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Late Night Wars - Conan's last Tonight Show was TONIGHT a long time ago

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DMczaf said:
http://tv.gawker.com/5449596/late-n...-than-ever-against-nbc-leno-attacks-letterman
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Gotta admit: I laughed at Leno's comment. And Bradshaw's was bitingly funny. But, I'm no Letterman fan so...

In fact, if Fox doesn't step-up, ABC can do a favor by canceling both Nightline and Kimmel and give the timeslot to Conan. But ABC isn't going to cancel Nightline as its ratings are higher than either The Tonight Show or Letterman. The geriatrics rule the airwaves. Maybe free subscriptions to Reader's Digest would wrest control of the remote control.

And understandable, but Conan's no longer going to appear in SF at Sketchfest this Sunday.
 
Not to defend Jay Leno or anything, but did anyone else notice that Jimmy Kimmel plagiarized Leno's entire shtick the other night? That was shameless.

Shameless. Without shame.
 
kingofrod said:
Yeesh... what the hell? I'm gonna try and youtube this real quick. After all, it is 2:30 in the morning...

Thanks for the heads up SoulPlaya
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LOL!!!! I was joking man.

What he REALLY said was

"I heard even Dave Letterman is taking shots at me, which is really surprising because he usually only takes shots at his interns".
 
As long as Conan gets a show I think all should be well. Honestly, I don't really understand his and other talk people's apparent "dream" to have The Tonight Show. The show they wanted to carry on died the minute Leno took over and turned it into the heartless, tepid, moronic crap it's been for more than a decade now. IMO, they may as well retire the name because it was ruined by Leno already anyway.

Overall, it's just sad that talentless hacks like Leno get anywhere in this world by appealing to the lowest common denominator and because they're complete assholes.
 
morningbus said:
Not to defend Jay Leno or anything, but did anyone else notice that Jimmy Kimmel plagiarized Leno's entire shtick the other night? That was shameless.

Shameless. Without shame.
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mate.jpg
 
Buckethead said:
The Willard bit was hilarious. I love that guy.
I think Dave will be out for blood after what Jay did tonight. What a douchebag. Such a low blow.
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I doubt it. I can't see Dave being out for blood. He'll probably take the high road and make Leno look like even more of a douchebag. If he does try to strike back, what's he gonna say? "Well, the thing is that when I usually screw someone it's always consensual... when Jay screws someone... well... we know exactly how Jay screws people."

At worst I think Dave will play the clip, or say what Jay said, and then say something about how if Jay can't take the heat he shouldn't have screwed over Conan.
 
When Conan gets a new show, I'd love it if they did another cold open where he runs, starting at the Universal lot and ending just slightly down the street at Fox.
 
Damn its starting to him me that Conan might not be on for months... FUCK!!!!!!!!!!

morningbus said:
When Conan gets a new show, I'd love it if they did another cold open where he runs, starting at the Universal lot and ending just slightly down the street at Fox.
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No it should be Conan shitting on Jeff Zucker.
 
NomarTyme said:
Damn its starting to him me that Conan might not be on for months... FUCK!!!!!!!!!!
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Tell me about it.

Leno + Fallon. The upshot of the evening is Jimmy Fallon.

Kill me.

I like the guy just fine, but kill me.

I should start watching the other networks' stuff, but Letterman irked me years ago, and I don't even know what time Kimmel airs, but I have liked his sense of humor in the clips this week. :lol

All will be well if Conan's team arguing for his freedom to host on a rival network means that that's what will end up happening before too long. COME ON FALL 2010

morningbus said:
When Conan gets a new show, I'd love it if they did another cold open where he runs, starting at the Universal lot and ending just slightly down the street at Fox.
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THIS :lol
 
This is what I don't get...

The Jay Leno Show pulls in about 5 million viewers every night. Yeah it's not earth-shattering numbers but it's a non-scripted show that runs every week-night with a quarter of the budget of the other shows in the same time slot. NBC's expectations were simply unrealistic. If they want a show with high ratings then they need to pay for it.

I think the status quo was just fine. Leno was saving NBC some money in primetime and Conan was still finding his groove. I think the problem started when the narrative started that the Jay Leno show was a huge failure (which it wasn't, it just didn't live up to the hype), so NBC and Leno panicked. Now Conan is getting screwed.

TV executives are always scum so I'm not surprised NBC would propose this. But it's shameful that Leno is going along with it when he should just step aside. This tells me he deserves some of the hate he's getting.
 
Jamesfrom818 said:
I want Conan and Andy in an action movie now.
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Where the gifs at? :lol

Magnus said:
Tell me about it.

Leno + Fallon. The upshot of the evening is Jimmy Fallon.

Kill me.

I like the guy just fine, but kill me.

I should start watching the other networks' stuff, but Letterman irked me years ago, and I don't even know what time Kimmel airs, but I have liked his sense of humor in the clips this week. :lol

All will be well if Conan's team arguing for his freedom to host on a rival network means that that's what will end up happening before too long. COME ON FALL 2010



THIS :lol
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I don't think I ever watch Jimmy! his constant laughing really pisses me off. I hope he weens that shit off in a couple years.
 
Can anyone post some Fallon clips to substantiate the "he's getting better" argument? Because I tried watching Thursday's ep and saw some the same bad delivery, giggling, and stupid skits I was used to from SNL.

I don't want to rag on the guy too much because I appreciate some of the things he's trying to do (the Saved By the Bell reunion effort was brilliant), and he could still improve, I guess, but so far as I can tell his show should still be rightfully regarded as late night little league.
 
The Chosen One said:
This is what I don't get...

The Jay Leno Show pulls in about 5 million viewers every night. Yeah it's not earth-shattering numbers but it's a non-scripted show that runs every week-night with a quarter of the budget of the other shows in the same time slot. NBC's expectations were simply unrealistic. If they want a show with high ratings then they need to pay for it.

I think the status quo was just fine. Leno was saving NBC some money in primetime and Conan was still finding his groove. I think the problem started when the narrative started that the Jay Leno show was a huge failure (which it wasn't, it just didn't live up to the hype), so NBC and Leno panicked. Now Conan is getting screwed.

TV executives are always scum so I'm not surprised NBC would propose this. But it's shameful that Leno is going along with it when he should just step aside. This tells me he deserves some of the hate he's getting.
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The affiliates were complaining because Leno's ratings were causing the numbers for affiliate news programs to drop.

NBC probably have been just fine with Leno at 10 and Conan at 11:35. It was the affiliates who pressured NBC to getting rid of Leno's show, which is what started this whole shitstorm.
 
The Chosen One said:
This is what I don't get...

The Jay Leno Show pulls in about 5 million viewers every night. Yeah it's not earth-shattering numbers but it's a non-scripted show that runs every week-night with a quarter of the budget of the other shows in the same time slot. NBC's expectations were simply unrealistic. If they want a show with high ratings then they need to pay for it.

I think the status quo was just fine. Leno was saving NBC some money in primetime and Conan was still finding his groove. I think the problem started when the narrative started that the Jay Leno show was a huge failure (which it wasn't, it just didn't live up to the hype), so NBC and Leno panicked. Now Conan is getting screwed.

TV executives are always scum so I'm not surprised NBC would propose this. But it's shameful that Leno is going along with it when he should just step aside. This tells me he deserves some of the hate he's getting.
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No, it started because the NBC affiliates were getting downright panicked about Leno. 5 million isn't bad for a talk show at a primetime slot, but it's a terrible lead-in for local news, which affiliates make most of their money from. The affiliates were hemoraghing money and wanted Leno out of that timeslot so they could get a better lead-in.
 
How many viewers on average do the other 10pm primetime dramas get?

Or for that matter, how many did the 10pm primetime drama get that aired on NBC prior to Leno's premiere?
 
Gruco said:
Can anyone post some Fallon clips to substantiate the "he's getting better" argument? Because I tried watching Thursday's ep and saw some the same bad delivery, giggling, and stupid skits I was used to from SNL.

I don't want to rag on the guy too much because I appreciate some of the things he's trying to do (the Saved By the Bell reunion effort was brilliant), and he could still improve, I guess, but so far as I can tell his show should still be rightfully regarded as late night little league.
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Yeah. I tried to give Fallon a chance and then he went from talking with Susan Sarandon about how much her face looks identical to her Avatar mock-up, to trying to get her to play beer pong, and then in fact playing beer pong.

Yeah. Sorry Jimmy, but would you please sit the fuck down and shut up?
 
I thought that Dave had sex with fully employed staffers, not interns.

After making Clinton jokes for so long it's understandable that he would use the wrong term.
 
Magnus said:
How many viewers on average do the other 10pm primetime dramas get?

Or for that matter, how many did the 10pm primetime drama get that aired on NBC prior to Leno's premiere?
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NBC had Law and Order SVU, which was doing great at primetime. CBS has shows like NCIS and CSI that do 10 million or more.
 
This whole scene has been very depressing. I BARELY watch anything on TV, Conan was one of the two things on my DVR.

I just hope he does another show somewhere, such a fun guy to watch.
 
Magnus said:
How many viewers on average do the other 10pm primetime dramas get?

Or for that matter, how many did the 10pm primetime drama get that aired on NBC prior to Leno's premiere?
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A report showed that on average affiliates lost 28% of their viewers compared to last year on NBC. Major markets like NYC and Philly lost almost 50% of their viewership under the Leno lead in. It was estimated the affiliates stood to lose almost $22 million over the next few months if Leno continued.
 
wonderkins said:
Agreed. That was a pretty bitchin' Taurus. Until they announced Lifehouse. Ffffuuuuuu. But I can mute the TV, so everything's ok. Until next Friday. :(
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Yeah, I love that the taurus still makes appearances. :lol
 
PhoncipleBone said:
A report showed that on average affiliates lost 28% of their viewers compared to last year on NBC. Major markets like NYC and Philly lost almost 50% of their viewership under the Leno lead in. It was estimated the affiliates stood to lose almost $22 million over the next few months if Leno continued.
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But I read in the NYT that NBC higher ups said it was Conan's bad ratings that were to blame for all this! Do you mean to tell me that Conan's show caused bad ratings of the local news airing before his show?

sadly, that is how it is going to be remembered.
 
NomarTyme said:
NBC had Law and Order SVU, which was doing great at primetime. CBS has shows like NCIS and CSI that do 10 million or more.
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Which is remarkable if you think about it. The lead-in for Letterman has been much stronger than what NBC has offered for some time (even for Leno during his last couple years). Yet, the best Letterman can muster is to match or do slightly better than Conan's ratings. And as we all know, the lead-in provided by Leno for Conan has been weak. And weakening as others have shown with the discussion of the local affiliate revolt.

So, provide a stronger lead-in for Conan, and watch him leave Letterman in the dust. Profit. Zucker and Ebersol really are schmucks. They killed scripted tv at ten and then blamed Conan for his ratings. When, its obvious, Conan was doing better by percentage than Letterman at turning the lead-in into viewers.

It's mind-boggling.

@Jtwo I was cracking up when it made its appearance. Awesome reference to past skits.
 
nocode said:
But I read in the NYT that NBC higher ups said it was Conan's bad ratings that were to blame for all this! Do you mean to tell me that Conan's show caused bad ratings of the local news airing before his show?

sadly, that is how it is going to be remembered.
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People will selectively look at the information that confirms their biases and prejudices. You don't have to look any further than some of the Jay Leno apologists in this thread for an example.
 
Another great point I remember from the BS podcast is that when Letterman came over to CBS, they immediately recognized him and promoted him as one of their biggest core brands. Conan never became the face of NBC in that same way, because he was still second fiddle to Jay, shit-eating grin super bowl commercials and all.
 
The Chosen One said:
This is what I don't get...

The Jay Leno Show pulls in about 5 million viewers every night. Yeah it's not earth-shattering numbers but it's a non-scripted show that runs every week-night with a quarter of the budget of the other shows in the same time slot. NBC's expectations were simply unrealistic. If they want a show with high ratings then they need to pay for it.

I think the status quo was just fine. Leno was saving NBC some money in primetime and Conan was still finding his groove. I think the problem started when the narrative started that the Jay Leno show was a huge failure (which it wasn't, it just didn't live up to the hype), so NBC and Leno panicked. Now Conan is getting screwed.

TV executives are always scum so I'm not surprised NBC would propose this. But it's shameful that Leno is going along with it when he should just step aside. This tells me he deserves some of the hate he's getting.
Click to expand...
The Jay Leno Show was saving NBC money by allowing them to get away without paying for additional primetime shows, yes, but it was losing massive amounts of money for NBC's affiliate networks, largely due to what it was doing to the local 11 o'clock network news ratings.

Leno did well enough by NBC's own standards. It was the affiliates (who NBC cannot function as a national network without) that were the big losers while Jay's show was on at 10. Simply put, Leno had no future at 10 as soon as the affiliates revolted.

It's just how NBC decided to go about handling the situation after that that caused everything to go FUBAR.
 
Dudes. Chloe's right!

Conan should totally get a hug from Oprah. Everything that woman touches turns to gold! He would get sooo much sympathy from that massive audience. NBC and Leno would look like even bigger douchebags.
 
MetatronM said:
The Jay Leno Show was saving NBC money by allowing them to get away without paying for additional primetime shows, yes, but it was losing massive amounts of money for NBC's affiliate networks, largely due to what it was doing to the local 11 o'clock network news ratings.

Leno did well enough by NBC's own standards. It was the affiliates (who NBC cannot function as a national network without) that were the big losers while Jay's show was on at 10. Simply put, Leno had no future at 10 as soon as the affiliates revolted.

It's just how NBC decided to go about handling the situation after that that caused everything to go FUBAR.
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This is a good summation. I don't really have any animosity towards Leno; I'm just not a regular viewer of his program. Given the disparate pay-outs depending on whose contract NBC cancelled, they chose to play ball with Jay. It's not the first short-sighted decision the execs made. Killing scripted tv, and then Zucker proclaiming that Leno didn't need to win ratings, but just needed to be profitable...well, Zucker neglected to consider how that strategy would play out for the affiliates.

Really, it's Zucker and Ebersol who should get most of the vitriol. Although, why Leno didn't take the $80 million, walk away, and go buy cars is mystifying. If I'm 60 and have the chance to walk away with big bucks, I go away. Fast.

BrandNew said:
Whoever goes to that interview with Conan in the Bay area this weekend, let us know what he says!
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It's canceled, BrandNew. It was on the local news here (they interviewed Dave Foley, which was kinda cool). Sorry :(
 
Chloe was a pretty awesome interview.
Anyone sticking around for Fallon?
 
I'm thinking if Conan had known that this was the beginning of the end, we wouldn't be subjected to this band. Should get the Raveonettes. In and Out of Control was one of the best albums of 2009. /plug
 
Monday and Tuesday guest list are up for Conan's last week:

Mon: Martin Scorsese, Colin Firth, Cirque Du Soleil
Tue: Tom Hanks, Paul Bettany, Spoon

Tuesday looks awesome. Monday, not quite sure what to make of it. Soleil should be good.
 
Just noticed that the guests for Wednesday-Friday next week are all TBA, whereas before they had fucking Barry Manilow on Thursday. Hopefully they get some great guests to help wrap things up in a special way.

Is it more or less confirmed that next Friday will be the last episode?


Jtwo said:
Chloe was a pretty awesome interview.
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She was. She's like a female Michael Cera.

It was pretty damn awkward, though, after Andy joked about her husband being "a little gay". They handled it fine initially, but then there was this long, awkward moment where no one said anything or had any idea what to say.
 
Shit, so no Howard Stern on Monday then? Damn you Stern.

I doubt Norm McDonald will be on, either.

If I had to guess, Conan will let up a bit in the final week, maybe there will still be plenty of NBC exec jokes, but he will ease up on the Leno bashing. The Kimmel thing last night was probably the best we'll get.
 
MetatronM said:
The Jay Leno Show was saving NBC money by allowing them to get away without paying for additional primetime shows, yes, but it was losing massive amounts of money for NBC's affiliate networks, largely due to what it was doing to the local 11 o'clock network news ratings.

Leno did well enough by NBC's own standards. It was the affiliates (who NBC cannot function as a national network without) that were the big losers while Jay's show was on at 10. Simply put, Leno had no future at 10 as soon as the affiliates revolted.

It's just how NBC decided to go about handling the situation after that that caused everything to go FUBAR.
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Ah, I see. That makes sense.

Yeah I can see why the affiliates would be up in arms.
 
I am far from a conspiracy theorist, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the agreement reached between NBC and Conan includes certain restrictions for the last week of Conan's Tonight Show, things like:
-No bashing Leno by name
-No bringing on certain guests (Norm, Letterman, Kimmel, Stern)

Of course Stern will not be on just because he chooses not to, but he's probably still on any such list if one exists.
 
xbhaskarx said:
I am far from a conspiracy theorist, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the agreement reached between NBC and Conan includes certain restrictions for the last week of Conan's Tonight Show, things like:
-No bashing Leno by name
-No bringing on certain guests (Norm, Letterman, Kimmel, Stern)

Of course Stern will not be on just because he chooses not to, but he's probably still on any such list if one exists.
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Why them, did I miss something?
 
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