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'Tonight Show' proceeding as scheduled Tuesday
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Conan O'Brien doesn't want to host "The Tonight Show" at 12:05 a.m. At least for now, though, he's still hosting it at 11:35 p.m.An NBC rep tells Zap2it that Tuesday's (Jan. 12) "Tonight Show" taping is proceeding as scheduled, and the episode will air as planned. Tom Brokaw, "Chuck" star Zachary Levi and Rosanne Cash are slated to be O'Brien's guests.
Tuesday afternoon O'Brien released a statement saying he did not want to host "The Tonight Show" at 12:05 a.m., as NBC has proposed he do. The network is ending Jay Leno's prime-time show next month and wants to give Leno a half-hour show at 11:35 p.m., followed by "The Tonight Show" at 12:05 a.m. and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" at 1:05.
"I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it," O'Brien's statement says. "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. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with 'The Tonight Show,' I believe nothing could matter more.
"There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work."
Zap2it contacted NBC for comment on O'Brien's statement but as of posting time hadn't received a response.
Anyone figure "The Tonight Show" might get a good-sized ratings bump tonight? I know I'll be watching.
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Jay Leno needs to show a little class and bow out gracefully. Having carried the "Tonight Show" torch for as long as he did, he should know the importance of having "The Tonight Show" be NBC's preeminent late-night program. To bump it back past midnight to satisfy his own vanity is incredibly selfish and arrogant, and like the "Seinfeld" episode about the car and the "BO," Leno's "new" show will carry the same odor of failure now that the prime-time version has been savaged so badly. The only way to salvage this situation is for Leno to step aside and stick to the plan he originally agreed to 6 years ago. If NBC wants to save face, let Leno do a series of specials for NBC -- it's not like they're not going to have some holes to fill.
JEFF you are sooo WRONG and have no idea about the situation!!! Research before you blast someone about a situation you obviously don't have any clue about.
Leno did NOT fail. The show itself was fine. Yes it was simalar to his former show but actually held steady around 5.5-sometimes 7+ million viewers...he has plenty of fans and always sells out all his standup shows he does in his free time...the ratings were low for primetime BUT..WAY less costly to NBC than making expensive dramas five days a week!! Therefore his ratings were easily justified and in NO WAY a failure But the affiliates were whining that they were losing money that is what forced the change.
In the end it is Conan/NBC who are at fault for this mess....Conan cried like a baby to NBC saying he would leave if he didn't get the tonight show. NBC was stupid enough to listen went on to make a mess with its late night situation by forcing Leno out when he was still dominating late night. Then Conan takes over and gets low low low ratings...so if anything Conan is the one that FAILED!!!!! I like both of them and think they are both halarious but people need to see this situation in the correct perspective!
Wow, seriously Ryan? Granted, it's hard to take anybody who can't spell "hilarious" correctly seriously...
But when you blast Conan for having low ratings, you're not using proper logic. Why were the NBC affiliates fuming? Because their 11pm local newscasts were tanking, due to the fact that Jay Leno's numbers were far below what NBC's scripted programming had been delivering.
So let's see -- if the news numbers were tanking, that provided no lead-in for Conan's "Tonight Show." If you've ever looked at TV viewing patterns, you know how important it is to build scheduling continuity through strong lead-ins, and Leno's show was the weakest link in that chain leading up to 11:35.
Had NBC stuck with scripted fare at 10pm, the local news numbers -- and Conan's "Tonight Show" numbers -- would have been significantly higher. So don't slap that "fail" on Conan.
As for NBC wanting to run a "cheaper" show that didn't require as many viewers to make it financially viable? Well, they've learned the hard way: You get what you pay for!