NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
01-23-10, 11:35 AM
#576
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
yes, because the ratings weren't behind the decision. the buyout was.
If Conan's ratings were exactly the same, or even a little worse, but it was Conan with the ironclad $150 million buyout clause and NBC could have dumped Leno for a fraction of the price, we'd be saying a final goodbye to Jay Leno.
If Conan's ratings were exactly the same, or even a little worse, but it was Conan with the ironclad $150 million buyout clause and NBC could have dumped Leno for a fraction of the price, we'd be saying a final goodbye to Jay Leno.
01-23-10, 11:37 AM
#577
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
yes, because the ratings weren't behind the decision. the buyout was.
If Conan's ratings were exactly the same, or even a little worse, but it was Conan with the ironclad $150 million buyout clause and NBC could have dumped Leno for a fraction of the price, we'd be saying a final goodbye to Jay Leno.
If Conan's ratings were exactly the same, or even a little worse, but it was Conan with the ironclad $150 million buyout clause and NBC could have dumped Leno for a fraction of the price, we'd be saying a final goodbye to Jay Leno.
01-23-10, 11:38 AM
#578
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
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Yes it's a joke.
Written in the spirit of the typical wm lopez post. I don't think anyone can find a post he's made in any thread in the past year where he hasn't brought politics into it.Sorry Jadzia -- didn't see your post until after I'd written this....
Last edited by Nefarious; 01-23-10 at 12:01 PM. Reason: note to mod
01-23-10, 11:39 AM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
01-23-10, 11:41 AM
#580
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
NBC knew they could only keep one of the two. Dropping Leno meant paying out $150 million. Dropping Conan meant paying out ~$40 million. Shocker that they kept Leno!
Last edited by RoyalTea; 01-23-10 at 11:44 AM.
01-23-10, 11:43 AM
#581
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
I think it could be interpreted that the affiliates wanted him back at 11:35 or, more correctly, out of prime-time. I don't think they cared whether it was Leno or Conan following them but they didn't want either of them or any similar show leading into them.
I think it is a stretch to say they were clearly asking for Jay to essentially replace Conan.
I think it is a stretch to say they were clearly asking for Jay to essentially replace Conan.
01-23-10, 11:43 AM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
I'd like to see the numbers behind the reports that the profits are down $200 million. I woudn't be surprised if they included the fixed costs of having to shut down production of Late Night, move everyone to Burbank and build the new studio.
NBC knew they could only keep one of the two. Dropping Leno meant paying out $150 million. Dropping Conan meant paying out ~$340 million. Shocker that they kept Leno!
NBC knew they could only keep one of the two. Dropping Leno meant paying out $150 million. Dropping Conan meant paying out ~$340 million. Shocker that they kept Leno!
I agree with your speculation that they're throwing in a bunch of one time costs (possibly including what they spent on the studio itself -- isn't this the first program that has been in it?) when they claim a loss for The Tonight Show this year.
I do have to note that it's not in Burbank as part of that, though. Jay stayed in Burbank.
01-23-10, 11:52 AM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
That was a send-off for the ages. Brilliant show. I can't wait to see whatever it is that he does next.
01-23-10, 11:53 AM
#584
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01-23-10, 11:56 AM
#585
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
I don't see how they could claim that the show lost $200 million without including those fixed costs unless somehow they were paying companies to show ads instead of the other way around.
01-23-10, 12:05 PM
#586
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
I really believe a lot of what drove Conan to his decision was his principles and I wonder if this will override any "contractual obligations" that would-be future Tonight Show guests would have.
01-23-10, 12:06 PM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
we're going round in circles, circles.
we're going round in circles, circles.
THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CONAN'S RATINGS. NONE. NOTHING. ZERO. ZIPPO. NADA.
Jay Leno wasn't performing. The decision to put a late night show into primetime five nights a week was a failure.
If NBC fired Leno, they'd be on the hook for a $150 million buyout (which again begs the question, why does a guy who brags about not having an agent or manager, who brags about doing deals with a simple handshake, who said that Prime Time "will never work" feel the need to hammer out an airtight contract with an insane buyout for something that he feels is destined to fail anyway).
NBC knew that there wasn't enough time in late night anymore for both of them. If they kept Conan, they'd have to pay Leno $150 million; if they kept Leno, they'd have to pay Conan SUBSTANTIALLY less.
Again, if Jay Leno was kicking ass and taking names at 10:00, or if he retired and never took the job at 10, would Conan's job be anything less than completely and totally secure?
Is it 100% Jay's fault? No. Is Jay completely blameless? Hell no.
The decision in 2004 for Leno to retire and pass the torch on were clearly not made by Leno. But he went along with it. He had five years to say "I'm not ready to leave." He clearly wasn't ready to stop doing a late night talk show. His options were: find another network, or accept a job offer with NBC to do his show at 10. Even though he said that doing his show in prime time "will never work," he chose to stay with NBC. Do people really think that had everything to do with Jay being loyal to the network that forced him into early retirement against his will and nothing to do with Jay wanting to do whatever possible to steal Conan's job?
we're going round in circles, circles.
THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CONAN'S RATINGS. NONE. NOTHING. ZERO. ZIPPO. NADA.
Jay Leno wasn't performing. The decision to put a late night show into primetime five nights a week was a failure.
If NBC fired Leno, they'd be on the hook for a $150 million buyout (which again begs the question, why does a guy who brags about not having an agent or manager, who brags about doing deals with a simple handshake, who said that Prime Time "will never work" feel the need to hammer out an airtight contract with an insane buyout for something that he feels is destined to fail anyway).
NBC knew that there wasn't enough time in late night anymore for both of them. If they kept Conan, they'd have to pay Leno $150 million; if they kept Leno, they'd have to pay Conan SUBSTANTIALLY less.
Again, if Jay Leno was kicking ass and taking names at 10:00, or if he retired and never took the job at 10, would Conan's job be anything less than completely and totally secure?
Is it 100% Jay's fault? No. Is Jay completely blameless? Hell no.
The decision in 2004 for Leno to retire and pass the torch on were clearly not made by Leno. But he went along with it. He had five years to say "I'm not ready to leave." He clearly wasn't ready to stop doing a late night talk show. His options were: find another network, or accept a job offer with NBC to do his show at 10. Even though he said that doing his show in prime time "will never work," he chose to stay with NBC. Do people really think that had everything to do with Jay being loyal to the network that forced him into early retirement against his will and nothing to do with Jay wanting to do whatever possible to steal Conan's job?
I guess I would be more upset if Conan were cancelled outright with no prospects of returning (similar to Chevy Chase, Joan Rivers, Dennis Millier, Magic Johnson, etc). But I know he'll be back this fall, so I can live with that. Just because shows like "Dancing With The Stars" and "American Idol" get higher ratings than some of the network shows I watch doesn't prevent me from enjoying them. If America prefers Leno at 11:35, fine with me. I know I'll be watching Conan in September.
01-23-10, 12:09 PM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
I'm not sure what happened to Stage 1 but I know "The Tonight Show" was moved to Universal Studios. I'm not sure where they did the 10pm Leno show from.
01-23-10, 12:12 PM
#589
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
maybe not immediately, or directly. But if the NBC network took a $150 million hit on the chin because of the affiliates, it would come back to the affiliates in one way or another.
01-23-10, 12:12 PM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
Leno's set was the same studio as his Tonight Show set in Burbank, just a remodel.
Pretty sure his "new" Tonight Show will be taking place from there as well.
So was Jay preempted for Dateline out of respect for Conan's last show?
He had a scheduled show for last night up until Thursday. I haven't been able to find
a reason for Jay's show not airing. Someone stated the Haiti concert, but that was over
at 10PM. Maybe they felt following up the concert with a "comedy show" was distasteful?
Couldn't be that, this is NBC we are talking about ;o) lol.
Pretty sure his "new" Tonight Show will be taking place from there as well.
So was Jay preempted for Dateline out of respect for Conan's last show?
He had a scheduled show for last night up until Thursday. I haven't been able to find
a reason for Jay's show not airing. Someone stated the Haiti concert, but that was over
at 10PM. Maybe they felt following up the concert with a "comedy show" was distasteful?
Couldn't be that, this is NBC we are talking about ;o) lol.
01-23-10, 12:13 PM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
Unless you are a Nielsen family, deleting it from your channel list won't do anything to hurt NBC. The most effective move would be to write letters to the advertisers of the Jay Leno "Tonight Show" and tell them you are supporting Conan and will no longer watch NBC.
01-23-10, 12:20 PM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
What do you guys think the new Conan show will be like? I think the vast support he's received from the fans has really boosted his confidence. I think we'll see a relaxed, confident Conan and the debut numbers will be huge. I hope he keeps everyone together including Weinberg.
01-23-10, 12:25 PM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
I hope not. I think once he got the kinks worked out that he was much better on "The Tonight Show" than "Late Night". Plus, if he ends up at Fox, they will probably want it in LA for the access to much better guests. I don't think Fox has many facilities in NY the way that the other networks do. I can't think of any big Fox shows that are done in NYC. As an example, Fox NFL Sunday is done from LA, while CBS and NBC do theirs out of NYC.
01-23-10, 12:26 PM
#595
Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
What do you guys think the new Conan show will be like? I think the vast support he's received from the fans has really boosted his confidence. I think we'll see a relaxed, confident Conan and the debut numbers will be huge. I hope he keeps everyone together including Weinberg.
01-23-10, 12:26 PM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
What do you guys think the new Conan show will be like? I think the vast support he's received from the fans has really boosted his confidence. I think we'll see a relaxed, confident Conan and the debut numbers will be huge. I hope he keeps everyone together including Weinberg.
01-23-10, 12:28 PM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
That doesn't keep Conan from having the masturbating robot, the pimpbear, etc.
01-23-10, 12:37 PM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
http://abovethelaw.com/2010/01/conan...inment_law.php
Originally Posted by Abovethelaw
However, it appears a little unclear as to the ownership of what is probably the most popular character to come out of Conan’s show, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who was created by long time SNL writer Robert Smigel. Although Triumph started on Conan, he has appeared on a number of non-NBC shows, and there is certainly reason to believe that Mr. Smigel created Triumph on his own, and not under his duties as a writer employed by NBC. If that’s the case, then Mr. Smigel would be free to take Triumph anywhere without NBC’s interference. An interesting clue to the ownership of Triumph is that the official website for Triumph (www.Triumphtheinsultcomicdog.com), is owned by Warner Records, which put out the Triumph CD. This would seem to indicate that NBC is not Triumph’s owner, leaving Triumph free to poop on NBC as soon as Conan gets settled elsewhere.
01-23-10, 12:40 PM
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01-23-10, 12:44 PM
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Re: NBC: let's see how low we can go (Conan thread, part 2)
I'll be curious to see what Jay has to say on Oprah this Thursday. It'll probably just be an expanded version of the explanation he gave on his own show earlier in the week. I'm sure we'll hear more of the "Conan is a great guy" and "I'm just doing what the network asks of me".
