NBC ending Leno's nightly prime-time show

[Jolie Rouge]

NBC ending Leno's nightly prime-time show
By Lynn Elber, Ap Television Writer
41 mins ago

PASADENA, Calif. – NBC said Sunday that it's waiting to hear if Jay Leno and "Tonight" host Conan O'Brien will accept its new late-night TV plans after the network decided to end the Leno prime-time experiment.

NBC decided to pull the plug on the experiment after learning some affiliates were considering dropping the nightly prime-time show.

NBC Universal Television Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin said that "The Jay Leno Show" at 10 p.m. EST will end with the Feb. 12 beginning of the Winter Olympics, which will air in the prime-time hours, including Leno's slot.

NBC wants to begin airing Leno's show at 11:35 p.m. after the Olympics end Feb. 28, but with a half-hour show, Gaspin said.

The plan calls for O'Brien to retain his job with "Tonight" but at the later hour of 12:05 a.m. EST, Gaspin said. Also in the mix is Jimmy Fallon and his "Late Night." Fallon's show would be pushed a half-hour later as well, to 1:05 a.m. EST.

"My goal is to keep Jay, Conan and Jimmy as our late-night lineup," Gaspin said, adding later that they "have the weekend to think about it" and discussions with them will resume Monday.

He said the proposal gives Leno what's important to him — telling jokes at a later hour — and O'Brien his top priority, retaining "Tonight."

"I hope and expect that before the Olympics begin, we'll have everything set. I can't imagine we won't have everything in place before then," Gaspin told a meeting of the Television Critics Association.

He said that despite lower ratings for NBC at 10 p.m. compared to last year, the network was making money off the show.

But affiliates were upset that it was leading fewer viewers into their late news programs, costing them significant advertising revenue. Some affiliates told NBC in December they would go public soon about their complaints if a change wasn't made, or even take Leno's show off the air.

Gaspin said about one-third of the affiliates were really hurt by the Leno show, although he wasn't clear on how many said they might pre-empt his show.

"I asked them (the affiliates) how many are they talking about, because I could have lived with one or two. But I got the sense that it was more than one or two," he said.

Asked if O'Brien and Fallon expressed anger at his proposal, Gaspin said both men were professional and understanding when they talked. "Beyond that, it was a private conversation," Gaspin said.

The decision will leave a gaping hole in NBC's prime-time schedule, at a time the network is already struggling. A mix of reality programming, "Dateline NBC" and at least two hours of scripted shows will be added to fill in the five hours taken up by Leno's prime-time show each week.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100110/ap_on_en_tv/us_nbc_leno;_ylt=AjWX3606qbsYdvD.jUUZCG2s0NUE;_ylu =X3oDMTFldmtvNmVkBHBvcwM2NgRzZWMDYWNjb3JkaW9uX3Vfc 19uZXdzBHNsawNuYmNlbmRpbmdsZW4-

[Kelsey1224]

Personally, if I were Jay...I would bail and go to another network. I know ABC and Fox would both be glad to have him.

It's important to remember that Jay never wanted to 'retire' from the Tonight Show...which was number one at the time. He didn't make that choice...the choice was made by the idiots at NBC. In fact, he found out about his 'retirement' the same day it was announced in the media.

But, he was a class act and went along. It was only when NBC heard that other networks were courting him that they went to him with the offer of the 10:00 pm slot. They didn't want him competing with Conan O'Brian.

So, now they want to throw him a bone???

[Jolie Rouge]

Posted: January 11, 2010 07:25 AM
Paul Reiser
A Teachable Leno Moment

I've known Jay Leno since forever. Our wives are friends. He knows my children -- and they both adore him.

So when my little guy saw all the TV-hub-bub this week, he was concerned. "Why are there all these pictures of Jay in the paper? What'd he do?"

The presumption was that if your mug is in the paper, you're probably in trouble.

I said. "He didn't do anything. They're just talking about maybe moving the time of his show again."

"Why?"

And suddenly I was in the absurd position of trying to explain the politics of the entertainment industry to a nine-year old.

"Um, because the show used to be on at a different time, and now not as many people are watching it, so they wanna maybe move it back to where it used to be."

"But why'd they move it in the first place?"

Good question.

"Well, the television company was trying something. They thought all the people who love watching Jay would maybe like to watch the show an hour and half earlier."

"And did they?"

"No."

"Why not? It's still Jay, right?"

"Yeah, but it's like lunch. If someone said 'Instead of 12:30 would you mind eating at quarter to 10?' -- you might not want to, right?"

"Cause you're not hungry yet."

"Exactly. Sometimes, people like keeping things the way they're used to."

This seemed to make sense.

"So can they just put Jay's show back where it used to be?

"Well, they may, but it's a little tricky because there's another really funny guy who has a show where Jay used to be, and they promised him he could have a show there too."

"What's gonna happen to him?"

"Not sure. Either he'll do his show at a different time, or... if he doesn't want to play anymore, they're gonna give him a lot of money -- sort of to say, 'Sorry we messed you up.'"

"How much money are they gonna give him?"

"A lot."

"Like how much?"

"Forty million dollars."

"Wow! I want that job!"

"What would you do with $40 million?

"Buy video games and Bakugan and junk food."

"Forty million dollars worth?

"And some Dr. Pepper."

"Well, maybe someday you can get that job. But first you have to be that funny and that good."

I watched my little genius try to get his hands around the whole thing.

"So... they want to put Jay back where he was because they like what he does."

"Exactly."

"It's not like Jay failed?"

"No, not at all."

"He was actually helping them out."

"That's right."

And -- here I felt the need to editorialize.

"You know, the extra amazing thing about Jay is -- whenever they ask him to try something, he almost always says 'Sure.' They asked him to step down and make room for the other funny guy, he said, 'Sure.'

They asked him to put his show on earlier at night and he said, 'Sure.' Then they said, 'Oh, boy, I think we made a mistake -- would you mind going back to where we had you in the first place? That would really help us.' And you know what he says? 'Sure.'"

"Wow."

"Yeah. And how about the fact that while all this craziness is going on, Jay just shows up to work every day and does his job. He doesn't complain, he doesn't get upset... He just does what he's supposed to do: he makes people laugh. That's not easy, you know."

He thought about it.

"Jay's a really good guy, huh?"

"Yes he is.




http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-reiser/a-teachable-leno-moment_b_418197.html?alacarte=1

[dangerousfem]

The thing is.. Wasn't Jay the one that said he was going to retire in 08? About 4 or 5 years ago.. he said he was going to retire .. and thats when they locked in Conan

[Jolie Rouge]

What will Conan O'Brien do?
By David Bauder, Ap Television Writer
Mon Jan 11, 11:54 am ET

PASADENA, Calif. – Television's late-night drama now shifts to Conan O'Brien's state of mind: Would he be happy to again have the after-midnight spot on NBC or could he find a comfortable home at Fox an hour earlier?

O'Brien's decision is key to whether NBC's fragile compromise plan to mollify angry affiliates and return Jay Leno to his old 11:35 p.m. time slot will work. NBC confirmed it wants Leno to do a half hour show, with O'Brien to follow at 12:05 a.m. EST under the "Tonight" show banner.

Fox, whose executives meet with reporters Monday to talk about the issue, has expressed some interest in O'Brien and could offer him a show that starts at 11 p.m. EST.

O'Brien had waited five years after being promised the "Tonight" show and its time slot after the late local news, moving his family and staff from New York to California. That chance lasted half a year. A spokeswoman for O'Brien did not immediately return a request for comment on Monday.

NBC Universal Television Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin said he had given Leno, O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon (whose show would start at 1:05 a.m.) the weekend to think about the plan. "I would love the three of them to stay at NBC," Gaspin said.

Gaspin said he was forced to make the move because Leno's low ratings at 10 p.m. were subsequently hurting the ratings of local affiliates for their late news, costing significant advertising revenue. Some were even threatening to take Leno's show off the air and run their own programming.

O'Brien's run at "Tonight" hasn't been particularly successful. NBC's ratings have dropped dramatically since the time Leno was the host, and O'Brien has fallen behind CBS' David Letterman. NBC has said it was satisfied because O'Brien was doing fairly well among a youthful audience that is more valuable to advertisers.

Fox could potentially offer an 11 p.m. time slot, giving O'Brien the jump on both Leno and Letterman.

That's where Arsenio Hall thrived — briefly — with a syndicated talk show that aired mostly on Fox stations from 1989 to 1994. Other Fox attempts to establish a late-night beachhead with Joan Rivers and Chevy Chase failed spectacularly. In O'Brien's favor: He attracts a younger audience, which Fox seeks.

Fox would likely have to persuade its local affiliates to give the network an 11 p.m. slot. The affiliates are now in control of that hour and all its advertising revenue, and many do fairly well in the ratings with reruns of old sitcoms.

There would also have to be complicated contractual issues worked out with NBC.

To many, it had seemed a given that Leno would leave NBC for ABC or Fox when his time on "Tonight" ended, but he decided to stay with the company and try the 10 p.m. idea. ABC has indicated a lack of interest in O'Brien.

NBC's proposal would also shift its new talk show host, Fallon, to an hour best known for insomniacs, and put him a half-hour behind chief competitor Craig Ferguson on CBS. Gaspin tried to play it Sunday as a creative plus. "It allows him to be incredibly experimental and do what he wants to do," Gaspin said. "There will be a lot less pressure on him."

The plan would also likely mark the end of Carson Daly's late-night show. Gaspin said he expected Daly to stay with NBC in some fashion.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100111/ap_en_tv/us_tv_late_night_shuffle;_ylt=AnwvtecNEsIZBnGvq8ix lpys0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFrM2RwM3FiBHBvcwMxNjcEc2VjA2Fj Y29yZGlvbl9lbnRlcnRhaW5tZW50BHNsawN3aGF0d2lsbGNvbm E-

[Kelsey1224]

The thing is.. Wasn't Jay the one that said he was going to retire in 08? About 4 or 5 years ago.. he said he was going to retire .. and thats when they locked in Conan

That's true...he did say that he would probably want to retire in 4-5 years. But how many of us know where we will be and what we want to do in 5 years? And when we reach that 5 year mark...do we still want to do what we said 5 years ago?

Jay also said that if he could pick anyone to replace him, it would be Conan.

However, the show as on top and Jay was happy with where things were. Conan was not and the NBC didn't want to lose him to Fox. So, WITHOUT CONSULTING JAY, NBC decided to change the line-up. He was told right before it was announced in a press conference. Great way to treat a guy, right?

I guess I'm a fan of Jay's, not because I watch The Tonight Show(I'm in bed before his 10 o'clock show most nights)...but rather because I lived for years a block from NBC Studio and often ran into him in the 'neighborhood'. One time my teen-age (at the time) son ran into him in the burger stand across from the studio. He chatted with my son and recommended what he should order. THEN...whenever Leno would see him again...he would say hi to my son.

While I have since moved out of the area, I still work for a competing studio two blocks from NBC. I ride the train with people who work on the show. They will tell you that there isn't a nicer, more stand-up guy in the industry!

He has been incredibly loyal to NBC when they weren't loyal to him.

I'm not saying these things to diss Conan O'Brien. He's been screwed by NBC as well.

[Carolina_E]

what a cry baby! leave already there is nothing wrong with reiterment. I mean common because of Leno the other shows have been shifted down the time line ...

[Anthill]

But this isn't Leno's fault. The Studio bigwig decided to do this. So to say that Leno should just retire and that shows are being shifted is unfair to him. This was not his decision. A couple of yrs ago I remember reading where NBC was not going to pick up any new comedies or as many dramas because it was cheaper to go w/ either talk shows (lilke Leno) or reality shows. Alot of shows that I liked were dropped or not p/u by NBC because of this. What kills me is that their answer was it was costing them too much money for these "actors/actresses" salaries. NBC started this whole 1 million dolloars an episode for shows like Seinfield, Freinds, ER and now they are complaining bcause they can't afford it. Who's fault is that????? Are we to sit back and blame the actor / actress who demands the same amount as what the past has gotten? NBC set the rate, no one in their right mind would turn down that kind of money so when it was offered to Leno of course he is going to jump at it.
I know there were people out there that did turn down that kind of money but it doesn't make the people who did take the money bad for doing it.

[Kelsey1224]

But this isn't Leno's fault. The Studio bigwig decided to do this. So to say that Leno should just retire and that shows are being shifted is unfair to him. This was not his decision. A couple of yrs ago I remember reading where NBC was not going to pick up any new comedies or as many dramas because it was cheaper to go w/ either talk shows (lilke Leno) or reality shows. Alot of shows that I liked were dropped or not p/u by NBC because of this. What kills me is that their answer was it was costing them too much money for these "actors/actresses" salaries. NBC started this whole 1 million dolloars an episode for shows like Seinfield, Freinds, ER and now they are complaining bcause they can't afford it. Who's fault is that????? Are we to sit back and blame the actor / actress who demands the same amount as what the past has gotten? NBC set the rate, no one in their right mind would turn down that kind of money so when it was offered to Leno of course he is going to jump at it.
I know there were people out there that did turn down that kind of money but it doesn't make the people who did take the money bad for doing it.

Thank you!!! Why should Leno accept retirement? The Tonight Show was #1 when he was forced out of it. What kind of executive changes a winning show? An idiot! And, the proposed new shift in lineup is not his idea...it is NBC's idea because they do not want to cut loose any of their talent and risk them going to another station.

[Jolie Rouge]

Conan O'Brien says no thanks to NBC move
By Lynn Elber, Ap Television Writer
1 hr 4 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Conan O'Brien says he's rejecting NBC's attempt to move "The Tonight Show" to a post-midnight slot to accommodate Jay Leno's return to late-night.

In a statement Tuesday, O'Brien says that NBC has given him a scant seven months to try to establish himself as host of "Tonight."

NBC wants to move "The Jay Leno Show" out of prime-time and to the 11:35 p.m. EST daily slot, bumping "Tonight" to 12:05 p.m. EST.

O'Brien said he hoped he and NBC could resolve the issue quickly so he could do a show of which he and his crew could be proud — "for a company that values our work" — raising the possibility he might go to another network. But he said he has no such offer.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100112/ap_en_ot/tv_us_leno_o_brien;_ylt=Apuu0rCPkvdw00Ay7p7D8Xis0N UE;_ylu=X3oDMTNtMjlidG9pBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMTEyL3 R2X3VzX2xlbm9fb19icmllbgRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRj cG9zAzkEcG9zAzYEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbG luZV9saXN0BHNsawNjb25hbm9icmllbnM-

[Carolina_E]

it was a wrong move from the beginning when nbc thought they could put jay leno on prime time...and now because of this decision poor old conan has to pay for it....because leno is such a selfish man!

[whatever]

The thing is.. Wasn't Jay the one that said he was going to retire in 08? About 4 or 5 years ago.. he said he was going to retire .. and thats when they locked in Conan
NO Jay NEVER said he wanted to retire. If you go back and do some research he was more or less "forced" out by NBC. They figured when He signed the last five year contract (which is all they would give him) was because he ratings would slump as he was getting older. So that is why he was "asked" (more or less) to pick a replacement when the time came.
Thus Conan.

what a cry baby! leave already there is nothing wrong with reiterment. I mean common because of Leno the other shows have been shifted down the time line ...
Please explain why Leno is the crybaby? NBC execs are the ones wanting to make a more profitable business sense. Conan has put the tonight shows ratings in the pooper more or less. Till now they are tieing Letterman because people are watching to see this fallout. Jay did NOT ask to go back to the tonight show any more than he asked to be "let go" from it.


it was a wrong move from the beginning when nbc thought they could put jay leno on prime time...and now because of this decision poor old conan has to pay for it....because leno is such a selfish man!
They should have never replaced Jay From the get go! As soon as Conan took over I tried to watch for few days. But cannot STAND the man. Don't care for Letterman either. So it forces me to watch reruns or whatever is on cable. So I for one hope Jay goes back to late night on NBC or another station. Cause I will watch! :)

[Jolie Rouge]

Conans Exit Confirmed

The late-night nightmare is almost over. Conan O’Brien is leaving NBC and receiving a payout—and he’ll be free to appear on another network before his contract expires, Kim Masters reports.

The NBC-Leno-Conan war is close to ending, according to a knowledgeable source. According to the outlines of a settlement, Conan O'Brien will leave NBC and the network will make an as-yet unspecified payment. The comedian will be free to appear elsewhere on television well before his contract expires, despite earlier threats from NBC that it would prevent him from working anywhere else.

There is still opportunity for the negotiation to fall apart, but clearly, at this point it is in NBC's interest to put an end to this dismal episode.

It seems that Ron Meyer, the affable chief of the Universal film studio, played a key role in bringing the parties together when they were at an impasse and talks had broken down. Meyer is a former agent whose industry relationships run deep and wide. And of course, he has lots of negotiating experience.

According to the source, the resolution to the epic and highly public battle came down primarily to the size of the check that NBC would write to O'Brien. That amount remains shrouded in mystery for now, and no doubt the parties will have to agree to confidentiality as part of the deal.

According to a knowledgeable insider, NBC Universal started out sincerely hoping that it would be able to keep O'Brien on NBC in a 12:05 a.m. slot behind Leno, who is to be reinstated at 11:35 p.m. Part of the resolution was getting executives there to understand that the plan simply was unrealistic.

At that point, with late-night comics across the television landscape piling on night after night—and with Leno being increasingly vilified and undoubtedly chafing at the public lashing he was getting—it was obvious that the situation had to be resolved.

It remains unclear where O'Brien might go next. The most obvious place is Fox, but top executives at the company have been scrupulous about avoiding any appearance that they tried to lure O'Brien there while his relationship with NBC remained unresolved. Should Fox go forward with a late-night show with O'Brien now, it will take months before he would be ready to go on the air.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-14/conans-exit-confirmed/?cmpid=p_yahoo

----

Conan O’Brien may have been hilarious on Late Night, but his Tonight Show was seriously unfunny.


As a member of the coveted 18-to-49-year-old demographic, let me say that I thought Conan O’Brien’s Tonight Show stunk. I like Conan—I really do. I feel bad that he’s become the latest corpse in Jeff Zucker’s NBC funeral parlor. But in all the odes to Conan’s martyrdom, no one actually seems to be defending his seven-month-old Tonight Show. That’s because the show, even for us Cocophiles, wasn’t funny.

I say this as a loyalist of O’Brien’s Late Night heyday (1993-2009), the era of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Conando, Desk Driving, “In the Year 2000,” PimpBot 5000, staring contests with Andy Richter, deadpan acting by Max Weinberg, and every bit written or voiced by the wonderfully demented Robert Smigel. I am solidly part of Conan’s base—that is, a thirtysomething male who is not averse to robot humor

But Conan’s Tonight Show left me utterly bored after a few shows. The problems were fundamental. First is that here in the hangover of the 2008 election, we want political satire. O’Brien doesn’t do much political satire. If you think of the transcendent bits that surfaced on YouTube since Conan began Tonight last June, they’ve come from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, various cable chat shows, even ancient Saturday Night Live. Jay Leno may be murderously unfunny, but he has the good sense to do jokes about the president/put his finger into the wind.

Conan’s only major contribution to political goofery is Smigel’s (inspired) ventriloquism of politicians like George W. Bush. It’s no wonder that O’Brien’s Late Night ratings plummeted by nearly 700,000 viewers (more than 25 percent) back in 2008, when the nation glued its eyes to the campaign. It should have been an omen: His Tonight Show felt off-topic before it started.

That might not have been so deadly if the Tonight throne hadn’t distorted what made O’Brien funny. The problem is not the old saw that O’Brien’s “brand of comedy” doesn’t play at 11:35 p.m. Carson and Letterman had plenty of inspired wackiness, and Grandma and Grandpa liked them just fine. The problem is that O’Brien is really at his best as a straight man—the guy doing the horrified reaction shot when the masturbating bear runs out on stage. He’s a ringmaster rather than an emotional center of gravity.

This flows from O’Brien’s Harvard Lampoon sensibility, a kind of comedy that is impish and intellectual rather than crusading and heartfelt. (You can never imagine Conan snarling like Jon Stewart.) There’s nothing wrong with this, and it could work within the right show. But when O’Brien sat down at Johnny’s desk, the gravitas seemed to throw off his balance. The show’s first week was an embarrassing celebration of all things Conan—see the opening sketch. It should have rightly celebrated the whole Conan traveling circus, from the dog to the masturbating bear. Recall that Letterman’s triumphant first months on CBS were devoted as much to whichever character popped up on Broadway as to Dave himself.

The most baffling question about Conan’s Tonight Show: Who was it for? Last year, he told The New York Times Magazine, “The biggest mistake would be to alter my signal to reach all these different people.” But it almost felt like O’Brien heard all of the worries about Leno’s old viewers abandoning him en masse, so he tried to split the difference. His show wasn’t for the old or for the young; it seemed lodged in the ravine between Leno’s fusty Tonight on the one hand, and Colbert, Kimmel, Ferguson, Chelsea Handler, and his hipper competitors on the other. No amount of Noches de Pasion could change that.

None of this is to say that O’Brien’s Tonight Show wasn’t smothered in the crib (though the man has been on NBC’s late night for going on 17 years—how long does it take to find your footing?). Faced with eviction, O’Brien did the noble thing and published a screw-you to NBC. http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/conan-obrien-says-he-wont-do-tonight-show-following-leno/?em And the thing is, it was funny (“People of Earth…”), angry, unblinking, and, in its invocation of Saint Johnny—something O’Brien did again Tuesday night—actually quite touching. The man seemed to know why he wanted to be there. Too bad he never did while he was hosting The Tonight Show

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-13/good-riddance/

[whatever]

Another point I would like to make (NO I have NOT watched any of the shows since this debacle) but from what all the "entertainment" shows have showed LENO is the ONLY talk show host in prime time NOT taking pot shots at OTHER talk show hosts. He is taking them against NBC however. So to me right there shows TRUE character. He NEVER asked to be put back on the tonight show or back on late night. NBC asked/wants him there. And heck if it were me and I wanted to continue working I would do the same thing. He never asked to fired either.

[Jolie Rouge]

Leno anticipates return to 11:30, lauds O'Brien
By Lynn Elber, Ap Television Writer 59 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Jay Leno turned serious on his show to discuss the late-night chaos at NBC, telling viewers that he'd been doubtful about launching a prime-time show but was prevented by NBC from going to another network instead.

Leno, in explaining events from his standpoint, also said Monday that he had told NBC he'd return to the "Tonight" slot only after Conan O'Brien rejected the network's plan to put both men on in late night.

NBC continued negotiations Monday on an exit deal with O'Brien that would clear the way for Leno to reclaim the 11:35 p.m. EST slot occupied by "Tonight," which he hosted for 17 years before turning it over to O'Brien last spring.

The network is ending its prime-time experiment, "The Jay Leno Show," because of low ratings and affiliate station complaints.

When NBC told him they wanted to end his new show, Leno told viewers Monday, he asked to be released from his contract.

"`No, you're still a valuable asset to this company,'" he said the network told him. His reply: "How valuable can I be? You fired me twice."

That was a reference to NBC's decision six years ago to ask him to eventually make way for O'Brien to take over "Tonight," which Leno kept atop the ratings until he left.

He and O'Brien have traded increasingly edgy monologue jokes as NBC tries to extricate itself from its scheduling mess, but Leno told viewers his attitude toward his colleague is unchanged.

"Through all of this, Conan O'Brien has been a gentleman. He's a good guy, I have no animosity toward him. This is all business," Leno said. "You know, folks, if you don't get the ratings, they take you off the air."

Neither of them was a ratings winner, he said, either with "The Jay Leno Show" at 10 p.m. EST or O'Brien's "Tonight."

O'Brien did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.

Leno gave his audience a history lesson, or what alternately might have seemed a skillfully timed effort to repair any damage to Leno's trademark heart-of-gold image before the deal is made official, as soon as Tuesday.

In his recitation, Leno opened with an NBC executive telling him in 2004 that he would have to surrender "Tonight" to O'Brien to keep the gangly, redheaded host of "Late Night" from going to a competitor.

"I said, `Well, I've been No. 1 for 12 years.' They said, `We know that. We don't think you can sustain it,'" Leno recounted the executive telling him. He joked that he asked if he could at least wait until his show fell to No. 2, but agreed to the hand-over plan.

"Don't blame Conan O'Brien. Nice guy, good family guy, great guy. He and I have talked, and not a problem since then," Leno said.

He told NBC he would retire "`just to avoid what happened the last time,'" he recounted with a chuckle.

What's happening now at NBC turned out to be reminiscent of the contest between Leno and David Letterman to win "Tonight" after Johnny Carson's retirement and NBC's similar dithering at the time.

With a plan in place for Leno to leave "Tonight" in May 2009, before his NBC contract ended, he would be prevented from starting at another network for at least a year, Leno said. He asked to be freed but NBC refused, instead suggesting that Leno could do well with a prime-time show that the network acknowledged would get "killed" against first-run episodes of shows like CBS' "CSI" but could get traction against summer reruns.

Leno said he agreed, in part, because it would allow him to keep his staff of about 175 people working. But the network's plan for patience was unraveled by affiliates, who said his low ratings were sinking their local late newscasts, which the show precedes.

O'Brien had his own ratings woes, which Leno said — pointedly — started in summer before they could be blamed on Leno's poor prime-time performance.

"Tonight" with O'Brien is drawing about half of the roughly 5 million viewers Leno attracted as its host, although O'Brien has gotten a significant ratings bump since the network flap started.

When NBC suggested a half-hour show, Leno told the network he wasn't crazy about doing it but said OK. He asked if O'Brien would agree to be moved to midnight and was told yes — it was almost guaranteed.

Leno may have been restrained with his comments, but he couldn't resist a hard-edged joke at NBC's expense.

"CBS is now developing a new sitcom about the troubles here at NBC," he said. "It's called `Two Men and a Half-Assed Network.'"

O'Brien let loose on his show Monday, too.

"Last night at the Golden Globes, Julia Roberts said that NBC was in the toilet. NBC was upset and toilets were furious," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_tv_leno_o_brien/print


On the Net: NBC, http://www.nbc.com

[whatever]

Leno anticipates return to 11:30, lauds O'Brien
By Lynn Elber, Ap Television Writer 59 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Jay Leno turned serious on his show to discuss the late-night chaos at NBC, telling viewers that he'd been doubtful about launching a prime-time show but was prevented by NBC from going to another network instead.

Leno, in explaining events from his standpoint, also said Monday that he had told NBC he'd return to the "Tonight" slot only after Conan O'Brien rejected the network's plan to put both men on in late night.

NBC continued negotiations Monday on an exit deal with O'Brien that would clear the way for Leno to reclaim the 11:35 p.m. EST slot occupied by "Tonight," which he hosted for 17 years before turning it over to O'Brien last spring.

The network is ending its prime-time experiment, "The Jay Leno Show," because of low ratings and affiliate station complaints.

When NBC told him they wanted to end his new show, Leno told viewers Monday, he asked to be released from his contract.

"`No, you're still a valuable asset to this company,'" he said the network told him. His reply: "How valuable can I be? You fired me twice."

That was a reference to NBC's decision six years ago to ask him to eventually make way for O'Brien to take over "Tonight," which Leno kept atop the ratings until he left.

He and O'Brien have traded increasingly edgy monologue jokes as NBC tries to extricate itself from its scheduling mess, but Leno told viewers his attitude toward his colleague is unchanged.

"Through all of this, Conan O'Brien has been a gentleman. He's a good guy, I have no animosity toward him. This is all business," Leno said. "You know, folks, if you don't get the ratings, they take you off the air."

Neither of them was a ratings winner, he said, either with "The Jay Leno Show" at 10 p.m. EST or O'Brien's "Tonight."

O'Brien did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.

Leno gave his audience a history lesson, or what alternately might have seemed a skillfully timed effort to repair any damage to Leno's trademark heart-of-gold image before the deal is made official, as soon as Tuesday.

In his recitation, Leno opened with an NBC executive telling him in 2004 that he would have to surrender "Tonight" to O'Brien to keep the gangly, redheaded host of "Late Night" from going to a competitor.

"I said, `Well, I've been No. 1 for 12 years.' They said, `We know that. We don't think you can sustain it,'" Leno recounted the executive telling him. He joked that he asked if he could at least wait until his show fell to No. 2, but agreed to the hand-over plan.

"Don't blame Conan O'Brien. Nice guy, good family guy, great guy. He and I have talked, and not a problem since then," Leno said.

He told NBC he would retire "`just to avoid what happened the last time,'" he recounted with a chuckle.

What's happening now at NBC turned out to be reminiscent of the contest between Leno and David Letterman to win "Tonight" after Johnny Carson's retirement and NBC's similar dithering at the time.

With a plan in place for Leno to leave "Tonight" in May 2009, before his NBC contract ended, he would be prevented from starting at another network for at least a year, Leno said. He asked to be freed but NBC refused, instead suggesting that Leno could do well with a prime-time show that the network acknowledged would get "killed" against first-run episodes of shows like CBS' "CSI" but could get traction against summer reruns.

Leno said he agreed, in part, because it would allow him to keep his staff of about 175 people working. But the network's plan for patience was unraveled by affiliates, who said his low ratings were sinking their local late newscasts, which the show precedes.

O'Brien had his own ratings woes, which Leno said — pointedly — started in summer before they could be blamed on Leno's poor prime-time performance.

"Tonight" with O'Brien is drawing about half of the roughly 5 million viewers Leno attracted as its host, although O'Brien has gotten a significant ratings bump since the network flap started.

When NBC suggested a half-hour show, Leno told the network he wasn't crazy about doing it but said OK. He asked if O'Brien would agree to be moved to midnight and was told yes — it was almost guaranteed.

Leno may have been restrained with his comments, but he couldn't resist a hard-edged joke at NBC's expense.

"CBS is now developing a new sitcom about the troubles here at NBC," he said. "It's called `Two Men and a Half-Assed Network.'"

O'Brien let loose on his show Monday, too.

"Last night at the Golden Globes, Julia Roberts said that NBC was in the toilet. NBC was upset and toilets were furious," he said. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_tv_leno_o_brien/print


On the Net: NBC, http://www.nbc.com

This is why only one of the reasons my dh calls her the C word. lol
She never knows when to keep her mouth shut and she thinks she knows it all!

[Carolina_E]

yeah thanks to jay leno, conan o brien had to leave nbc for good, i mean think yourself who would watch fallon if it was shifted to 1 o clock?

[Kelsey1224]

yeah thanks to jay leno, conan o brien had to leave nbc for good, i mean think yourself who would watch fallon if it was shifted to 1 o clock?

IT WASN'T JAY LENO!!! Do you honestly think he has that much power? If he did, he wouldn't have been pushed out of The Tonight Show when it was #1 in it's time slot.

He was told Conan wanted his show and the NBC bigwigs decided it would be time for him to retire! He wanted out of his contract, but NBC wouldn't release him and told him he would have a 10 o'clock show...WHICH LENO THOUGHT WAS A BAD IDEA...but he feels enormous responsibility for his staff and their maintaining their jobs.

Fast forward to the past couple of weeks...NBC told Leno they were canceling the Jay Leno show and he, again, asked to be released from his contract. Again, he was told 'no', but that he could have a half-hour show after the news. HE DIDN'T LIKE THE IDEA OF A HALF-HOUR SHOW but said okay again because of his employees.

CONAN decided that he was tired of being screwed by NBC (not Jay Leno) and said he wouldn't continue with the show moved a half hour later.

Conan is leaving The Tonight Show with a 30+ million dollar handshake, plus the ability to immediately go to another network. So what if it isn't "The Tonight Show"? All of you fans can watch him on Fox or whatever channel he lands on. My husband and I make really good money (6 digits)...but $30 million is more than we will ever make in our lifetime.

I absolutely agree that Conan hasn't gotten a fair shake...but quit blaming Jay Leno.

[Jolie Rouge]

Conan O'Brien's guest list hints at exit
By Nellie Andreeva Wed Jan 20, 2:55 am ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – In the strongest indication yet that Friday indeed will mark Conan O'Brien's final "Tonight Show," a list of the booked guests for the rest of this week released Tuesday featured Will Ferrell set to appear Friday.

Ferrell, of course, was the first guest on "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" when the show launched June 1.

It has become somewhat of a tradition on "Tonight." Jay Leno's first guest in 1992, Billy Crystal, guested on what was supposed to be the talk show host's second-to-last "Tonight Show" episode in May. (Leno is now set to return as "Tonight" host March 1.) The reason why Crystal didn't appear on the very last episode was that, in a demonstration of what was billed as a seamless transition, Leno's guest then was Conan O'Brien.

It is safe to say that there is zero chance O'Brien would return the favor.

Other big names scheduled for O'Brien's final week on "Tonight": Tuesday, January 19: Quentin Tarantino, Paul Bettany and musical guest Spoon; Wednesday, January 20: Adam Sandler, Joel McHale and musical guest Joss Stone; Thursday, January 21: Robin Williams and musical guest Barry Manilow; Friday, January 22: Tom Hanks, Ferrell.

As for the official announcement of O'Brien's exit and Leno's return to "Tonight," it was delayed again Tuesday as the two sides have not settled yet on the size of the severance packages of the "Tonight" staff.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100120/en_nm/us_conan



Source: O'Brien's staff is sticking point in talks
By Lynn Elber, Ap Television Writer
Wed Jan 20, 6:21 am ET

LOS ANGELES – The sticking point in Conan O'Brien's complex exit negotiations with NBC involves his TV staff, not Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog, a person familiar with the talks said Tuesday.

Although discussions also focused on whether NBC would keep the rights to familiar O'Brien comedy bits including Triumph, O'Brien's focus was ensuring severance deals for his "Tonight" staff and crew, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks were intended to be private.

O'Brien is "dug in on that," the person said.

NBC fired back in a statement, saying "it was Conan's decision to leave NBC that resulted in nearly 200 of his staffers being out of work." "We have already agreed to pay millions of dollars to compensate every one of them. This latest posturing is nothing more than a PR ploy," the network said.

A spokesman for O'Brien declined to comment.

So far, negotiations have yielded a proposed deal that could pay O'Brien more than $30 million for leaving NBC and "The Tonight Show," allowing Jay Leno to return to late night from his soon-to-be canceled 10 p.m. EST show.

The proposal also would allow O'Brien, who would exit "Tonight" less than a year after taking over from Leno, to start work on a competing network as early as fall. But he would be barred from making NBC the butt of jokes.

Speculation that the Fox network might court O'Brien for a late-night show when he leaves NBC prompted a monologue joke Tuesday.

Listing things he might do with "all my new free time," O'Brien concluded with "Make a big move to Fox. Megan Fox."

O'Brien asked to be released from his contract, which has about two-and-a-half years left, after rejecting NBC's plan to push him and "Tonight" to 12:05 a.m. EST to make way for a half-hour show with Leno at 11:35 p.m.

The network, hit by poor ratings for its prime-time experiment, "The Jay Leno Show," and for O'Brien's "Tonight," was trying to keep both comedians on board.

O'Brien has seen his viewership jump in recent days. His Monday night Nielsen Co. rating, according to preliminary figures, was up 67 percent in total viewers over the previous fourth quarter average and up 80 percent among advertiser-favored young adults.

Ratings for Leno in the same window, however, remained flat.

The dispute has repeatedly spilled on-air, with jokes aplenty made about it by Leno, O'Brien and hosts at other networks. CBS' David Letterman, who has taken shots at NBC and Leno, his one-time competitor for "Tonight," drew a rebuke for his quips from NBC sports chief Dick Ebersol.

That made for more Letterman fun Monday on his "Late Show."

Noting that Ebersol had termed him and O'Brien "chicken-hearted and gutless" for mocking someone they couldn't beat in the ratings, Letterman said that Ebersol "should be picking out sweaters for Bob Costas" to wear at NBC's upcoming Winter Olympics.

Letterman said "Big Jaw" — as he called Leno — had done nothing wrong but that he would continue making fun of him because "I'm really enjoying it."

There's been street theater, as well. A pro-O'Brien fan protest held Monday outside Universal Studios, one of several such big-city rallies, included a mock martial arts fight between a man wearing a white Leno wig and one in a red O'Brien wig. The fake O'Brien won.

The crowd was rewarded with a studio rooftop wave from O'Brien and a few words from his "Tonight" sidekick, Andy Richter, who thanked them and said it's been a tough time but also a "really fun" one. "The lawyers won't let me say anything else," Richter added.

On the Net: NBC, http://www.nbc.com



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100120/ap_on_en_tv/us_tv_leno_o_brien

[Kelsey1224]

AP..NEW YORK -

NBC said Thursday it has reached a $45 million deal with Conan O’Brien for his exit from the “Tonight Show,” allowing Jay Leno to return to the late-night program he hosted for 17 years.

Under the deal, which came seven months after O’Brien took the reins from Leno, O’Brien will get more than $33 million, NBC said. The rest will go to his 200-strong staff in severance, the network said in an announcement on the TODAY show.

His final show will be Friday, with Tom Hanks scheduled to appear as well as Will Ferrell — the first guest O’Brien welcomed as “Tonight” host last June — and musical guest Neil Young.

Leno will return to “Tonight” on March 1.

“In the end, Conan was appreciative of the steps NBC made to take care of his staff and crew, and decided to supplement the severance they were getting out of his own pocket,” his manager, Gavin Polone, told The Wall Street Journal. “Now he just wants to get back on the air as quickly as possible.”

O’Brien will be free to begin another TV job as soon as Sept. 1, NBC said. There has been speculation on where he might go next. ABC (which airs “Nightline” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”) has said it wasn’t interested, while Fox, which lacks a network late-night show, expressed appreciation for his show — but nothing more. Comedy Central has also been mentioned.

A spokesman for O’Brien said he would be unavailable for comment.

[Jolie Rouge]

Kevin Eubanks exiting as Leno bandleader
By James Hibberd
Wed Feb 17, 2:45 am ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Changes are coming to Jay Leno's revamped "Tonight Show."

Leno's longtime bandleader Kevin Eubanks is leaving the program, and announcer John Melendez will no longer provide voiceover for the show.

Eubanks will still appear on the revamped "Tonight Show" when it debuts March 1, but the jazz guitarist is currently negotiating an exit date with NBC. Sources expect Eubanks will depart within months of the show's return.

The oft-amused Eubanks joined "Tonight" in 1992 and took over as bandleader from Branford Marsalis in 1995. Eubanks then followed Leno to his short-lived "Jay Leno Show."

As for Melendez, who rose to infamy as Howard Stern's sidekick Stuttering John, he is still expected to continue as a writer on the show.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100217/tv_nm/us_leno/

I am going to miss Kevin .... :( :cry:

[dangerousfem]

wonder why he is leaving..

[whatever]

wonder why he is leaving..

Me too. I think that is what made the tonight show monologue more funny is when Kevin would interject with his opinions or questions etc. That is sad. :(

[Jolie Rouge]

Eubanks makes it official: He's leaving `Tonight'
Lynn Elber, Ap Television Writer – 2 hrs 7 mins ago

"Tonight Show" bandleader Kevin Eubanks has made it official: He's leaving as Jay Leno's sideman in May after 18 years with the late-night host.

He told Leno during Monday's taping of "Tonight" in Burbank, Calif., that he was ready for a career change of pace, but he didn't announce specific plans. Eubanks called the NBC late-night show his "home" and said it had been "a wonderful experience" working there.

Eubanks, 52, whose duties included comic sidekick to Leno as well as guitarist, has been aboard since Leno took over "Tonight" in 1992. Eubanks became musical director when Branford Marsalis left in 1995.

In February, NBC said Eubanks had expressed interest in personal touring and recording.

His final day on "Tonight" is May 28. NBC did not immediately announce his replacement.

"After 18 years of playing America into commercials, I'm gonna go somewhere where I can finish a song," Eubanks said when Leno asked what he planned to do first.

Leno, who invited Eubanks to sit with him to make the announcement, called their time together "a pleasure."

"You've been a great friend and really supportive. When those jokes die, I got to look to you, man," Leno told him.

In an interview afterward, Eubanks said he had no specific plans and was "keeping everything open."

Asked about the highlights of his "Tonight" years, Eubanks said it was "just meeting B.B. King, Willie Nelson, all these wonderful musicians that I've grown to be friends with."

When he told King he planned to leave the show, the legendary musician expressed suprise but, Eubanks said, "you could see the pride in his face. ... He felt pride, like he had something to do with it. It felt good that I was part of the lineage."

So would he like to see another African-American musician take his place?

"I want to see a really great band leader replace me. But I wouldn't be mad," he said, with a laugh.

Eubanks was with Leno for the short-lived "The Jay Leno Show" in prime-time, then came back to "Tonight" when Leno reclaimed the show from Conan O'Brien in March. O'Brien left NBC rather than move "Tonight" to a later slot to make room for Leno in late night.

The turmoil had nothing to do with his decision to leave, Eubanks said.

"Nah," he said. "We have a job to do and we do it."

Eubanks' announcement came the day that O'Brien announced plans to start a late-night show on TBS later this year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100413/ap_on_en_tv/us_tv_tonight_eubanks?cmtnav=/mwphucmtgetnojspage/headcontent/main/apus_tv_tonight_eubanks/na/date/asc/11

On the Net: http://www.nbc.com

[Jolie Rouge]

Network: Leno took 50% pay cut to reduce 'Tonight Show' layoffs
Monday, September 10, 2012 - 9:00pm

NATIONAL NEWS (CNN) — Jay Leno took one for the team, in the form of a $15 million pay cut, to protect the staff of NBC's "The Tonight Show" from further cuts. An NBC Universal representative confirmed to CNN on Friday that the host took a 50% pay reduction. The representative also confirmed that Leno extended his contract until September 2014.

A source with direct knowledge of the situation told CNN last month that 20 to 25 employees of "The Tonight Show" were let go, and that Leno made the salary concession to prevent even more staff reductions. According to the source, the layoffs were part of a plan to adjust the show's expenses to be more in line with typical late-night programming as opposed to prime-time fare.

Leno replaced the legendary Johnny Carson as host of "The Tonight Show" in 1992, a job he held for 17 years before he left in 2009 to helm "The Jay Leno Show" with a 10 p.m. start time. But a few months later, in January 2010, NBC announced the comedian would return to the 11:35 p.m. time slot. The comic's venture into prime time three years ago was pitched as an attempt by the network to parlay his proven popularity into a commercially successful show.

But lagging ratings prompted NBC executives to change course within a few months. That move ultimately led to fellow talk show host Conan O'Brien's departure from the network. O'Brien, who had taken over "The Tonight Show," now hosts the show "Conan" on TBS, which, like CNN, is a division of Time Warner.

http://www.nbc33tv.com/news/national-news/network-leno-took-50-pay-cut-to-reduce-tonight-show-layoffs