Conan's entire show Monday night was full of jokes reacting to the news that he'd be bumped, and I applauded not only because they were funny, but because he's able to tell off his boss/company ("Hooray! Boo for work!"). My dad has said that to succeed in business you need to be tall and have great hair. Conan is tall and has great hair, and even he is getting screwed by work these days. For whatever reason, I'm not depressed by this. I actually find it somewhat comforting.
Maybe it's a "misery loves company" mentality. Hey, look, I'm not the only one who gets dumped on at work from time to time. My friend made a similar note of this when the whole Tiger Woods scandal went down. You're looking at a guy who's ridiculously talented on the golf course, making a billion dollars through endorsements and is married to a model, and if things are going sour for him, it somehow makes life a little more tolerable for me.
Anyway, it's fun to hear Conan sound off about his issues with work. Sometimes I'd like to tell a few people what I'm really thinking, but I don't think I ever actually would. Even if I won the lottery and could quit my job, I seriously doubt I'd burn any bridges on my way out. Sometimes you just need to shrug and laugh and carry on, and I'm enjoying the way Conan's doing that (while it lasts).
Here is Conan's response. I look forward to watching him no matter what channel he moves to.
ReplyDelete----
People of Earth:
In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.
Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.
But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.
Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.
So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.
Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.
Yours,
Conan
And article I just found:
ReplyDeleteAnd it's done! The Wrap now reports that Conan O'Brien and NBC have come to terms on his departure and O'Brien is getting $30 million as part of his settlement. The deal still needs to be signed, and of course, everyone is waiting to hear how long O'Brien has to wait before he is free to do a new series.
Also still to be announced is O'Brien's final day on The Tonight Show, but most assume it will be next Friday, the 22nd.