Late night mess at NBC... Latest: Conan's new show (reply #250)

[burnzy24]

It is being reported that Leno's prime time show has been canceled. However, NBC now wants to move Jay back to 10:35 (CT) and give him a half hour show, keep Conan with the tonight show but have him start a half hour later, and also move Jimmy Fallon back. Link

 

IMO, NBC is being very impatient and should just let Leno go. Giving Leno a show right before the Tonight Show is setting Conan up for failure. It took time for people to adjust from Carson to Leno and it will take time to have them adjust to Conan, keeping Leno around is just hindering the process. If I was Conan I would just bolt to Fox or a cable network like Comedy Central. (Can you imagine Stewart, Colbert, and Conan right after another).

 

Hmmm, a 17 year vet who chose to retire and then right when the new guy is about to take over has second thoughts and wants to come back, sounds very familiar!! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Invader3K]

The whole situation seems weird. I just read comments this morning from an NBC executive basically saying, "We should be giving these guys more time." It sounds like they are essentially caving into pressure from local NBC affiliates that have been unhappy with the changes.

 

Personally, I've liked the new shows. Leno at 9 PM (locally here) was a nice innovation, and Conan definitely deserved an earlier slot after having the later show for so many years. I wish they'd stick with it. I don't watch either show religiously, but when I have caught both of them, I thought they were at least reasonably entertaining.

[MarquesJohnson2000]

Affiliates were talking about not airing the show; NBC had to do something to keep them happy. Leno's show may have been profitable for the network but they can't afford to have affiliates abandoning them or they've got nowhere to air their lineup.

[Patrick425]

When I was younger, I was a big fan of Letterman (Mid 80's through 90's). That was when he use to go out on the street and goof on people, and he had characters like Larry "Bud" Melman and Chris Elliot (or the guy under the stairs). Then, I got a job, got married, had a child and late night TV was not really on my radar any more. Occasionally I would get a chance to watch Letterman and realized that many of the things that use to make him funny were no longer featured in his show.

Lately, because of a conversion my company is going through, I've been doing a lot of work at home late at night. While I'm doing this, I usually have the TV on and casually pay attention to it. I really like Conan O'Brian. It's much better than what Letterman offers now and I think he's better than Leno.

I hope Leno turns down the move and just lets O'Brian keep his time slot. I get the feeling NBC is hoping Leno goes away. Offering him a half hour show sound to me like they are saying "We'll give you a half hour show if you want it...but you don't really want that do you?"

[Mr QL]

One of the two needs to leave NBC. Simple as that. Giving Leno a show before Conan completely undermined him. Why would the loyal Leno audience tune into Conan afterward? I'm sure FOX or ABC would love to have one of them. If I were them I'd be fighting my hardest to get out of that sad excuse for a channel NBC.

[MarquesJohnson2000]

I read that they can't offer Leno more than half an hour because O'Brien has a clause in his contract stating that his show will start no later than 12:05.

[Invader3K]

I used to really like Conan in my college days, and then would still watch in my early post-college days. Eventually my work schedule didn't allow me to stay up late enough to watch him, so I've appreciated that he's on before 11:30 PM locally now. After all the years he spent in that time slot when not many gave him great chances of success, he deserves to have the marquee late night show on NBC.

[Baldkin]

Honestly, I wish Conan would make the move to Comedy Central, after the Daily Show and Colber Report.... an hour show and really truly let loose and do his own thing.

 

For the most part he's refused to "dumb down" (mass-appeal-ize?) his show to the earlier time slot, which has hurt a bunch, I'm sure.

[GAME05]

it's like they've got two star players on the team, but both at the same position.

 

in a lot of ways i could see how moving Leno back for a half hour would work. The Tonight Show had its audience primarily to see Leno's monologue, and it seems like that move they're proposing would do just that--Leno gets the monologue and Conan does the rest of the show. I think that could spell the end of Conan, though. His show a half-hour later wouldn't get a real chance to build an audience, plus you're starting to play around with a show that's a brand. That's like moving SNL to Sundays.

 

although NBC shouldn't forget that when Leno first came on, he wasn't doing great for a while until he had that Hugh Grant show. Conan has barely had the chance to get his feet wet.

 

Seems to me part of what's hurt Conan is that NBC has pulled the reigns on him a little and not quite let him be the goofy, slightly-too-much comedian he's good at being. They want him to be a Leno clone and he's not. Conan would be hilarious on Fox. They'd give him a good time slot and encourage him to do idiot stuff.

[RyDogg66]

I wonder how Conan would do on FOX at a 10:00 CST time slot or if a potential FOX move would remain at the 10:35 CST time.

[RockCoCougars]

I've always found it odd that Leno pulls such big ratings. No one that I know admits to watching him. Apparently somebody finds him entertaining.

[Invader3K]

I think Leno appeals to a bit older demographic, while Conan appeals to younger folks (like 20 and 30 somethings).

[Schlitz001]

Seems to me part of what's hurt Conan is that NBC has pulled the reigns on him a little and not quite let him be the goofy, slightly-too-much comedian he's good at being. They want him to be a Leno clone and he's not. Conan would be hilarious on Fox. They'd give him a good time slot and encourage him to do idiot stuff.

This is how I feel as well. People tell me he is the same, but he seems more structured in the earlier time slot. He's a lot less funny to me now that 'people are actually watching'. I find myself watching Letterman over Conan now and I used to be one of Conan's faithful. IMO they never should have pulled him from his late night slot and now they obviously can't move him back.

 

It sounds like Conan will end up on Fox and Leno will resume his old role. This will be a mistake for NBC, but a win for viewers like me who don't mind seeing the masturbating bear and Arnold Schwarzenegger from time to time.

[bucks2281]

I'm not sure if Fox would want Conan at 11 pm ET. Many affiliates run syndicated/local programming in the 10 pm hour, waiting until 11 to air their local news. I think Fox scores big and acquires Conan, slotting him at 1135 ET.

 

This might be the beginning of the end for NBC, if the ball hasn't started to roll yet. I think NBC will experiment with some pilots in Leno's timeslot, before ultimately giving 10 pm ET back to the affiliates. In 15 years or so, I wouldn't be surprised if NBC will be the equivalent of MyNetworkTV or CW.

[JimH5]

We were back in Wis for a month at Christmas, and I had a chance to watch late night television for the first time in a few years, and I was struck at how dumb, unfunny and predictible most of it was. Letterman, Leno, Conan. . .all pretty much dreck.

 

It seems that they all are coasting on their reputations.

[GAME05]

i read that nothing is permanent yet, but they're contacting Conan and Leno to see what they both think of moving Leno to 10:30. I guess ABC has said they don't really want Conan, but Fox would certainly like the way he pulls in the younger viewers.

 

NBC didn't exactly pull him from his late-night slot; he would have left the network if they didn't give him that earlier spot.

 

I could see Fox putting him on at 11 like they did for Chevy's show, specifically so he's on a half-hour before the competition. maybe if Conan doesn't work on Fox, too, he could just do a talk show from his basement like Tom Green.

[owbc]

I have been reading that all four major networks are likely to remove their free over-air broadcasts in the next 10 years. Fox will likely be the first to go, but with NBC's struggles, I could see them being one of the first to make the switch. There simply isn't enough advertising revenue anymore to justify giving away a free product. My family always watched Jay Leno. I still think he is the best standup comedian out of the late night comics, by far. I have not watched the new Jay Leno show though. The tonight show has been disappointing with Conan, especially with Stephen Colbert rocking Comedy Central at the same time. The only one that I will occasionally watch now is Craig Ferguson--who I think does the best (or at least most entertaining) interviews of the group.

[BrewCrewForever]

Honestly, I wish Conan would make the move to Comedy Central, after the Daily Show and Colber Report.... an hour show and really truly let loose and do his own thing.

 

For the most part he's refused to "dumb down" (mass-appeal-ize?) his show to the earlier time slot, which has hurt a bunch, I'm sure.

Well said, Bill Simmons tweeted something similar to this today and I totally agree. Conan would be awesome on Comedy Central. A block with Stewart/Colbert/O'Brien would be amazing.

 

I still think Kimmel is my favorite late night show, then Conan and then Letterman. Never cared for Leno.

[dadofandrew]

It's hardly a mess, as Leno will likely return to being the top guy, and if Conan stays, he'll do well in that slot. Fallon is unwatchable, though I'm not his demo either.

[lcbj68c]

Count me in with obsessed. The sooner Conan leaves NBC, the happier I'll be. I can't stand Letterman. Loved Jay Leno and still do. Thought it was dumb when NBC told him 2 years in advance that he was being forced to retire. Wasn't Leno winning the ratings in that time slot over Letterman? I like Craig Ferguson. Leno should go to FOX and stop giving NBC the time of day. Let NBC fail with Conan and let it go.

[adamb100]

I believe Leno will stay with NBC, if anyone was to leave it would be Conan. I do like Leno moreso than Conan (I find the new tonight show unwatchable) but hopefully they come to an agreement where both are happy.

[sbrylski]

I used to like Conan a lot, but he's just decent now. I'm really warming up to Craig Ferguson, he might be the best of all the late shows right now.

 

Thumbs up on Conan to Comedy Central.

[Diskono]

Does Jay Leno still repeat the same jokes every night, all week long?

[burnzy24]

Diskono[/b]]Does Jay Leno still repeat the same jokes every night, all week long?

I don't find Leno even mildly entertaining, but I am sure people feel the same way about Conan. People are comfortable with Leno because that is what they are used to. I compare it to going back to an ex girlfriend or boyfriend just because being single is new and weird to you. I watched Conan's monologue last night and you could tell in his voice that he is upset and I am now convinced he will leave.

[JoeH33]

In 15 years or so, I wouldn't be surprised if NBC will be the equivalent of MyNetworkTV or CW.

This isn't the fist time I've heard comments like this from people, so I'm led to think my TV watching habits are much different than the general population. Other than maybe House on FOX and Modern Family on ABC, NBC (The Office, Community, Chuck, 30 Rock, P&R, SNL) is the only network i ever watch.