My turn: NBC takes one on the chin for snubbing Conan
Greg Schulte
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Perspective
Like a lot of college students, I was stunned when Conan O' Brien announced he was stepping down from The Tonight Show and giving the 11 p.m. slot back to Jay Leno.
What is wrong with this picture?
On one side you have pointy-chinned Jay Leno with his snappy jokes and famous celebrities.
On the other hand you have Conan and his unflappable hair, along with the (Rowdy) Bear, Triumph the Insult Dog, and even the world-famous Chuck Norris as Walker Texas Ranger Lever.
That one never gets old.
Conan's last big show ended with tons of fans outside the studio yelling 'Coco' repeatedly, a nickname given to him by his friend and final Tonight Show guest, Tom Hanks.
Steve Carell arrived to shred his ID badge on television, Neil Diamond came as a musical guest and Will Ferrel closed Conan's era with a rendition of "Free Bird."
At the end of the show, Conan ran to the top of the studio and hung a huge 'Coco' poster on the wall to rowdy applause.
His 'Coco' poster has spread like wildfire through Facebook pages of fans rooting for the fallen legend.
After his last episode, Conan practically ripped the stage away piece by piece, giving everything to the crowd. I don't blame him, and if I were there I would have waited to catch his Chuck Norris lever. It would have hung over my fireplace with pride.
Jay Leno was prepared to fight to the death for the 11 o'clock timeslot, and Conan was offered a $40 million buyout.
NBC must have been afraid to just put them in a cage and let them fight to the death.
My money's on Conan.
It just drives me crazy that Conan backed down for Leno.
Sure, Leno had a great show. It aired 2,725 episodes and included celebrities, bands and comedians. If he ran out of ideas he would go to the top of his studio and throw random things off the roof like a crate of watermelons or a hundred 2-liters.
Brilliant, but it still drives me crazy that Conan bowed out.
What is wrong with this picture?
On one side you have pointy-chinned Jay Leno with his snappy jokes and famous celebrities.
On the other hand you have Conan and his unflappable hair, along with the (Rowdy) Bear, Triumph the Insult Dog, and even the world-famous Chuck Norris as Walker Texas Ranger Lever.
That one never gets old.
Conan's last big show ended with tons of fans outside the studio yelling 'Coco' repeatedly, a nickname given to him by his friend and final Tonight Show guest, Tom Hanks.
Steve Carell arrived to shred his ID badge on television, Neil Diamond came as a musical guest and Will Ferrel closed Conan's era with a rendition of "Free Bird."
At the end of the show, Conan ran to the top of the studio and hung a huge 'Coco' poster on the wall to rowdy applause.
His 'Coco' poster has spread like wildfire through Facebook pages of fans rooting for the fallen legend.
After his last episode, Conan practically ripped the stage away piece by piece, giving everything to the crowd. I don't blame him, and if I were there I would have waited to catch his Chuck Norris lever. It would have hung over my fireplace with pride.
Jay Leno was prepared to fight to the death for the 11 o'clock timeslot, and Conan was offered a $40 million buyout.
NBC must have been afraid to just put them in a cage and let them fight to the death.
My money's on Conan.
It just drives me crazy that Conan backed down for Leno.
Sure, Leno had a great show. It aired 2,725 episodes and included celebrities, bands and comedians. If he ran out of ideas he would go to the top of his studio and throw random things off the roof like a crate of watermelons or a hundred 2-liters.
Brilliant, but it still drives me crazy that Conan bowed out.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
bah2501
posted 2/04/10 @ 1:44 AM EST
The one-line paragraph is good some of the time, but if you use it practically every line, it gives the impression your article lacks substance! you should mix it up a bit. (Continued…)
Chris Henry
posted 2/04/10 @ 5:35 AM EST
Just to clarify Greg... good article, but Conan DID NOT back down to NBC. NBC were going to CANCEL Leno @ 10 PM, but as a consolation, give him a DIFFERENT (non Tonight Show) 30 min. (Continued…)
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