NBC Exec Admits Leno Likely Off Network After Conan Takes Over: "It's A Reach"

After a news conference on Monday introducing Jimmy Fallon as the next host of the 12:35 a.m. "Late Night" series, Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, acknowledged that the changing late-night landscape at the network would probably mean that Jay Leno would leave it.

Asked about the prospect that NBC would be able to keep Mr. Leno after his contract expires in January 2010, with Conan O'Brien having taken over his spot on the "Tonight" show, Mr. Silverman said NBC was going to do everything it could to find something that would induce Mr. Leno to stay but that it was unlikely that it would succeed. "I think it's a reach," Mr. Silverman said.

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Comments

[JamesA1102]

The problem with Leno is not ratings but demographics. He maybe #1 (mainly due to NBC's superior station line-up) but his demos suck. Letterman's demos are much better. His viewers are younger, more educated and far more affluent. The result being CBS can charge more for a :30 spot on Letterman than NBC can charge for Leno. And Leno's audience is getting older and less affluent as time goes by. Conan's demographics are more like Letterman. NBC had a choice either let Leno continue with an graying audience or give the show to Conan to try to stem the tide. It was a business decision pure and simple.

[Agentlady007]

Conan is so funny. He makes me laugh more than any late night host. Very similar to Letterman when he was younger. America is going to be blessed again with a classy act. I will stay up late to watch him - the same way I'd wait to see Johnny every night. I can't wait.

[ReelBusy]

Now for a few words about the Fallon decision.
This issue isn't about a bad choice by NBC, even though it is.
This is about a career that has been hugely mismanaged by his agents at CAA.
CAA signed Fallon after he was on SNL.
They poached him from his agency and promised him the moon.

It started fine with smart roles like the one in Almost Famous

The he was packaged into TAXI with Queen Latifah.
Huge fucking bomb.

Then he was a casting hire for Drew Barrymore's Red Sox movie and wound up marrying her producing partner.
Hmm, maybe there was a crush that led to the hire there...?

Now CAA has Fallon's career back where he started, on a late night show for NBC produced by Lorne Michaels.
You've come a long way Jimmy!

[ReelBusy]

There is a big difference is the audience and demo of the 12:30 shows vs. the 11:30 shows when you are talking late night TV.

Letterman and Conan built huge auds for their 12:30 time slots.
When Dave moved to 11:30 he won for a while but then has lost in the ratings to Leno for 15 years.
Conan will face this same problem after his move.
It will actually give Dave a real good shot at getting back to #1 because he is the older guy that middle America will turn to instead of the young hip O'Brian.
good luck dave.

[ReelBusy]

Once again NBC is going off the rails mismanaging the TONIGHT SHOW.

Scene from NBC HQ:
Exec #1 "Hey Jay Leno is Number One in Late Night."
Exec #2 "America Loves Jay. Letterman will never beat him in the ratings."
Exec #1 "Success sucks. We don't get credit for it."
Exec #2 "We haven't done anything that justifies our giant salaries and feeds our ego's lately."
Exec #1 "Let's replace Jay with Conan and hire a hack comic who hasn't done much since SNL"
Exec #2 "How about Jimmy Fallon?"
Exec #1 "That's a crappy idea. It's Perfect!.
Exec #2 "Let's go have lunch and celebrate on the company expense account""

And Johnny Carson rolls over in his grave as NBC pisses on his legacy....

[vandegrasse]

Leon's funny

This isn't.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tbpyQkfIg7o

[johnlee]

Gee! The movie was called TAXI and yes it was forgettable. But I was talking about Jimmy Fallon NOT Jay Leno, who I still think is unfunny.

[stop7997]

Leno used to be a very edgy comedian before he took over the Tonight Show. I always looked forward to his guest appearances whenever he went on the old Letterman show -- he always killed! I would love to see him have a show on HBO or Showtime where he would have the opportunity to really cut loose. I don't mean work "blue" (I don't think he does that), but to show his real personality.

[dredge]

2010 will be too late for the planet.

[drblack]

Conan O'Brien is a better writer than Talk show host. he talks over guests and ALWAYS has to be the center of attention.
His comedy wears thin quickly.
Leno should stay, if his ratings are good why would they make a change for the worse: a change which is no change at all.
Fallon is a light weight.
Craig Ferguson has been beating Conan in the ratings, so why would they take Conan of the falling ratings and put him in the top spot?

[freshnotbitter]

Why don't they try Maya Rudolph in this spot? She'd have days off with taping in the evening and big money. Or get somebody like her. Somebody please take a risk in this country before we all turn into mashed potatos. Conan O'Brien?? Ohhh nooo!!! I'd rather watch Joan Rivers.

[freshnotbitter]

I tuned in to Leno recently after not watching late night tv in a long time and I found him to be very funny, especially compared to the last time I watched when he had just taken over the show.

It was obvious to me that his relaxed, breezy style was a big improvement.

I have tried watching Conan O'Brien on several occasions and I just don't understand what anybody finds funny in his jokes or his delivery. He seems to be empty of any talent whatsoever. Can anybody explain to me what makes him a successor to Leno, Carson, et al?? Sometimes people without talent can extract a little sympathy from me but O'Brien seems to be self conscious, maybe because he knows he is a total fake.

[hayesserves]

I don't normally dress down bloggers. I really feel there is too much hatemongering for the sake of hatemongering. So I'm not going to be mean here, but the short answer to your question is No. No one can explain to you why Conan is funnier than Leno. If that's not immediately apparent to you, then you probably aren't the funniest person at the watercooler. And if you are, that says more about your watercooler. I will briefly point out that Conan was a two-time president of the Harvard Lampoon, he was largely responsible for some of the best years of both SNL and a little cartoon nobody watches called The Simpsons. You can wikipedia Leno to get some idea of how other comedians regard him. I think the nicest euphemism would be "milktoast." But what IS hilarious is that you chose to weigh in on late night TV personalities at all, going so far as to label O'Brien a "total fake empty of any talent whatsoever." This is coming from a person who hadn't watched late night TV since Leno "had just taken over the show." Uh...I hate to break it to you, but that was SIXTEEN YEARS AGO!!! What have you been doing these last couple decades bro?? Were you and Han Solo just released from the carbonite deep-freeze? Nevermind. If you don't know why Conan's funny, you probably wouldn't get the Lando reference. That's as mean as I'll get. Be well.

[indyny]

^ Mrs. O'Brien certainly is a little touchy today, isn't she folks?

[bluegrasser]

Why attempt to insult a blogger by insinuating he or she is female?

[BrenDavis]

Anyone who's seen him pop up in a club already knows that Leno's comedy is far sharper than the TV audience is aware of. Maybe he could roll out his somewhat more uncensored self on a nationwide tour and win a new generation of fans while keeping most of his base? Hmm.

[Aanya]

Does NBC have a death wish? Why would anyone in their right mind, push Jay Leno out the door? If it aint' broke, don't fix it! This is the craziest, most insane thing I've ever heard of. I love Leno and Letterman. I DVR both shows, and can't face the prospect of having to live without either one of them. I never watch any of the prime time line up. Not ever. After dinner in my house, we watch The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Letterman and then Leno! NBC, don't rock my boat!

[CompliantMedia]

"After dinner in my house, we watch The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Letterman and then Leno!"

Same here. The only network show I watch on a regular basis is "Boston Legal" and apparently it will be gone after next season.

If my cable company ever goes to an "a la carte system" my monthly bill would probaly be about $10.

If interested, "a la carte" discussed is USA Today at:
http://tinyurl.com/32bhq3

I predict Conan O'Brien with be the Katie Couric of late night televsion. A grossly overpaid major bust!

[StanTheManic]

Hey, Bevis, Jimmy Fallon SUCXKS. Heh, heh.

Yeah, Butthead, I know. He SUCXKS.

Heh, heh.

Yeah, heh, heh.

[GarBearSJ]

Fallon is a very bad choice.
I was hoping Michaels would hire Chelsea Handler for the spot.

[ErnestineBass]

NBC "screwed the pooch" years ago when they chose Leno over Letterman...

[GeorgeGlass]

Except that he's consistently beaten Letterman for over a decade. Letterman is clearly the better interviewer and more interesting, but that doesn't mean ratings and ad dollars, which is what NBC is concerned about.

Hard to see it as a mistake given how profitable it's been for them.

[LiberalBuzz]

I am a bigger fan of Letterman than Leno but Leno is still pretty funny. O'Brien has a wicked sense of humor but nothing compared to the real humor of Craig Ferguson.

NBC, as already stated, seems to have a death wish and putting Fallon who has NEVER been funny in Conan's slot is just pure suicide. Fallon always struck me as someone who wanted to be funny but didn't have a clue as to how to be.

How he got onto SNL has always been a mystery to me.

CBS will rule the late night airwaves.

[ErnestineBass]

Yep.

CBS late night ends up as the winner!

NBC...gets the weiner...

[Theda]

Jay is cool. And he has a fantastic wife.

[polaris12]

NBC seems good at shooting itself in the foot. Substituting Leno for O'Brien is a huge blunder, equivalent to CBS hiring Katie Couric.

[ming099]

............I still say that NBC has a death wish..............Fallon...who wouldnt know funny if it jumped up and BIT HIM IN THE ASS ...and O'Brien.....who is EVEN MORE comically challenged .........will sound the death knell for NBC's late night line up............shame, too........bet Johnny is spinning in his grave..........

[manndan]

We'll miss you Jay. Have fun in your garage.

[JackMehoffer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQHRNeY9zUU

[lakat]

I am baffled to hear people praise Jay Leno. I don't get it. He was once a very funny man. Now he's just another Republican shill with a mean spirit. Good riddance, in my opinion. Bush is on his way out...Leno must go too.

[GeorgeGlass]

Have you watched the show? I'm not saying he hasn't watered down his act and can be very bland sometimes in terms of the comedy, but he's not a Republican in the least. He's a moderate democrat. He went out of his way to not make fun of Obama about the Rev. Wright flap, instead comparing Wright to a crazy uncle that we all have. In fact after the story broke he started the monologue by quoting all these horribly things about America, then gave credit to it as the Republican's crazy pastory (being Falwell, Robertson, etc.)

Just because he's had Republicans on the show doesn't make him one. The guest who has been on The Daily Show the most if John McCain.

[johnlee]

I never thought Jay Leno was funny. He never measured up to Johnny Carson IMO. As far as Jimmy Fallon goes he isn't funny or has any talent. what so ever. What has he done other than be unfunny on SNL. Oh yeah I forgot that movie he was in with Queen Latifah.

[johnlee]

@Theda , Pull your head out of Leons Butt and lean how to read Theda. I was talking about Jimmy Fallon.

[Theda]

Get your movie trivia straight, Johnlee.
Leno never did a movie with Queen Latifah.
Steve Martin co-starred in a comedy called "Bringing Down the House" with her.

[ErnestineBass]

Little wonder you forgot...it was pretty forgettable, wasn't it? ~snicker~