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Conan: Exiting NBC

The deal is done and Conan O'Brien will leave NBC. All we're waiting for is the official word from the network.

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And now all we have to do is wait for NBC to confirm Conan O’Brien is leaving the network…

Over the weekend US media have been running rife with the news that O’Brien is exiting the network. It follows his public statement that he would not host The Tonight Show at 12:05am.

The deal is reportedly done, with various reports about how many million (up to $40m) he will walk away with, along with the conditions which would stipulate how long before he can join another network, and that he musn’t trash NBC. TMZ suggests that if Conan makes a deal with FOX, NBC can reduce the amount it pays Conan by the amount FOX forks over.

Public sentiment has also rallied behind Conan in the wake of the Leno debacle. Tonight show gags across all networks have been ruthless, including Jimmy Kimmel dressing up as Leno, and then deriding him during a live interview on Leno’s show.

Most expect Conan‘s last show will be this Friday.

NBC may well make the announcement after the Golden Globes, to avoid it being the butt of jokes.

It will be anyway.

24 Responses

  1. Official response from Comedy Channel:

    Dear Viewer
    Thank you for your email regarding The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien.
    NBC contacted all broadcasters outside of the USA on Thursday to advise that the scheduled episode for Thursday 21/1 was to be withdrawn from broadcast and must not be aired. In these situations we are contractually obliged to follow this directive and a repeat episode was scheduled in its place last night onThe Comedy Channel. We regret any disappointment experienced, however this matter is completely outside of our control.
    As you may be aware The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien is ending. The final two episodes are scheduled for tonight and Monday Jan 25 pending any further broadcast directives from NBC.
    We appreciate your viewship and sincerely apologise that we were unable to bring you this episode. Please let us know if you have any further questions.

  4. I called Foxtel and they said they had no late programming changes listed for the Comedy Channel.
    It could be due to technical problems getting the episode off the satellite. Or it could be legallity issues. I heard Conan does a sketch using a Rolling Stones song which costs NBC big time when used.

  7. Maybe Conan should have had a chin implant and died his hair gray LOL

    I just hope Leno falls over now and what happens in 5 or 10 years when Leno might want to retire and no one want to take a chance that he’ll change his mind?

  8. Real shame what has happened here.For all the years he has worked for the network and be treated like this is laughable.Conan should and will be picked up by another network,he is to good of a host to disappear.If he was on a different network in the first place he probably would never have had this trouble.Certainly CBS has been very good to David Letterman,over the years.He has had his problems,also but in the end has shined through

  9. The smart move would be for Conan to go to cable over there where the younger audiences are. It’s totally noticeable that he’s had to tone down his act for the older audience who watch the tonight show. Comedy Central would be a better fit for him and he’d have a great intro with Colbert and Stewart and most likely have more creative freedom and less constraints than network TV.

  10. Sadly, the whole fiasco has given Conan some of his best material.. tonight’s monologue and Ebay sketch were hilarious. Good to see Andy back on the couch too.

  13. The attention this “issue” has been getting in the US is strange but understandable considering the bizarre fetish for late night talk shows they have. It’s one of those cultural oddities we just have to accept, like the Christmas Top-selling song mania in the UK, but need take no particular interest in. That so many here in Australia seem to give a fig about it is just plain weird.

  14. Looks like succession planning has really backfired for NBC. All because they didn’t want Leno to go to another network! Letterman must be having a quiet chuckle to himself….

  16. They should have never changed the shows and hosts last year. What a waste of money and time. Wonder if Leno will keep his new set to the Tonight Show, or take the one Conan has been using. Maybe they’ll put his old one back up with a semi facelift.

  18. I’m so not happy about this, especially after I applied for tickets for The Tonight Show in March. I don’t want them if it means I have to sit through Leno’s crap.

    Team Conan!!

  19. I don’t see Conan waiting at CBS for Dave to retire, depending on the contract I see him moving to FOX and shacking up the late night lineups.

    Yes will 7TWO now leave Leno at 6pm or move it to 11pm ot something to compete with Letterman, maybe an encore the following day at noon?

  20. @ lou – surely “big jaw” has something on someone at the peacock network?? first dave and now conan (both much funnier then “big jaw”) gets shafted because of this hack.

    I’d love to see Conan take over The Late Show when dave eventually retires.

  21. I think Conan was screwed the moment he signed the deal a few years back to take over the Tonight Show. Leno was never going to leave and the only reason NBC did the deal is they didn’t want Conan to go else where.

    This will not stop NBC being the butt of jokes at the Golden Globes today/tonight but I’m sure anyone who is on the NBC pay role will chose their words carefully.

    I’m sorry to see Conan is going he will be missed

    David any announcement from The Comedy Channel or Seven about there plans with the shows?

  22. Why is NBC so obsessed with Leno when he isn’t that funny? They’ve now made enemies of both Letterman and Conan all because of Leno who couldn’t even pull in the right numbers.

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