Talk Shows Return!

[Super_Ludacris]

smh@ Leno calling Lupe "Loopy" Fiasco. Even Dave didnt **** up his name when he was on.

 

[Rocker22]

Will was great last night on Conan.

 

[Cmill216]

Kenna, Pharrell, and Chad Hugo on Letterman tonight? Sign me up.

 

[Prison Mike]

The Daily Show showed a funny piece on the Starbucks closing for a couple hours last night. lol

 

[Shifty]

Some big details on what to expect in the next two years regarding Leno and Conan.

Suitors Are Set to Say to Leno, Long Live King
By BILL CARTER
Published: February 27, 2008

LOS ANGELES — The Jay Leno chase is on.

Four years ago, NBC made the comedian the lame-duck host of “The Tonight Show,” announcing with fanfare that he would be succeeded by Conan O’Brien in 2009.

Today, Mr. Leno is still the champion of late-night ratings, with no apparent desire to do anything else but continue on top. “What I do,” he has said on several occasions to colleagues, “is tell jokes at 11:30 at night.”

And so, nearly two years before he can officially be courted, suitors including two networks, ABC and Fox, and at least one television studio, Sony Pictures Television, are beginning to circle, doing everything they legally can to make sure Mr. Leno knows that they will make it possible for him to continue doing just that.

Senior executives at ABC and Fox said that their networks had discreetly gotten the message to Mr. Leno that they were waiting eagerly for the time when they would be able to make official overtures. NBC Universal, meanwhile, has repeatedly expressed its intention to retain Mr. Leno with a still-undisclosed plan for a new program.

Sony Pictures Television has made an approach through intermediaries to let Mr. Leno and his representatives know that as soon as he is allowed to discuss his next move, the studio will make him a rich offer for a syndicated late-night show that would make him the highest-paid host in late-night television, put his name on a new theater on the Sony lot and give him a financial interest in Sony music artists who appear on his show.

Executives who have heard the details of the plan said the move was Sony’s effort to stake a flag in the ground, knowing how intense the pursuit of Mr. Leno was likely to be in coming months.

In a series of interviews here, executives on several sides of the courtship of Mr. Leno outlined possible plans for his future. They all asked to speak anonymously because they are not allowed to negotiate with Mr. Leno until November 2009, when a negotiating window will open up in Mr. Leno’s deal with NBC.

Executives who know the details of his contract said Mr. Leno would remain attached to NBC through the end of 2009 even though he probably would not be on the air for the last six months of the contract. Mr. Leno’s contract is estimated to pay him about $25 million a year — which is less than David Letterman’s, which pays him more than $30 million. “Jay will of course honor his contract obligations to NBC,” said Kenneth Ziffren, Mr. Leno’s lawyer. (Mr. Leno works without a formal deal with an agent or manager.) “Jay isn’t talking to anyone about anything and won’t be until it’s contractually proper,” Mr. Ziffren said.

In 2004, when they established a plan for the network’s late-night future, NBC executives most likely did not expect to find themselves facing the prospect of losing another incumbent late-night star to a competitor. That happened in the early 1990s when Mr. Letterman defected to CBS after Mr. Leno won the battle to succeed Johnny Carson.

Instead, the announcement of the five-year transition from Mr. Leno to Mr. O’Brien in 2009 cut off efforts by other networks to steal away Mr. O’Brien, whose “Late Night” appears on NBC after “Tonight,” and secured five more years with both Mr. Leno and Mr. O’Brien in the NBC fold.

But if the expectations at NBC had been that Mr. Leno, as he approached 60, would be showing signs of slackening in popularity, he has defied them, winning in the ratings virtually every night, even during the recent three-month writers’ strike. Mr. Leno’s ratings dominance even without writers was noted throughout the television business, and only heightened the already intense curiosity surrounding his next move.

Mr. Letterman is signed at CBS through 2010.

The terms of Mr. Leno’s contract, as well as the tentative plan for how and when Mr. O’Brien will step in to replace him on “Tonight,” have set up a sequence of events that will have both comedians off the air in 2009 for extended periods of time.

Executives close to the planning said the expectation now was that Mr. O’Brien would leave “Late Night” next January, allowing him five months to reshape his show for the transition from New York to Los Angeles and the earlier time period of “Tonight.”

NBC has begun construction on a new studio for “Tonight,” as well as offices for Mr. O’Brien’s staff, on its Universal lot here. Several executives predicted that NBC would use the months Mr. O’Brien will be off the air to introduce his successor, widely expected to be Jimmy Fallon, the former “Saturday Night Live” cast member. Mr. Fallon is the favorite of Lorne Michaels, the “Saturday Night Live” producer who had success in choosing the unknown Mr. O’Brien in 1993 to succeed Mr. Letterman and who will again be involved in the selection of the new host of “Late Night.” Moving into the show next February would mean Mr. Fallon could benefit from the lead-ins from Mr. Leno’s last months on “Tonight.”

But the terms of NBC’s contract also mean Mr. Leno could not return to the air anywhere else until January 2010. That would give Mr. O’Brien an extended period on “Tonight” without facing competition from Mr. Leno.

“The Tonight Show” earns an estimated $100 million a year. Mr. Leno, who turns 58 in April, has kept his intentions for his post-“Tonight” career to himself, declining any comment about what he might choose to do after his contract expires. His friends and associates have speculated that he could be looking for some way to make NBC regret asking him to make way for Mr. O’Brien — though Mr. Leno publicly has been nothing but supportive of Mr. O’Brien.

As a guest last month on another late-night show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on ABC, Mr. Leno declared his intention to go through with the move.

That comment countered what had become rampant speculation that NBC might reconsider at the last minute and ask Mr. Leno to stay on at “Tonight.” But NBC executives, including the chief executive of NBC Universal, Jeff Zucker, have reaffirmed their commitment to Mr. O’Brien. And if they did change their minds, they would owe Mr. O’Brien a penalty payment: an estimated $45 million.

One of Mr. Leno’s potential suitors said, “I expect money will play a secondary role to revenge and Jay will look to prove to everybody that NBC was wrong.”

Several of those trying to guess Mr. Leno’s next move suggested that motivation would be one of many reasons why ABC enjoys the best chance to land him. That network could abandon its “Nightline” news program at 11:35 p.m. to give Mr. Leno a show that could go directly against “Tonight.” Fox, in contrast, would offer him an 11 p.m. slot.

Executives at Fox, though, say that network’s pitch to Mr. Leno will use its recent prime-time dominance as a selling point. Executives at ABC, meanwhile, say the network will stress its lineup of prime-time hits as well as the lead-in power of the late local news on its stations.

“Another performer would find getting a jump at 11 an advantage,” one Fox executive said. “But probably not Jay, who will want to be head to head against NBC.”

If Mr. Leno prefers a face-to-face network battle with NBC, that could make it difficult for Sony Pictures Television or any other syndicator to win out over network offers, executives say. But those who have heard the details of Sony’s plan say that by 2010, when Mr. Leno would finally return to the studio, networks will be further diminished as viewers get their programming from a wider array of sources.

Sony also has the backing of its chief executive, Howard Stringer, who, when he held a similar position at CBS, was in the middle of the last late-night roundelay, wooing Mr. Leno with a vintage motorcycle, which led to NBC’s decision to commit to him over Mr. Letterman — which in turn led to Mr. Stringer’s landing Mr. Letterman for CBS.

The president of Sony Television, Steve Mosko, declined to comment. But executives who have heard some of the details of Sony’s plans said the studio intended to throw a kitchen sink of proposals at Mr. Leno.

“When he walks on the lot, there’ll be a Yellow Brick Road to the Jay Leno Theater, which will sit at the centerpiece of the Sony lot,” said an executive who has seen the plans.

Sony is expected to promise Mr. Leno $40 million a year or more — the top salary in late night. The studio would also give him ownership, not just of his own show, but also of a second hourlong late-night show designed to follow Mr. Leno’s — a construction that Mr. Letterman already enjoys at CBS, with his “Late Show” and “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson.” (Mr. Leno does not own “Tonight.”)

The terms are not likely to drive off the competition for Mr. Leno’s services. Referring to the executives with ultimate control over ABC and Fox, one NBC executive said, “Bob Iger and Peter Chernin are camped out at Leno’s garage.”

No matter how elaborate their charm offensive may be, Mr. Leno cannot sign with anyone else until very late next year, and cannot be on the air anywhere until January 2010. That is not a lot of time to prepare a new show.

But perhaps not for Mr. Leno. “He could hire an executive producer and staff up,” said one executive who has worked with him. “He’d probably be ready to go after a weekend.”

That sucks that there potentially could be less than a year of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" but it makes sense since Letterman was off the air for a few months when he went from NBC to CBS and Conan didn't jump into Late Night, there were weeks of reruns before he joined. It is a smart strategy to have Conan gone, off in California coming up with a new show while Leno says goodbye and Fallon (or whoever) gets started and then Conan can start the next Monday after Leno's last Friday. 5 months is a bit much, 2 would be good.

Sony is making quite the investment for a guy who almost 60. Its basically the same deal Letterman got but CBS will get 17 years out of it, and Sony might get 5 or 6. Plus there could be another late night talk show at 12:35am!

 

[Catman]

This is dumb. The only reason Leno is #1 in the ratings is because Letterman isn't what he used to be, Kimmel hasn't built a strong audience yet (although he may soon), and Conan is on at 12:30am.

The truth of the matter is that people stopped caring about Leno sometime in 2001 or 2002.

NBC is making the right choice by getting rid of him and having Conan host the Tonight Show.

 

[Prison Mike]

Man, I can't wait for Conan to take over. Just as long as he doesn't change too much or make things too tame.

 

[Gold Samurai]

Late Night with........Jimmy fallon?!?! WTH?

 

[Gilpesh]

My idea rocked...

 

[Cmill216]

LOLs. That's awesome.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Any news on what happens to Letterman in a few years?

 

[Super_Ludacris]

These been rumours for years that Jon Stewart has been approached about taking over the Late Show after Dave. Hes been hesitant when people talk to him about it, cause he feels Daily Show is his niche.

The Fallon on Late Night rumour has been around for years too.

 

[Poeman]

lets not forget about the garbage that is carson daley...why is he even on at night

 

[Shifty]

THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, NBC

Mo 3/17: Kate Beckinsale, Carlos Mencia, the Bravery
Tu 3/18: Terry Bradshaw, James Carville, Mary Matalin, Erykah Badu
We 3/19: Ryan Phillippe, Lisa Lampanelli, Jim Lauderdale
Th 3/20: John Edwards, Leslie Mann, Nada Surf
Fr 3/21: Adam Carolla, Geraldo Rivera, the Black Crowes

Mo 3/24: Peter O'Toole, Katt Williams, Leona Lewis
Tu 3/25: Abigail Breslin, Steve Earle
We 3/26: Joe Torre, Jose Gonzalez
Th 3/27: Conan O'Brien, Anderson Cooper, Allison Moorer
Fr 3/28: John Krasinski, Kid Inventors, k.d. lang

 

[JP]

Oh hell yes!




I was at the Snoop Dog taping last week... amazing.

 

[Catman]

Th 3/27: Conan O'Brien, Anderson Cooper, Allison Moorer

 

[Super_Ludacris]

I've been catching up on six weeks worth of Conan Episodes on the Tivo. lol@ the rainforest dance troupe. Im suprised no one made GIFs and Avys of him dancing with them. His swag was on point.

 

[Prison Mike]

REMINDER: Conan will be on Leno tonight!!!!!

 

[Rocker22]

It is gonna be good.

 

[Shifty]

The last time I saw Conan on Leno, Conan brought Little Jay Leno with him. Conan has already bought a house in California, wonder what else he's done this week.

 

[Prison Mike]

why is he in california this week? He's not going to do his show there next week, will he?

 

[Dr. Evil]

why is he in california this week? He's not going to do his show there next week, will he?

He's been doing re-runs the last few weeks.

Sadly, none of the re-runs have been the strike shows.

 

[Gamma Ray]

Conan sucks with writers.

 

[Rocker22]

Well Jimmy Fallon is gonna be the one who replaces Conan. I think he should be good.

 

[Prison Mike]

Fallon to Replace Conan as Late Night Host
Source: Fox News April 24, 2008

NBC wasn't expected to announce it until next month, but word has leaked to Fox News that Jimmy Fallon is set to take Conan O'Brien's job as host of "Late Night" in 2009 when O'Brien takes over "The Tonight Show" from Jay Leno, who is leaving as host in May, 2009.

Fox News' Roger Friedman writes:

There's much debate about letting Leno leave NBC etc., but right now let's just concentrate on Jimmy. He's the perfect successor to Conan and should have just as big an audience when he takes the reins. Fallon is one of those great underrated performers. This should be the right milieu for him.

Fallon, who recently married producer Nancy Juvonen, is said to be thrilled and ready, if not a little scared, about taking Conan's desk. He still has to pick a producer and a band, among other things.

this is from comingsoon.net