NBC Shakeup - Conan "Out" - Jay Back In

[azumanga]

If that's all they're going to put on in the 10PM hour, they're best off giving the hour to the affiliates and let them decide what to do with it. Many of them will be more than glad to put an hour of news there.

 

[pabsungenis]

They'll have time to start gearing up some shows. The shakeup doesn't happen until the Olympics start, which wipes out the entire schedule anyhow.

They'll probably add at least one night of "Dateline," pick "Southland" back up if John Wells lets them and slot it after "Heroes" on Monday, and greenlight one or two other drama pilots they were considering but passed on with "Leno" eating up the schedule.

I think the biggest shakeup night will be Wednesday, where they'll greenlight two sitcoms for 8 PM and slide "Mercy" down to 10.

 

[MarcB]

The only question is, would Fox come up with a thirty-five minute daily show as a lead-in to Conan at 11:35? Hmmm, "daily show..." Maybe they can grab Jon Stewart from Comedy Central?

Even tho the schedule says it goes to 1130PM, The FOX 61 News at 11PM actually goes til 1135PM followed by an hour of The Simpsons. If FOX were to go with a Conan Show 1135PM-12:35AM, I would hope Tribune would bounce Friends during the 5PM hour on sister station TXX to one of the many late night infomercial blocks and slide The Simpsons into the 5PM slot where they belong. The Simpsons used to be on at 5PM for years until FOX 61 picked up Dr. Oz this past September.

 

[Bongwater]

In my eyes, I just don't think Conan O'Brien is at the same level of talent as Jay Leno. Conan relies too much on cheap schtick gags and Jay Leno is more topical, which makes Jay Leno a better host for the tonight show IMHO.....

 

[notalkallstatic]

it's not like people are going to say "Conan's on FOX now...his show must be better".

If Conan went to FOX, I believe he would have more room to do his skits without the suits controling the show. I'd watch it on FOX... IMO, Conan beats all the late night host to pieces, when he was at 12:35A. He seemed to have more freedom, but going to 11:35P, it seems the suits are holding him back.

Also the comment about Conan going to TBS, not a bad thought, since Lopez really stinks!

Looks like more Law & Order, room for Southland, maybe even reruns of Monk to fill the 10pm slots.

Actually, Southland has been canned by NBC, but was picked up by TNT. They are showing all the episodes that aired on NBC, plus scenes that were cut by the censors/FCC, plus 7 new episodes (I think.)

Conan relies too much on cheap schtick gags and Jay Leno is more topical, which makes Jay Leno a better host for the tonight show IMHO.....

Which is why Conan had higher ratings with college age adults, then what Jay did for the same demophraic.

 

[FilmCritic3K]

The Jon Stewart theory is a good one. I had heard that CBS is eyeing Jon Stewart for Dave's chair when he retires. But who knows, today it is one thing tomorrow......???

Yeah, that's been brought up time and again but Jon Stewart's stated time and again that he loves the autonomy that being on cable provides him and his writers. So I don't see him doing that.

Then again, that bridge (Letterman's retirement) isn't even on the horizon, so we'll just have to wait and see if that idea ever comes to fruition.

 

[FilmCritic3K]

Those extra five hours NBC is picking up every week will be squandered on Dateline NBC, 3-hour blocks of The Biggest Loser, and other assorted reality nonsense that will do nothing to get them out of the hole they've dug for themselves.

Yeah, they'll definitely be filling air time for a while.

While that's happening, however, Angela Bromstad and her team have 18 pilots in various stages of production, including two from Jerry Bruckheimer and J.J. Abrams. So 10PM dramas will be back on NBC soon.

If only Brandon Tartikoff was still alive...he'd smack some sense into all of the suits at NBC Universal, starting with Jeff Zucker.

 

[TroyG]

What I like for NBC is to turn the last hour of Prime Time over to its own affilliates for their Local News. After that, Jay would start at 11/10C; Conan at 12M/11C; and Jimmy Fallon at 1A/12 Midnight. Sounds fair, Huh?

 

[azumanga]

Except that NBC affiliates would lose the right to compete with the 11PM newscasts. If Jay starts at 11, he still won't have great numbers, as there are some watching the 11PM news on ther stations. Even some Fox affiliates have an 11PM newscast, in addition to 10PM.

 

[bpatrick]

What NBC should do is give the 10:00 slot to affiliates for local news many would like a one hour newscast to compete with FOX affiates, give JAY his hour back start it at 11:00, Conan at 12:00 and Jimmy at 1:00...

I suspect if they don't act soon...Boston viewers will see "7 News at 10 PM" on WHDH, and other viewers will see local news at 10 PM on their local NBC stations.

If I'm WHDH in Boston - whose owner was vehement in foreseeing the failure of Leno at 10 PM that they had considered replacing it with a 10 PM newscast - I'd just run a non-stop news block starting at 10 PM and into the overnight, as a big "F-U" to the Peacock.

Ed Ansin must be saying "I told you so" to anybody who will listen.

While I don't mind the idea of NBC giving 10/9 back to the affiliates for local news, can they compete against Fox stations which have already established a 10 PM news franchise, especially since Fox seems to have stronger lead-ins now?

When NBC announced Jay for the 10 PM slot, I said that if he clicked one of the other networks (ABC in particular) ought to try something like "The National"/"The Journal" at that time. I now wish to retract that statement because it won't happen. That does not mean, however, that I don't think the idea of network news at 6:30 is an idea whose time has come and gone (it's an idea that goes back to network radio); in fact the networks actually aired the news in more convenient times in the early days of television (7:15 on ABC, 7:30 on CBS, 7:45 on NBC).

No, I think the status quo will continue. I suspect "Law & Order" has just bought itself a 21st season.

 

[jras20]

Jay Lano retired his spot of the tonight show to Conan, why would he move back to 11:30? I don't think I'll be watching the tonight show any more if that happens. I liked Jay Lano, but if all of this goes on I may just go to watching david letterman.

 

[Robnoxious]

Brandon Tartikoff's casket must be spinning so fast that it will drill clear to the Earth's molten core within the hour.

 

[LKellerIII]

In my eyes, I just don't think Conan O'Brien is at the same level of talent as Jay Leno. Conan relies too much on cheap schtick gags and Jay Leno is more topical, which makes Jay Leno a better host for the tonight show IMHO.....

Since you qualified your statement with "in my eyes," you obviously recognize that it's a matter of opinion. In MY eyes - Conan is far superior, and Leno's humor is sometimes sophmoric and often rather obvious. Granted - Conan's Tonight Show has been a bit dull, and has not had the edginess and outragousness of his Late Night show. Since I hadn't been watching him on Late Night the past couple of years, I can't say if the deterioration in his material preceded his move to 11:30 or not. I have heard that there was a conscious decision made to tone it down for the 11:30 audience. If so, it was a mistake.

Clearly, Conan's show needs some adjusting and re-tuning, but I still contend that it's NOT the disaster the early Leno Tonight Shows were in the early 90s. With some work and some time, Conan has the potential to beat Letterman.

Talk about edgy - Letterman's show used to be great, but in my opinion, it has become very stale.

 

[dustintv]

What a cluster-you-know-what. I do wonder if NBC will just turn the 10pm/9pm hour back to the affiliates and be done with it.

 

[landtuna]

Leno has always seemed to me to be a displaced stand-up comic who should be performing in a dingy wrong-side-of-the-tracks night club instead of on TV. That said, I don't think Conan is even up to that standard.

I once heard a guy from the local electric utility tell me he could tell from the instant decrease in the electric power grid when Leno finished his monologue. In my experience the monologue was the only part of the show worth watching and then not often. The same is true for his new show.

Admittedly I haven't watched Conan near as much but from what I saw (including that embarrassing first show) he probably does what the show is intended to do - makes people go to sleep.

I like Jay as a person and in the correct setting he could be phenomenal. I've often thought something like "Jay's Garage" would be a huge draw if predominately for males. But as an interviewer and/or publicity mat for the latest Hollywood offerings.....no.

OTOH I don't see Conan drawing anything.

 

[desertv]

I like Jay as a person and in the correct setting he could be phenomenal. I've often thought something like "Jay's Garage" would be a huge draw if predominately for males. But as an interviewer and/or publicity mat for the latest Hollywood offerings.....no.

[/quote]

How about a US version of "Top Gear" like NBC offered him?

 

[hubcity]

How about a US version of "Top Gear" like NBC offered him?

That is the biggest instant-success no-brainer in the history of network television. Of course, NBC'll screw it up somehow.

 

[landtuna]

And actually, NBC doesn't even have to get formal. Just hand Jay a mic and have him visit places and events of general or specific interest (bikefests, car meets, historic places, people on the street scenes etc.). He is very good in that environment and can display his personal skills and knowledge instead of the Hollywood fluff balls.

 

[kenrayc]

If Jay only gets 30 minutes what will be cut, will he keep his comedy bits like Jay-walking and Headlines and have no guest or just have the monologue and have one guest.
I can see L&O Criminal Intent moving back to NBC from USA Network.

 

[WPPCProductions]

Brandon Tartikoff's casket must be spinning so fast that it will drill clear to the Earth's molten core within the hour.

I agree,These clowns in charge should get fired,Call Donald Trump in to do the honors.They ruined what Brandon build up.