Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien Turn on Each Other

By PopEater Staff Posted Jan 14th 2010 06:35AM

The late-night barbs aren't stopping, and Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien have switched from making fun of NBC, to taking jabs at each other.

"Nobody knows what is going on. Conan O'Brien, understandable, is very upset. He had a statement in the paper yesterday. Conan said NBC has only gave him seven months to make his show work. When I heard that ... Seven months?! How did he get that deal? We only got four! Who's his agent?" Leno quipped to his audience.

"Hosting 'The Tonight Show' has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me -- and I just want to say to the kids out there watching: You can do anything you want in life. Unless Jay Leno wants to do it too," Conan said. Watch It Below

But, of course, each host had plenty to say about NBC itself.

"Critics of the war have stopped referring to it as another Vietnam," Leno began. "The bad news, they are now calling it another NBC."

"Welcome, of course, to NBC, America's most dysfunctional family," Jay shouted.

For his part, Conan recruited Jack McBrayer to roast NBC. Dressed as his '30 Rock' character Kenneth the Page, McBrayer gave a tour of the studio during O'Briens's opening.

"This is the former home of 'The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien.'" McBrayer said. "Here's a fun fact, NBC spent more time building this set than using it," he added. Watch It Below

Meanwhile, Jimmy Fallon steered clear of criticizing anyone. "I'm happy to have a job. I really am. I have a lot fun doing this show. We all do. But it's kind of weird because these are two of my heroes and two of my friends," he said on 'Late Night.'

"Leno, I was on his show so many times before I was even at this job and when I got this job he gave me so much advice, as did Conan," Fallon continued. "Conan O'Brien if he didn't kick ass here for 17 years, I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't have a job," Fallon praised. Watch the Video Here

Of course, David Letterman is never one to pass up an opportunity."Isn't it lousy cold outside today? You know, they say, from the weather bureau, they say it's caused by an Arctic chill between Jay and Conan," he joked on 'The Late Show.'

Tags: 30 rock, conan obrien, jack mcbrayer, jay leno

Comments

(489)

Thursday 14 January

By sarah

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I'm not a huge fan of Conan but I really think he has been treated like crap during this ordeal. Jay is funny, but just because his show tanked doesn't mean he should be able to go back to the Tonight Show. He left that show and handed it over to Conan--he shouldn't be able to reclaim it because he is now out of work. I think Conan is doing the right thing by not backing down. Jay's star will be tarnished by the fallout from this and it really serves him right. He is like the neighborhood bully right now.

By Rosemary

Jay should pick up his marbles and go home! It was his decision to leave the Tonight Show 5 years ago. So his new venture didn't work out, too bad, that's the way it is in life. Conan may not have the funniest show, but he has shown class, and NBC doesn't deserve him.

By Notary Public

I agree with you. I am that a big fan on Conan O'Brien, but, I think what they are doing to him is truly unfair. Conan should make sure they reimburse him financially for breaking the contract. He should take the money and run. He is a funny guy in his own way, he can't help the way he looks. I will not be watching Jay Leno any more after this. I am a David Letterman fan. It was bad enough when they screwed him over. Conan, David Letterman made it so will you.

Mary Tirado

By hanelson

Jay, didn't leave the show the show left him. He never wanted to leave. NBC treated Johnny Carson like crap at the end and now they are doing the same to Jay. If there is a bad guy here it is NBC not Jay.

Jay didn't leave NBC force him out just like Johnny Carson. NBC should be ashamed.

By george

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dont you think this a bit childish, with all the peoblems in the world happening, loss of jobs( #50,000 and less that is a year) forclosures to thousands of familys the starving,homless, those with out medical care, those are the problems they should be chatting about, not ther 10 o'clock-11 o'clock spots the rich and powerfull omg

By Cindy

I don't care for Conan but I TOTALLY agree with your statement!

By Wish Belkin

NBC couldn't have handled this worse if they had tried.

By Jim in AR

Actually, Jay did not leave the Tonight Show; he was fired by NBC. Then, the network decided to fire all the expensive actors and writers and directors for the 10 PM drama shows and put on a second, cheap Tonight Show with Leno to save money. NBC needs to be bought by Fiat and taken away to Europe.

By Linda

I have followed this since the beginning, and I can guarantee you that Jay was forced to move to 10:00 because NBC signed a contract with Conan that promised him the tonight show after a certain amount of years. Jay made it very clear last fall that it was not his choice to give up the 11:30 slot, he was FORCED to do it and he was not happy about it. So for those of you who are under the impression that Jay threw Conan under the bus to go to primetime, that is incorrect. Jay is the ultimate victim here, he was FORCED to give up 11:30 so Conan could take over his show, and now Jay is cancelled so basically he was just steamrollered from day one. Conan did fine at 12:30, it was his ambition to take over the Tonight Show that ruined Jay's career and forced him out.

By Chris Hanson

Jay never voluntarily left the show, they told him that they were not going to renew his contract because they wanted a younger audience with Conan. The only reason they gave Jay the primetime show was because he was going to go to another network and they didnt want him to do that.

By jjack

He didnt leave the show. NBC asked him to move to an earlier time slot, as an experiment and a cost saving show for the network. If you read earlier articles from the very beginning, Leno had reservations, but was willing to try it for the network.

And at the end of the day, the network has to look at who will bring more viewers "Conan or Leno". As an employer, you always

By kaye

leno was cancelled he needs to more on and not take someone elses job

By suegil4

SARAH I TOTALLY AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID & I COULDNT HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF!!

By cheryl

I think Conan is one of the most unfunny people on talk show tv. Leno has my vote. Although Conan is getting shafted, he needs to take the money and leave. Save some face.

Saturday 16 January

By ken shaw

It was not Jay's idea to leave the show. He is far more entertaining than Conan. His 11:30 show was watched by more folks than Letterman's (even though I watched Letterman from 11:00 until 11:30 and switched to Jay)......never bothered except for a few times and can't stand his placing his hands together and bowing to and for what i do not know!

By Elaine

Actually, it's not Jay Leno who is trying to move him back to the original spot; it's NBC. Jay wanted the prime time spot, and would like to stay there for the rest of a year. The 'faces' are getting blamed for the mess, when it's really the 'suits' behind the scene causing the problems. Even more accurately, it's the local NBC network affiliates who fussed because when Leno took the prime time slot, a lot of people changed channels away from NBC when his show came on at night, resulting in fewer people tuning in to NBC to watch their local news. That cost local stations millions in ad dollars, so they demanded a change in programming from NBC 'suits'. (From someone who works in the biz.)

By greg

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I agree with you! Jay should be going after his writers and back off of Conan's show, this will hurt them both.
What were those writers thinking for a ten PM slot.

By Tammy

Jay didn't give up his show or leave voluntarily. He signed a contract that NBC rigged up for him to lose his show after he spent 16 years making it number 1 in nighttime. The current situation is neither Jay nor Conan's doing. It is NBC all the way. Have to say, though, Conan is a lot funnier poking jabs than he has been for the past 7 months. Maybe he needs all this adversity to find his "funny bone".

By Retire already, Leno!

Sad, but Leno has more money, more lawyers and more clout... so unfortunately, Conan is going to lose this one. And I feel sorry for Conan - it's HIS turn to shine! Leno is acting like a spoiled child. He should just retire and enjoy his life... how long does he think he's going to LIVE??

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