Has anyone else been following all the NBC late night show stuff?
What do you think? Is Conan or Jay getting the worse deal?
Conan but he's also got them by the sort and curleys at this point. NBC is the biggest looser.
I can't believe that Conan would move his whole staff out to California, and then NBC would do this to him. At least he has good lawyers and stuff.
Doesn't NBC owe him like $35million if he leaves?
I think that Carson Daly is getting the worse deal. He's not even being mentioned and that's kind of crappy. They are pretty much giving Jay his 30 minutes and shifting it from the end of the night to the beginning.
Kind of rude if you ask me.
I'm a fan of both Jay and Conan. Been watching them for years. And to be very honest I liked everyone where they were before the shakeup. Then Jay turned it over in good shape as it was given to him. I was into it. I don't watch every night or anything but I do try to catch one of them every now and then. I supported Conan taking the show. And I really still do. He and his team great work consistently and have since I was in middle school.
I never liked the prime time idea because it's just not the hour I'd want to watch a talk show. And prime time is for their best programing. The network's idea to tamper with the time slot of the legendary Tonight Show is just stupid and wrong when you think about all the years of Steve Allen, Jack Parr, and Johnny Carson.
Jimmy Fallon is the most over rated talent on TV over the last decade. His timing sucks, he doesn't sell the joke very well. And I've never enjoyed his interview. I've only watched him to see how truly bad he is. I'd like to see his show canceled and replaced with the Jay Leno Show. I believe even at 59, Leno can still carry the hour that normally caters to college kids and night owls.
I like Conan a lot and have never really been into Jay Leno. But NBC was foolish to even try what they did. It was obvious to me it wasn't going to work. People are used to talk shows like this on in late night - not 10pm. I hope Conan goes elsewhere and does well too.
Quote from: moyer777 on January 14, 2010, 01:51:09 PM
Has anyone else been following all the NBC late night show stuff?
What do you think? Is Conan or Jay getting the worse deal?
NBC shot themselves in the foot with moving Leno to 10pm and keeping the late night show. Conan is better at a later slot. If what I am hearing is correct, Leno will get a 30 minute show??? How do you do a variety show in only 30 minutes? Letterman is just sitting back and enjoying the show. They need to replace the execs with focus groups - comprised of a few from this forum.
I am amazed that so many members stay awake that late - and impressed! 22:00 and I fade fast - of course I have to get up around 04:45...
Someday I'll stay up late like a big boy..
Quote from: Bromptonboy on January 14, 2010, 05:02:56 PM
I am amazed that so many members stay awake that late - and impressed! 22:00 and I fade fast - of course I have to get up around 04:45...
Someday I'll stay up late like a big boy..
I actually seldom watch it "live." Either see it on www.hulu.com (http://www.hulu.com) or via TIVO.
And one more thing if I can add one item to my pitch to have Jay follow Conan at 12:30.
The 12:30 show, Late Night, has been used for years to draw the college kids in but Conan is doing an OK job at that at 11:30 against Letterman. Jay is 59 and I doubt he would continue on much later than 69 or 70. So I would think for the next decade, give Jay that spot until he retires, then once he hangs it up and Conan gets older, then bring in a young hip host to recapture the college demos.
Here is my take on it. They need to stop playing games. Jay should have done the Johnny thing from the beginning. They had promised to give Johnny a new show, but rather than do that after he left the tonight show, he retired and let Jay build his audience.
I don't like Leno. I don't like his humor and his way of using bits to make people look stupid for laughs. I have not seen one episode of his new show, so I can't say if that changed or not. The problem is that too many of the things that I wanted to see got pushed back for an experiment that was out of control.
If you want to test something in prime time, three nights a week would have been more than fine and that would have kept some of the shows from getting screwed for Jay. Better to lose three shows than a whole time slot.
It did make my day easier though. What day was two hours of Biggest Loser and then Jay? A day to catch up on TIVO.
Quote from: Bromptonboy on January 14, 2010, 05:02:56 PM
I am amazed that so many members stay awake that late - and impressed! 22:00 and I fade fast - of course I have to get up around 04:45...
Someday I'll stay up late like a big boy..
Three words D V R
And another fact, NBC was close to pulling the plug on Jay and replacing him with Letterman when Jay scored a huge interview with Hugh Grant, who had just been caught with a prostitute and was going to discuss it on the show. That gave his show the ratings boost that kept the show going.
But they aren't doing the same for Conan and I just want to shake these people and say, "Don't you get it that shows need time to grow?"
This is one conversation where I just have to stare blankly at the screen and let you guys get on with it.
I think I know about three of the names and would recognise about two of the faces. I guess it's nice to know we don't get all of your TV over here :D
Partner thinks Conan trumps Jay. He's probably right, but I prefer to watch Stephen. :)
Quote from: Just X on January 14, 2010, 08:02:55 PM
Here is my take on it...I don't like Leno. I don't like his humor and his way of using bits to make people look stupid for laughs.
^^^
This!
Conan and David Letterman have always taken the opposite tack, making fun of themselves and laughing with their audience. Jay Leno has always seemed to have a smarmy "I'm better than you" attitude that just rubs me the wrong way. All that being said I never watch any of these shows anyway and could frankly care less. The best thing about it is that getting rid of Leno's 10pm show opens up NBC's schedule and makes things easier for shows like Chuck to stick around.
For those of you that don't watch or know much about Conan, he wrote for SNL and the Simpsons in the 90's. Just for that I love the man, aside from the fact the he puts on an amazing show.
Very sad that rumour at the moment is that he's out.
If anyone has been wacthing him this week, he and his guests have been ripping on NBC HARD.
I'm in bed asleep by 9:00pm, so I'm out! :)
I PVR him :)
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 15, 2010, 06:32:00 AM
Quote from: Just X on January 14, 2010, 08:02:55 PM
Here is my take on it...I don't like Leno. I don't like his humor and his way of using bits to make people look stupid for laughs.
^^^
This!
Conan and David Letterman have always taken the opposite tack, making fun of themselves and laughing with their audience. Jay Leno has always seemed to have a smarmy "I'm better than you" attitude that just rubs me the wrong way. All that being said I never watch any of these shows anyway and could frankly care less. The best thing about it is that getting rid of Leno's 10pm show opens up NBC's schedule and makes things easier for shows like Chuck to stick around.
I'm with you guys on Leno. I've seen him on other shows and he gave me a similar impression.
Like Cosmonaut, I'd rather watch Colbert or Stewart.
Wow.. seems like I'm the only one who actually likes Jay Leno.. I've watched him for years. It's funny that there is all this backlash towards Leno, when it should be NBC. Leno and Conan are just pawns in some really bad moves that NBC have made. Leno's ratings were bad at his new 10pm slot, Conan ratings were bad when he took over the tonight show. It's just bad management. As much as I enjoy Leno over Conan I don't think Leno should get back the Tonight Show. He turned it over to Conan, true that Conan's rating are horrible but it's only been seven months. I think NBC needs to give him some time. I'm sure Leno's ratings weren't so great when to took over from Carson but giving him time he became huge and I think Conan could be the same.
Weather your a fan of Leno or Conan it's NBC who should be taking the rap for this mess.
Didn't Leno almost lose the Tonight Show once he had gotten it ealry on as well? I mean, after the whole drama with Letterman. I sense "The Late Shift 2" in the works!
Quote from: Geekyfanboy on January 15, 2010, 10:54:22 AM
Wow.. seems like I'm the only one who actually likes Jay Leno.. I've watched him for years. It's funny that there is all this backlash towards Leno, when it should be NBC. Leno and Conan are just pawns in some really bad moves that NBC have made. Leno's ratings were bad at his new 10pm slot, Conan ratings were bad when he took over the tonight show. It's just bad management. As much as I enjoy Leno over Conan I don't think Leno should get back the Tonight Show. He turned it over to Conan, true that Conan's rating are horrible but it's only been seven months. I think NBC needs to give him some time. I'm sure Leno's ratings weren't so great when to took over from Carson but giving him time he became huge and I think Conan could be the same.
Weather your a fan of Leno or Conan it's NBC who should be taking the rap for this mess.
I get what you're saying Kenny, but Leno is also partly responsible for the low numbers that Conan is getting. If the local station are complaining that they are losing big on their nightly news numbers by having Jay as a lead in, it goes to reason that if people aren't going to be bothered to turn back to that channel for the news, they are going to be less apt to change to it after the news ends.
Also, I think part of the blame is that they said that Jay wants the 11:35 time slot. That's the time slot for the start of the tonight show. Even if he's not getting the name, he's getting the time slot were the tonight show has been for decades. It's also the strongest part of the night. The numbers for the first half of the Tonight show as always been stronger than the second half. A lot of people stay up just to see the monologue and the setup for the show.
Give Jay that 30 minutes and I can assure you that it will sabotage the tonight show. After being in late night as long as they both have, I think both Jay and Conan knows that.
I have no backlash against Jay Leno or anything, I've just never really found him real funny or entertaining - way before the move to 10pm. Conan is more my style.
I don't like how they are making Jay the bad guy because it wasn't his screw-up.
1. It's not Leno's fault that a primetime, late-night style talk show is stupid. People aren't looking for that kind of entertainment that hour. Leno was put on that by the network who refused to release him. Leno asked for his release and was denied. Leno was willing to be the one to leave instead of Conan.
2. Conan's show has more sexual innuendo and racy humor than Leno, and was not what Leno's audience was into. Conan's fans loved it but are used to watching at a later hour or on the computer the next day. That didn't help ratings.
3. Neither the prime time show, nor the 30 minute 11:35 idea was Jay's idea. Both pitched by NBC executives.
4. It wouldn't have helped Conan in any way for Jay to refuse to go back to the Tonight Show.
I hear what you are saying Kenny about Jay had passed the torch so why come back, but who else does NBC have who could host? Fallon is terrible. Carson Daly? I sure hope not!
Quote from: AlanP on February 01, 2010, 07:55:54 PM
I don't like how they are making Jay the bad guy because it wasn't his screw-up.
1. It's not Leno's fault that a primetime, late-night style talk show is stupid. People aren't looking for that kind of entertainment that hour. Leno was put on that by the network who refused to release him. Leno asked for his release and was denied. Leno was willing to be the one to leave instead of Conan.
2. Conan's show has more sexual innuendo and racy humor than Leno, and was not what Leno's audience was into. Conan's fans loved it but are used to watching at a later hour or on the computer the next day. That didn't help ratings.
3. Neither the prime time show, nor the 30 minute 11:35 idea was Jay's idea. Both pitched by NBC executives.
4. It wouldn't have helped Conan in any way for Jay to refuse to go back to the Tonight Show.
I hear what you are saying Kenny about Jay had passed the torch so why come back, but who else does NBC have who could host? Fallon is terrible. Carson Daly? I sure hope not!
Jay does have a lot of blame in this. When offered the 11:35 slot, he could have said no. Jay had a contract specifying time and had he chose to say no to destroying the Tonight Show, he could have retired and gotten paid far more than they gave conan.
Jay losing a ton of viewers also didn't help Conan's numbers. The big hint is that if your local affiliates are complaining about lost numbers for the local news because of Jay, it's probably a safe bet to assume that they aren't coming back after the news.
You're right about the earlier show not being Jay's idea, but they also had a something in prime time lined up for Johnny Carson, but when he left the tonight show, he changed his mind and retired, which gave Jay the chance to build his show.
Let's not even talk about the fans that Jay took with him to prime time. If people are only looking for a bit of comedy to end their night, why stick around for the tonight show when you can see jay earlier and then get to bed after the news?
The prime time experiment had a huge effect on Conan's number.
Jay wanted the tonight show back and never wanted to leave it in the first place. In the end, he got what he wanted. How is he not to have some measure of blame in that?
I think the blame still is mainly with NBC. The whole thing was a bad idea from the start and I said so. People are used to late night comedy and don't seem to want a prime time/late night show. I suspect if Leno has just retired and Conan had just taken over the Tonight Show things would have been much better. But, it's over for now and I suspect we will see Conan on Fox late night in the future. Where I think he will do just fine.
Indeed. I'm glad it's all kind of over with, Conan had an amazing last show and at the end of it all I think he came out with a lot of goodwill thhat will transfer to whatever new project he takes on.