Comments on: What all this Leno/Conan/Late Night Gubbins is about: a primer for friends in the UK

By: tom-tron

tom-tron — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:02:05 +0000

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.

By: martin

martin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:48:16 +0000

“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.

By: jamie

jamie — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 06:30:58 +0000

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!!!

By: peter m.

peter m. — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:39:25 +0000

This post is genius. That is all.

By: Non-workingmonkey

Non-workingmonkey — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:20:25 +0000

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.

By: Glyn

Glyn — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:25:32 +0000

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/

By: Sam

Sam — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:55:28 +0000

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.

By: nick s

nick s — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:27:01 +0000

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.

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:28:45 +0000

Presumably Jonathon Ross has been avidly watching the progress, hoping to benefit from the fallout!

By: scary azeri

scary azeri — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:21:55 +0000

You SO should have been paid for this. :)