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)

Friday 29 January

By Pat

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The only humor is that he had to go on Oprah to whine next he'll be on Jerry Springer.

Thursday 28 January

By papam11

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Leno take away Conan's job? Not once have I heard anyone say that it was Conan who took away Leno's job. Isn't anyone listening? NBC offered Conan Leno's job if he waited 5 years. 5 YEARS????? Um, think maybe that should have raised red flags all over the place? If people are going to knock someone for cutting someone off at the knees, look to NBC AND Conan.

By Michael Teniente

Why did people expect for Jay to "retire"? NBC gambled in 2004 and lost in 2010. Had Jay left in 2009 he would be on another network and not have retired. NBC kept Leno because they knew he was sure money even if it meant bring him back to the Tonight Show. Conan was a gamble with Conan's brand of humor, which belongs on Late Night and not at the Tonight Show's time slot.

Is anyone else sick of Ophrah?

mike t.

By debbie

yes. iam sick of oprah, and everyone acting like shes some kind of god.

By William

Leno had 5 years to stick it to NBC and make a deal with another network to begin a show on 2009. If NBC put him thru that predicament he could have done that and walk with the respect of everybody instead he did what the same reptiles from NBC that let him go off the show asked him to do again. Mr. Leno please do not play the victim here the only person here with some respect and sense of honor here is Mr. Conan O'Brien who did the right thing, walk away from he's dream job to avoid changing the name of the show to The Tomorrow's Show.

By Kim

Are you kidding me! Conan played the game in 2004 with a threat to leave when is contract was up in 2004. NBC promised Conan the Tonight Show throwing Jay under the bus (I didn't see Conan crying then). It all back fired on NBC and Conan with a 47% loss in ratings. NBC had to cancel Conan and bring back Jay (see Jay was number 1 in 2009 when he had to leave the show). Jay is the one who has been dumped on. Having to move to 10pm slot to make room for Conan. This just all goes to show everyone what greedy little people are running NBC.

By Mike

And who was it that took Leno's dream job? Conan supporters are barking up the wrong tree. O'Brien "bombed" and the ratings proved it.

By Lauren

Leno's show didn't have the ratings in the first couple of years until Hugh Grant came on air and talked about his arrest. If NBC had given Conan the time to build up an audience then his version of The Tonight Show could have been as popular as Jay's. But due to a incredibly horrible lead in (The Jay Leno Show), Conan's show was never given that chance. This is not Conan's fault. Conan wasn't going to "take" the Tonight Show away from Leno. Conan worked at NBC for 17 years as a writer and performer, if anything he earned the opportunity, I don't think he ever acted like he was entitled to the show at all. If Jay Leno had stepped down gracefully with his money and garage full of cars we wouldn't be in this mess

By peter

leno did the right thing. screw the media. obrian ain't funny.

By Max

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I can't wait for Jay to trounce Letterman + Kimmel in the ratings again! Way to go Jay!

By james claypool

ITS CALLED GREED/MONEY MONEY MONEY/JAY NEEDS MONEY

By Bunny

1) Letterman should have had the show when Carson retired

2) If Letterman didn't get the show, then NBC should have let Leno keep it.

3) NBC knew how affiliates would feel about this. They were trying to save money. PEOPLE WANT SCRIPTED TELEVISION BACK.

4)If NBC didn't want Leno on Tonight anymore they should have found someone with broader appeal than Conan.

I don't care for Leno or Conan. Leno ceased to be funny a long time ago. Conan never was.

I despise Letterman's personal behavior, but if you are looking for the best show - it's his.

By nick

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Leno is a bore...his time is over.

By E

I'm with Jay I like him--it was a business decision and if it would have been the other way around Connan would have accepted the job too without a doubt!

By Country-girl

I watched Jay on Oprah (nice hair/color O" though I felt like he was being attacked with questions...I feel like it was a business decission and I feel bad for Connan but Jay got offered the job--his ratings are better! I have to say that one night after I watched Matt Damon on Jay Leno I was thinking how tough it can be for stars to stay on top of the game for so long. I mean if none-entertainers get fired we can go search for another job anywhere but for them there only so manny studios producers and 'time slots' that they can go to. Well I'm glad Jay is on at 10:00 and I love U.S.A.!

By susan

Leno said that the reason Conan was being replaced was because his ratings were down. But the reason Conan's ratings were down was because nobody wanted to watch two Tonight Shows each night. NBC messed up by airing two nearly identical shows each night. Leno should have let Conan have his show without trying to canibalize it by going on right before him. He has to know this and doesn't care about anyone but himself. After seeing Oprah today, I will never watch Leno's show again.

By Willaim

Susan you hit it right on the head. That's what people don't understand. I'm not worry, Leno would never regain he's reputation or popularity again and once again he show's who he really is, just like when he push the real King of the Night Mr. Carson with the same tactic with NBC.

By AP

I think when Conan feels the time is right, he'll talk to Oprah. Until then. I wish him the best of luck and I hope FOX puts him on. That'll be a fun show that his audience will appreciate just as much as Jay's audience likes his show. To answer the question "Would you take that show if a major network offered it to you?" You'd be an idiot to say no. Jay is going back where he was number one to begin with. Conan was number one in his original time slot. NBC screwed with a good thing, and in the process, screwed both of them. At the end of the day, both Jay & Conan are the winners. Jay gets 11:35 back, and Conan is a very rich man who will be back someplace else soon!

By Angelia

Conan didn't ask Leno's permission to take his job. Why should Leno feel guilty, it was his job first.

By l.

Leno never once refers to the FACT that ** HIS ** Show, the "Jay Leno Show" had VERY POOR RATINGS and was THE reason this all started. Leno's show had to be canceled because LENO could not perform, but Leno wants to blame it all on Conan!! What an ass. Leno refused to retire when he was supposed to and instead played underhanded and grabbed the Tonight Show from Conan before Conan had any chance. We will NEVER watch Leno OR NBC. Can't wait to see what show Conan will be doing, though because those of us under 80 LOVE Conan. Letterman was right- this is selfish, lying "Vintage Jay."

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