I say let Conan create his own "30 Rock" type sitcom only instead of SNL being TGL have it deal with a late night host.
Something like "The Gary Shandling" show
Something like "The Gary Shandling" show
O'Brien out, Leno back in?
- Thread starter Professor Zoom
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That could be really funny. Sadly, it probably wouldn't be on NBC, so they wouldn't be able to have awesome crossovers!
I significantly disagree with this statement, and certainly would not call it a "fact" in either case.
Its more like...
Fact: Conan was canceled because he wouldn't play ball.
The company said jump. He said no. And right there it was already over. It was just a question of how many shows he had left.
How about this?
Fact: Conan was canceled because he wouldn't play ball due to scheduling changes as a result of low ratings.
I don't know. Anyway, these 'facts' aren't my real opinions I'm just trying to clarify what's the truth vs. what's been reported/interpreted in the media vs. popular belief.
Completely different subject: does anyone know if there is a list of Tonight Show guests originally planned to go on before the last week became the "last week?"
Not to mention they canceled the excellent and somewhat original cop show "Life" after just two seasons. I'm still sour about that.
It would really have fit in nicely, seeing as how Danny Tripp and Matt Albie worked for them once, were let go, and then asked back, this time to replace the previous producers who ran the show into the ground.
Anyway, I too miss that show. What network did it air on again?
Oh, that's right.Damn you NBC!
As has been pointed out several times already, they didn't give Conan a chance to build ratings, six months isn't enough time to do that. How long was Leno on before the Grant interview? Leno's ratings were in the tank before that and, hey, he was given a chance.
I thought of another example of Leno's contempt for his audience. Whenever one of Letterman's jokes goes a little too far and the audience reacts, he either does a sheepish shrug or makes a self-deprecating comment. Conan laughs and looks embarrassed or lapses into a chorus of "I'ma Gonna Go to Hell When I Die." Basically, they acknowledge that even in the naturally mean venue of topical comedy, they sometimes go too far.
When Leno's audience reacts badly, he waves them off as if to say, "Get outta here, you babies." He does it so often that guys like Darrell Hammond include it in their impressions of him.
When Leno's audience reacts badly, he waves them off as if to say, "Get outta here, you babies." He does it so often that guys like Darrell Hammond include it in their impressions of him.
Not to mention they canceled the excellent and somewhat original cop show "Life" after just two seasons. I'm still sour about that.
It would really have fit in nicely, seeing as how Danny Tripp and Matt Albie worked for them once, were let go, and then asked back, this time to replace the previous producers who ran the show into the ground.
Anyway, I too miss that show. What network did it air on again?
Oh, that's right.
Hey, at least Life got an ending - albeit forced. NBC didn't have to do that at all. Besides, the other thing is that this pretty much saves Chuck for this season, if not next, because they'll need the programming to fill the new dead air.
I really don't see Jay landing at any other network had he done that, which is probably why he did whatever he had to do to stay at NBC. ABC has already said they're happy with what they have. CBS isn't going to touch Letterman. FOX? Jay doesn't fit and the execs wouldn't have messed with their affiliates for him.
See? It's only been two weeks, and already people are starting to forget what really happened.
Leno's show was the problem. No one had a problem with Conan. It was Leno's show that was tanking, and the affiliates were complaining because of the poor lead in to their local news, and they were threatening to jump ship. NBC had to do something, and for whatever stupid reason, they didn't want to lose Jay...probably because they would've had to pay him even more than they paid Conan to leave. So, they got the bright idea of moving Jay to 11:35 and Conan to 12:05, and Conan...wanting to protect the legacy of The Tonight Show and his own professional pride...basically said fuck you.
Leno and NBC have started the spin about Conan's low ratings, and obviously it's working. But it's a lie.
It was Leno's poor ratings all along that started this mess.
I can't even watch late night TV and I picked up on this from various news reports. As has been stated, NBC and Leno will spin the shit out of this to make it appear to be something it wasn't.
I'm fairly certain that when Leno starts doing interviews, NBC is going to allow him to spin it like he saved The Tonight Show. I'll bet anything he'll start spreading the word that, something like; "when Conan was gonna' walk, they were just gonna' close The Tonight Show down, and I couldn't let that happen. I saved The Tonight Show."
I'll bet you anything. He can't stand to be the bad guy, and is gonna' do anything to save his middle America loving nice guy persona.
I'll bet you anything. He can't stand to be the bad guy, and is gonna' do anything to save his middle America loving nice guy persona.
See, I can't really buy this. It really seems like an over-reaction on Conan's part, especially since the show would still come on before midnight everywhere except the east coast. My personal theory is that Conan has had second thoughts since NBC signed him years ago to be Leno's successor, and that he had concluded that he was the heir to a revered franchise that was yoked to a network in a terminal death spiral. So when they wanted to change his time, he saw this as a chance to jump ship. And evidently it worked brilliantly. Conan got out of his contract to NBC, had them pay him for it, he only has to sit out 6 months, and he has an enormous reservoir of approval and good will that has to be a potent bargaining chip when he tries to sell his show elsewhere. If he really did this on purpose, one can only say "Well played, sir. Well played."
Back after the weekend...
I followed Letterman to CBS and remained loyal to him through the rest of high school and college. I lost interest in late night TV later on, but tuned in for various reasons once in a while, such as when Carson passed away.
I looked at Leno here and there including last week out of curiosity and found him unfunny.
I checked out Conan long ago and found him unfunny, but I watched most of Thursday and all of Friday. I have to say he's come a long way since his early days of Late Night. And ending the show on a high and positive note instead of ripping into NBC one last time tells me he has a lot of class. And I had no idea he could play the guitar!
While I still prefer Letterman's dry wit and humor, I look forward to see where Conan ends up. I hope it's FOX. Or maybe Dave will announce his retirement tonight.
I followed Letterman to CBS and remained loyal to him through the rest of high school and college. I lost interest in late night TV later on, but tuned in for various reasons once in a while, such as when Carson passed away.
I looked at Leno here and there including last week out of curiosity and found him unfunny.
I checked out Conan long ago and found him unfunny, but I watched most of Thursday and all of Friday. I have to say he's come a long way since his early days of Late Night. And ending the show on a high and positive note instead of ripping into NBC one last time tells me he has a lot of class. And I had no idea he could play the guitar!
While I still prefer Letterman's dry wit and humor, I look forward to see where Conan ends up. I hope it's FOX. Or maybe Dave will announce his retirement tonight.
I caught a clip of Fergueson on YouTube and had to say he's a hoot. Wish I could watch Late Night shows, but even if I could I wouldn't get enough sleep.
Wow, and I thought the folks who were saying this was all a conspiracy by Zucker and Leno to dump Conan on the side of the road were cynical...
J
Jetfire
Guest
While I still prefer Letterman's dry wit and humor, I look forward to see where Conan ends up. I hope it's FOX. Or maybe Dave will announce his retirement tonight.
That would be nice and easy for Conan just to take over for Dave.
Wow, and I thought the folks who were saying this was all a conspiracy by Zucker and Leno to dump Conan on the side of the road were cynical...
It gets more fun when you look at it that all sides are "correct."
Conan wanted out and used the time shift to his advantage, leno accepted the time shift deal because he really didn't want to retire and it was all that was left in the face of his prime time failure and it was basically returning him to the tonight show in everything but name. Zucker used the opportunity presented by the failure of the Leno prime time show to "stick it" to his old college nemesis Conan by forcing him back to second fiddle to leno...
Why go simple, when complicated works just as well.
Yeah, but you're not approaching it from Conan's -- and, really, every American comedian's -- POV: To them, The Tonight Show is not just a late-night talk show. It is the late-night show. It is the pinnacle of professional success for a comedian to host it. It's the White House of comedy, the Camelot of late night. To them, it is sacred and its host is the King.
Moving The Tonight Show, in that mind-set, having it go on after another late-night talk show, undermines The Tonight Show's status as the Holy Kingdom of Late Night Comedy. After all, that means it's playing second fiddle to another show, in the same way that Late Night plays second fiddle to The Tonight Show. And, yes, it forces the host of The Tonight Show to share his throne.
It's a combination of reverence for The Tonight Show and, frankly, reasonable ego. I'd be pissed if I were crowned King and then someone tried to make me share the throne, too. Why shouldn't he walk if he thinks he's been hired to be the King of Late Night and then suddenly they start asking him to share his throne with a man whose ratings are failing in prime time?