NBC Shakeup -- Jay Leno Comes Out on Top

Septimus_Prime · January 8, 2010, 8:43am

More updates; Leno is pissed about this: http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/nbc-indicates-changes-coming-to-jay-leno-show-due-to-affiliate-issues/

NBC ON THE HOT SEAT: Will It Be Jay AND Conan In Late Night? What’s The Reason For Leno’s Anti-NBC Monologue Tonight?
By Nikki Finke | Category: Breaking News, Controversial, Uncategorized | Thursday January 7, 2010 @ 4:20pm

BREAKING NEWS! 4TH UPDATE: On tonight’s monologue, Jay Leno sounds angry and upset, even going so far to say he has “trust” issues with NBC right now. Which indicates that Leno and his reps are fighting NBC’s attempts to cancel The Jay Leno Show at 10 PM primetime Monday through Friday. That would violate his contract in which the network gave him a 2-year iron-clad commitment. But, wait – wouldn’t Leno be pleased as punch by NBC’s idea to return him to the 11:35 PM time slot he occupied from 1992-2009? Not so much, if it’s an abbreviated half-hour that’s just a lead-in to Conan. That’s right, O’Brien doesn’t want to give up The Tonight Show even if starts at midnight. Now NBC’s waffling today starts to make sense as both hosts and their reps fight a behind-the-scenes turf war with the net:
Happy birthday to Katie Couric, it's her birthday today. She left NBC for another network. I have to give her call to see how that is working out. As you may have heard, there is a rumor floating around that we were cancelled. I heard it coming in this morning on the radio. So far no one has said anything to me. But, Kev, if we did get cancelled, it will give us time to do some traveling. I understand that Fox is beautiful this time of year.

I don?t think there is any truth to the rumors.  See, it?s always been my experience that NBC only cancels you when you're in first place. So we are fine. We are OK... 

[Later, Leno inserted this comment after a joke.] You know what happened? NBC found four guns in my locker.  I was suspended. [Kevin says, ?I?m glad they didn?t find them in my locker.?] We will keep following this story....

[Later, Leno returns to NBC yet again.] The Justice Department announced they will conduct an anti-trust review of Comcast's proposed deal to merge with NBC. An anti-trust review. Which is the relationship i have with NBC. Anti-trust. Hey Kev, what does NBC stand for? Never believe your contract."
3RD UPDATE 4:40 PM: NBC just issued this statement regarding all the Conan speculation today:

“We have the best comedy team in the business. We remain committed to keeping Conan O?Brien on NBC. He is a valued part of our late-night line-up, as he has been for more than 16 years and is one of the most respected entertainers on television.”

2ND UPDATE 4:15PM: It’s been a day filled with Internet rumors, NBC denials and non-denials, and the network talking out of both sides of its mouth. This has created an uproar around the futures of both The Jay Leno Show and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien while the network talks to both hosts and their reps about how to fix the mess that NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker set in motion. But, to quote the Pottery Barn rule, “You break it, you buy it.”

Here’s what I’ve learned: Last night, NBC Universal Television Entertainment Jeff Gaspin came to The Jay Leno Show and met for two hours with Jay and his executive producer Debbie Vickers. When the show’s staff arrived this morning, they were shocked to see in the conference room that the bigwigs had taken down all the booking cards scheduling guests after the February 12-28 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Panic ensued. The cards went back up. Then a staff meeting was held today assuring everyone that the show is not cancelled. But staff were told there’s a good likelihood the show could move to just Fridays or worse. Now no one on the show, or in Hollywood for that matter, believes NBC isn’t cancelling The Jay Leno Show in primetime at 10 PM. Especially after NBC, in response to Internet rumors, finally released a statement today that it’s looking for ways to “improve the performance” of the show after “affiliate issues”. (See below). Also, I know that the TV community is being told to bring NBC as much primetime drama development as possible because Leno’s 10 PM time period is returning to scripted programming. And NBC already has put several high level, high profile dramas in development. (See below)

Between the Television Critics Association meeting which starts on Saturday for the next two weeks, and an NBC affiliates’ board meeting on January 21st, NBC can’t let Leno stay in limbo. Especially not when he’s repped by the most powerful TV business lawyer in Hollywood, Ken Ziffren. But today Conan also was hung out to dry when NBC decided not to comment – and, thus, refused to deny – a TMZ report that Leno was returning to his old job as host of The Tonight Show. But insiders assure me that Conan O’Brien will not be pulled as Tonight Show host if and when Leno is moved back into late night. And for not just because NBC triggers a huge $50M financial penalty to O’Brien if it doesn’t continue with him. After all, that’s chicken feed if the network decides that’s the only way to save its once invincible late night lineup.

Exactly in what time slot and with what show Leno come comes back to late night is still under discussion. But at this point, thanks to NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker’s terrible decisions, both Jay and Conan could well be damaged goods. It’s questionable whether Leno can bring back his late night audience after failing so humiliatingly in primetime. (Ugh, he looked so uncomfortable in that chair and even his monologue was dumbed down for primetime.) Or whether O’Brien has the right stuff to continue. (He regularly trails David Letterman in both viewership and advertiser-coveted demos). And third wheel Jimmy Fallon has been losing to Craig Ferguson.

11:45 AM UPDATE & 10 AM PREVIOUS: I’ve learned that NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker flew out to Los Angeles last night to take his about-to-be Comcast bosses Brian Roberts and Steve Burke today on a “meet-and-greet” tour of NBC Universal’s West Coast. “He’s doing breakfasts and lunches with teams out there,” a source tells me. “He arrived last night for a day of meetings.” He will fly back and then attend the all-important affiliates’ board meeting scheduled for January 21st (after, NBC sources say, it was postponed from December). But against this backdrop, the Internet is working overtime spreading reports that The Jay Leno Show is about to be drastically changed or yanked completely. That’s because the affiliates are upset about Leno as the lead-in to their local newscasts, most of whose ratings have suffering because of Jay’s late night numbers in 10 PM primetime. Those news shows have been cash cows for the O&Os and affiliates whose general managers are now spitting mad these profit centers are threatened. In fact, NBC just now took the unusual step of issuing a statement about the FTV Live report saying Leno’s show will be cancelled without at first issuing a straight denial, which came later from the network. Here’s the first NBC statement:

?Jay Leno is one of the most compelling entertainers in the world today. As we have said all along, Jay?s show has performed exactly as we anticipated on the network. It has, however, presented some issues for our affiliates. Both Jay and the show are committed to working closely with them to find ways to improve the performance.?

From the first day it was conceived through the first day it aired (photo right by Jim Stevenson) and for months afterwards, there’s been speculation about what might happen to The Jay Leno Show given the the critics’ drubbing and the affiliates’ doubting. Among the changes chattered about, 1) It would no longer be 5 days a week in primetime and reduce to Mon-Wed-Fri or even less frequent, 2) It would become a 1/2 hour primetime show paired with another comedy, 3) It would move to 11 PM and affiliates would move news to 10 PM, and, of course 4) It’s toast.

Hollywood is betting that the decision will be reached either to reduce the number of Leno’s shows per week or, even more drastically, take the show off primetime entirely. The timing for change is expected after NBC’s Vancouver Winter Olympics uber-coverage from February 12-28. Already, the network has shown it wants to return to hour-long drama for the 10 PM slot by ordering development of several high-profile, high-priced shows. These include one from JJ Abrams and another from Jerry Bruckheimer as well as a rebooted Prime Suspect and Rockford Files, plus a Warner Bros TV project, and another high-level show yet to be determined. I could say all sorts of snarky things here about Zucker for presiding over this disaster. But I’d just be repeating myself.

That shit was a bitch and a half to quote. :lol:

crimzonflame · January 8, 2010, 8:50am

Man, fuck Leno. First he screwed Letterman now hes gonna screw Conan. FUCK LENO.

Radiantsilvergun3 · January 8, 2010, 8:51am

It was a bitch and a half to read to lol. Sounds like a bit of in fighting is going on.

Taito · January 8, 2010, 9:22am

Yeah I don’t give a fuck about this imaginary comedic talent you guys claimed to see from Leno. He’s basically holding a ‘live grenade’ (the grenade being he’ll jump to another network and take his fanbase with him) to NBC’s faces instead of bowing out gracefully. He’s acting like a cunt who’s grasping to stay relevant… but it’s not like NBC has the most successful programming right now, so they have to put up with it.

jae_hoon · January 8, 2010, 10:50am

Honestly Conan is not nearly as good in his current time slot. He just can not get away with the same shit he can with a later time slot. The logically thing to do is to get rid of Fallon and move things back to how they were. Although Conan does get fucked as he wanted his current time slot and had been waiting on it for years.

AkumaTX · January 8, 2010, 11:02am

Conan needs to be signed by Comedy Central or a station which has more of his real target audience. Let nbc and their old folks suffer. I never liked conan intially but after a while, this guy is hella funny and I may not follow his show, but if it is on while I am working on, I do my hour jog to his show at the gym Leno just is not funny.

kaz · January 8, 2010, 7:05pm

Conan sucks IMO. I think Leno should get his hour slot back at 11:30 eastern

Septimus_Prime · January 8, 2010, 11:21pm

Update: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34751635/ns/entertainment-television/

Will Leno take ?Tonight? back from Conan?
Rumors swirl about comic?s primetime show, possible shake-up on NBC

msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 1 hour, 57 minutes ago

NEW YORK - Although NBC shot down rumors Thursday that it would be canceling the low-rated ?The Jay Leno Show,? unconfirmed reports indicate a lineup shuffle may be in the works that would keep Leno at the network, but not necessarily in the 10 p.m. time slot he?s held since September.

According to the speculation, ?The Jay Leno Show? would go on hiatus beginning Feb. 1 and after the Winter Olympics the comic would return at the helm of ?The Tonight Show? at 11:35 p.m., replacing Conan O?Brien.

The New York Times also reported that in addition to restoring Leno to his former spot, the network would push O?Brien to a 12:05 a.m. starting time for an hour-long program. ?Late Night With Jimmy Fallon? would then start at 1:05 a.m.

(Msnbc.com is a joint venture between NBC Universal and Microsoft.)

?NBC executives said a decision would definitely not be announced Thursday but did not deny a report posted by the Web site TMZ that NBC was considering making the switch and replacing Mr. O?Brien at ?Tonight? with Mr. Leno,? Bill Carter of The New York Times wrote on Thursday.

In response to the rumors, the network released a statement Thursday afternoon, saying, ?We have the best comedy team in the business. We remain committed to keeping Conan O’Brien on NBC. He is a valued part of our late-night lineup, as he has been for more than 16 years and is one of the most respected entertainers on television.?

Earlier in the day, NBC also issued a statement showing support for Leno.

?Jay Leno is one of the most compelling entertainers in the world today. As we have said all along, Jay?s show has performed exactly as we anticipated on the network,? the statement read. ?It has, however, presented some issues for our affiliates. Both Jay and the show are committed to working closely with them to find ways to improve the performance.?

FTVLive.com published a story early Thursday morning suggesting NBC would pull the plug on the show, potentially as soon as after the Winter Olympics, claiming that low ratings were to blame.

?Critical time to promote?
The rumors surrounding Leno?s fate left industry analyst Shari Anne Brill mystified.

?For me, the big question is what is going to happen at 10 p.m. going forward,? Brill said, ?because that?s a critical time period to promote the late local news, and it was the affiliates? dissatisfaction with their lower audience numbers that was the catalyst for speculation on this purported move (for Leno) into late-night.?

?The unsolved mystery is what happens at 10 p.m.,? said Brill.

Scheduling scenarios
With shake-up seemingly in the works, what?s holding up an official announcement? A plan that meets the approval of both Leno and O?Brien, according to TheWrap.com.

Both hosts have contracts which guarantee them millions if NBC changes the current situation.

NBC has also been preparing backup plans for months now, TheWrap.com reported insiders as saying. The network has been researching various scheduling scenarios ? Leno at 8, Leno at 11, Conan at 12:05 a.m. ? to see how viewers might react.

Such base-covering is unsurprising given that networks are constantly researching and testing just about everything, from show concepts to time-slot switches. Still, it’s an indication that the network had decided that change could very much be in the works ? and it wanted to be prepared.

One looming question is whether the shift of Leno out of his current 10 p.m. Monday through Friday timeslot will set off a reaction that leads to O?Brien walking.

Fox has long been rumored as a possible home for O?Brien in case of emergency, TheWrap.com reported. ABC has been interested in Leno if he were available; it’s not clear it would be willing to dump “Nightline” and/or push “Jimmy Kimmel Live” back for O?Brien.

What sparked Thursday?s flurry of Web reports was unclear, but coincided with reports this week that NBC has as many as 18 pilots for prospective new series ? presumably more than would be needed to replenish a prime-time schedule for a network that expected to continue filling five hours weekly with Leno?s show.

The speculation may also be a run-up to the winter TV Critics Press Tour, which begins this weekend in Los Angeles. At this annual conclave, network programming initiatives are unveiled for media reporters. In turn, reporters have a forum to grill network brass on programming questions. NBC?s session is scheduled for Sunday.

Msnbc.com?s Courtney Hazlett, The Associated Press, TheWrap.com and The New York Times contributed to this report.

It looks like NBC wants to give Leno 11:35-12:05, Conan 12:05-1:05, Fallon 1:05-2:05, and Daly the boot. Conan might not take the offer and instead choose to walk, though.

Pablo_the_Mex · January 8, 2010, 11:48pm

What a clusterfuck.

Superking · January 9, 2010, 12:11am

Woohoo Vancity!!!

PBalla · January 9, 2010, 12:21am

i heard they are the frontrunner if Conan leaves

wez · January 9, 2010, 1:02am

I still say they should cancel Fallon. Why aren’t they considering cutting off Fallon.

scum_gale_88 · January 9, 2010, 1:44am

the weak link in the chain is not Conan or Fallon or even Daly (who the hell watches him anyway, irrelevant). its Jay. From a network standpoint he has a lot of clout. but for the average viewer like myself he needs to go. lose Jay and everything will be so much simpler.

blooper · January 9, 2010, 2:39am

He probably has a contract. the contract should cover at least a year.

if its gonna be anyone, itll be either Carson Daly or Jimmy Fallon. And even between them, its difficult to decide because theyre not even in the same genre anymore(since Daly changed up his show). Dalys got connections like a cheap Ryan Seacrest. So hes got some importance. Jimmy Fallon on the other hand… doesnt really have much of a reputation on TV or entertainment in general compared to the other guys on late.

crimzonflame · January 9, 2010, 3:41am

I dont get it though why arent they giving Conan a chance? Leno didnt start beating Letterman in ratings until 1995. Also they gave Seinfeld a chance for 3 seasons before it started become the ratings powerhouse.

NeoChaosX · January 9, 2010, 4:26am

Considering how much they’re jerking around Conan and Leno here, that’s actually not such a bad idea. Just say “fuck it” and do whatever it takes to get himself out of his contract with such a clusterfuck of a network.

Superking · January 9, 2010, 4:51am

How did he screw Letterman? Letterman got the last laugh with bigger pay, producing his own show (and the follow up show, first Snyder (iirc) then Kilborn then Ferguson), and now Letterman is owning in the ratings while he has a career damaging sex scandal.

shoo · January 9, 2010, 4:55am

FUCK you nbc,

dont fuck up 30 rock
you already fucked up the office and dont even get me started on community/parks an rec

Monte · January 9, 2010, 5:02am

forreals. I hope Conan doesn’t roll over and give up his spot to Leno. He better be like, I keep this spot or pay me and release me. Then he could goto Fox and do whatever he wants and on the first episode they could have a Simpsons spectacular and that would be fantastic.

Also what about Andy? If Conan goes back to 12:30 and NBC continuing to have money problems he’ll probably be assed out and get fired. Fight it for Andy, Conan!

Autocrat1 · January 9, 2010, 5:05am

LMAO too true!

Axe both him and Fallon. Conan >>>>> * But whatever, NBC is dead, and been like that since GAYBC bought the NBA.

I agree Conan has been neutered tremendously with his earlier timeslot. He should just go online, uncensored, and profit.

NBC will officially become Telemundo in less than 2 years, quote me on that