TVguide just posted this story:

Quote :

"NBC Universal biggies Jeff Zucker and Marc Graboff recently had "exploratory" talks over dinner with Jon Stewart, Broadcasting & Cable reports, suggesting that the Daily Show frontman might somehow fit into the Peacock's late-night plan. Rather than pitch Stewart anything specific, a source tells B&C, Zucker and Graboff "just made their interest known in finding a way to do business together if Jon was ever available." Stewart's Comedy Central pact expires in 2008, not long before Conan O'Brien is scheduled to inherit The Tonight Show from Leno. There is some buzz, though, that with Leno still being immensely profitable, NBC might pay Conan to walk away, thus freeing up the 12:30 slot."

I would assume that ABC would finally get back to the idea of having a late night show and get Conan. Looks like we are going to get some great Late Shift politics.

6/19/2007 12:23:44 PM

Smart move by Stewart to let his contract run out at the same time his cash cow GW leaves office. He will leave Comedy Central at max popularity and con someone into a huge deal. It will be interesting to see if he becomes unfunny again with no Georgie to goof on.

6/19/2007 12:29:34 PM

^^ They better be smart and put Conan in the Tonight Show spot. Also, ABC already has a late night show with Jimmy Kimmel

6/19/2007 12:34:56 PM

But how long is Kimmel signed for? I'm sure ABC wouldn't mind paying Stewart to move into the 11:30 slot unless they want to keep Nightline in there. I would assume Conan would give ABC bigger ratings that Kimmel, but how long will Conan be able to keep his 18-25 demographic?

6/19/2007 12:39:11 PM

Jon Stewart was offered the 12:30 CBS show before they gave it to Kilborn and he turned it down. I'm not sure he wants to be on at 12:30.

With that said, if NBC tries to screw Conan out of the Tonight Show, there's a good chance that Letterman will fast track his retirement and open up the spot for Conan at CBS.

6/19/2007 12:42:53 PM

Letterman is key. I don't think he has come out either way on his plans.

6/19/2007 12:54:56 PM

as long as conan gets an 11:30 spot, all will be well in the world.

6/19/2007 12:57:07 PM

Quote :

"With that said, if NBC tries to screw Conan out of the Tonight Show, there's a good chance that Letterman will fast track his retirement and open up the spot for Conan at CBS."

that would be fucking perfect

i would rather conan take over for letterman again then take over leno's shitty show and have to move to LA

[Edited on June 19, 2007 at 1:04 PM. Reason : god i hate leno]

6/19/2007 1:04:33 PM

This actually sounds great to me for Conan. He gets to be bought out of his deal with NBC and more than likely will get the ABC or CBS 11:30. $$$$$$$

6/19/2007 1:04:58 PM

well either way he gets paid

i forgot how much his deal is supposed to be for when he takes over for leno, but i know he signed a $50 million deal a few years ago to stay at NBC

6/19/2007 1:09:25 PM

Conan will destroy Leno head to head. You would think NBC would have learned from their mistake before but it seems that they keep rolling in the same muck they created earlier.

[Edited on June 19, 2007 at 1:40 PM. Reason : .]

6/19/2007 1:13:51 PM

There is no way NBC would kick Conan to the curb. If anything, it just sounds like Conan would temporarily leave the 12:30 slot to get Stewart in, & then take the 11:30 slot once Jay finally leaves, which would only be for what half a year? It would just be like a long vacation for Conan. I wouldn't read anything more into it than that.

And Dave just signed a new extension, so I don't see that slot opening up at anytime anyway.

6/19/2007 1:37:15 PM

I can't see Jon on a network station. It seems they would censor him too much. Plus, he trash talks main stream media so much... it would feel out of place.

6/19/2007 1:44:54 PM

Quote :

"There is no way NBC would kick Conan to the curb. If anything, it just sounds like Conan would temporarily leave the 12:30 slot to get Stewart in, & then take the 11:30 slot once Jay finally leaves, which would only be for what half a year? It would just be like a long vacation for Conan. I wouldn't read anything more into it than that. And Dave just signed a new extension, so I don't see that slot opening up at anytime anyway."

the most probable outcome.

it would give Conan enough time to cool his jets, get some material together and go.

most probable, but not my favorite

6/19/2007 2:12:10 PM

I guess I'm the only person who doesn't think Conan is funny.
Don't get me wrong, the Leno show sucks, but I just about pull my ears out anytime I hear Conan

6/19/2007 2:25:35 PM

Conan is funny but that Stewart not so much

6/19/2007 2:26:42 PM

^^ yes, yes you are

please let me know who you think IS funny

6/19/2007 2:37:15 PM

I don't think Stewart would translate well into an hour long format.

6/19/2007 2:41:04 PM

^Why? You don't think he can interview more than 1 person & introduce a band/comedian?

Because really, that's the only difference b/w an hour show & a half hour late night show.

6/19/2007 2:48:45 PM

i think he could do it, doesnt mean i want him to.

the Daily show is a quick show that goes bang-bang-bang from one side to the other with stories and punch lines. He'll have to slow down his delivery some but i think just about anyone can host sans Adam Sandler.

6/19/2007 2:54:06 PM

Quote :

"I can't see Jon on a network station. It seems they would censor him too much. Plus, he trash talks main stream media so much... it would feel out of place."

yes, but its all about the money my friend.

6/19/2007 3:05:43 PM

from his wiki entry:

Quote :

"Replacing Letterman on The Late Show In the middle of 2002, amid rumors that David Letterman was going to make a jump from CBS to ABC when his contract ran out with CBS, Stewart was rumored to be the person who would take over Letterman’s show on CBS. But ultimately, Letterman renewed his contract with CBS. On the 9 March 2002 episode of Saturday Night Live that Stewart hosted, a “Weekend Update” sketch poked fun at the situation. In the middle of the sketch, “Weekend Update” host Jimmy Fallon said that he couldn’t continue doing the broadcast, and he brought Stewart in to replace him. Stewart glowed with excitement and chattered to himself about his chance to prove himself on network television. His pep talk went on too long, however, and before Stewart could deliver any headlines, Fallon returned and said he would be able to finish out the broadcast himself. Later that year, ABC offered Stewart his own talk show to air after Nightline. Stewart’s contract with The Daily Show was near expiring and he expressed strong interest. But ABC decided to give another Comedy Central figure, Jimmy Kimmel, the post-Nightline slot.[23] Still, many people believe that when Letterman does retire, Stewart may replace him to continue the Late Show franchise and compete with The Tonight Show. At a London appearance on 11 December 2005, when asked if he would replace Letterman, Stewart said it would be unlikely, because on Comedy Central he has creative independence that CBS would probably not give him. In reference to Letterman’s wealth, he quipped, “Really, who needs all that money?”"

we'll just see how he feels about money when and if it's offered to him. he is jewish afterall.

6/19/2007 5:27:57 PM

i would rather see him stay with the daily show, honestly

6/19/2007 6:40:10 PM

whatever happens I hope for the sake of comedy that both Conan and Kimmel are on the air somewhere. Right now it's nice because I can just watch the start of both shows back to back and ignore those boring interviews. Kimmel's got game, I love his cousin messing with folks, those bits are hillarious.

6/19/2007 11:17:57 PM

anyone else fear that conan might lose something in his humor when he shifts to the big timeslot?

6/21/2007 1:04:17 AM

why not just do the same show and just air it an hour earlier?

6/21/2007 1:04:59 AM

Because he will have a bigger budget, better guests, and a larger audience.

I think it might lose something in translation, but it could still be awesome.

6/21/2007 1:13:50 AM

I would imagine he will have more pressure to perform from executives and advertisers too so it'll be interesting to see how his show will compare to what it is now.

6/21/2007 1:20:16 AM

Yeah, I've been afraid of that for a while. Older people watch the 11:30 time slot so he would have to change things to cater to that audience.

6/21/2007 1:39:11 AM

Letterman has changed very little...if anything, he's gotten more random since his move to 11:30.

My biggest fear is that if Conan is forced to move to LA, his guest selection will go to shit.

6/21/2007 1:41:46 AM

Quote :

"Older people watch the 11:30 time slot so he would have to change things to cater to that audience."

Yeah, but his demographic is getting older too.

6/21/2007 1:59:16 AM

^^ that is my biggest fear as well

he fits in so perfectly in ny as a talk show host

i never want to see him turn into a LA kissass

6/21/2007 2:37:33 AM

i <3 Conan

6/21/2007 12:51:39 PM

The Interrupter skits are slowly becoming my favorite thing on television.

6/21/2007 1:04:40 PM

the interrupter is great.

My favorites include the walker texas ranger lever and beverly hills cop buzzer.

S&M Lincoln

and of course In the Year 2000.

6/21/2007 1:18:20 PM

bttt o'brien on leno tonight

7/3/2007 12:32:42 AM

[old]

7/3/2007 12:40:40 AM

I remember sitting around my parents basement and discussing with my brother how funny it would be if they continued to do the year 2000 sketch beyond the year 2000. Obviously Conan did not disappoint. I miss Andy though, that was a nice element.

7/4/2007 1:45:46 AM

jimmy fallon on opie and anthony a few days ago let slip that he had some deal worked out with nbc as a retainer preventing him from inking on another late night show for a few years..

as in, he may be a candidate.


lemme find a link

7/5/2007 9:11:51 AM

I've heard Fallon "let it slip" on three other radio shows in the past month, so I don't think its a big secret. I thought he was pretty bad on SNL, but I would give him a shot.

7/5/2007 12:39:36 PM

^ eh, I wouldn't. I haven't seen a single thing that I've even remotely liked him in.

7/5/2007 12:41:16 PM

I would happily pay him a retainer to guarantee that he never worked in the entertainment industry again.

7/5/2007 1:08:42 PM

He did a really good job with Fever Pitch, so he may do well.

7/5/2007 1:19:48 PM

^

7/5/2007 1:40:12 PM

Quote :

"He did a really good job with Fever Pitch Almost Famous, so he may do well."

7/5/2007 2:04:16 PM

his three lines in Band of Brothers was classic too!

7/5/2007 3:29:48 PM

Conan could get watered down with the move an hour earlier, sure. But ideally he would get better, with a bigger budget, he wouldn't have to do the same skit 3 nights in a row or every week. I mean really, "Max Weinberg is an [ASS]" wasn't funny the first time, yet every week or more..ugh



[Edited on July 6, 2007 at 12:10 AM. Reason : The interruptor is gold though]

7/6/2007 12:09:45 AM

Quote :

"“After Tonight, will Jay stay at NBC? Execs want Leno to remain at network” Like, duh! CLICK HERE to read the article accompanying this headline! [Image via Mavrix Online.] After ‘Tonight,’ will Jay stay at NBC? Execs want Leno to remain at network Three years ago, NBC announced with pride that Conan O’Brien would take over “The Tonight Show” in 2009. But now that the date is fast approaching, the web is beginning to panic: How do we anoint O’Brien but still keep Leno in the Peacock’s nest? Aside from turning around NBC’s primetime, the biggest challenge facing new co-chairmen Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff is how to keep Leno away from Fox or ABC. “We want him to stay at NBC for life,” Silverman told journalists at the Television Critics Association press tour. “And Marc and I are aggressively trying to come up with ideas that would make Jay happy.” While latenight advertising sales have been soft, “Tonight” generated $250 million in advertising sales in 2006, according to TNS Media Intelligence, generating profits estimated at $160 million — or about 15% of the network’s bottom line. NBC has already started the process of preparing O’Brien to take over “Tonight” knowing full well that it’s a job that Leno still loves and, by all accounts, would have kept longer had NBC not prodded him to step aside to make room for O’Brien. Leno will be only 59 when the change-over is scheduled to occur, seven years younger than Carson was when he gave up the chair 15 years ago. He’s vigorous, loves to work, and as if holding down one of TV’s toughest jobs isn’t enough, he does corporate dates and travels the country doing standup on the weekends. “Anyone who assumes he will be playing golf would have to be completely removed from reason,” said a source close to the comedian. Leno declined to talk about his post-2009 plans, which is telling: For years, the host as been accessible to the press, unlike rival David Letterman. The network is hoping to emulate NBC News’ move from Tom Brokaw to Brian Williams. Like Leno, Brokaw was also on top of his game and the ratings when he stepped aside, and now seems happy pursuing passion projects as the network’s elder statesman. NBC has yet to present Leno with any alternatives, but among the options being floated are a primetime strip or variety show that would air once or multiple times a week, perhaps kicking off primetime at 8 p.m.; work on NBC U’s cable properties and specifically USA Network, which the net is hoping to build into the de-facto “fifth network”; Jay-on-demand through TiVo, cable, or online; or, the “Bob Hope deal,” where Leno does what he wants — just about anything but telling jokes at 11:35 pm. The network also has the option, which many outsiders believe still must be on the table, to back out of the deal, pay a reported $40 million penalty to O’Brien and sign Leno to another five-year deal, a move that would protect the “Tonight” franchise through the end of Letterman’s deal at CBS in 2010, and the possible transition at the Eye to Jon Stewart. NBC could, also, simply let Leno leave. A non-compete would keep Leno off another network for at least six months, allowing NBC to launch O’Brien without Leno in the mix. ABC and Fox are planning as if Leno will be in play. One thing that won’t happen is a job-share arrangement where Leno subs in for O’Brien. Graboff raised that possibility at TCA but quickly backed off. Graboff, Silverman and CEO Jeff Zucker will be looking to create the digital-age version of the deal that kept Hope at NBC in semi-retirement in hopes of keeping Leno at the Peacock, knowing full well Leno wants to keep going, as he often says, “telling jokes at 11:30 at night.” “Right now that’s where Jay’s head is and that’s what he wants to do after 2009,” Graboff says. “What we are trying to say to him is, after 2009 telling jokes at 11:30 at night might not be what it is today, so maybe we can figure out a way for you to continue to do that in a different context.” Graboff is referring to a future when the timeslot of any network show becomes less relevant as linear TV moves to a time-shifted, on-demand world. The erosion of TV ratings has hit latenight as hard as any day part, but comparatively, “Tonight” is as dominant as it’s ever been. This fall Leno will mark his 12th season in the lead over “Late Show with David Letterman,” and as of the second quarter his ratings margin was 39%. “Tonight’s” continuing success is one reason some are skeptical NBC will implement the change as announced. Yet, NBC execs are steadfast that no matter how dominant Leno is in 2009, the transition will occur. His audience is aging, they say, and its best to attempt a transition while Leno is still on top of his game and top of the ratings. Leno has the oldest aud in latenight, with a median age of 52, compared with 51 for Letterman and 44 for O’Brien, according to a Magna Global analysis of Nielsen ratings. In the meantime, NBC has already begun the process of preparing O’Brien to take over the iconic franchise, and the net is already spending to lay the ground work. NBC is in talks with O’Brien and his staff on a move from Studio 6A at 30 Rock to Los Angeles. NBC latenight and primetime EVP Rick Ludwin believes O’Brien and much of his staff will ultimately make the move, though there has been some resistance. Johnny Carson brought the show to L.A. 35 years ago and Ludwin says the original reasons for the move are still relevant: a bigger studio and proximity to stars. A final decision on the move is expected early next year. NBC is focusing on giving O’Brien opportunities to appear in primetime. He’s hosted the Emmys twice, and the Peacock is giving him another primetime special in late January, to further boost his profile. He’s hosted NBC’s “50 Years of Latenight” special, as well as his own 10th anniversary special. Taking his act from subversive to broad means some of his signature characters won’t be making the move to 11:35, such as “the masturbating bear.” “Frankly this is one of the reasons we trusted him with the franchise of ‘The Tonight Show’ because he’s smart enough and funny enough to figure out what is going to work in whatever venue he’s assigned to,” Ludwin says. In the beginning, O’Brien tried to distinguish himself from Leno by not doing a traditional monologue. He has adopted one since and now that he’s preparing to take over 11:30, he’s lengthened it from three to four opening jokes to 10. NBC traveled the show to San Francisco in May, and Chicago and Toronto before that to get O’Brien and the staff used to doing bigger shows in unfamiliar, less intimate venues. Finally, NBC has already begun the search for Conan’s replacement. “We have been talking to people about their potential interest,” Ludwin says. “It’s a short list of people who can do these jobs and do them well.” "

7/23/2007 5:07:56 PM

whoa i always thought Leno was just retiring...didn't know he was quasi-pressured out

and i tell ya...conan in LA just seems so fish out of water

o a side note, i wish he'd come back and write a couple of episodes of the simpsons for fun

7/23/2007 5:34:02 PM

yeah thats the one thing i dont like. I want my consy-wonsy to stay in NY

7/23/2007 5:39:15 PM