was the first to post Conan O’Brien’s letter to NBC and in it he says if you move The Tonight Show to 12:05a, I am not interested. So with this letter, the ball is in NBC’s court and as of now they have no statement about it. It will be interesting to see what happens, but we can all guess what will happen…Conan O’Brien will be on Fox. I feel bad for him because he really got screwed in the deal or maybe in the long run he won’t???
People of Earth:
In the last few days, I’ve been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I’ve been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I’ve been absurdly lucky. That said, I’ve been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.
Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.
But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.
Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.
So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn’t matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.
Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it’s always been that way.
Yours,
Conan
[ # 380714 ] Comment from Darryl [January 12, 2010, 2:31 pm]
I am a long time fan of Conan. I watch this guy nightly, and have since his debut on NBC.
Let me tell you, I was so excited when I heard he would be inheriting Jay’s spot.
But they duped him. He was duped from the very beginning. They shouldn’t have put Jay in primetime, that was just bologna!
I think that is Conan is forced to push The Tonight Shows timeslot back, that he should go another network.
Conan, YOUR LOYAL FANS will follow you to whichever network you decide to go to! Just like Dave’s fan did in the early 90s.
People truly love you, and your brand of humor is a rare find these days. I hope you and your staff keep up the great work.
AND, Don’t say you were absurdly lucky. You guys worked for everything you have. Illegal immigrants on welfare are absurdly lucky. You, my friend, have earned your keep.
– Darryl.