Conan O'Brien Reportedly Leaving NBC Next Week

By PopEater Staff Posted Jan 14th 2010 03:45PM

Conan O'Brien's last night as host of 'The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien' will likely be next Friday, January 22, a source close to O'Brien tells PEOPLE. "Conan does not currently plan on doing any more new shows after next week," says the source. To add to rumbles, NBC released its post-Winter Olympics schedule -- which did not include the 'Tonight Show.' Though his departure is looking increasingly likely, NBC is insisting a departure date is not yet set.

But if Jan. 22 is indeed O'Brien's final broadcast, the show will have ended two weeks before NBC's scheduled preemption for its 2010 Winter Olympics coverage. Meanwhile, TMZ is reporting that Jay Leno has made a new deal with NBC, which gives him 'The Tonight Show' from 11:35 - 12:35.

On Tuesday, the host released a statement saying that he would not go along with NBC's plan for him to host a relocated Tonight Show at 12:05 a.m., following The Jay Leno Show at 11:35 p.m.

"I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is [The Tonight Show's] destruction," said O'Brien.

In his statement, O'Brien expresses deep respect for the 'Tonight Show' legacy, which includes such icons as Johnny Carson and Jack Paar, and flatly states he cannot participate in what he believes is the franchise's systematic dismantling.

"My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction."

Tags: conan obrien, ConanObrien, nbc, the tonight show with conan obrien, TheTonightShowWithConanObrien

Comments

(497)

Thursday 14 January

By jamelle

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Ken, no one cares what u watch!!! DUH!!!

By gobluespartyon

If you don't care then why you click the headline. You're bias is showing Ken I don't like NBC news but I'm not going to stop watching there shows if it's good shows doesn't matter which network it's on CBS, ABC, Fox, The CW, NBC.

Friday 15 January

By diesel

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shut up ken. barack has nothing to do with this article or topic. We have real problems in our society right now and your divisiveness doesnt help. Thats why I hate politics right now, everything is so divided. Why dont you try to be part of the solution instead of just criticizing what you perceive to be the problem. Why do you hate Obama so much anyway?

By bookaholic7

NBC created this mess....not Leno or O'Brien. First...in they're rush to keep O'Brien they promised him the Tonight Show without knowing if Leno intended to retire or not. Then when it came time for O'Brien to take over they panicked when it was clear that Leno was headed somewhere else. Then Leno bombed in prime time and O'Brien running second to Letterman. None of this from Day 1 when they named O"Brien host of the show several years ago has been thought out and they're still not thinking it out.

By jenkinsdarcy

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The Tonight Show was Jay's! I never cared for Conan, he has a different kind of humor. Maybe it's just simply time to RETIRE the Tonight Show and that's really the problem! "There have been too many chef's in that kitchen now and maybe it's just simply time to close the restaurant!" The concept gets old after a while and you can only do the same things over and over for just so long! As much as I like Kevin and the band, I got sick of Doc and the band on the Carson show as well back in the day! Open the windows and air out the place!

By larrystewart

Why in the world would Fox want someone that is a flop,Conan has never impressed me as being funny, I can't stand the man, I never watch the tonight show after Leno left, and by the way I stopped watching Leno because he joined up with the new left wing crowd.

By Rusty

I had never seen Conan on the Tonight Show and by sheer luck had tickets to see the taping of the show this Tuesday. I must say that for someone who remembers Carson and Paar in that interviewers seat, I thought Conan was smart, witty, and fast on his feet. The envelope is broader now a days, but Conan delivered....even after NBC had screwed him. A fan is born.

By Linda

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Makes me sick what they are doing to Conan. He and his staff uprooted and moved for the Tonight show. Jay Leno just needs to go away. Conan is very talented. If he moves to Fox he will be awesome. Jay will still suck.

By sjoysmit

I never watched Jay Leno after he hid in a closet to get secrets helping him screw Carson and Letterman. He is a brown nose creep. I certainly won't watch him now.

I will tune in to Conan if he gets a gig on Fox and I still like to watch Dave Letterman.

NBC...still making all the wrong moves.

Another lie Jay Leno never hide in a closet to screw Carson or Letterman David Letterman was the one screwing with Jay Leno so get it right Letterman never been funny. Both Conan & Jay are funnier than David Letterman as he sucks.

By garyrjas

Leno is a dead horse. Letterman will now beat him, and Conan will be in second at FOX. NBC better find someone better soon, or it will be as bad as today's SNL (what ever happened there?). NBC has bombed for too long, five days a week of Law and Order and then they decide on 5 days a week on Leno at 10. These people are losers.

By jmslotnick

Leno and NBC gave O'Brien a real stab in the back. Regardless of how people feel about Conan O'Brien, Leno is a baby crawling back on his knees after his so called retirement then a show he decided to do that bombed big time. NBC needs a shakeup in the executive programming offices. Their choices are digusting and ridiculous. NBC should not take back Leno, keep O'Brien and start thinking smart not stupid like they are doing. Leno show retire as he was going to do....

Thursday 21 January

By g

I tried to watch Conan, but he constantly talks about himself... i watch to hear what the guest has to say, not Conan talk about himself...he was a self-centered loser from the beginning...good riddance Conan

By nettio45

I have never liked Jay Leno. I will not watch his show, I never have. Conan has always been cutting edge, you either get him or you don't. I have watched Conan for years and always enjoyed him. I will watch him wherever he is. He shows his class through all of this. Jay does not.

By Marcus

He decides to quit, so he makes the decision for everyone associated with the show to lose their job also...what a self centered prick.

By conan

ugh noob, ever think that he'll bring his cast and crew with him??

....prick

By phintel

Seems like an awful lot of controversy for such a tiny audience. NBC should re-think their strategy and go for something that will increase the audience by 10 to 20 times. Find a new host, and incorporate the best aspects of other audience pleasing shows like "The Soup", "The Daily Show", "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me", etc. Get rid of the Jazz band and bring in something more conventional and broadly accepted. Get rid of dud skits and mix up the agenda for each show so there isn't always a group of jokes being presented in the beginning and some unknown garage band at the end. In other words, try something new, funny, sexy, entertaining and exciting and the audience will probably increase to 20 million or so.

By thenix

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Jay Leno killed the Tonight show. His 10pm show was horrible and people changed the station and then stopped watching the local news on NBC. People just never turned back to Conan. The affilates wanted Jay to go because he was killing their revenue from the news and killed ratings for Conan.

By Evan

Finally someone got it right!!
Thank you.

By art

they fired Leno from the 11:35 time slot, put Conan there. they are firing Conan cause he's losing to Letterman. wasn't he losing to letterman in the rating? so now they are rehiring Leno for his old time slot. that's the reason letterman is mad at Leno cause when he gets back he'll kick letterman's rear again. so why is Conan mad at Leno?

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