Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno Team Up to Bash NBC

By Marc Schneider Posted Jan 9th 2010 10:50AM

On Thursday, Jay Leno was the only one to lash out at NBC over reports it's considering canceling his new show and moving him back to late nights. But on Friday, the guy that would be most affected by such a move got in on the peacock bashing.

"We've got a great show for you tonight. I have no idea what time it will air -- but it's going to be a great show," Conan O'Brien said in his Friday night monologue on 'The Tonight Show.' He later went through a list of all the rumors swirling around, like that "NBC is going to throw me and Jay in a pit with sharpened sticks. The one who crawls out gets to leave NBC."

Leno also sharpened his criticism in Friday's 'Jay Leno Show' monologue: "NBC is working on a solution they say in which all parties would be screwed equally. It's that certain NBC touch!"

He also invoked the sex scandal involving his former rival, David Letterman, who is currently crushing Conan in the ratings. "NBC is thinking about canceling our show. Do ya know what that means? I didn't sleep with any of my staff for nothing?"

NBC is said to be considering returning Leno to his 11:35 p.m. time slot and moving 'Tonight' to midnight. His contract reportedly allows the network to move 'Tonight' to 12:05, but no later. If Conan decides to leave NBC over its proposed lineup revamp, he does have one network that would gladly take him: FOX.

A FOX insider, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the AP that the network sees Conan as a good fit and will continue to monitor the situation.

PopEater's Rob Shuter reported on December 17 that NBC was courting Jerry Seinfeld to replace O'Brien in the hopes of boosting that slot's sagging ratings. Unfortunately, NBC was unable to ink the deal according to Shuter, which then prompted the possible Leno switch.

Tags: conan obrien, jay leno, jay leno show, The Tonight Show

Comments

(80)

Saturday 09 January

By my4653

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Who cares...they both suck!

By mark

Coudn't have said it any better myself. Key word: "Suck".

Sunday 10 January

By Night Watchman

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You say both Leno and O'Brien suck. Okay, but you had to watch their shows on many occasions in which to base your opinion, right? So who sucks more? Not the two millionaires.

By zytychi

I agree, with a Team of over a dozen writers neither of these untalented creeps can even make it through a 5 minute monologue. CANCEL BOTH OF THESE CREEPS....PLEASE....

By psj

DIDO they both could go they are not funny

By captain crunch

There was one late night TV entertainer...Johnny Carson. Everyone else either try to copy him or just don't get it.
NBC how about reruns of RinTinTin, it will bring more viewers than you have now and much cheaper to air...LOLOLOLO

By Laura

Hey, how 'bout bringing "Lassie" back? This country needs a little softness.

Tuesday 12 January

By ashleigh

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Leno was King of late night, crushing Letterman in the ratings for years! O'Brien said he'd leave networks if they didn't give him the Tonight Show, so NBC FORCED Leno to retire, which was disgusting of them! Then, O'Brien gets what he demanded, and it's tanking, so Letterman is happy now, since his show is finally higher in the ratings for the first year ever... Leno's 10:00 thing was stupid at that hour! Everyone is watching Prime Time shows and cable shows at that hour... Putting Leno back to The Tonight Show desk is what should happen, because he should never have been forced to retire in the first place! O'Brien can then go to any network and do whatever... He's good, but he's not King of Late Night, the way Leno is! I like Letterman, but Leno is a nicer person...

By ROLLANDO

Perhaps all this fuss about NBC, Leno and O'Brian is just a ploy to get people to watch the shows to keep the ratings up.

By valeskas

Who cares, they are both millionaires.

By j

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who cares what they do . Late night TV is a failure . Put something on that is entertaining . Neither of these two failed jesters have any room to talk . Its easy to blame the network .
They are not funny . Conan is just stupid . Jay is tired and needs to retire

By AP

Hey j, do you think perhaps YOU might be funnier than Conan or Leno? Why don't YOU step up to the plate if you think both of these guys are so horrible? They've both been on late night TV for over a decade and a half and neither one of them would have been on for so long if no one thought they were any good. I just hope you're pretty damn funny ion national TV.

that ploy thought might have something to it . Especially since that joke Conan has chimed in with it .

By b

wow you people are pretty miserable. get a sense of humor

By golfuncle

gee, it must pay well to be a class clown in school and have
a chance to be on t v or movies or even a late chat show !

By Red

Late night talk shows are so passe' anyway. Nothing has been the same with the shows since Johnny Carson retired. Anyway there are many channels with interesting shows on late at night plus movies and who cares what the celebrities do and don't do. Most of them are a bunch of idiots anyway.

By deboss

A relevant question 20 years ago when there was only the big 3 networks to choose from.

By Jerry

I like Conan. He is doing just fine. I also like Leno in the 9 pm spot. I like a little late style entertainment earlier in the night. It's better than another cop show or CSI: Tulsa.

By Mimi

I agree. I like Conan and think he's getting shoddy treatment all around. Jay agreed to retire from The Tonight Show and leave the job for Conan. So now that his 10pm show isn't working, he should do the right thing and walk away. Not try to take his old job back. Conan was set up to do poorly with the way this whole thing was structured. Leave him be for a while and let him do more original stuff like he used to instead of having him try to be another Jay Leno. Nobody needs that.

By Larry

I love all of you that don't use your real names. What are you afraid of? Conan O'Brien is a perverted freak and Jay Leno is a tired old man who should retire. Both of them could never equal Steve Allen, Jack Parr, or Johnny Carson. NBC is D.O.A. against CBS, now Letterman is doing his freak act like Conan. I fully agree with the previous contributor that said we need something better on late-night TV. Something with a brain instead of anti-social "humor" that only the hosts think is funny. Can Jimmy Fallon at the same time. He laughs at his own crap then waits until the audience should be laughing when he hasn't said anything funny and brings on his fellow SNL has-beens who can't find work.

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