Conan O’Brien Says He Won’t Host ‘Tonight Show’ Following Leno

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Conan O’Brien Says He Won’t Host ‘Tonight Show’ Following Leno

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/conan-obrien-says-he-wont-do-tonight-show-following-leno/

January 12, 2010, 3:10 pm



Conan O’Brien released a statement Tuesday saying that he no longer wants to host NBC’s “Tonight Show” and intends to seek a way to end his contract with the network.

The host, who saw his brief run at host of “Tonight” cut short when NBC decided to restore his predecessor Jay Leno to the 11:35 p.m. time period occupied by “Tonight” for decades, has been growing increasingly upset in recent days about how he believes he was treated by NBC’s management.

A representative of the host said Tuesday that the issue came to a head for Mr. O’Brien on Monday and that he had “sat up all night drafting the statement.” NBC declined comment. Mr. O’Brien was scheduled to do “The Tonight Show” on Tuesday night.

In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Mr. O’Brien said “I sincerely believe that delaying the ‘Tonight Show’ into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. ‘The Tonight Show’ at 12:05 simply isn’t the ‘Tonight Show.’”

[alp227]

1. Fight the good fight Conan!

I commend him for standing up to those numbskulls at NBC who are blaspheming a sacred television tradition!

[stray cat]

4. Poor Conan - how many millions does he have to tide himself over before going with ABC or FOX

[rcrush]

2. Now NBC has been making calls looking for possible guest hosts for The Tonight Show

http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/conan-crisis-nbc-looking-tonight-show-guest-hosts-12879

[alp227]

9. Guest hosts? Nothing new.

When David Letterman had heart surgery ten years ago, guests hosts filled in for a month.

During the transition between Craig Kilborn and Craig Ferguson as host, CBS's The Late Late Show had a bunch of guest hosts.

Personally I'd rather see, after the Winter Olympics, The Tonight Show with Guest Hosts at 11:35 rather than NBC's convoluted plan of Jay Leno's half-hour show.

We should start flooding Numbskulls Baiting Conan with phone calls and letters until they give in.

[kayakjohnny]

3. Go Conan!

I'm with ya bud.

Hang in there.

[stray cat]

5. Go - meaning leave?

or put up with it and stay?

[kayakjohnny]

6. Meaning don't leave.

[LostInAnomie]

7. Good for him.

I hope he tells them to fuck off and goes to another network. He's too much of a talent to play second fiddle to Leno.

[Bryan]

8. Good for Conan!

That's a fantastic statement: funny, heartfelt, classy (deigning to call what Jay Leno does a "comedy program"!). I dig Conan.