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 Bob

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NBC continues to shoot itself in the foot...
The only one who ll reap the benefits of their 'Cluster' - will be the funnier guy : David Letterman - who distanced himself from NBC's mismanagement long ago.

Run with it Dave !

By Rene

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Give Conan a chance, people.

He's extremely talented. He just needs a little 'direction' to mature.

I can remember when Johnny Csrson took over for Jack Paar back in 1962. It took America time to warm up to Johnny!!!

By mike

Bring in Andrew Dice Clay for a host. You want ratings? BAM! He will deliver.

Tuesday 12 January

By Who?

Is Jerry Seinfeld that old guy who hasn't had a hit show in over 12 years, and whose wife plagiarizes? His opinion doesn't impress me.

By sam

Conan is the only talk show guy worth watching -the rest seem like trash. Especially "The View" I wouldn't watch that for all the monie you could pay me. I "view" that show as trush to the tenth power

By b

bottom line is, Leno left The Tonight Show, they gave it to Conan, Leno, move on. Just because your show didn't work out, doesn't mean you'll turn around and take back what YOU gave up. True, Conan's ratings haven't been as strong as they should be, but give the man a chance. When Leno first got the job, he sucked!! I'm sure Carson felt more than a few times that he had made a mistake, but he had the class to leave it alone and stand by his decision. I will not watch Leno's show, not after what's happened.

By Lucy

Jerry - shutup.

"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."

That could've also been said for Seinfeld, since when it started the ratings were less than spectacular. Jay also sucked in the beginning of the tonight show and was consistently beat in ratings by Letterman until later on.

Team O'Brien.

By lawwow

Check again Leno was forced intoy Nbc in favor of Conan. Conan wanted the TS way back when and didn't get it. That is why it was announced several years in advance. Conan is not funny, he is immture and idiotic,and his voice is grating. And no I am not an old person who doesn't get it.

By Vicmiester

Jerrys a lacky and rightly so for Zucker and for what he made? I would be too. I saw them in Temple last year. The happiest guys in the Hamptons

By Casey

They totally screwed Conan and set him up to fail. If Leno didn't want to step down he should have figured that out before they moved Conan's entire show, family and staff to California. Now he has to fight Leno for guests and having two options in "late night" will have a significant impact on the numbers of viewers of each show. Now neither show is a success. I feel bad for Conan. Jay needs to play with his cars and hang it up or do something new.

By Carla

NBC did the right thing. When it was announced years ago that OBrien would be taking over the Tonight show, I knew it would not work. He may be a nice, educated man, but he is not funny--and too, too goofy for a late night audience. I'll be returning to the Tonight show when Jay returns!

By bob

Why the crying about Conan being mistreated? He has always been overrated. He moves to a new slot,and he is not very funny (though as early reports indicate - a Harvard product - not sure what that means). Money and NBC dictate a change needs to be made. Why is it Jay's fault? How is that different from any other enterprise trying to increase their bottom line? If he isn't producing the rating they want then he should be moved. Unfortunately, the only shows that bear watching these days are NOVA or reruns of Law and Order or Seinfeld. Why not bring back the TV mini-series...Lonesome Dove, Roots,Rich Man Poor Man, Winds of War, or QB VII?

Wednesday 13 January

By Dick

Conan can go he is really a big jerk not funny at all

By John

You suck, Seinfeld. Go cash in on a Bee Movie sequel and make terrible jokes with your unfunny pal, Leno.

Go, Conan!

By Jack

ALL IN FAVOR OF PLACING JERRY SEINFELD IN CHARGE OF THE TONIGHT SHOW SAY..."YEA"

By CONAN

I THINK I DESERVE THE TOP SPOT ..PERIOD .

CONAN

By J

What people keep ignoring is that Leno did not want to leave. NBC wanted to keep Conan on the network so they gave him the Tonight Show, focing Leno out in 2009.

When 2009 fast approached, NBC realized they were about to lose the #1-rated late-night talk show host and so they came up with the idea of putting Jay on at 10 PM to keep HIM on the network.

Their mistake was thinking that people would actually tune in. Even loyal Leno fans like myself forget that he's on; you can miss five episodes since it's not a scripted serial show. Leno had 5 million viewers at 11:35 and he continues to have 5 million viewers at 10:00.

Don't blame Leno -- or Conan -- for NBC's short-sighted stupidity.

By cityguy60640

I think it's easy for Seinfeld to say that... I wonder what he would have said if they had moved his show from Thursday night to Saturday night?

Perhaps before NBC makes another crazy programming decision they should look into new programming executives. Because frankly, the "Masturbating Bear" could probably have done a better job running the network than they've done!

By bubba

''You met a-nother,and pfft! you were gone!''....Hell,I love hee-haw... ;)

Friday 09 September

By S0ul

Everyone who think conan sux are idiots and like dull jokes like Jay Leno. Jerry Seinfeld is nothing but, a tool for NBC right next to Jay.

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