Jerry Seinfeld Defends NBC: 'What Did the Network Do to Conan?'

By PopEater Staff Posted Jan 11th 2010 09:54AM

Jerry Seinfeld has some advice for Conan O'Brien: don't even think about complaining, big guy. The man that made NBC "must-see" in the roaring Nineties said the newbie 'Tonight Show' host hasn't been held back by the peacock network, which announced over the weekend it will be bringing Jay Leno back to 11:35.

"What did the network do to Conan?" Seinfeld asked at the TV Critics Association on Sunday. "I don't think anyone's preventing people from watching Conan. Once they give you the cameras, it's on you. I can't blame NBC for having to move things around. I hope Conan stays, I think he's terrific. But there's no rules in show business, there's no refs."

Seinfeld voiced strong support for NBC's now-failed experiment to bring his longtime buddy Leno to prime-time, and said he was "proud" of his old network for trying to shake up TV.

"This was the right idea at the wrong time," the funnyman said when reporters inquired about NBC's experimental Jay Leno Show. "It was not a bad idea, and I'm proud of NBC that they had to guts to try something so different and original."

"Now you go on and do something else. That's show business, you just have to try things."

NBC has proposed moving Conan O'Brien to 12:05 a.m., and Jimmy Fallon's show would start an hour later. But the late-night hosts have not yet agreed to the move. Seinfeld hopes everyone involved rolls with the changes.

"That was a great combo. Jay and Conan work great. They should keep them."

Seinfeld was speaking at TCA to promote his new show, 'The Marriage Ref.'

Op-Ed: Playing for Conan's Team Should He Bolt NBC?

Tags: conan obrien, jay leno, jerry seinfeld

Comments

(80)

Monday 11 January

By mojo

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with all this replacements somebody said nbc was thinking about jerry seinfield for one of the late night spots. bad move. with all due respect jerry is a very funny man if he reads a script from the q cards. he's not all that funny in person and will be over his head with a late night show where ad-libs are the sink or swin category wich dave,jay,and conan are so good at. no ofrfence jim but i never see your show, gotta get up early for work. but to rap it up , put all4 together they can't equal johnny carson

By Chris

NBC back to their true colors. Jay thought he could quit late night and be a success anywhere. Jay isn't the star of "The Tonight Show", the star is the show itself. NBC screwed Dave and from the start of Jay moving to his new show, they began screwing Conan. Their advertising campaign consisted of telling people that they didn't have to watch the tonight show late at night, but they could see Jay starting 1 1/2 hrs earlier. In essence, "don't stay up late and see Conan when you can see Jay in prime time". Their stupid idea backfired and continues to do so.

By Jim

That little speech sounded like Seinfeld is sucking someone's co*k at NBC. That was the biggest kissup message I have ever seen.. Blow away Jerry.. Blow away...

Wednesday 13 January

By Tyrone V. Hoofendorfer

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I've got to agree, except for the part where you say Seinfeld is a funny man. I have NEVER thought that Seinfeld was funny. I do NOT like his stand up. I NEVER liked his show! And I am typically easy to please. I think that NBC has screwed up royally by not giving Leno the time to build up an audience. Remember what a blockbuster hit "Cheers" was? Well, it was at the bottom, DEAD LAST, when it started. It took about 2 years for Cheers to get really accepted. NBC execs should tell the locals to shut the Hell up!!

By Mike

Ever hear of the word Seinfelditis? It's when someone gets all the credit for the success of a show, when they were nothing more than the straight man for the rest of the cast. And that's how Jerry got where he is. Without Cramer, George, Elaine and Newman--Seinfeld would be washing Porches down at Hollywood and Vine. He IS NOT funny. Same goes for Ray Romano. Mega millions off of the work of the cast. What a farce

By OU812?

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Mike, what opportunities have YOU taken advantage of? You don't last on TV for as long as the show was on and win endless awards for not being good. The success is measured by the actors not the one behind the camera.Its like have a good football team, the quaterback runs the team and makes everyone around him better and vice versa..But YOU are certainly entitled to your opinion. And YOU do know what they say about opinions, "opinions are like as*ho*les, everyone one has one and some do stink" Just like YOURS stinks..Now go back and watch the reruns of HEE HAW

By vicki

I watched Steinfeld's video and you are right. He's not funny. I kept watching it trying to find some thing to laugh at, but he's not funny.

By Willow Hale

I agree with Jerry Seinfeld. He's right on. Once the cameras are on you, it's up to you to make it happen. Right on.

By The Anvil

"Once they give you the cameras, it's on you. I can't blame NBC for having to move things around. I hope Conan stays, I think he's terrific. But there's no rules in show business, there's no refs."

Can't that statement apply to Jay Leno?
Sometimes it's best to sail on to the sunset. Seinfeld did it. Cosby did it. Even Friends did it ( a couple of years late). Enjoy your retirement Jay, love to see you do some sahows in Vegas, or even on tour.

Tuesday 12 January

By flora

I think they should left jay leno and conan just the way they was.
I watch the news ,jay and conan,then go to bed.I hope they put it
like it was.Now its not the same feel like something is missing.If
they leave the show i will follow where ever the go.I also think i
want be the only one to.You can believe that.NBC will lose a lot of watchers.

By lawwow

NBC treated Conan more than fairly. We used to watch Leno every night on the Tonight Show. They forced Leno to "retire" from the Tonight Show in favor of Conan and his "younger" audience. We tried to watch Conan, but ended up with Letterman, who we don't really like, or some movie, or rerun of some show. The reason, Conan has a grating voice that We don't want to listen to right before going to bed. Also, Conan couldn't keep up the ratings. I hope Leno goes back to that time slot after the Olympics.

By Tom

The problem is Conan has not been given enough time to succeed. It took Leno a couple of years to beat out Letterman after taking the seat from Carson. Leno needs to retire.

By Yeah

No one forced Leno to retire. I believe it was either in 2005 or 2006 that Leno decided he was not going to renew his contract and was done with The Tonight Show. Then 2009 rolls around, and Mr. Poopy Chin decided he didn't want to go anymore and threatened NBC with finding his same slot at another network, basically forcing them to give him this prime-time monstrosity. Do your homework, moron.

By Hey You

"The problem is Conan has not been given enough time to succeed...."

Ummm, Tom...Conan had MORE than enough time to succeed. The problem with him is that he is NO different than he was on his former late night gig (childish and idiotic). I think he was MORE than fortunate that NBC even 'considered' him for his current spot....though they NEVER should have given it to him. In NO WAY is he the caliber of ANY of the former "Tonight Show" hosts ~ he is a talentless buffoon at best. Personally, I'd like to see him leave altogether (with Jay taking back the TS host position)....but since I doubt he will, I could settle for his bump-back in the time-slot.

By Susan

Nobody "forced" Leno to retire. Six years ago, Leno said he was going to retire in June, 2009 and that Conan had signed a contract to take over the show. This is not news, except maybe to you.

Thursday 14 January

By LnSntl

I agree with Lawwow that Conan has been treated more than fairly. NBC wanted to go for a younger audience but, unfortunately for them, most 5 year olds are in bed at 11:35pm and that is the audience, in my opinion, Conan O'Brien's humor appeals to.

I watched the Tonight Show every weeknight from the time I was old enough to stay awake until 12:35am. That included part pf Johnny Carson's and all of Jay Leno's tenures with the show. When Jay started, I thought there was no way he would be as good as Johnny and I was right. He was not as good but he was different and good in his own way. With Conan, it seems as if his target audience is either little kids or a bunch of adults whose brain has not matured beyond their pre-school mentality. Sorry but that's not me.

By Bob

This is not about Conan it's about how Leno was mistreated by NBC and what he should do next. Leno should walk , run and fly to FOX and never look back. Those pimps at NBC have always treated Leno like a cheap whore.

By Paul

Probably because Leno IS a cheap whore! He learned a lot from his one-time agent/manager: how to be ruthless.

By Rick montez

He also got paid very well, for a whore

By dondoo

To Bob: Jay Leno was more of a cheap whore by underselling Dave Letterman for the Tonight Show host gig in the first place. I am backing Conan...but I like them all. Isn't the rest of the country sick of all things New England by now? I've lived in Mass. all my life - I'm just asking. Jay Leno and Conan have the same sense of humor. Maybe they should co-host the Tonight Show at 11:35 P.M., and allow for extended vacations by both of them. Everybody's happy that way.

Regarding Jerry Seinfeld, he was definitely the weak link in his own 'Seinfeld' show. I hope he winced as much as I did at his lack of ability when watching his acting in that show. NBC can place him anywhere, not many will watch, if that is NBC's intention.

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