Conan O'Brien announces microfracture surgery to stop NBC from moving his time slot

Can you imagine what would've happened to Leno had Johnny Carson started his own show right before the Tonight Show when he retired?

And wtf is NBC going to do when Jay really IS too old to do the show anymore in 5+ years?

 

I would just like to point out that Brett Farve is not funny at all but that he is funnier than Jay Leno. Thank you.

 

I think Leno will be fine in terms of overall ratings. Old folks like him. And NBC will save face by telling us how Leno gets more viewers.

But this is a temporary fix at best. If Conan goes somewhere else and establishes his show, he will take away the younger, money-generating viewers.

 

Leno should have just gone to ABC, and then moved Carson Daly spot up earlier after Fallon's show..

 

He left out some key points.

After Leno's "retirement" Leno claims he wanted to be let out of his contract so he could go to another network and get a show of some sorts since he never wanted to retire in the first place. NBC said no, and to keep him they did the Primetime show.

Once again when the affiliates decided they wanted Leno out of Primetime, NBC had to cut Jay's show and he again asked to be out of his contract so he could go elsewhere and was told no, they want to keep him.

I'm not sure why Leno's story doesn't sound believable.

 

he also specifically said conan's show was not doing well (twice).

 

whomever was running nbc at that time wouldnt have been stupid enough to try it. if they had i guarantee you nobody would know who jay leno is these days.

 

Fallon?

 

Which is true...

I can't wait for Conan to go to Fox. I hope they don't restrict him in anyway.

 

Jay Leno has earned NBC a lot of money while steering clear of personal controversy. They owe him.

 

I believe so too...

 

That's because he avoids controversy until it totally blows up.

Leno could've solved this behind the scenes very easily five years ago by refusing to retire.

None of this would've happened if he had done that. And I wouldn't have had to watch Conan's crappy, toned-down materials in the past year. Conan with free reins on Fox would've been so much better.

 

Leno screwed the tonight show with Conan over because he couldn't deliver the ratings that lead into local news. I don't know why he gets rewarded for having crappy ratings prior to the local news.

I don't know why NBC chose to screw over Conan as a result of JAy's crappy ratings. What a shame.

 

The ironic thing is that Leno didn't want to do that because he didn't want a repeat of the drama caused during Leno vs. Letterman.

 

Leno is a money making franchise for NBC. He failed in Primetime. Instead of losing him they want to put him back on in his old time show so they can still make money off of him instead of losing him to another network. Conan is getting the shaft here because he doesn't make the money for NBC that Leno has proven he can, and right now NBC is too desperate to try and build the Conan franchise when the Leno franchise is still available.

 

It wasn't Jay's decision to go that route.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/18/leno-i-told-nbc-that-prim_n_427619.html

 

I think NBC is definitely the real bad guy. In an ideal world Conan would leave NBC that looks likely. Then the next day Jay would leave NBC as well. It leave NBC where they deserve to be.

 

It's gonna be hilarious if Jay decides he really wants to retire within the next 5 years or so.

 

Sounds funny and not in a joke way.

 

Leno erred in agreeing to retire 5 years ago. He should have made NBC make their choice then. He deserves heat for that.

But Conan's done better then OK. He's got more momentum and recognition then ever before, was fully paid, and has a greater following then he could ever expect going into a new show. I suspect, if he gets a deal from FOX or elsewhere, he'll hurt Letterman more then Leno -- as those of us who don't 'get' Leno's appeal -- aren't the ones who've been giving Leno his success all these years.

In the end, the jokes on us. Suddenly (although possibly for only a brief time) we care about a format most of us have felt was outdated and irrelevant for years. And we're indignantly rallying around uber successful late night comics who might otherwise be working the vegas and stand up circuit for a fraction of the success they're afforded now.