Conan

Conan O'Brien and I are the same age. We started out at NBC within a few years of each other. I remember Conan's first day working at SNL. We were in an elevator together. I remember this tall, skinny, redhead guy chatting with an SNL member of staff with whom I was familiar. He was giving Conan a first day orientation of the building ("Commissary is on 7...etc."). With that height and that hair, he stuck out everywhere. I'd run into him at 30 Rock all the time.
We both lived in the same neighborhood, and we'd run into each other on the street often. I might remember we had a relationship where we just nodded to each other, but I could be wrong. Those details faded.

When he got Late Night, it blew my mind. It was like hearing that Harry from accounting got his own TV show. He was just another employee, albeit a talented one who would appear in SNL sketches sometimes.

Now that he's leaving, it feels like I'm saying goodbye to those memories. Wow. Over 20 years gone by now. I left NBC in 1990 after almost five years of internships and various jobs. But the network always felt like a family to me. Yes. Family. Those were good times at NBC. Leaving it was a hard decision for me too, but with the recent take over of GE and various lay offs, the network made it hard for drones like me to stay. I apply this disappointment to Conan's in a small way. It's crushing when a dream is dashed due to corporate decisions.

I can't add any more than what everyone on internet land has already said. Conan is class all the way. He'll be back, and things will be funny again.

He also talked about cynicism, and how there is no place for it in life. Sadly, this blog has been filled with all the snark and smirks of a television cynic. That is why I've been slowly pulling away from TVBlogster. Much like Conan, I might take a break and come back when there are television shows to love and write about again.

Having said that, goodbye Conan. For now.

I'm With Conan

As if I had to say it...

Conan Deserves Better

Is there any way to reverse this video where he's running back to New York?



As reported, it was confirmed by NBC's Jeff Gaspin at the Television Critics Association NBC press conference yesterday that The Jay Leno Show at 10pm has indeed been canceled. Jay will get an 11:35pm timeslot, shortening his show to 30 minutes, thus pushing Conan to 12:05am. This does not really make it a "Tonight Show", but more of an after midnight talk show hosted by a guy that NBC loves to screw. And Jimmy? Sadly, he's being left to whither out there in the land of paid programming and infomercials, just when he was gaining some well deserved recognition.

The word is that Conan is not very pleased, and hasn't officially accepted this new line up.

It's this blog's hope that he keeps NBC's loins roasting slowly over the fire pit until he finds a better option. Not only does he have to deal with the reality that he's NBC's late night "stepchild" (as it's been bandied about), but he now has to make a decision on behalf of a whole staff of people who have changed their lives to work on a program that's being treated like a temporary place marker.

I'm just a fan, but I do have a wish. I want Conan to walk. I want him to get a good deal from Fox, negotiate raises for his staff and have total control of his time period, much like Johnny Carson and David Letterman have done. If he moves back to New York, all the better. But, since he's made it out to LA, he should stay there.

He's worked too hard, done so much for late night comedy over the years, been promised too much for it all to tossed over for Leno, strictly for the bottom line.

NBC Fumbling Toward Oblivion: Leno and Conan Getting Re-Organized

When the news hit the internet in a tidal wave of TMZ reports and Twitters today, what was an ordinary day in comedy TV land became a mind boggling roller coaster ride of rumors and tales of breath taking network television stupidity. Imagine the gall of taking the career of Conan O'Brien, prepping him for the prime promotion of Tonight Show host for five years, have he and his staff uproot their families and lives from New York to Los Angeles, only to find the new gig to be an experiment that just doesn't work. Then, throw in Jay Leno, who would kindly take back his old job, stand in the midst of this sinking ship, sail through rumors of cancelation, clinging on with various scenarios of 11:35pm start time here, while Conan starts up at 12:05pm there. Meanwhile, the very hilarious Jimmy Fallon, whose show is becoming a blast for the young and farty like me, sort of bangs lightly against the hull of the Titanic known as NBC. Needless to say, despite the bumps, he may be the safest of all.

"I hear Fox is beautiful this time of year."

As a comedy fan and devotee to late night comedy talk shows (a devotion that does not include Mr. Leno's fare past and present), the confusion has made me woozy with confusion. I'm team Conan all the way. The surrealism of him being in Los Angeles has waned, and I've accepted him in the sunny studios of Universal. It's been disappointing to see him temper his act a bit to suit the earlier audiences, and it pains me to find that a portion of America who likes the safe, mediocre comedy of Leno at 11:30pm won't cotton to O'Brien. NBC's patchwork of placating Leno and preventing him from moving on to a competing network, resulted in the 10pm nightly timeslot that killed five hours of originally scripted shows and murdered local affiliates lead in. It diminished their ratings and revenue in the process. Well done, Jeff Zucker.

Bill Carter of NYTimes has posted the latest this evening. There is a possible solution at hand whereby Leno could start after the news at 11:35pm for a 30 minute monologue show, pushing Conan to 12:05pm and Fallon pushed later. Oh God, my head hurts. I just want Johnny Carson to come back to life and kick someone's ass big time.

I interned and ultimately worked at NBC when it was the number one network. Golden Girls, Cosby, Seinfeld, were highly desired shows by local affiliates and O&O's. Brandon Tartikoff, a talented executive who dealt with his own flops from time to time (Hello Larry!), was head of programming and knew how to turn brass into gold. Today, the network is a mess. Patching up the leaky holes in the late night line up is not going to save anyone.

I'm sure there will be more to come in days ahead.

Triumph at Bonnaroo

I don't think The Decemberists suck, but this is HI-larious.

And Conan Hits Him Right Back...

After surging in the ratings the past few days, Late Show with David Letterman was usurped in the ratings department by The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, who regained his treasured demographic. Source: THR

Yes, I am still too lazy and too busy to write this myself.

Conan Surrenders

Opening to Conan's first Tonight Show show. He's come a looooong way.

Here's the making of the cold open. Shot in one weekend.

Good Luck Conan!

Conan premieres as new host of the Tonight Show tonight!

Conan O'Brien Has Re-Located

Photo courtesy of New York Times
NYT Magazine Article: Heeeeere's Conan!

Conan's in Los Angeles. Say it isn't so, but it is. Twelve more days until he premieres on The Tonight Show. I'm happy for his promotion, but my New York heart is breaking. Guess I'm going to have to move to California now. Wild fires and earthquakes notwithstanding.