On Oprah, Jay Leno Denies Taking Conan's Dream Job

By PopEater Staff Posted Jan 28th 2010 03:55PM

With all eyes on Jay Leno, he sat down with Oprah Winfrey for his first interview since the blow-up over NBC's late-night lineup. While he admits having some regrets, Leno's deepest scars seem to stretch back to 2004 when NBC first announced Conan O'Brien would be taking over the show in 2009. "It broke my heart. It really did. I was devastated," Leno said. "This was the job that I had always wanted and this was the only job that ever mattered in show business, to me.... It was just like, why?"

Later in the interview, Leno refused to take blame for taking away Conan's dream. "This is an affiliate decision. Affiliates felt that the ratings were low. This was the first time in the 60-year history of 'The Tonight Show' that 'The Tonight Show' would have lost money. And that's what it comes down to. It's really just a matter of dollars and cents."

Earlier this month, O'Brien walked away from the late-night institution when NBC executives announced that they wanted Leno to once again follow the local news and move O'Brien's 'Tonight Show' to 12:05 a.m. ET. Leno returns to 'The Tonight Show' March 1.

According to Leno, NBC came to him and talked about the ratings, saying Conan and Leno were both down. NBC executives then assured him that he was a "valuable asset" and they were "75 percent sure" Conan would go for the revised plan, which would have had Leno doing a 30-minute show at 11:30 p.m. ET.

Oprah grills Leno about why he didn't consult Conan before agreeing to the new plan. "It wasn't my place to call Conan," Leno said. "They made this offer to me. And I said, 'Do you think Conan will go for this?' And they said, 'We'll ask him tomorrow.' 'OK, let me know what happens.' And the next thingyou know, Conan had his article in the paper and that was that."

Blaming NBC for the late night debacle, Leno adds, "Anything they did would have been better than this... If they had come in and shot everybody. It would have been 'Oh, people were murdered,' but at least it would have been a two-day story. NBC could not have handled it worse."

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Jay Leno Snapshots

Jay Leno speaks during the panel for "The Jay Leno Show" at the NBC Universal Television Critics Association summer press tour in Pasadena, Calif. More Photos >>

Jay Leno Snapshots

FILE - In this March 19, 2009 file photo, host Jay Leno is shown on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, file)

Jay Leno Snapshots

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2009 file photo, Jay Leno speaks during the panel for "The Jay Leno Show" at the NBC Universal Television Critics Association summer press tour in Pasadena, Calif. NBC Universal Television Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010 said that Leno's nightly prime-time show will end with the beginning of the Winter Olympics on Feb. 12. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, file)

Jay Leno Snapshots

FILE - In this March 19, 2009 file photo, host Jay Leno is shown on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, file)

Jay Leno Snapshots

Winfrey repeatedly asked why he didn't just retire. Leno says his decision was an "agonizing" one. "Maybe I'm doing something wrong. This many people are angry and upset over a television show... My show got canceled. They weren't happy with the other guy's show. They said, 'We want you to go back,' and I said, 'OK.' And this seemed to make a lot of people really upset. And I go, 'Well, who wouldn't take that job though? Who wouldn't do that?'"

When media reports began turning Leno into the "bad guy" he felt cornered and confused, he told Oprah. "I never expected this to happen. People think you're behind the scenes, pulling strings," he added. "There's no strings to pull. I have a show that's been canceled. So why would I have any power to go, 'Oh, I want ['The Tonight Show']?

Leno admits NBC is all about ratings though. "Well, if you look at where the [O'Brien 'Tonight Show'] ratings were, it was already destructive to the franchise," Leno replied.

Leno also revealed that he hasn't been in touch with O'Brien since. "I haven't talked to him through all this. No. I haven't... it didn't seem appropriate."

Tags: conan obrien, ConanObrien, jay leno, jay leno show, JayLeno, JayLenoShow, oprah, oprah winfrey, OprahWinfrey

Comments

(88)

Thursday 28 January

By DSM

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Leno is a loser for taking the job back without consulting O'brien, that was just the right thing to do and he left if up to the TV execs so that he wouldn't have to talk to him. I don't watch Leno or O'brien so I have no side to pick except that Leno didn't do the honorable thing.

By dbrns124

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

If they would have offered you the job would you have taken it? Of course if he had consulted Conan what do you think Conan would have said go ahead take my dream job. Get real this is business and a cut throat business it is. Conan would not have been let go if he would have had decent ratings.

By Melinda

It would have been VERY INAPPROPRIATE for Jay to talk it over with Conan.Management at NBC should have discussed it with both of them in one big meeting.Now people are taking sides like highschool kids do.

By James

Look, if Conan was any good at it, he'd still have the show, plain and simple. He was terrible, no one was watching, so he got to eat it. Leno never had that problem, so they asked him back. It's their show. They can do that. So what's all this crap about?

By galexz

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GIVE ME A BREAK!!! When Leno took over he had all NBC's writers available to him, Carson retired. When O'Brian took over he had Leno scooping up NBC'S premier material available to him first. If you put the two of them head to head without writers O'Brian,the more intelligent man by a mile, wins hands down!

By Kat

For whatever reason people seem to want to blame Leno for this mess is ridiculous. First of all, Conan was promised a show that wasn't up for grabs 5 years ago. The head honchos at NBC felt that is what the public would want. Because they made a mistake in judgment, many peoples lives have been disrupted. On both sides. I feel bad for all the Conan crew that moved across the country. But it is NOT Jay's fault! I think Jimmy Fallon should be put on later and Conan can do his old show in that time spot but do it from LA. It's all about the Benjamen's in todays world. Jay was absolutely right in not discussing the matter w/ Conan. It was not his place. Conan needs a better manager. If I were him I'd be like Jay and represent myself.

By Jim

I use to only watch Letterman, but since Jay Leno had a 10pm show I watched him. I thought he was great ! Conan what little I watched is no where near Jay Leno ability. Blame the executives at NBC for the mess ! Enough a.ready ! Ratings don't lie...............

By Gramma Bear

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

You Go Jay! Don't take all this stuff so personal. You are the BEST!

By jimmy p

if your not the boss, then u do what the boss says to do , the american way, Leno has no say in where they want him, Now Johnny Carson would have been a different story !What would Johnny have done is the real question ?

By deb

johnny would have given it to dave like originally planned years ago

By debbie

johnny would have handed it over to dave like it was originally planned

Friday 29 January

By William

Mr. Carson would've done what he did when NBC try the same nasty stuff with him and Jay, walk with he's dignity intact and the respect forever that he deserves. But remember you talking about Mr. Johnny Carson the irreplaceable King of the Night a real gentleman and a class act. Remember when he left he did it on he's own terms and without telling NBC nothing because the reptiles and the frog(Leno) didn't deserve it.

By glenn

If I want high school humor I'll watch MTV. If I want stale same-old same-old, I'll watch reruns of Married With Children. I'll watch Jay and et both...plus it'll put me to sleep too!!

By Dee

I think Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien are both incredible performers and hosts. I have enjoyed watching both. It is horribly unfortunate that things happened the way they did. I agree with Jay, it really was not his place to consult with Conan and if offered a job I love I would take it in a heartbeat. This is a business and a business decision was made. That said, I do think that those businessmen should have gone to Conan first to discuss the matter before going to Jay and thinking that Conan would go for the deal. Conan deserved that respect and consideration. It is poor management by NBC. I wish both of these men great success. They deserve it.

By Justme

The fact that NBC discussed the change with Jay first shows where the studio's priorities were.

By tim

leno is better then conan!!! conan wasnt funny at all... not leno's fault conan couldnt get good ratings!!!!whos gonna say no to that job!?!?!? jay should have stayed there all along!! cant wait for him to be back......

By Ray

It's business, ratings were down, they had to do something, this was one way they thought they could fix it.
By the way did Conan ask Leno if it was OK to take his spot last year???????

By Ted

For what i've seen they both suck.....

Saturday 30 January

By tom

Leno is a snake

By barbara rix

Jay seems to be very whiny. There is a simple, stand-up way of doing business. Did he have to call O'Brien? No. If he was a decent guy would he have? Yes. I just think back now over the Letterman debacle and then his recent type of humor, the kind that shows how stupid other people are... and I realize he's a putz. I love Conan and can remember my whole dorm getting together to watch him. He's a class act and Jay isn't.

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