What all this Leno/Conan/Late Night Gubbins is about: a primer for friends in the UK
Right - after an hour of explaining this to my lovely seeester, I thought I should write a little primer for those who might be confused about what they might be hearing about this kerfuffle over late night television in the US (if they’ve heard anything at all), or who aren’t quite sure what the full picture is.
Basically, I just find the whole thing fascinating, and have been following it avidly, so I might as well pass on what I’ve learnt here, since I don’t think anyone would want to pay me for it…
(I’ll put it under a more jump, though, so those - like my little mother, hello! - who couldn’t give a toss can ignore it easier - honestly, I will start doing things like this on that TV blog once it’s up, so they can be even MORE easily ignored and, more importantly, where I will be free to be a TV-wonk to my heart’s content, but it isn’t quite ready yet)
Right: Before I begin, let me just say, there are probably countless details I will get slightly wrong, as I still find the importance placed on these Late Night shows/hosts (compared to their watchability) a bit weird and alien. Luckily I have lots of lovely ‘Merkin readers who will, I hope, correct me and fill in the finer points for you in the comments. This is just how I perceive it.
VERY BRIEFLY:
It might seem from afar like a bunch of divas having tantrums, or egotistical famous gentlemen having some kind of loud contest about who has the thickest scholng, but actually it’s more interesting than that. It’s a broadcaster making mistake after mistake, a legal tussle to see who will be the first to breach contract, which basically turned into a game of chicken, played out live on air.
SLIGHTLY LESS BRIEFLY, IN POINT FORM
- IMPORTANT: In 2004, after contract negotiations, Jay Leno announced he was going to retire before he got to 60, and Conan O’Brien negotiated a contract that had him taking over from Leno on his retirement in 2009.
- As 2009 approached, Leno started to seem less keen on retirement after all, and in order to stop him moving to a rival channel, NBC created a new show, called The Jay Leno Show, which would go out every night at 10pm. This would be followed by the local news, then Conan with The Tonight Show at 11.35.
- The 10pm slot has traditionally been for scripted drama, like, say, ER. Taking drama out of that prime spot five nights a week in exchange for a chat show may have saved NBC lots of money, but made television critics and fans of drama quite cross, as it represented five scripted dramas that wouldn’t be commissioned, along with all the people who would have worked on them finding it even harder to find work. (grrrr)
- Conan moved to The Tonight Show in May: The Jay Leno Show started in September.
- The ratings for neither show have been great. In December, Jay said on his show that if he was asked to take the Tonight show back, he would.
- With NBC’s local affiliates - a more important part of the equation than is hard to understand in a smaller country/market - reporting a continuing and remarkable decline (up to 40-55% of their audience disappearing in some areas) in ratings, NBC was under pressure to move Jay Leno from 10pm, and provide a stronger lead-in for the local news by putting drama there (yay!).
- NBC had written a clause into O’Brien’s contract stating that, if they gave the Tonight Show back to Leno, he would be released from contract/given a substantial payoff.
- The proposal put forward by NBC the week before last was that Jay Leno would move to a half hour show at 11.35 (the traditional time of The Tonight Show) and O’Brien at 12.05am, and poor Jimmy Fallon at 1.05am
- The basics seem to be this: if NBC continued calling it the tonight show but shoved it back, they believed they got to keep all their stars, and not have to pay anyone off.
- Over a weekend, nothing much was said by anyone. Then, on Tuesday, Conan O’Brien wrote a very polite, but very firm open letter, containing his main argument: That a “tonight” show at 12.05am wasn’t tonight. It was tomorrow. It had been his dream to host this show: it was being taken away too soon.
- This was where the fun began. If NBC took Conan off the air, they would be in some kind of breach of contract, and he might be able to get out of the contract. If Conan refused to go on air, he would be in breach, and have to deal with the consequences of that (possibly being locked into the network for up to three years, while they had no obligation to use him or put him on air).
- And so began a monumental game of chicken. Conan went onto his show every night subsequently, and did monologues that consisted entirely of calling his network useless, unpopular, incapable of running itself - of calling its executives liars and thieves, and calling Leno all manner of other things. He would then perform a skit on the same topic, and pepper the rest of his show with the same. His guests (including Ricky Gervais) joined in, some heartily (like Ricky Gervais) and with the added kind of swearwords very taboo on the networks (oh, Ricky…). And once he’d kicked it off, and they’d joined in, so did all - or most - of the other late night hosts.
- By the time it got to Friday, and with damage done on reputations, ratings, future prospects and share prices all round, enough was enough, and NBC announced that Conan O’Brien would be leaving the Tonight Show, and Jay Leno will be returning as host on March 2nd.
- The enormous clusterfuck of bare-knuckle television presenting in the meantime, however, was pretty remarkable to watch. And by remarkable I mean “remarkable, jawdropping, yet often painful”.
And more of that below.
AND NOW IN A BUNCH MORE DETAIL, WITH BELLS AND WHISTLES, WITH THE BASICS
(AS I UNDERSTAND THEM)
THE TONIGHT SHOW
Is a venerable institution. And yes, by venerable, I mean ‘not very funny’. However, funny or not, it’s been going since the mid-fifties, only had a clutch of longstanding hosts (Johnny Carson being the longest, and legendary in the ‘interviewing-people-late-at-night’ stakes), it comes on at 11.35, following the local news on NBC.
The structure is extremely formulaic. Basically there’s a host, who has an announcer (who screams his name when he comes on stage, then remains on stage to provide “banter” and laugh at the host’s jokes) and a band (who point out when those jokes have occurred with a dum-ptsch! on the drums, and otherwise spend their time playing really poor 80s bass-heavy jazz-soft-rock incidental music). There’s an opening monologue, then some kind of skit, a first guest (plugging their movie/tv show/whatever), a second guest (plugging theirs), and then a band or a comedian at the end.
Every weeknight. For 55 years.
It was hosted by Jay Leno from 1992-2009. It is currently hosted by Conan O’Brien. It will be hosted by Jay Leno again from 2 March 2010.
CURRENT STATE OF THE LATE NIGHT SCHEDULE
After The Tonight Show, there is The Late Night Show at 12.35 (Jimmy Fallon), and then another one after that by Carson Daly, but by that point no one cares anymore, poor lamb.
Similarly, on CBS (another one of the basic nework channels, rather than the extra, paid-for, cable channels that shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are on), there is The Late Show (presented by David Letterman), and The Late Late Show (Craig Ferguson. You know, Scottish guy. Nice man).
ABC has a late night chat show too, but it’s just called Jimmy Kimmel Live, presumably because all the variations on ‘Night’ and ‘Late’ were already taken, and because it’s presented by Jimmy Kimmel. Oh, it also has an exclamation mark after it’s name, which is probably the main reason I can’t bring myself to watch that one, even though Kimmel’s quite funny.
THE PLAYERS
A controversial choice when he took over in 1992 Jay Leno is an affable man with a chin the size of Canada and a reportedly large audience in middle-America, who are apparently fond of the gentle topical humour scripted for him by his writing team, and for skits such as ‘Jaywalking’, where Leno and camera crew ask simple trivia questions of people in the street, hoping to happen upon a stupid one, and always, always succeeding. Took audiences some considerable time to warm to him as the Tonight Show host, though he held and maintained the No.1 slot after happening to have Hugh Grant on his sofa just after the Divine Brown scandal broke.
Conan O’Brien hosted Late Night, after Jay Leno, from 1993-2009. He took over that seat from David Letterman. Ridiculously tall, and with the kind of indeflatable ginger bouffant last seen (occasionally) on Mrs Slocombe. He came to Late Night after working on the Simpsons in its infancy, and that kind of humour is evident in first Late Night then The Tonight Show. He presented the Late Night show from New York, and uprooted his family to Los Angeles (where more glitzy guests are available, among other things) for The Tonight Show. As did all his writing staff, crew, band etc.
David Letterman used to do Late Night, after Johnny Carson, and was expected to take over from Carson after he retired (and was Carson’s own preferred choice). When the show was given to Leno, Letterman defected to CBS, where he’s been much-loved ever since (although not quite so much in the ratings: Leno consistently won those). He does his show out of New York too.
Jimmy Kimmel: More of a comedian than the affable after-dinner speaker persona of the others, he’s spiky. And doesn’t seem to give a fuck.
Jimmy Fallon: New to the gang, Fallon used to be on Saturday Night Live - which is also, to a great extent, horrendously unfunny, but don’t get me started on that. Suffice to say: it is an object lesson in how to drag a 30 second joke out for nine painful minutes. And then make it a returning character. And then maybe a feature film. Woeful.
Craig Ferguson: Funny monologues, and a couple of good skits that I’ve seen. Doesn’t fit quite the same mold or format as the others, whcih actually seems to work well for him.
But frankly, until this last couple of weeks, I hadn’t much time for the lot of them.
a) There’s only so many ways you can make plugging a product much fun.
b) The Daily Show and Colbert do “topical” better, and if by some bizarre chance I actually missed anything, twitter would let me know and Hulu/YouTube would have the clips. The one I would actively seek out the morning after was Craig Ferguson, because his monologues are very funny.
c) Who the hell watches TV at 1.30am?! When do you SLEEP?
THE RECENT HISTORY
In 2004, Jay Leno announced that he wanted to retire before he hit 60, which he will in April of 2010.
When he announced that, Conan stated his interest in finally getting to take over the Tonight Show, after spending 16 years behind his Late Night desk.
Though he was a riskier choice, being slightly more surreal and less ‘everyman’-ish, it was thought that after a bedding-in time, he would prove as popular a host as Leno. But the dropping news ratings mean that he hasn’t been given this time. Some would say (Leno has said) that seven months should be enough: O’Brien counters that Leno was allowed longer to settle in initially, and that his numbers were lower due to a) not having a strong lead in from the news … which had lost numbers due to Leno and b) many of the guests who would have plugged their crappy new film on The Tonight Show going to Leno instead.
THE COLOSSAL-GAME-OF-CHICKEN/HOLY-MOTHERLOVIN-CLUSTERFUCK WEEK
The clips of Conan and Jay are mainly on Hulu and not on YouTube, by the way, so I haven’t linked to any of them because I presume if you’re reading this beginner’s guide (by a beginner) you won’t have regional access to Hulu. and I hate things that blithely link to videos I can’t see where I am.
After Conan released his statement, a lot more people probably tuned in to see what would happen on his show that evening. I know I bloody did. “I’m Conan O’Brien, and I’ve been practicing my Mocha Frappucino” he said, or something like, and everyone clapped and whooped and made supportive noises. The jokes of that evening were barbed and felt close to the bone, but not over the top - mainly revolving around possible career paths after leaving late night television.
As the week went on they got more aggressive. By the next night, Kenneth the page (from 30 Rock) was coming on half way through the monologue, bringing guided tours to show them ‘the former studio of the tonight show with Conan O Brien”. But the end of the week Conan was putting office equipment, furniture and even the show itself on ebay to try and help with the clearout, airing ‘classic moments’ montages from the whole history of the show (well, the last seven months), and quoting news about NBC share prices dropping, while laughing, fullheartedly, at the camera.
Meanwhile, Leno said very little, until, in possibly the winning move of the first night, Jimmy Kimmel on ABC did his full hour’s show not only dressed up as Leno, but doing a full Leno impression, mannerisms, voice etc. Leno invited Kimmel onto his show for his regular “ten at ten” feature (ten questions, a ten o’clock show), which is here, and so painful by the last few minutes it’s barely fun to watch at all (but still a bit, obv).
Letterman laid into Leno on Wednesday night, siding with Conan - but mainly, it was widely suggested, because some of the only brief, mainly veiled or subtle mentions he’d made to the troubles, Leno had dropped in a reference to Letterman’s latest sex scandal (famous man in power in ’sleeping with interns’ shocker), and that had pissed him off.
Jimmy Fallon of Late Night on NBC, meanwhile, said next to nothing - but since whatever happened, he was going to have to follow ONE of the primary two combatants, it was probably wise to do so. Craig Ferguson, not directly threatened by any of the moves but also, it seems, refreshingly outside the self-importantness of the argument, just seemed amused by it all, mainly. And if Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert said anything at all, I missed it - they spent the week dealing with actual news.
WHY THIS IS INTERESTING (TO ME, OR MAYBE IN GENERAL)
It’s the fact that this all got played out very openly, live on air. The fact that for once, you actually had a situation where there may have been a lot of backroom negotations going on, but the effect of them was seen live on air. People were speaking their minds - which in the very polite, political world of big talent and big money, is rare. For me, I had never imagined that someone could go on air, live, for an hour at a time, slagging off the channel they were on, the people who ran that channel, and the people they were supposed to count as their respected peers. And when you realise they’re all doing it as some complex game, maneuvering themselves into various positions around the two most high profile pieces in the game.
Because it’s all about timeslots, and lead-ins, and audience share and affiliates and … oh I don’t care anymore. Sorry, that’s the bit where it becomes too detailed even for me. I’m a telly wonk, but I’m not THAT wonky.
But the thing remains: it is not often a curtain gets raised like this, and it has been, for a brief time, a remarkable insight on the workings of it all - and the true bitterness, fear and anger present in all parts of the industry (of most similar industries) right now.
And also: in a world where I certainly watch television differently, and the trend must go the same way (flexible methods ofwatching, choosing your own best schedule, online, on demand etc) I honestly find it bizarre and archaic that there’s all this fuss about one time slot or the other. It’s strange. Yet compelling. Very.
So to cut a long story short…
I’m kidding. The story is already too long.
Gah, sorry - I’m going to leave it there. I’m sorry to go on at such length by the end, but the thing is, I really do find this fascinating - not least because I can’t understand who watches the bloody things in the first place. And fascinating beyond that. Just because it is fascinating.
Sorry it is long (though please, I hope you did not feel obliged to read it) and yes, yes, dear lovely ‘Merkin readers, I know there will be a whole host of things I have got wrong. In this particular area, I fully admit to being far more enthusiast than expert. As I said at the top, this is just my perception, what I’ve gleaned, my take. But if you have anything extra to add - or to correct (oh, be nice) - please do let me know in the comments.
So there you are. Not just a willy-waving contest after all.
Just about 55% one of those.
Loved your last couple of pieces, Anna. Not sure about the _Absolutely_ ref, though. Were you mixing Ferguson up with someone else, maybe? Jack Docherty?
Comment by PaulatNorthGare — 17 January, 2010 2:07 am
Paula - yes, you’re absolutely right; well, not about jack D, but that he wasn’t in Absolutely. Which makes me sad, because I had ALWAYS thought he was.
Gah! That’s going to drive me nuts. Where is it that I first fell in love with Mr F, then?
- Thanks though, and for kind words. I’ll change that.
Comment by anna — 17 January, 2010 2:10 am
Bloody confusing camel casing. It’s Paul (at North Gare), rather than Paula, but everything else - mostly just enjoying your posts recently - is right. Especially liked the perceptive line about the importance:watchability ratio of Late Night. As a fellow baffled ex-pat, I’ve been encouraged by my wife to see its popularity in the comforting familiar ritual, rather than any actual content.
Comment by PaulAtNorthGare — 17 January, 2010 2:26 am
I love all this stuff too. For extra fun, read “The Late Shift” by Bill Carter, which details NBC’s collosal fuckupage in 1992 which lead to Carson quitting, Leno taking over, and Letterman being royally pissed off and decamping to CBS. Or watch the rather dodgy made-for-TV movie of the same name, if only to laugh at the dreadful Leno & Letterman impressions.
One pedantic detail: It’s Jimmy Fallon who is the ex-SNL unfunny who follow’s Conan. Carson Daly is on *after* Fallon (at 1.35am). They are both shit. (Fallon used to impersonate Daly on SNL. “I’m Carson Daly, and I’m a massive tool.” That was the quality of the writing.)
One slightly more important detail: I don’t think Leno ever announced he *wanted* to retire. I get the impressing that in 2004, Conan’s contract was up for renewal, and NBC didn’t want to lose him to a competitor, who would put him on at 11.30 in competition to Leno, so they made some deal where he’d take over Tonight when Leno’s contract was up in 2009, and just kind of broke it to Leno that he’d be out on his arse.
Comment by Rod Begbie — 17 January, 2010 2:27 am
Paul! Paul! Sorry. You’re right, Paula t’North Gare doesn’t make much sense.
- Rod - Jimmy fucking Fallon. yes. I’ll change that, thanks. He reaches the far edges of ‘bits of the picture I couldn’t care less about’, but you’re quite right.
I will totally look up what I’ve been reading and the bit that has brought me to the retirement understanding (though I may go to sleep for a bit first), but I remember it involved the words “I promised Mavis I would take her out for dinner before I’m 60″… I’ll check it.
Comment by anna — 17 January, 2010 2:30 am
You may be confusicating Craig F with Gordon Kennedy (who was in Absolutely, and is quite similar in build/amusement).
Wasn’t he (Ferguson) in a lot of early-90’s post-Naked Video BBC Scotland comedy shows? He was in Red Dwarf as well (Confidence and Paranoia I think).
Comment by paul — 17 January, 2010 2:31 am
Rod - right, goddamnit, I cannot find that retirement reference, but I know that i’ve read it. I will find it, I will (oh hell, it’s going to be some crazy super-fan comment on an industry blog, I just know it - but I’ve edited that first ref to make it less firm until I find it). In the meantime, I’ve changed references to poor, forgettable Jimmy. Annoyingly I’d got it right in the most important instance, then wildly strayed onto the Carson side everywhere else.
Po - For some reason, I now have it in my head that it was some kind of Hysteria/Secret Policeman’s Ball type show. but I don’t know which…
Comment by anna — 17 January, 2010 2:38 am
Yeah, you’re right about Leno. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,702402,00.html I still reckon he was pushed by the network, though.
Choice quote from that 2004 article: “Letterman, who hosted NBC’s Late Night from 1982-93, was notoriously passed over for the Tonight job in favor of frequent Tonight guest host Leno, leading to his departure for CBS and the hiring of O’Brien in 1993. By sewing up the succession issue five years in advance, NBC will avoid a replay of that messy scenario.”
Heh.
Comment by Rod Begbie — 17 January, 2010 2:41 am
Fear & power.
It’s the same reason they fight every single time, whether it’s tv or politics or business or ideas or sports…the list goes on.
Comment by guyana gyal — 17 January, 2010 3:04 am
Dear Anna!
Who won? Will Jay get his coveted spot? Will Conan get his substantial payoff? Will I get my long-awaited lottery win, so I at long last can retire? All this, and much more, in next weeks episode of Soap! (was that the english name of the show)
Christer
Comment by Chrisfromsweden — 17 January, 2010 5:11 am
“rather dodgy made-for-TV movie of the same name, if only to laugh at the dreadful Leno & Letterman impressions.” And no one laughed louder than David Letterman in his monologue. “I have red hair? When did I get red hair?”
I think many Americans feel that if you leave the Tonight show, by choice or not, you can’t come back. It’s like having been President. Go away and shut up.
Long ago that Carson and that five minute monologue was the only thing funny and topical at 10:30. They should just simulcast Stewart and Colbert now.
Comment by TheQueen — 17 January, 2010 7:29 am
Fascinating blog post - I wasn’t really aware of what was going on apart from little snippets of stuff that I’d heard, but I now feel on top of the situation…
I like the politics of these things - I think it’s fascinating watching people manoeuvring to try and save their arses, revealing a bit of themselves that they’d rather keep hidden. It’s operatic…
Comment by Sam — 17 January, 2010 8:15 am
I was also under the understanding (from friends who worked for him) that Jay was “informed” he was going to retire, rather than him volunteering to do it. Conan was offered a ton of money to move to another network, and in order to make him not leave, he negotiated for The Tonight Show. Leno has always sort been a politiciany network guy and put a good face on it.
So I’m not entirely convinced that Leno is the bad guy here. He’s just been the guy that has always done what the network told him. He just likes to host the show. (He’s sort of creepy that way. He never takes a vacation and has the writers to his house every night to work well into every night.)
I think NBC is the bad thing going on here. They made a TERRIBLE decision to put Jay at 10 and when it didn’t work they started screwing with people’s careers and contracts IN PUBLIC.
I can’t stand watching Leno, but I do think he’s getting more than his share of the blame for a terrible decision made by others. That being said, Conan got screwed and I don’t blame him for being pissy.
That being said, isn’t the real shock here that Leno isn’t sixty yet?!?!!?
Comment by Jill — 17 January, 2010 8:40 am
So much I could add, but I will limit it. For now, anyway.
Firstly, there is a web site that every night posted clips of all the various monologue bits and skits about this fight. I can post the links if that is okay? Do not want to be seen as a spammer.
Otherwise, CBS do post clips from Letterman’s show on YouTube, and there are clips on the Tonight Show’s own web site. These both work in the UK, though with the Tonight Show it is only clips, not the full show links.
Going back to 2004, it was originally Leno’s idea to retire. NBC had already extended his contract through to 2009 before they started negotiations with Conan. It was because Jay had already mentioned that he was thinking of retiring that gave them the idea of the five year succession plan. This gave them something to offer Conan in the face of big offers from ABC and Fox to switch networks.
As Leno already has his new contract there was nothing NBC could have done at that point to push him. He also had the ratings. Had he not wanted to leave, and forced the network to decide between the two of them, I am certain they would have picked him. Just as they are doing now. I am sure Leno would have felt the same way.
There was no reason or incentive for Jay to play along had he not been interested. And it was not until 2007 when he started to have a change of heart about standing down, and began hinting about moving to another network when his time was up.
On another point, taking Jay Leno out of primetime does not necessarily mean five more hours of scripted programming.
In their 2009 fall schedule, NBC had five hour-long drama series. Ten years ago, when they were the first placed network, they only had six drams on their 1999 fall schedule. They also had their news magazine Dateline taking up two of the 10pm slots. ABC, incidentally, had three 10pm editions of their news magazine 20/20.
Even if NBC fill that slot with drama, I would not be surprised to find cheaper reality formats and reruns being used elsewhere in the lineup this autumn. Despite the failure of The Jay Leno Show, the problem with higher costs and falling audiences still exists. The recently announced move to put drama back at 10pm is only a short term move to help win over affiliates rather than an admission of failure.
It is only about five years ago that US networks stopped airing new programmes on a Saturday night. It is looking increasingly likely that the 10pm hour is going to end up the same way. Fox already does not programme at this time, while ABC are struggling, even against Leno. Only CBS are doing okay.
NBC do not consider putting Jay in primetime a failure, but simply a move ahead of its time. Putting all their arrogance and spin aside, there is some truth to that. Unless viewers habits start to reverse the current decline
One final point, hosts attacking their own network is nothing new. When Letterman first moved to CBS they were in last place in the big three. Fox at the time were still an outsider. His monologues were often spent attacking both the network and its executives. Even before the current war broke out, Conan regularly made similar jokes about the state of NBC. I am sure jay was doing the same. All the current battle has done is to make them more personal.
I should stop now even though there are so many more sub plots and things to comment on coming out of this situation. It seems impossible that no one has yet mentioned Jeff Zucker, despite him being the central character around which all of this resolves.
Comment by Michael — 17 January, 2010 8:45 am
Michael - Wow, that’s brilliant, precisely the kind of detail I was hoping that people would be able to come along and fill in - as I said, I was really mostly just trying to cover he basics as I understood them, as it was a very muddy story as presented to friends in the UK. Although, obviously, only having lived here 18 months, I’m only marginally more aware of the historical detail, so it’s great to get that, thank you. But that’s the main reason I didn’t go into the whole Zucker thing - a) I realised that was going to require a whole other few hundred words of explanation about historical relationships, contracts, shows, SNL etc and worried I had bored people for long enough already and b) again, it’s something that a great number of people out there are better placed to explain than me, having watched things unfold over a longer time.
Also - I understand what you’re saying about the 10pm slot, certainly the mix of reruns, old warhorses and things like that new Seinfeld-produced reality concept that they’ve announced in the post-olympics, post-Leno-Show era don’t bode that well, and weren’t bearing up what I’d understood. But again, that was certainly the objection i was hearing most from TV writers and fans at the time (and only recently having arrived, I’d not really seen NBC with original programming at 10) so was what I understood to have been the case/objection. So that - in light of the lacklustre replacements they’re currently offering, though we’ll see when it gets to autumn - makes more sense.
Thanks for the offer of a link to the clips - A lot of the industry and TV blogs I read have had them, but again, as it’s difficult to find out from here, I don’t always know which clips are and aren’t region specific (apart from Hulu, I know those are) I’m very wary of linking to things only for people to find they can’t see them. It’s one of the things that aggravates me most when online, and I hate to do the same to others. But yes, by all means do post links - that would be great.
More, according to my friend Jack, are viewable in the UK on this Gawker post - and I thoroughly recommend that.
And lastly - really?! They’ve always slagged off the netoworks oncscreen (if not to such a vicious/personal level) - I find that stunning. I realise that freedom of speech is a constitutioal right, but I’m still amazed. That’s really interesting - again, thank you.
Comment by anna — 17 January, 2010 10:03 am
Jill - It’s interesting, that whole ‘did he fall or was he pushed… 6 years ago’ does seem to be at the root of many of the billions-long comment threads I’ve been attempting to wade through these last few days.
I understand he’s reliable and dependable and safe, and that people can be fond of him for that: but I’m still utterly bemused as to the rabid fandom he inspires. I mean, he’s good at intereviewing people late at night thing down but - phoo! People who like him really, REALLY like him. Which is why I was slightly concerned about writing about this on my usually argument-free blog (apart from the Kincade-question, obvs), but never mind. Until that TV-wonk blog thing is up and running (which I might tap you up to write on, btw…) this is the place that I had at hand to put it up on.
Anyway - thank you for another more inside perspective - very good to have.
Comment by anna — 17 January, 2010 10:16 am
Oh, well done! I’ll admit I was rather baffled by the whole thing, and initially chose to interpret it as a simple popularity contest. I had no idea there was so much political maneuvering involved… it made for a fascinating read, and I finally feel caught up on things! Thanks sunshine.
Comment by Anna F — 17 January, 2010 11:48 am
Well, I’m just jealous that the US gets such a great media personalities story to debate, whilst in the UK, we’ve had to make do with Chris Evans taking over from Terry Wogan on Radio 2…
Comment by Journopig — 17 January, 2010 12:20 pm
Brilliant overview, Anna. I’ve been following the story in the New York Times (so exhausted by offspring that I can’t stay up late enough to actually watch the things) but they assume a level of knowledge of the history and the personalities that, as a Brit, I just don’t have.
I think you hit the nail on the head - I have often wondered who on earth watches these shows? Most Americans seem to eat dinner at about 6pm and primetime shows such as “House” are on at 8pm - so who is still up at 11.35?
Comment by nappyvalleygirl — 17 January, 2010 12:48 pm
Two great videos:
1) A funny bit from last night’s SNL. I KNOW! http://videos.mediaite.com/video/SNL-Weekend-Update-Explains-The
2) Jay Leno explaining in 2004 how things were going to go down: http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2010/01/jay_lenos_superclassy_2004_spe.html
Comment by Rod Begbie — 17 January, 2010 1:12 pm
I get it now. Thanks.
For me, Letterman is always going to be the king, and I’ve watched him since the early 80’s, but even he can’t escape the tedium of the (too long)monologue/two guests/band.
Carson was such a big Letterman fan that after he put himself out to country club pastures, he used to send in gags for Letterman’s opening bits, which Dave would secretly identify with a swing of an imaginary golf club on the punchline rimshot.
But Leno was a good standup. One of my favourite lines is from an early gig after he moved from his native east coast to California to work as a comedian. He said it was weird and unsettling “because the beach is on the wrong side.”
Moving my blog to Pacific Time, BTW. Just so you know.
Comment by Cliff — 17 January, 2010 1:48 pm
‘Merkin reader here and thanks for the info. I’ve been ignoring all of it since I don’t watch late night TV being mainly asleep. If I happen to be awake at all that late, Craig Ferguson is the one I pick. He’s wickedly funny.
Comment by Rebecca — 17 January, 2010 2:57 pm
All fascinating! Thanks for posting. I love this kind of thing.
Comment by Beleaguered Squirrel — 17 January, 2010 4:50 pm
How do you know all of this? Regardless, please let me thank you for allowing me to be ‘hip’ with all the tweets on twitter and actually KNOWING what is going on!
Comment by Margarita — 17 January, 2010 11:18 pm
@Margarita - Like I say, I’m an enthusiast!
And this, this pop culture stuff, it’s kind of my thing, for my sins…
Comment by anna — 17 January, 2010 11:26 pm
I do so hope your new blog will be called Tellywonk. If it isn’t, it should be.
Fab post, btw - sorry, should have said that before. I love getting glimpses of normally behind-the-scenes strops and negotiations.
Comment by Journopig — 18 January, 2010 6:42 am
You SO should have been paid for this. :)
Comment by scary azeri — 18 January, 2010 7:21 am
Presumably Jonathon Ross has been avidly watching the progress, hoping to benefit from the fallout!
Comment by Rob — 19 January, 2010 4:28 am
Mark Evanier’s piece talks about the long backstoryl. Well worth a read. He suggests that the 2004 deal was made by Jeff Zucker as a way to stop Conan jumping in 2004 — part of a long pattern of trying to solve a short-term problem by creating a long-term one.
“I have often wondered who on earth watches these shows?”
Old people and insomniacs, to some degree. Though while it’s true that lots of Americans have 4137 channels and no network loyalties, it’s also true that lots stick with the big networks, whether on cable/sat or plain terrestrial telly. But the affiliates thing also factors in here: the late local news at 11pm (10 Central) is really pretty rubbish, but it’s the first choice for people to find out what’s going on — and what the weather will be like — in their town or region. The competition between affiliates over news ratings is crazy mental, because more viewers = more ad revenue, and late news is over a third of the total ad money.
“Wasn’t he (Ferguson) in a lot of early-90’s post-Naked Video BBC Scotland comedy shows?”
He got famous through standup, had a couple of obscure (and less funny) sketch things on British telly, got whacked with a tabloid expose of his drink/drug problems, got sober, moved to the US to start with a clean slate, got a part on The Drew Carey Show, did some guest hosting for Craig (smug, ex-Daily Show) Kilborn and got the Late Late Show gig when Kilborn left. Have a look at the YouTube vids of his convos with Shirley Manson. Lots of fun.
Comment by nick s — 19 January, 2010 1:27 pm
Good thinking, Rob, that hadn’t crossed my mind yet. That sort of show would be perfect for him.
It would be nice to have some sort of variation on Tonight/the Daily Show in the UK - I just can’t think of anyone good enough to write and host it. Alan Carr and Graham Norton are so 2008. Is there no chat show school anywhere? You must be able to do a masters in it.
Comment by Sam — 19 January, 2010 2:55 pm
The BBC Radio 5 programme “Up All Night” had a 30-minute discussion about it on their Wednesday broadcast from 2.30 a.m. to 2.55 a.m. with American Brit broadcaster Cash Peters
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00q09wf/Up_All_Night_20_01_2010/
Comment by Glyn — 20 January, 2010 3:25 pm
Miss Anna, you know I love you already. But the first bit (i.e. the short bit I could understand) now means I understand! I salute you, and all who sail in you.
Comment by Non-workingmonkey — 21 January, 2010 9:20 pm
This post is genius. That is all.
Comment by peter m. — 22 January, 2010 12:39 pm
i thought this was a good piece first of all…..and you really should’ve been paid….it usually takes a lot to keep my focused enough to read something small, let alone it was pretty lengthy,however very informative and ery well put together my commends to you! i hope you are a writer professionally, which i have no idea of. i liked the way you explained your not an expert but an enthusiast.honesty,like it! furthermore it really suks (to me) to see Conan leave.i thought he was hilarious and actually he was my favorite out of em all.his laughter was catchy and goofy which i loved.his goofy faces and how he presented the dialogue. so i will miss the Irish Lad! good luck to ya Conan! p.s. if your gonna walk off (and get something you think is better) how is it fair to think you have the right to go back just because of the ratings and money. i think Conan has INTEGRITY and im proud of him, “he did it HIS WAY!” KUDOS!!!! i loved what he said about CINICISM also!!! it was honest and heartfelt!!!
Comment by jamie — 22 January, 2010 10:30 pm
“watch the rather dodgy made-for-TV movie of the same name, if only to laugh at the dreadful Leno & Letterman impressions.”
Apropos of this - sadly I can’t find any clips of it online, but the Jay Leno impersonator on Sky News’s reconstructions of the Michael Jackson trail was superb. Big bouffant grey wig, and - my favourite part - a prosthetic chin. Wonderful.
Thanks too for the catch-up. I’m a bit late to the game with this one.
Comment by martin — 25 January, 2010 1:48 am
I’ve been following this story despite being British and only able to watch The Daily Show (not that I’m complaining), but I found this bbc news article pretty useful:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8450575.stm
Because, yeah, over here Jonathan Ross goes on at half 10, and Graham Norton around the same time. But on the other hand, from what I’ve heard, you can get away with more in an earlier time slot over here.
Comment by tom-tron — 1 February, 2010 2:02 pm