.
Every now and again I check out one of his shows when he has interesting guests on, but everything other than the interviews is just cringe worthy and unfunny.
I guess the same can be said for all late night shows.
I watched Letterman last week, same experience...

I really loved Conan during the writer's strike. I want that Conan back.

 

[ATF487]

The Tonight Show with Jerry Seinfeld

 

[joelseph]

Conan is fucking dumb, and I'm not sure why alot of people like him. I hate all late night shows actually, but he just makes no sense.

^ Family Guy Fan

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Because they need the lead in of Fox's shows to get their ratings up.

A local affiliate that only shows it's own programming and/or sindicated programming will fail or fall into a niche market.

Where Fox has it's strengths is

1) It has no daytime programming so the affiliates can buy up syndicated talk shows for cheap that do well and keep all the daytime profits to themselves.

2) Fox programming goes off at 10:00. This means the local affiliates get a strong Fox lead in for 2 hours of programming and then can run either syndicated show at 9:00, local news, or some sort of rerun. In all of these cases the affiliate gets to sell the ad-space.

The ratings will be lower on a Fox channel at 10:00 than a CBS or NBC affiliate, but because the ad-space belongs to the affiliate alone they typically make more money.

This is why you saw a bunch of affiliates of non-Fox networks jump ship to Fox in the early to mid-90s. More profit for the affiliate.

Fox might be able to put together a package for the local affiliates that makes a 11:30 late night show a good deal for them. However, without also programming the 10:00 time slot, the lead in for Conan will be terrible. So, if Fox signs Conan do they also try and move into the 10:00 time slot?

Edited for EST

Or to quote The Late Shift (which HBO should be running 24/7):

"Fox is...well, Fox is Fox. They're three-quarters of a network at best."

 

[morningbus]

They should just make the Tonight show the first hour of their Today Show marathon clusterfuck.

 

[Kano on the Phone]

The stile, themes, etc. of the jokes are different. The celebrity interviews are very different as well. When you watch Conan do an interview, you laugh at him and his jokes which often seem spontaneous. If you watch Leno interview, its very obvious there is a script, the jokes are small little quibs and such.

It's the little things that make all the difference. By the way, I find Mr. Letterman the most funny.

Conan is a terrible interviewer, it's by far his weakest skill. Letterman is the best out there, since he'll actually ask things that Conan's too nice for and Leno's too bland for.

 

[saiftk]

I'm still somewhat baffled by the huge love for Conan.
Every now and again I check out one of his shows when he has interesting guests on, but everything other than the interviews is just cringe worthy and unfunny.
I guess the same can be said for all late night shows.
I watched Letterman last week, same experience...

I really loved Conan during the writer's strike. I want that Conan back.

If you love Conan without writers, it amazes me you can't even like Conan with writers.
He's great either way. Guy's a legend. Fuck NBC.

 

[Gruco]

Too close to home

 

[gdt]

You know, I didn't think of it until Conan mentioned it but moving the Tonight Show past midnight is rather idiotic.

Yep. NBC knows this too.

This whole thing was just a hope that Conan would walk.

 

[Zoe]

Fox might be able to put together a package for the local affiliates that makes a 11:30 late night show a good deal for them. However, without also programming the 11:00 time slot, the lead in for Conan will be terrible. So, if Fox signs Conan do they also try and move into the 11:00 time slot?

Edited for EST

(fixed?)

I don't know how this is around the rest of the country, but in Dallas their news program actually ran from 10:00-11:30 EST. I can't see them messing with a big market like that.

 

[Y2Kev]

Conan is a terrible interviewer, it's by far his weakest skill. Letterman is the best out there, since he'll actually ask things that Conan's too nice for and Leno's too bland for.

I always thought Leno had the smoothest interview--because it was so rehearsed--but I agree, Letterman is definitely the most entertaining. He got some funniness out of Jennifer Connoley last night, who I was pretty sure was trying to be as boring as humanly possible.

 

[Sanjuro]

I hope Leno is found dead from autoerotic asphyxiation.

 

[Fladam]

Conan is being royally screwed over here. He moved his crew, family, and show to LA for NBC.

Why NBC has such a hard-on for Leno's brand of McComedy is completely beyond me.

 

[danielijohnson]

You guys are forgetting the REAL VICTIM in all of this:

 

[twinturbo2]

Conan must go to FOX. His audience will follow him.

I'll follow him, that's for sure.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Conan is being royally screwed over here. He moved his crew, family, and show to LA for NBC.

Why NBC has such a hard-on for Leno's brand of McComedy is completely beyond me.

Fear of the unknown after getting destroyed this year.

 

[morningbus]

(fixed?)

I don't know how this is around the rest of the country, but in Dallas their news program actually ran from 10:00-11:30 EST. I can't see them messing with a big market like that.

It's the same kind of schedule up here in Boston, with local news running from 10 to 11:30. It might be hard for Fox to "buy" the time from affiliates, but it could probably be done. The last half hour of news is usually just recycled stories from the morning news program, anyway.

 

[Deleted member 22576]

Man, this is such a bummer.

 

[otake]

Conan is a terrible interviewer, it's by far his weakest skill. Letterman is the best out there, since he'll actually ask things that Conan's too nice for and Leno's too bland for.

You may find him terrible but he basically makes fun of himself whenever the discussion drags a bit. He's no Terry Grose or anything and it's not like the Celebs are there to have a deep meaningful interview.

I do agree that Leno is far too bland and Letterman does it best.

 

[Ferrio]

Wow Leno is proving to act more and more like the weasel he sounds and looks like. At least Conan cares about his work and respects something other than his ego.

More? Just look at the whole David Letterman shenanigans when carson left.

 

[D4Danger]

He should go back to Fox and save The Simpsons

 

[Fladam]

I do agree that Leno is far too bland and Letterman does it best.

I'll agree that Letterman has the best interviewing skills. Although, he's also been doing it the longest of anyone in late night right now (with the exception of Ted Koppel)

 

[scorcho]

Conan is a terrible interviewer, it's by far his weakest skill. Letterman is the best out there, since he'll actually ask things that Conan's too nice for and Leno's too bland for.

as far as i know nearly all the interviews are pre-planned, with the host giving set-up lines for the guest to wax on a pre-agreed topic or story. it does seem like letterman goes off script more, but i doubt it.

 

[QuadCore]

You guys are forgetting the REAL VICTIM in all of this:

WTF happened to him? Why is he a skeleton?

 

[BFA]

Ugh, hope it works out for him soon.

 

[Plinko]

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.

This flies in the face of every thread on this so far.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

I'm not too depressed over this. He hasn't quit, he just refuses to accept this plan. Slick move, like Wax Tom Cruise in Wax Cocktail.

 

[Thomper]

'Good' news: NBC has confirmed that tonight's Tonight Show will be a new show, with Conan. No repeat. I'm interested to see how that'll go...

 

[otake]

as far as i know nearly all the interviews are pre-planned, with the host giving set-up lines for the guest to wax on a pre-agreed topic or story. it does seem like letterman goes off script more, but i doubt it.

The reality doesn't really matter. It's the perception. If you can make it look spontaneous, its all the better. Nothing is more boring than watching an interview where it's obvious it was rehearsed.

You know magic is fake but still go to the shows right?

 

[sangreal]

I'm not too depressed over this. He hasn't quit, he just refuses to accept this plan. Slick move, like Wax Tom Cruise in Wax Cocktail.

He ends the letter saying he wants to finish things with NBC and work for another company...

 

[Brinbe]

It's true, Conan's definitely not always the best interview, especially with people he's not too familiar with. But with former frequent guests like Norm, Ferrell, Rokar, Costas, etc, he was normally fantastic.

And calling Coco dumb, really? You're calling Mr. Harvard dumb? Do I gotta post that snuck clip with Jennifer Garner? What late-night host would even do that?

 

[joshcryer]

He ends the letter saying he wants to finish things with NBC and work for another company...

The end of the letter says:

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.

Everyone is being so irrational here. Conan is fighting for his time slot, as he should. Leno won't make him leave, because he's showing that he wants it, and he knows he got a huge chance 17 years ago, and won't keep Conan from having his chance.

 

[MThanded]

You guys are forgetting the REAL VICTIM in all of this:

Yeah he looks like a kidnap victim.

 

[danielijohnson]

Also, good comprehension skills OP. He clearly did not quit.

 

[DeathbyVolcano]

It's true, Conan's definitely not always the best interview, especially with people he's not too familiar with. But with former frequent guests like Norm, Ferrell, Rokar, Costas, etc, he was normally fantastic.

And calling Coco dumb, really? You're calling Mr. Harvard dumb? Do I gotta post that snuck clip with Jennifer Garner? What late-night host would even do that?

:lol I forgot about that.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

He ends the letter saying he wants to finish things with NBC and work for another company...

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.

Hm. I read that as he wants to rectify things with NBC, not leave them. That last sentence is purposefully ambiguous enough to include NBC if they get their shit together.

 

[joshcryer]

Also, good comprehension skills OP. He clearly did not quit.

OP title should have been "Conan gives Leno/NBC ultimatum. Won't go to 12:05 slot."

Could have been a pun on the other thread about this.

 

[Thomper]

Hm. I read that as he wants to rectify things with NBC, not leave them. That last sentence is purposefully ambiguous enough to include NBC if they get their shit together.

True, but the only way that NBC could get their shit together is by getting rid of Leno, and that seems extremely unlikely. NBC seems far too obsessed to stay with Leno to dump him for Conan.

 

[Fletcher]

Ideally. I want CBS to pick him up and develop him to take over for Letterman. Have them both on, back to back. Destroy NBC/Leno's late night.

 

[Plinko]

Hm. I read that as he wants to rectify things with NBC, not leave them. That last sentence is purposefully ambiguous enough to include NBC if they get their shit together.

I think the line "for a company that values are work" is a clear indication that he's talking about leaving for another network as NBC has shown no signs of valuing his work.

Also, to those mentioning it, of course he didn't "quit." If he quits, he doesn't get paid.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

You guys are forgetting the REAL VICTIM in all of this:

He needs Sally Struthers to do a commercial in support of his show.

 

[DeathbyVolcano]

?uestlove's tweet:

#Conan O'brien says: He Aint Gonna Work On Maggies Farm No Mo.

I demand the thread title to change to this.

 

[VistraNorrez]

Is it really that hard for the Internet to understand that normal people don't find Conan funny? If they did, he'd still have his show. This isn't Jay's fault. NBC is fucking him a little bit because they didn't exactly give him a real shot, but the low ratings falls on Conan and only Conan.

Wrong. Leno killed the lead in. He did and it's simple Logic.

I don't know why this is so hard to see. Poor ratings in his slot lead to poor ratings in Conan's. Not to mention why would anyone take Conan seriously when they could already get their talk show fix with Leno. Conan had to compete with his old boss and Letterman essentially. And with that said Conan still tied Dave in the 18-49 Demo last quarter and his show skews about 10 years younger than both Dave's and Leno's shows.

Conan is not doing great but he is not a disaster in his timeslot. Leno is a disaster in his timeslot, and it's doing a lot of damage to NBC.

 

[Blader]

Yep. NBC knows this too.

This whole thing was just a hope that Conan would walk.

Oh please, NBC doesn't want Conan to go anywhere. If they wanted him to walk, they would have never given him the Tonight Show in the first place.

The only thing NBC wants is Leno and Conan on air together.