Late-Night Hosts Gang Up to Pummel NBC
If NBC was hoping to brush the whole Conan/Leno debacle under the table, they should get ready for a long, hard ride if last night's late-night assault on the Peacock network was any indication. Conan reamed NBC for essentially pushing him out, Jay alluded to it but mostly avoided Conan's situation, and other network hosts chimed in as well.
After the jump, a breakdown of all the 'Tonight'-gate commentary on Tuesday.
Conan's Colossal Day
Hours after releasing a statement saying that he had no interest in manning 'The Tonight Show' if it was bumped to 12:05 am -- marking perhaps the biggest middle-finger letter from employer to boss we've ever seen -- Conan didn't hold back during his Tuesday monologue. He joked: "I've been giving the situation a lot of thought. When I was a little boy, I remember watching 'The Tonight Show' with Johnny Carson and thinking 'One day, I'm going to host that show for seven months.'"
Perhaps the biggest NBC barb was when Conan said of the current situation: "NBC said they were planning on having the late-night situation figured out before the Olympics start. And let me tell you something, when NBC says something, you can take that to the bank."
As the one that many are considering the person who was the most royally screwed during this whole ordeal, Conan fans had reason to celebrate. He ripped the network that is pushing him out while still showing a good deal of tact and classiness for not totally freaking out.
Jay Jokes, But Ignores Conan
Aside from a joke or two about the overall hairiness of the situation he's at the epicenter of, Leno stopped short of directly addressing Conan's statement released earlier on Tuesday. Instead, he focused on smaller barbs towards NBC, saying: "The folks here at NBC, they don't handle these things well. They don't have a lot of tact. After they canceled the show, they told me if I gained 10 pounds I could join 'The Biggest Loser.'"
Perhaps in job preservation mode at this point (PopEater's Rob Shuter
reports Leno may be out at NBC as well), Leno avoided any him-versus-Conan taunts.
Dave Doesn't Hold Back
David Letterman has never been one to bite his tongue. By far the most ornery late-night host, the NBC mess is a dream come true for Letterman, who still has an axe to grind with his former network and Leno himself.
"You know what this means -- that's right, I knocked off another competitor," he joked in his monologue, referring to Conan O'Brien's decision Tuesday to leave NBC if they move 'The Tonight Show' to 12:05 a.m. Letterman repeatedly referred to his old and soon-to-be current foe as Jay "Big Jaw" Leno and mocked the "geniuses" at NBC programming who devised his move to prime-time.
Kimmel Gets in Leno's Shoes ... Literally
Over at ABC, consummate prankster and impersonator Jimmy Kimmel used the 'Tonight' firestorm to bust out his fantastic Jay Leno impersonation, complete with prop chin (naturally).
Kimmel, as Leno, said in his monologue: "Hello, hello, my name is Jay Leno and let it here by be known that I'm taking over all the shows in late-night," he quipped, referring to the recent dustup at NBC. He went on to joke that "It's great to be here on ABC," he adds. "You know what ABC stands for? Always Bump Conan."
Another shot was lobbed directly at Leno with the joke: "Conan O'Brien, today, announced that he is leaving NBC. He released a statement today saying 'I won't participate in the destruction of 'The Tonight Show.'" Fortunately, though, I will," Kimmell says.
Fallon Forgets to Talk About It
A somber looking Jimmy Fallon dodged getting involved in 'Tonight'-gate entirely, as his place at NBC following all of this drama is still unknown. His first two jokes were about Sarah Palin and 'Jersey Shore,' skating around the 800 pound elephant in the NBC offices.
With Conan likely out, there's no word where Fallon -- whose current show begins at 12:35 a.m. after Conan's 'Tonight show' -- will land. Whether it was a conscious decision by Fallon to stay out of it or network executives told him to back off is unknown, but one thing is for sure -- there was certainly some strange energy going on.
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It would be great if they were all dumped starting with David Letterman.then dump Letterman again.Put a flock of Chickens on scratching in a Barn Yard for all their time slots.
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I think they all should quit.
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Hello NBC you nitwits. The failed 10 o'clock slot for Leno is killing local NBC affiliates who are losing market share and that in turn lead to fewer viewers as a lead in for the Tonight Show. Morons are running NBC and MSNBC. Wonder if the Obama administration will be hit up for a bailout, since NBC is in the Prez's pocket. NBC execs: Remember that the last one out the door be sure to turn off the lights.
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Funny stuff but both your clips and pole are missing the best guy on late night....Craig Ferguson.
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The best course for NBC is to just let the affiliates do what they want with the 10 PM slot and preemept Leno if they want to. If enough locals knock off his show at 10 PM, he'll get the message that he's over the hill. Then NBC keeps Conan (who is also not that much fresher after all these years)at 11:30 where the Tonight Show belongs. Eventually Falin moves up a step to replace him. NBC would not have to pay off Conan for moving him from the 11:30 slot and would not have to pay to create new shows for the 10 Pm slot which have small chance of success anyway.
Letterman is as burned out as Leno. Craig Fergusen is the only one who is enjoying himself on late night TV, which is why his show is the funniest. Falin is still young and needs polish but at least he can do enthusiastic interviews with legends like Ringo and ask questions that haven't been asked a million times.
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I don't watch any of them.. My grandma used to watch the tonight show,Guess I'm not old enough to enjoy late night shows yet.hehe If Jay couldn't hang he should be canceled or he should be put on at 1am.It's not fair for the rest .Their rating's are fine,put the one who sux on later or get rid of the show. That's what they always do. Networks are always fast to cancel shows that are funny and that we like. Why should Jay be any different. He is not funny.
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Conan O'brien shouldn't be pushed to a later time just because Jay Leno's show totally sucks. I have been watching Conan for years and he deserves the tonight show.He has stuck it out with NBC for over a decade and when he finally gets his dream job they boot him. And what about Jimmy Fallon? he didnt get a say about his show getting pushed to a later time. If Conan does go to Fox then Fox very lucky. Peace peeps!!!
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I've been waiting for years ever since i knew that leno and conan had a contract that promised the tonight show to conan in 2009. I love conan so much more than jay, because jay is pretty cheesy to me, and I couldn't wait until conan had his earlier time slot so that I could actually stay awake to watch him. This is just a huge disappointment to conan and his fans, and conan had been working hard for many years to prepare for this. I mean he had to move his entire family and max weinberg and the whole band and all of their families across the country for this, and it's getting taken away already.
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JAY IS TOTALLY THE BEST. gET RID OF THE REST!
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I wish they would take them all off at night and put some good movies on. I'm so tired of all these reality and talk shows. Late night we are paying for a lot of trash on TV. It is just ashame that we can't even let our children stay up and watch TV because there is so much trash on.
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If any of them had even half the "IT" that Johnny Carson had,there would be no argument.The problem is all of them have less than half of the talent he had.
The only one that I watch at all is Craig Ferguson.
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Jay will get his old show back. Conan will go to FOX. Jay will still rule the time slot. Kimmel, Carson Daily, etc will be fine.
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@ Karen -- I agree with you! It seems like Jay Leno was saying he'd retire several years ago. Long before there was speculation about Conan moving up to his time slot. I, too enjoyed Jay when he was on the Tonight show, but I'm not sure I'd watch iht again.
Craig Ferguson is funny when I can understand what he's saying. With the laughter (or laugh track) over laying his words especially, he's difficult to understand.
Dave Letterman loves to feel his audience is sharper and more sophisticated than anything else on late @ night. I think his humor varies from childish to down right mean. Got no use for the man.
Honestly speaking, I really don't have a dog in this hunt. I've given up on network programming except the CBS Sunday Morning show. It's the only network program I ever actually tune in to see.
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SHORT AND SWEET: nONE OF THEMCAN HOLD A CANDLE TO jOHNNY cARSON NONE OF THEM EVER.
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Leno was pushed out while on top at number 1. Conan has no viable audience, he is behind Nightline in the ratings.......Just bring Jay back ...pleeeeassseeee.
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I'm impressed by all the people who admit that they regularly watch Leno,Ferguson,Obrien,or Letterman. It's an honest admission that they also suffer from the same severe mental diseases that theyn watch. Please folks,as a medical professional, I implore you to see a reputable psychiatrist of your choice and get well. There is a good life out there, outside the ideation,paranoia, delusions, mania, depression, and hysteria that you relate to. Today's atypical antipsychotics cure so many like you, don't be afraid, you can be cured.
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I AM SORRY CONAN STINKS, HE JUST ISN T FUNNY. NO RED HEADED MAN IS FUNNY.
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And what about Craig Ferguson? He took square aim at the NBC executives and let 'em have it with both proverbial barrels.
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At one point I really liked Leno, and when he retired I was sad to see him go, but at the same time I was excited to see Conan take his place. Now I'm not so sure if I like Jay that much; I never really watched Letterman or Kimmel, and Fallon is cool. However, when it's all said and done, Leno's had his time, and Conan seems like the best man for the Job!! GO CONAN!!
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I think Jay is very gready
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