Conan vs. Leno

[Archangel]

Rumors this morning that Jay Leno's show was canceled were quickly followed by the correction that Jay's gig was just moving back to familiar territory.

The 10 PM comedy hour will go on hiatus in February to make room for the Olympics. Once those are over, Jay will be back, but to his original 11:30 PM time slot.

However, the change leaves a big WHAT IF in Conan O'Brien's future. If Jay's show is kept at a half hour, than Conan's show will just follow. But if it stays at an hour running time, than Conan is shit out of luck!

Douche move by nbc if you ask me, Leno is a hasbeen and i've never enjoyed the tonight show more ever since Conan moved in

I've also read in the paper that Conan might be in negotiations with Fox on making their first ever very own talk show

[Animeniax]

I don't really care about these late shows but if Conan had the viewership numbers then Leno wouldn't be able to push him aside.

I think Conan on Fox would be fitting but I'd be pissed if they moved The Simpsons at 10PM to make room for his new show. I wouldn't watch his show anyway.

[Testarossa Autodrive]

Conan, definitely, hands down, by far, absolutely 100% so much better than Jay. I just hope that Conan can find someone who will give him a chance to, you know, actually do a show.

[Yukimura]

I'm with CoCo!

I feel like Conan's style is better for younger viewers (18-35ish) but he competes with Stewart/Colbert for that demographic since Colbert is just starting at 11:30, idk how much that affects his ratings but I know that's why I didn't really follow him from Late Night to the Tonight Show. Leno has always seemed more of a 35-65 themed kind of guy and while I don't find him as funny as Conan, or all that funny in general I can't speak to what the older folks think. For me though, Conan would be my choice for king of late night network TV.

[samsonlonghair]

Conan is much funnier than Leno ever was.

[enkoujin]

I prefer O'Brien over Leno, since he is a very energetic and more of a charismatic fellow that appeals to the younger audiences like Yukimura has said. I cannot say much on this topic as I have not been watching his new show, though.

I now watch The Daily Show and Colbert Report more often than the Leno-O'Brien-Fallon lineup because of those two shows are more condensed, though. I read somewhere on the internet that The Daily Show and Colbert Report get about a million viewers every night their show is on (The Daily Show being more by slightly), but I have no idea what the viewership and ratings are for the Leno-O'Brien-Fallon lineup.

[Testarossa Autodrive]

I can't be certain this is accurate, but this was taken from an article online:

NBC’s problems with “The Jay Leno Show” have also affected the ratings of “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien.” Mr. O’Brien averaged 2.8 million viewers at 11:35 p.m. from June through December, according to Nielsen, 1.5 million of whom were ages 18 to 49. In the television season that ended the month before Mr. O’Brien’s start, Mr. Leno averaged 5 million viewers at 11:35 p.m., 1.8 million of whom were 18 to 49.

[Kraco]

Conan. Although I haven't even followed any others and it has been a couple of years already since I stopped watching Conan regularly. But his shows used to be good.

[itadakimasu]

I've always liked conan... i don't watch very often though since the show moved to jay leno's spot...


I thought Leno's time was up and that he was retiring. But I guess he's not done.

[rockmanj]

I've also read in the paper that Conan might be in negotiations with Fox on making their first ever very own talk show

That's news enough to make the Portugese newspapers?

[Animeniax]

That's news enough to make the Portugese newspapers?

They're lucky to get the feed from NBC. They shouldn't complain if it's Leno or Conan.

[TwisT]

I must say Conan as well, but it's a close decision. I find also find Leno funny. And i find the sidekick interaction with Kevin Eubanks better then Conan's (don't even know their names) But as someone said, Conan probably appeal to the younger audience more.

But if your going to see this from a viewers point of view, the once that probably watch TV and specially these kinds of shows are probably senior citizens. So i think Leno would probably be the more popular one. But NBC knew this when they gave Conan Leno's job so they shouldn't really be coming now this late and point at ratings and shit.

[Munsu]

I think the whole rating debate is highly inadequate, mainly because NBC was a complete disaster last season everywhere. All their shows were low-rated, and didn't help their late-night viewership at all. And then you add to that Leno taking prime-time hours for himself, getting low ratings himself... how was Conan supposed to get monster ratings? Add to that Leno stealing guests at an earlier hour... good guests that would've probably gone to the Tonight Show otherwise.

You can talk about viewerships, but overall Conan was still delivering in the important demographics, and that's what generates money. So he was doing a fairly good job.

NBC corporate was completely responsible for any "failure" that might've happened with the Tonight Show, starting with their horrible scheduling of primetime programs and giving Jay Leno his primetime show 5 times a week. Horrible decision.

[Testarossa Autodrive]

We all know that the execs are responsible for this epic fail, it's just a damn shame that Conan had to take the brunt of it. I've adored watching his show for years now. I even tried to get tickets when I was down there last June to see his show now that he's only a 17 hour drive away (and not on the other side of the country). So to see all of this happening after made a huge move is just sad.

[Munsu]

Looks like Conan is being bought out for $30 million. Although this is kinda sad, I no longer feel that sorry for him.

[Marik]

I have to go with Conan over Leno. I never found Leno to be entertaining at all.

This entire situation shouldn't even be happening right now. If Leno wasn't ready to retire from TV and go sit his old ass down somewhere, then he shouldn't have left. All he had to do was tell NBC that he wanted to stay and then NBC could have released Conan, so he could do his own thing elsewhere.

And then you add to that Leno taking prime-time hours for himself

Yeah, I never understood why they even bothered to move Conan up an hour and then turn around and give Leno an even earlier slot, keeping things the exact same way they were before by having Leno air before Conan still.

I loved these comments in the CNN article...

Instead of trying to get behind the big bus again, Leno should have passed "the keys to the new guy with the red hair, and not try to flatten his tires before he even gets going,

When asked about the best prank he ever pulled, Kimmel responded, "I told a guy that five years from now I'm going to give him my show, but then when the five years came I gave it to him, and I took it back almost instantly. I think he works at Fox or something now."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/0...ion/index.html

[Archangel]

My personal favorite:

O'Brien told his Wednesday audience: "Hosting The Tonight Show has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me – and I just want to say to the kids out there watching: You can do anything you want in life. Unless Jay Leno wants to do it, too."

[Marik]

Leno has The Tonight Show again.

Jay Leno has made a new deal with NBC, which gives him "The Tonight Show" from 11:35 - 12:35 ... sources tell TMZ.

As we first reported, under the contract Jay had been working under, he was guaranteed the 10 PM hour. By moving him to 11:35, NBC was in breach of his contract and needed to negotiate a new deal. That is now done, sources tell TMZ.

All of this could have been avoided.

[Archangel]

There's no way in hell that Conan isn't walking away now

Here's hoping his new show on Fox broadcasts here too

[Testarossa Autodrive]

Has Conan even announced that he's shopping around and or considering Fox? I know that was a very big potential, but I don't recall ever hearing any information about it. He's being pretty tight-lipped.