Slog
News & ArtsThursday, January 7, 2010
TV Just When You Thought You Were Rid of Him...
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 5:11 PM
...NBC is reportedly going to give Jay Leno back the 11:30 time slot, canceling his 10pm show and leaving poor Conan O'Brien in the lurch.
UPDATE: Looks like it will be Leno at 11:30, Conan at midnight, Jimmy Fallon at 1, with changes happening after the Olympics.
2
Ouch. That really sucks for Conan. Does this mean Jimmy Fallon no longer has a platform for his shitty, shitty anti-humor? Or is Conan just left in the cold?
5
That sucks. If' I'm up that late I've been watching Conan. Fuck Leno, he took a chance, and lost. Let him have Tahoe and Vegas.
7
Other than Carson 1966-69 and Letterman 1986-88, late night shows are very unfunny. It's just that it's so late you're sense of humor lessens, and you start laughing soporifically at almost anything. Putting such a show on during waking hours (10pm) was ignorant.
Other than Carson 1966-69 and Letterman 1986-88, late night shows are very unfunny. It's just that it's so late you're sense of humor lessens, and you start laughing soporifically at almost anything. Putting such a show on during waking hours (10pm) was ignorant.
8
Seriously, does anyone actually watch this dreck? Is so, why? Please give specific reasons and remember to be concise.
Thanks, FS
Thanks, FS
12
Conan is 10 times funnier than Leno, which just goes to show how unfunny Leno is. And why does Jimmy Fallon have a job doing anything other than slinging pizzas?
14
Jay Leno? Man, fuck that guy.
I hope this doesn't pan out, if only so Conan doesn't move back to 12:30, because then I'd have to choose between Conan and Craig, and I don't think I could do that.
I hope this doesn't pan out, if only so Conan doesn't move back to 12:30, because then I'd have to choose between Conan and Craig, and I don't think I could do that.
15
It seems Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog caught a whiff of something, he's ready to head back to NY,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/06…
He should leave Leno a little gift in his shoes.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/06…
He should leave Leno a little gift in his shoes.
16
Total bullshit. Conan was ****BEATING**** Letterman in ratings:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/category/ratin…
This is purely to kiss Leno's butt. But why??
http://tvbythenumbers.com/category/ratin…
This is purely to kiss Leno's butt. But why??
17
When NBC made the switch Jay Leno was #1 for that timeslot. IMO it was just stupid for them to make a change. And THEY made the change, Leno did not ask to leave. Leno took NBC's offer so as not to compete with the network he had worked for so long. Leno never asked to give up the show and wanted to keep working.
PS. for those of you looking for cutting edge or otherwise non-corporate comedy.......
maybe try something besides a major network show that runs five nights a week.
PS. for those of you looking for cutting edge or otherwise non-corporate comedy.......
maybe try something besides a major network show that runs five nights a week.
19
NBC ... where are they on the cable dial? Is that like right after Comedy Central, or somewhere near G4?
20
This makes me so angry. Oh how annoying Leno is.
Conan is soooooooooooooooo much better!
I really hope Conan gets a better gig and is given more respect than NBC is giving him.
I do have to say I'm happy I won't stumble upon Leno at 10pm as I'm flipping through channels though.
Conan is soooooooooooooooo much better!
I really hope Conan gets a better gig and is given more respect than NBC is giving him.
I do have to say I'm happy I won't stumble upon Leno at 10pm as I'm flipping through channels though.
21
Jay Leno is not funny. He's like Dane Cook, someone that makes jokes that just fail, yet somehow a large segment of society seems to think they are funny. I don't get it.
Of note, that article began "TMZ is reporting..." TMZ is often wrong and retracts stories later. I'm totally surprised to see them increasingly used as a source for information by mainstream news sources that seem to lazy to do their own research and make a few phonecalls.
Of note, that article began "TMZ is reporting..." TMZ is often wrong and retracts stories later. I'm totally surprised to see them increasingly used as a source for information by mainstream news sources that seem to lazy to do their own research and make a few phonecalls.
23
Noooooo, Conan!
Goddammit. Jay Leno is clear evidence that the majority of Americans are idiots. Or that, at the very least, the producers at NBC are idiots.
Goddammit. Jay Leno is clear evidence that the majority of Americans are idiots. Or that, at the very least, the producers at NBC are idiots.
24
If I remember correctly the only reason Conan took over The Tonight show is NBC would have to fork over a massive pile of cash to him if they didn't, I have a feeling that is still the case and Conan will be sobbing all the way to the bank to deposit a massive check.
25
All these late night guys are full of shit. Gimme Def Comedy Jam any day over Leno and his minions.
26
It will be pretty sad if Conan loses out in this mix up. I'm trying to decide if I'd rather they fire Leno or Jimmy Fallon. Hmm, kinda leaning towards Fallon.
28
Motherfucking Leno needs to get off TV and go play the old folks home where he'll be apppreciated. The only good thing about Conan getting a later slot would be that he wouldn't have to clean up and dumb down his jokes anymore.
30
Craig Ferguson Is the funniest of them all. Lowest budget by far = low expectations/standards (for the suits), coupled with a skeleton crew and a man clearly comfortable in the spotlight makes this show veer into performance art on a regular basis. And his interviews are almost as good as Letterman in his prime. Very little "fake" questions, just entertainers, entertaining.
31
I'm sure I'm in the minority here (hipsters back the fuck off) but:
Craig Ferguson is not funny. I've watched his show several times and regretted it every time. If there's some inside joke I'm missing, then please explain it to me, because he sucks.
Fallon sucks too. He may improve with time, it's way too early to tell, but for now, I'd rather watch static.
Conan O'Brian is hit or miss. Some of his stuff has me rolling, others have me yawning. He's been this way for many years, ever since I started tuning in once or twice a month.
Letterman is usually good, but also predictable, which is probably why people like him (and why people like Leno-details below). Letterman is best when confronted with the unknown. His interview with Joachim Phoenix being the latest good example. That was a homerun.
Leno is mildly funny. Nice to have on in the background because he keeps things upbeat. He's completely predictable, but I'm guessing that's the point of his show... like McDonald's... no matter where you go, no matter how little you watch, you can always count on the same schtick.
If Leno takes his old spot back, then whatever. I'd take Leno over Carson. Leno doesn't have me rolling in the aisles, but he also isn't so inside-hipster-we're-too-cool-for-you-Ferguson that he appeals to only .0000001% of the audience who are all nodding and smiling and annoying.
But whatever... truth is I rarely watch ANY of them so what the fuck do I know?
Craig Ferguson is not funny. I've watched his show several times and regretted it every time. If there's some inside joke I'm missing, then please explain it to me, because he sucks.
Fallon sucks too. He may improve with time, it's way too early to tell, but for now, I'd rather watch static.
Conan O'Brian is hit or miss. Some of his stuff has me rolling, others have me yawning. He's been this way for many years, ever since I started tuning in once or twice a month.
Letterman is usually good, but also predictable, which is probably why people like him (and why people like Leno-details below). Letterman is best when confronted with the unknown. His interview with Joachim Phoenix being the latest good example. That was a homerun.
Leno is mildly funny. Nice to have on in the background because he keeps things upbeat. He's completely predictable, but I'm guessing that's the point of his show... like McDonald's... no matter where you go, no matter how little you watch, you can always count on the same schtick.
If Leno takes his old spot back, then whatever. I'd take Leno over Carson. Leno doesn't have me rolling in the aisles, but he also isn't so inside-hipster-we're-too-cool-for-you-Ferguson that he appeals to only .0000001% of the audience who are all nodding and smiling and annoying.
But whatever... truth is I rarely watch ANY of them so what the fuck do I know?
33
@27, while there are few objective truths in the evaluation of comedy, "Jay Leno and Dane Cook are not funny" is one of them.
34
Not sure why, but Leno's new show is so much worse than when he was on at 11:30. He was never great, but his current show is unwatchable.
Similarly, Conan seems less funny in the earlier time slot. I find myself cringing as he misfires again and again.
Similarly, Conan seems less funny in the earlier time slot. I find myself cringing as he misfires again and again.
35
I would have to 1) watch regular broadcast programming and 2) watch late-night broadcast programming in order to 3) give a rat's ass. There are 18 billion video clips better than comedians reading committee-written one-liners about the day's events that have already been hashed over in the blogosphere all day.
36
I'm not sure that anyone made Leno leave: He announced on his show (a rare serious moment for him) in 2004 that his contract would be up in 2009 and that O'Brien would take his spot. Leno said this because there were some really hard and hurt feelings when Carson picked Leno instead of Letterman [who followed Carson on NBC with "Late Night with David Letterman"--remember that, kids? I was one myself.] to replace him. This is why Letterman is now on at 11:30 pm on CBS [and has been since the early 90s], because CBS offered him his own show in that time slot with considerable ownership rights over the material on his show.
Leno was just doing what Carson should have done--although crap, it's completely possible that the suits made these decisions, and Carson and Leno had nothing to do with the decisions, 20 years ago and today.
Now having said that though, I think Leno and O'Brien were good fits for their previous respective timeslots. I'm not a fan of Fallon--he still doesn't seem comfortable with it yet, and I don't know if he's cut out for late night. [Yeah yeah yeah, I have milquetoast tastes. But no one ever invited me to parties. Shut up about that please.]
Leno was just doing what Carson should have done--although crap, it's completely possible that the suits made these decisions, and Carson and Leno had nothing to do with the decisions, 20 years ago and today.
Now having said that though, I think Leno and O'Brien were good fits for their previous respective timeslots. I'm not a fan of Fallon--he still doesn't seem comfortable with it yet, and I don't know if he's cut out for late night. [Yeah yeah yeah, I have milquetoast tastes. But no one ever invited me to parties. Shut up about that please.]
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
Hating People Doesn't Make Them Thinner by Jen Graves
-
Los Angeles Gay Bar Bans Bachelorette Parties Until Marriage Equality Is Attained by David Schmader
-
Fill in the Blank by Grant Brissey
-
This Reminds Me of the Great Calculator Scare of the Late '70s/Early '80s by David Schmader
-
Idiot Tries to Defend Bigoted Anti-Gay-Marriage Preacher on Anderson Cooper by Paul Constant
-
Six Moms with Too Much Time on Their Hands and a Shitty Website Decide to Fight Gay Superheroes by Paul Constant
-
Why Mayor McGinn's Wife Canceled Her Family's Seattle Times Subscription by Eli Sanders
-
What the Hell Is Wrong With Seattle's Pride Parade? by Dominic Holden
-
The Saturday Morning News by Unpaid Intern
-
NYC Man Ticketed for Not Riding in the Bike Lane by Jonathan Golob
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (36) RSS