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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What! A job vacated by two American Gringos!
Who will fill the job! A Chicano of course!
Give the job to George Lopez!!
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You really should have added Craig Ferguson's reaction which was both funny and a class act about the rat b...ds at NBC
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OOPS, looks like the adolescent vulgarity and humor of those late night hosts are losing popularity of the adult viewers with the purse strings. Hope Letterman is the next to go. Perhaps they should, get new writers.
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I have a novel idea (for America, anyway). Has anyone ever seen the BBC show "Later...with Jools Holland" ??? It`s amazing, and way too cool for America, sadly. They have about 5 bands / performers set up in a circle on a big soundstage and theres no talking or BS - just music for the whole hour. The cameras are in the middle and just pan from one to another after each song. They always have a mix of big-name / indie and genres. On any given night, the lineup may be something like Metallica, Allison Krauss, Oasis, Tom Waites, and Alicia Keys. No joke. No celebutards making the rounds telling the same lame-ass stories over and over. What I wouldn`t give to have something like that here (other than reruns of the BBC show on cable). But will our networks ever be so bold? No, they`ll keep serving up Jay, reality shows about the biggest freaks they can find or who`s- screwing-who, or mindless scripted drivel. Oh well...
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Wait other people do late night shows? I was only aware of the man himself, CRAIG FERGUSON.
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I have to say if you put craic fergusson at the 11.30 time slot he would beat all the ratings. Having said that its not right what they are doing to conon, now he will probably leave and jay leno will take over just to retire again in 2 or 3 years. Good job NBC you Phucking idiots.
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I've thought all along that Jimmy Fallon should be the one taking over The Tonight Show, he's too TAME for Late Night, but possesses a like-able Johnny Carson style. If he's the only one left he might have to move up into the Tonight Show slot. I love Conan, but Conan's Conan, he's doing the Conan show not The Tonight Show. I do prefer Dave & Craig...but really after the opening 20 it's all about Guest, Guest, Guest.
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Stewart, Colbert,15 min. of Kimmel . Game ,Set, Match, Bedtime.
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NBC harpoons JAWS. Now if ABC and CBS will dump their adolescent night hosts I might start watching them again.
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Its sickening what NBC is doing to Conan. They made this mess now live with it. Conan got ZERO publicity for his show because they were busy promoting Jays stupid show. If Jay doesn't resign he is NOT a man. He always has been a sneaky,slimy,under handed prick. This is just another example.
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Yea, but I'll bet Tiger is glad all this crap is going on!
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conan looks like max headroom
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I used to watch Letterman and Conan back in the day. They were funny 5 years ago, but now I find their jokes are lame and cheesy. I was never a fan of Leno. Now the only Late night show I watch is the Craig Ferguson show. He actually TALKS to the guests(doesn't ask them things they've heard 35983895 times)and makes it funny. I'll have Letterman on only so I'm on the right channel for Craig.
The only laughs I've given Conan and Letterman as of late were PITY LAUGHS.
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Okay...Jay has run his course; it's time to kiss late night goodbye; he needs to suck it up and move on; he's had his time in the spotlight. Really sad how NBC is trying to railroad Conan.
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Does anyone else think that Jimmy Kimmel looks way more like Bill Clinton than Jay Leno in that makeup? Scary.
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Where is Joan rivers when we sooo need her?
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Kimmel and Letterman are the biggest perverts on tv.
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I agree!! Conan was horrible! Not funny at all. Just funny looking!
Who tells the better joke? LENO Who has a better rapport with celebrities? Leno... Who can carry the Johnny Carson torch? LENO Conan's numbers were not up to snuff. In the real world if you don't make the numbers...ya gotta go to the one that does…Did someone say JAY LENO?
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CONAN YOU COULDN'T BEAT LETTERMAN, SOMETHING THAT LENO DID ALL THE TIME. KIMMEL YOU WERE HOLDING A MUG OF BEER AND HAVING YOUR JUGGIES GIVE EVERYONE A LAP DANCE. JIMMY WATCH WHO YOU ATTACK.
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