I'm sure everyone's heard the news lately...

[MattAn]

Beatles. Get it?

I.. I know I saw Ringo Starr on last nights Jimmy Fallon..? o.O

[MattAn]

And... That relates to the topic.. How? o.O

Deliberately posting something well off-topic = Huh? Why..?

[tak197]

I say get rid of Leno.

AND Conan.

No one cares! Take a big boy pill and take a swim in your money.

[Theremin]

Well, I don't know off-topic...I mean, you're talking about something on TV, and that song was probably on at least one Tv soundtrack...

Anyway, not important, please, carry on.

[MattAn]

@tak197, in this situation, money isn't a factor in this. It's who's really more entertaining and deserving of the job and there's no way in hell that Conan's giving up without a fight. Not if I have anything to say about it, that is. He's by far THE greatest TV personality America has... And this is America we're talking about here. >.>;;

@Theremin, this topic is quite clearly outlined specifically in the first post and from every succeeding poster. It's got nothing to do with "TV in general", this is obviously discussing the debacle surrounding late-night TV, which was rather fluent throughout the thread... So.. Uh.. Yeah?

[Bananafish]

Lol.

[Theremin]

Only joking, Hi.

That's not a serious justification =p
It's piss-weak for one thing.

[MattAn]

And yet, the armadillo.. That is all.

[Theremin]

That's settled, then.

[mxd3496]

I realize from reading this thread that I'm in the minority but I've always liked Leno and absolutely can't stand O'brien or Letterman. At least int he early days of Leno's Tonight show run I found him to have an intelligent wit while the others seemed to specialize in making asses of themselves. Lately that has changed as I think Leno has tried to adapt to the ADHD nature of other comedy shows and not just do standup for half an hour, but he is out of his comfort zone and it shows.

To all the people spouting that nobody watches Leno, or that Conan is more popular but not providing numbers, there was an article today, http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100113/D9D6UUDO2.html stating that Leno currently has 5 million nightly viewers while Conan is sitting at 2.5. This actually corresponds very well with the audience they had previously, but now the shows are on at earlier times where that accounts for far less of the market share. But it does seem like the audiences for each show have followed to an earlier time.

All that said, I agree they should just cancel the Leno show and move on otherwise it is just going to be a mess. I don't think Leno is pushing for the 11:35 show at all, that is just NBC trying to get more without doing anything new.

Edited to remove an incomplete sentence at the end.

[MattAn]

Wait, wait, wait..? ADHD nature of other comedy shows? I'd much prefer O'Brien's quick-witted enthusiasm rather than Leno's dry, blunt... Um.. Can it still be called humor?

Which talk show, other than the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, does a monologue for a full half hour. A monologue should be somewhat brief, cover the major quirky news and take jabs at it, much like O'Brien, Fallon (he's kinda using his experience from SNL's Weekend Update though..) and Kimmel (to an extent) do.

I have always found Conan to be a much more entertaining interviewer as well. He engages the guest, they're both comfortable enough to banter away, whereas Jay gets a little too carried away with HIM doing the talking (Fallon does the same thing..) I've also seen a much more serious side to Conan since his Tonight Show move, where when there ARE serious things to ask/discuss, he's really calm and is overall, much more welcoming and gracious. Yes, he's quirky and kinda weird, but that only makes him greater. Leno just isn't engaging enough or at all as funny as the other hosts, he just tends to act more pig-headed about himself, causing me to tune it out and just browse teh interwebz until Conan comes on. Then again, The Comedy Channel here in Australia has Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jay Leno, a bunch of different sitcoms or animations like Robot Chicken, then 4 hours of straight-up talk shows. O'Brien, Kimmel, Fallon and Letterman. I record all of 'em on my satellite TV set-top box, but only really end up watching a few of them right to the end.

Quite honestly, I'm glad there are Leno supporters on the forum that are putting forward a decent counter-point, it just wouldn't be a great discussion without opposing views! But in saying that, I'm also glad that people acknowledge that Conan's still getting royally screwed over by NBC's promises and their binding contract. If it's broken, Conan gets 40 million dollars anyway, which will take him straight to FOX or HBO for an even bigger quality show. In a way, he'd be free.

[Bartley Butsford]

Honestly, plenty of his monologues that I've caught recently haven't been great (due to poor writing, not delivery) but the skits have remained hilarious. He's still my favorite late night host, the real problem for me is that he's on the same time as Colbert.

Really hope NBC gets its head out of its ass soon.

[Katie]

The chat show died the day Michael Parkinson retired. It was only a matter of time before the decay spread across the Atlantic...

[MattAn]

That image is freaking awesome! Isn't that the one that's caused a bunch of controversy because it's ended up on shirts without the original artist's permission..? Either way, GOD that's detailed!

Recent monologues have been more about NBC's screwups and the sudden change from "Kirsty Allie is fat" jokes to that "heavy-set Prime Minister" whose name and country I forget... Added with the usual stuff, but eh, I tend to react/laugh a lot more to Conan's jokes, rather than Leno, Fallon, Kimmel AND Letterman. Coco is a lot more open and direct with punchlines.

Although I'd be likely to agree with you, Katie, I still firmly attest to the fact that Australia's "chat show" host, Rove McManus is damn good at what he does. Dare I say it, better than Conan?

I'm sure videos of his show are on Youtube, the odd segments or I'm certain that his many Elmo interviews are. Matching suits one was simply adorable..

[Bananafish]

It's kind of long but seriously read the whole thing

I'm glad Conan is taking on NBC, especially considering how fucking huge they are.

[Bananafish]

Conan sold back the show for $30 million.

Damnit Conan.

e; apparently it's still in negotiations. I'm not holding my breath.

[JohnyMcmuffin]

A way to show your Conan support:
http://www.conanyourself.com/

[Genghis Ares]

I don't really watch late night talk shows that often. I might catch a couple of them a few times a month. But even then, I still prefer Conan. Jay is alright, but not worth it in the end.

I've even caught some Fallon, and while I never did really like him before, his show is actually decent. His monologue is poorly paced and not that funny for the most part, but some of the stuff he does on the actual show makes up for it.

[ExplodingSims]

You know, as bad as this is, am I the only one who thinks it would be epic if Conan went back to writing on The Simpsons? I mean, he did write some of the better episodes there.
*Yes I saw the Cracked thingy on this

I haven't seen much of him on TV, but when I have seen him, he's pretty funny. And it would be sad to not have him there.

[epocalypse]

Conan sold back the show for $30 million.

Damnit Conan.

e; apparently it's still in negotiations. I'm not holding my breath.

I'm hoping that conan gets heroes and the roots in the divorce, aside from that, whatevs. also, this headline:

CONAN'S $40 MILLION NBC GOODBYE: SETTLEMENT NOT DONE BUT CLOSE; MAYBE SATURDAY; Zucker Threatened To Ice Conan! Said "I'll Keep You Off The Air For 3 1/2 Years"; Team Conan Counters: "This Will End Up In Front Of A Judge If NBC Doesn't Wise Up"; NBC Boasts O'Brien's Ratings Up; Secret Negotiator

is on freaking chunk of text that tells me I have NO EFFING IDEA WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS FOSHIZANE!! but I'm hoping for as much tonight show as possible. and then, Conan on Fox, but Oh how I'll miss the set, I love the tonight show set.

You know, as bad as this is, am I the only one who thinks it would be epic if Conan went back to writing on The Simpsons? I mean, he did write some of the better episodes there.

no you are not.

"The bee bit my bottom, now my bottom big."

[Bananafish]

Does Simpsons still have the same writing crew? Despite the dive it took, I can still feel as though the writers are trying to do something great but are being held back. I see some genuinely funny or subtle moments that I remember from the old Simpsons, it's as though the same writers are there but someone is holding a gun to their heads and saying "Now don't go overboard!"

I doubt it was because of Conan, but I miss it. I just watch it out of habit now, and because I like the literary references every so often that make me giggle.

[ExplodingSims]

There are a few of the original writers around the show. I dunno how many though. It would be interesting to see Conan return, to get a few more episodes like "Homer goes to College" show up.

I doubt this would happen. Though him being a guest writer or something isn't totally unimaginable.

[Cybren]

They should offer the tonight show to letterman

since you know.

it was supposed to be his to begin with

[MattAn]

They should offer the tonight show to letterman

since you know.

it was supposed to be his to begin with

You're right, it was meant to be Letterman's. But there's no way he's going to go back to NBC when CBS is treating him really well!

I still firmly believe that Conan is the rightful host of the Tonight Show, Dave Letterman has even given him countless blessings on the gig.

Here's the funny part. Jay was in this EXACT SAME POSITION in 1992 in the Letterman/Leno debacle.

NYTimes link: http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/23/arts/ ... gewanted=1

Jay Leno, expressing what he called "surprise and disappointment" with NBC executives, said yesterday that he believed his performance as the host of the "Tonight" show should have more than satisfied the network and that he did not deserve to be threatened with losing the leading show in late-night television to David Letterman.

"Am I crazy?" Mr. Leno said in a telephone interview. "The ratings are going up, the advertisers are happy and so are the affiliates." And yet Mr. Leno said he had not received any assurances from NBC executives in New York that he would not be dropped in favor of Mr. Letterman by Jan. 15. That is the deadline NBC is facing to match a CBS offer to give Mr. Letterman about $16 million to star in a nightly talk show at 11:30, the same time as the "Tonight" show.

"I am disappointed," Mr. Leno said. "I feel like a guy who has bought a car from somebody, painted it, fixed it up and made it look nice and then the guy comes back and says he promised to sell the car to his brother-in-law." Go Elsewhere? 'Of Course'

Mr. Leno said he would "obviously leave NBC immediately" if the network decided to give the "Tonight" show to Mr. Letterman. He said he would absolutely refuse to do a show in the 12:30 A.M. spot now occupied by Mr. Letterman's show, "Late Night," and would indeed consider creating the same problem for NBC that Mr. Letterman's proposed deal with CBS caused.

"Would I go to CBS if they asked me?" Mr. Leno said. "Of course. I'm not going to do some little happy hour from Omaha at 12:30."

In the last week, factions inside NBC have been taking sides between Mr. Leno and Mr. Letterman. "NBC's West Coast executives have said everything is O.K.," Mr. Leno said of Warren Littlefield, the president of NBC Entertainment, and John Agoglia, the president of NBC Enterprises.

"But the East Coast people won't say that," he added. Specifically, Mr. Leno said he had heard from Robert C. Wright, the president of NBC, to whom both West Coast executives report. "He said they don't know what they're doing yet," Mr. Leno said. "I appreciate the candor, but it does disappoint me."

The comedian became the host of the "Tonight" show in May after Johnny Carson retired after 30 years on the show. At the time, NBC chose Mr. Leno over Mr. Letterman for the position. 'A Guy With Two Girlfriends'

Now it faces the same choice, but the stakes are much higher. Beyond the $16 million to Mr. Letterman, NBC would have to pay Mr. Leno about $10 million if it breaks its commitment to him to be the host of "Tonight." NBC now pays Mr. Leno $3 million a year as the host of "Tonight."

"NBC is like a guy with two girlfriends who doesn't know which one he's going to marry on Jan. 15," Mr. Leno said. "And the longer you wait, the madder they both get."

He said NBC's indecision was hurting him even if he survived the Letterman threat, because the network executives were letting it be known publicly that they have some doubts about him, doubts, he said, that are unjustified. 'This Isn't About Dave'

To compound the emotional aspect of the conflict, Mr. Leno acknowledged his own debt to Mr. Letterman. "I would not have this job if not for Dave," he said. Mr. Letterman had Mr. Leno on his own show as his most frequent guest in the early 1980's. "This isn't about Dave. Dave is worth whatever somebody wants to pay him. Anything I can do toward keeping him at NBC, I'd do." Short of giving up his own show, that is.

"It's a tricky situation," Mr. Leno said. "Dave is truly a star and terrific, and this is a terrible position NBC is in. But fragging your own soldier doesn't make any sense to me."

He argued that he ought to have satisfied NBC by now because his ratings have shown growth in recent weeks, after a period of turmoil when Mr. Leno's former manager and the show's former producer, Helen G. Kushnick, enraged NBC executives with her tactics in booking guests. 'We Have Great Morale'

NBC fired her. Since then, Mr. Leno said, the show has been running smoothly. "We have great morale," he said. "Everybody is having fun, except for some long faces when we read all these bad things about the show in the newspapers."

Mr. Leno reached about a 4.9 national rating in recent weeks, which is up from a low of about 4.2 in the summer. (Each rating point represents 931,000 homes.)

"I've always said, 'Just judge me by my performance,' " he said. "I've done stand-up comedy for a lot of years. When I go out and see a full house of 3,000 people, I know I'm making money for somebody. If I see only 1,200 people and the house is half-full, I know I've got to do another show to make it up to the guy. But the affiliates, the advertisers, they're all happy."

Mr. Leno said he would not be reluctant to have to face-off against Mr. Letterman at 11:30 each night. "In the comedy clubs I used to say, put me on after Richard Pryor," Mr. Leno said. "Competition is really the only way you get better."

Despite the indecision in New York, Mr. Leno said he did not believe that NBC would force him out. "I don't think it will happen," he said. But he added, "I'm not sure, and that's the annoying part."

I.. The.. But.. Jay's obviously just jealous, but if he wants to rectify the bad blood from 1992, he needs to back down. NOW.

[mxd3496]

I haven't seen anything indicating that Leno is in any way pushing to get the Tonight Show back. He was happy at 10, NBC suggested doing an half hour at 11:35 and he was ok with that. This is all NBC shuffling people around, trying to have their cake and eat it too.

It is really easy for people here to say Jay should just step aside but if he did he would be walking away from $80 million, which is what NBC would have to pay if they canceled him. I don't care who you are, that is a lot of money and I don't think anyone here could honestly say they would just leave that on the table. And why should he? Why should he be responsible for NBC screwing this up? Are you responsible for what your employer does? Would you be willing to leave your job if someone else wanted it?