So much for Jay Leno only having a 30-minute show from 11:35-12:05. According to TMZ, Leno will get the full timeslot for "The Tonight Show" back as he returns to the late-night environment where he previously thrived.
This decision would have been announced earlier, but Jay had to ink a new contract with NBC since his previous one guaranteed him a spot at primetime. "The Tonight Show" is much more familiar ground for the host, and until recently NBC held the advantage following the local news.
What does this mean for Conan O'Brien? The answer is simple: pending some miracle, he's out. Some reports claim his last show could be next week, but nothing is confirmed. It's likely now that he will try to head to Fox, where he can take a timeslot earlier at night and compete directly against his former colleague. The problem? Conan has to first work out a deal with NBC while Fox tries to figure things out with affiliates who are currently running syndicated shows at 11:00.
In other Jay-related news, early reports are that his 10:00 spot will be filled after the Olympics by the return of "Law & Order," "Dateline NBC," and "The Marriage Ref," a new reality show by Jerry Seinfeld.
Do you think NBC is making a huge mistake? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.
Update: The Hollywood Reporter spoke with an NBC insider who denied that the contract was signed. We'll see how the situation shapes up.
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Comments
I don't know if Jay Leno can rule late-night TV again if his jokes and skits are as bad as they were on his prime-time show. He wasn't the greatest comedian before he moved to prime time, but he got to be very unwatchable after he moved to prime time. I tried to watch his prime-time show several times, but I could never make it through an entire episode because it was so boring and stiff.
I hear that Jay Leno is a nice guy in real life, but this whole debacle at NBC makes him look like the bad guy. He's not that far from retirement age, and a lot of people think Jay should've just gracefully stepped aside, let his prime-time show be canceled, and let Conan keep "The Tonight Show."
But the real villains are the NBC execs who let all of this mess happen in the first place. They really treated Conan like dirt. Someone like Jeff Zucker should be fired, not Conan O'Brien. Zucker ruined NBC.
Hi TV Fan,
I agree with you. Jeff Zucker should be fired instead of Conan. My husband watched Jay's prime time show almost every night. He thought it was ok. And, he was surprised that it was not doing well.
Jay said he was retiring. That started all of this. He may be a nice guy, but, we won't watch him at his new time ever again. No NBC at our house after the news.
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