BuzzSugar

2010 Biggest Headline: Late-Night Musical Chairs on NBC

BuzzSugar — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:30:00 PST

Think back to earlier this year, and you'll recall the fiasco that those of us at Buzz fondly refer to as the NBC Late Night Controversy of 2010. It all started when The Jay Leno Show started tanking in its 10 p.m. time slot, angering local NBC affiliates. To soothe matters, the network voted to move Leno back to 11:35 p.m. - in the spot that was occupied by The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien. Conan responded by refusing to bump his show back to 12:05, and a scuffle ignited that had viewers passionately taking sides.

Pointed jokes took over our TVs, and ratings skyrocketed as all of us tuned in to see who would say what next. Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno both made light of the situation, right along with their fellow late-night peers. It was great entertainment, but after weeks passed with no resolution, most viewers just wanted it all to be over.

Finally, a deal was reached: Conan left NBC to the tune of $40 million, giving up his gig as Tonight Show host. In his place, Leno returned to his old stomping grounds, while Jimmy Fallon stayed put. Conan said goodbye with his final Tonight Show and played a little "Freebird," while the rest of us mournfully looked on and waited to see what he'd do next.

To reminisce about what happened next, just keep reading.

Did You Watch Conan O'Brien's Final Tonight Show?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:00:36 PST

On Friday night, NBC aired Conan O'Brien's final episode of The Tonight Show, but that shouldn't be news to you: the ratings were so high, it sounds like everyone and their mother watched. I was one of the masses, and it was worth it - Steve Carell made an appearance, Tom Hanks came by to share some sympathy Scotch (read: cream soda), Conan made a moving, classy speech, and finally, Will Ferrell and a celebrity-studded band joined the departing host for a rousing rendition of "Freebird" (see it below if you missed it!).

Conan Says Goodbye with Will Ferrell & Freebird - watch more funny videos

I was curious about how Conan's final show would go and wanted to show my support, however minute, by watching. Did you watch, and if so, what was your reason?

TV Tonight: Hope For Haiti Now and Conan's Last Show

BuzzSugar — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:30:22 PST

It's a big night of TV for a good cause: Hope for Haiti Now is taking over your television set and airing on every major network. You think I'm exaggerating? Check out What to TiVo.

The show is reportedly on track to being the most widely distributed telethon in history, and with George Clooney pulling the strings to orchestrate the entire event, it's sure to feature one big name after another. He'll be hosting the two-hour program from Los Angeles, with Wyclef Jean taking over coverage in New York and Anderson Cooper in Haiti. The evening includes performances by Beyonce, Madonna, and a group song by Rihanna, Jay-Z, and U2's Bono and The Edge, among other artists and A-list stars. To top it off, Clooney himself is reportedly donating $1 million of his own money during the telecast.

Proceeds will benefit The American Red Cross, along with several other relief efforts. Plus, as a special partnership with the show, iTunes is letting customers pre-order a full-performance album, the video telecast, or individual songs starting today to benefit the cause.

After you do your part, keep the TV going til late-night for the final farewell show for Conan O'Brien on The Tonight Show. Following a run-around couple of weeks with NBC's back-and-forth negotiations dance, it was finally confirmed that this evening will be Coco's last as host. His final guests reportedly include Tom Hanks and Will Ferrell, but I'm sure we're in a few surprise appearances and special skits so he gets a proper sendoff - well, at least until he pops up on another network come Fall (on FOX, perhaps?).

Photos courtesy of Getty and NBC

Conan O'Brien Signs $40 Million Deal to Leave NBC, Leno Takes Tonight Show Back

BuzzSugar — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:33:08 PST

Finally, all the drama is over. Conan O'Brien has signed a deal with NBC for more than $40 million to walk away from The Tonight Show. O'Brien's manager, Gavin Polone, was the one to confirm the news today, saying that Conan solved the last sticking point of his employees' severance himself:

In the end, Conan was appreciative of the steps NBC made to take care of his staff and crew and decided to supplement the severance they were getting out of his own pocket. Now he just wants to get back on the air as quickly as possible.

Conan's last show as The Tonight Show host will be this Friday, and the good news for fans is that he should be able to be back on the air with another network in September. Sounds like just enough time for a really deserved vacation.

It's also been confirmed that Jay Leno will take back his old hosting gig on The Tonight Show starting March 1, and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon will continue to air at 12:35 a.m.

Are You Over All the Late Night Host Drama?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:30:12 PST

For the past two weeks, we've been waiting for news of Conan O'Brien's exit deal with NBC, but it hasn't happened yet. I'm frustrated - I'm ready for this whole late night skirmish to be resolved. Though I was full of attention in the beginning, making sure to stay up later to watch what Conan, Jay, and even the Jimmys had to say, now I'm losing steam.

The latest rumors are that Will Ferrell's guest booking on Friday means it's definitely Conan's final show (since Tonight Show hosts traditionally have their first guest as their last), and that Conan and NBC are battling over his staff's severance packages. But I'm tired of hearing about rumors; now I just want facts and a resolution. What about you? Whatever team you're on, are you still interested in what's going on, or sick of hearing about it?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Link Time! Daniel Craig in Talks to Star in Cowboys & Aliens

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:00:56 PST

Daniel Craig is in talks to star in Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens - Coming Soon
Check out the Middle Ages-set Ironclad trailer, starring Paul Giamatti and Kate Mara - PopWatch
Starz may be canceling Crash - TV by the Numbers
Mr. Schue - I mean Matthew Morrison - has signed with Mercury Records - HitFix
Check out a retrospective of Denzel Washington's best movies - Rotten Tomatoes
(500) Days of Summer's Marc Webb is rumored to be a contender to direct the next Spider-Man movie - MTV Movies Blog
Adam Shankman is trying to get Robert Pattinson or a Twilight cast member for the Oscars - Vulture
Jackie Earle Haley is rumored to be starring as villain Sinestro in The Green Lantern - Cinematical
Kellan Lutz is in the running to star in the Conan the Barbarian remake - PopSugar

Jay Leno Signs a Deal to Take The Tonight Show Back

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:03:04 PST

UDPATE: NBC is now denying that a deal has been made.

As the NBC late night mayhem continues, the latest news is that Jay Leno has signed a deal that will give him his old job back. Now that Conan O'Brien has refused to move to the 12:05 a.m., NBC has apparently inked a deal moving Leno back to his old 11:35 p.m. to 12:35 a.m. time slot.

This means he's back to hosting The Tonight Show, and O'Brien supposedly will finish out his run next week. Now the big question is where O'Brien will go next. How do you feel about Leno re-claiming The Tonight Show? Will you tune in or boycott to support O'Brien?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Have You Been Watching NBC's Late Night Lineup More Since the Controversy?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:45:36 PST

These days, I tend to watch the late night lineup the day after it airs (it's why TiVo was invented, as far as I'm concerned). But ever since NBC tried to remedy the The Jay Leno Show's low ratings by proposing to move him back to 11:35 p.m. with The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien at 12:05 a.m., I have never been more of a night owl.

Though still on the peacock network, Conan hasn't shied away from irreverence. Last night he brought Kenneth the Page on the show to mock the whole situation, and he didn't hold back with guest Ricky Gervais. Meanwhile, Jimmy Fallon finally weighed in, while Leno commented on Jimmy Kimmel's impression of him. As a result, the ratings for the late shows are sky high, and I get it. I may be tired at night, but I'm not missing these shows for the world - what about you?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Conan to DVR and Internet, "Thanks but No Thanks."

GeekSugar — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:45:04 PST

Have you been following NBC's late-night network drama? After the network's announcement that it plans to move The Jay Leno Show (currently airing at 10 p.m.) to the 11:35 p.m. time slot long held by The Tonight Show, host Conan O'Brien says he will not support a move of his show to a later time. I love watching Conan, but rarely make it until 11:35 most nights. I'll catch up on shows by recording them on my DVR, so a time slot change means little to me.

Not so to O'Brien, who issued a statement saying,

"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."

I'm not surprised by his response, after all, his show is his art - an art he's practiced and worked at for many, many years. But he raises an interesting question: with DVR and the Internet, does the time a show airs live matter?

Breaking: Conan O'Brien Says He Won't Do The Tonight Show at 12:05

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:35:51 PST

After making jokes about his options last night, Conan O'Brien has just released a statement saying that he will not move to 12:05 a.m. with The Tonight Show, as proposed by NBC over the weekend at the Winter TCA.

O'Brien insists it's for the good of show, saying, "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."

He also says that he currently has no other offers from other networks, as has been rumored. To read Conan's full statement, just

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