Comments on: What “The Wire” can teach us about Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, and the current late night debacle http://www.larrygetlen.com/2010/01/19/what-%e2%80%9cthe-wire%e2%80%9d-can-teach-us-about-conan-o%e2%80%99brien-jay-leno-and-the-current-late-night-debacle/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-%25e2%2580%259cthe-wire%25e2%2580%259d-can-teach-us-about-conan-o%25e2%2580%2599brien-jay-leno-and-the-current-late-night-debacle Because I have thoughts. And they are random. Sun, 26 Jun 2011 21:23:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Schlanger http://www.larrygetlen.com/2010/01/19/what-%e2%80%9cthe-wire%e2%80%9d-can-teach-us-about-conan-o%e2%80%99brien-jay-leno-and-the-current-late-night-debacle/comment-page-1/#comment-125 Schlanger Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:47:28 +0000 http://www.larrygetlen.com/?p=327#comment-125 Here's a graphic comparison of Leno vs Conan through the years (1992-2010). http://topcultured.com/leno-vs-conan-through-the-years-1992-2010/ Here’s a graphic comparison of Leno vs Conan through the years (1992-2010). http://topcultured.com/leno-vs-conan-through-the-years-1992-2010/

]]> By: Larry http://www.larrygetlen.com/2010/01/19/what-%e2%80%9cthe-wire%e2%80%9d-can-teach-us-about-conan-o%e2%80%99brien-jay-leno-and-the-current-late-night-debacle/comment-page-1/#comment-121 Larry Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:50:17 +0000 http://www.larrygetlen.com/?p=327#comment-121 @Theresa - Jay made it pretty clear both at the time and especially in explaining the situation recently that he was not pleased about agreeing to leave back then, and did what he did to avoid hassle for Conan - not because he really was done with the job and wanted to go. It's also been made clear over the years that at the time, Conan was going to leave the network, and NBC went to Jay and told him that they wanted to give Conan "The Tonight Show." In other words, they wanted to give him Jay's job. Jay did not, at any point, go to the network and say, "I'm ready to retire." Combine all that with everything we know about Jay's workaholism and everything he's ever said about this job, and I don't really think it's that controversial a statement to say he didn't really want to go. But on your next point, if you read this again (as well as my other essay on this that's linked in the piece), I did not say I thought Jay was a "victim" in 2004. He made the decision to go along with NBC's plan, and not fight back, because he thought it would cause the least hassle over time, but NOT because it was what he really, deep down in his heart, wanted to do for himself. That was dumb on his part, and he has to shoulder the blame for making the bad decision that helped put this fiasco in motion. My point was not that Jay was a hapless victim, just that no one here - including Conan - was naive about the ramifications of it all. As for your second graph, I agree as well that PR-wise, there are definitely ways that Jay could have handled this much better than he did, although I'm not sure I agree with the way you suggest. Had he done that but eventually reclaimed the show, I think he still would have been accused of manipulating the situation to his benefit. @Theresa – Jay made it pretty clear both at the time and especially in explaining the situation recently that he was not pleased about agreeing to leave back then, and did what he did to avoid hassle for Conan – not because he really was done with the job and wanted to go. It’s also been made clear over the years that at the time, Conan was going to leave the network, and NBC went to Jay and told him that they wanted to give Conan “The Tonight Show.” In other words, they wanted to give him Jay’s job. Jay did not, at any point, go to the network and say, “I’m ready to retire.” Combine all that with everything we know about Jay’s workaholism and everything he’s ever said about this job, and I don’t really think it’s that controversial a statement to say he didn’t really want to go. But on your next point, if you read this again (as well as my other essay on this that’s linked in the piece), I did not say I thought Jay was a “victim” in 2004. He made the decision to go along with NBC’s plan, and not fight back, because he thought it would cause the least hassle over time, but NOT because it was what he really, deep down in his heart, wanted to do for himself. That was dumb on his part, and he has to shoulder the blame for making the bad decision that helped put this fiasco in motion. My point was not that Jay was a hapless victim, just that no one here – including Conan – was naive about the ramifications of it all. As for your second graph, I agree as well that PR-wise, there are definitely ways that Jay could have handled this much better than he did, although I’m not sure I agree with the way you suggest. Had he done that but eventually reclaimed the show, I think he still would have been accused of manipulating the situation to his benefit.

]]> By: Theresa http://www.larrygetlen.com/2010/01/19/what-%e2%80%9cthe-wire%e2%80%9d-can-teach-us-about-conan-o%e2%80%99brien-jay-leno-and-the-current-late-night-debacle/comment-page-1/#comment-120 Theresa Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:22:30 +0000 http://www.larrygetlen.com/?p=327#comment-120 And how, exactly, do you support the statements "When the deal was made in 2004 for Conan to take over The Tonight Show, it was obvious that Leno didn’t want to “retire,” and "He would be displacing Jay Leno from a job he didn’t really want to leave"? This then assumes that Conan and NBC were playing "the game" but poor put upon Leno was just a hapless victim. It's ridiculous and you have no way of proving either one of those statements. What could have helped Leno was if he had taken the high road and made a statement saying he wouldn't be willing to displace Conan. When the dust cleared and Conan was jettisoned by NBC which appeared to be their original intent all along, he could have stepped up to re-helm the Tonight Show because it was absent a host but he still would have looked like a good guy. And how, exactly, do you support the statements “When the deal was made in 2004 for Conan to take over The Tonight Show, it was obvious that Leno didn’t want to “retire,” and “He would be displacing Jay Leno from a job he didn’t really want to leave”? This then assumes that Conan and NBC were playing “the game” but poor put upon Leno was just a hapless victim. It’s ridiculous and you have no way of proving either one of those statements.

What could have helped Leno was if he had taken the high road and made a statement saying he wouldn’t be willing to displace Conan. When the dust cleared and Conan was jettisoned by NBC which appeared to be their original intent all along, he could have stepped up to re-helm the Tonight Show because it was absent a host but he still would have looked like a good guy.

]]> By: Rich People’s Problems: Did Conan Make the Wrong Choice? | Larry Getlen's Random Thoughts http://www.larrygetlen.com/2010/01/19/what-%e2%80%9cthe-wire%e2%80%9d-can-teach-us-about-conan-o%e2%80%99brien-jay-leno-and-the-current-late-night-debacle/comment-page-1/#comment-100 Rich People’s Problems: Did Conan Make the Wrong Choice? | Larry Getlen's Random Thoughts Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:17:35 +0000 http://www.larrygetlen.com/?p=327#comment-100 [...] not only is this misguided, it’s [...] [...] not only is this misguided, it’s [...]

]]> By: Sytropin http://www.larrygetlen.com/2010/01/19/what-%e2%80%9cthe-wire%e2%80%9d-can-teach-us-about-conan-o%e2%80%99brien-jay-leno-and-the-current-late-night-debacle/comment-page-1/#comment-98 Sytropin Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:03:12 +0000 http://www.larrygetlen.com/?p=327#comment-98 Conan O'Brien will be receiving a 33 million dollar settlement with NBC. That is definitely a heck of a ton of dough to offer an individual to merely disappear. I would confess that I very much favorJay Leno in that slot rather than the prime time slot, but I do believe that Conan demonstrated a whole lot of class in fighting to obtain that huge severence arrangement for his crew. I'm positive that he can land on his feet somewhere else in no time. If he does not, at least the 33 million will soften the landing. Conan O’Brien will be receiving a 33 million dollar settlement with NBC. That is definitely a heck of a ton of dough to offer an individual to merely disappear. I would confess that I very much favorJay Leno in that slot rather than the prime time slot, but I do believe that Conan demonstrated a whole lot of class in fighting to obtain that huge severence arrangement for his crew. I’m positive that he can land on his feet somewhere else in no time. If he does not, at least the 33 million will soften the landing.

]]> By: Tweets that mention What “The Wire” can teach us about Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, and the current late night debacle | Larry Getlen's Random Thoughts -- Topsy.com http://www.larrygetlen.com/2010/01/19/what-%e2%80%9cthe-wire%e2%80%9d-can-teach-us-about-conan-o%e2%80%99brien-jay-leno-and-the-current-late-night-debacle/comment-page-1/#comment-93 Tweets that mention What “The Wire” can teach us about Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, and the current late night debacle | Larry Getlen's Random Thoughts -- Topsy.com Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:13:02 +0000 http://www.larrygetlen.com/?p=327#comment-93 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jean Prytyskacz, Jordan Pedersen. Jordan Pedersen said: VINDICATION! THE WIRE IS LIKE EVEYRTHING http://tinyurl.com/yf2tz2r @larrygetlen [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jean Prytyskacz, Jordan Pedersen. Jordan Pedersen said: VINDICATION! THE WIRE IS LIKE EVEYRTHING http://tinyurl.com/yf2tz2r @larrygetlen [...]

]]> By: J A Reyes http://www.larrygetlen.com/2010/01/19/what-%e2%80%9cthe-wire%e2%80%9d-can-teach-us-about-conan-o%e2%80%99brien-jay-leno-and-the-current-late-night-debacle/comment-page-1/#comment-92 J A Reyes Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:54:37 +0000 http://www.larrygetlen.com/?p=327#comment-92 If you had watched the Zucker interview on Charlie Rose, you would have learned that it was Zucker who wanted to keep Conan on NBC and offered him the Tonight Show. Any comedian worth have leaped at the chance to host that show. That bone was tossed at Conan so he would stay on NBC. Leno, supposedly, thought that he wouldn't have the staying power that Carson had and thought he should retire in 2009, since he would be 59. NBC offered him the ten o'clock slot and he took it and decided to do the same stuff at ten that he had been doing at 11:30. Why NBC let him is beyond me. Leno could have re-engineered the variety show format and should only have done it once a week. At the end of the day this is Jeff Zucker's stupid mistake and once Comcast takes over I hope he's the first one to lose his job. If you had watched the Zucker interview on Charlie Rose, you would have learned that it was Zucker who wanted to keep Conan on NBC and offered him the Tonight Show. Any comedian worth have leaped at the chance to host that show. That bone was tossed at Conan so he would stay on NBC. Leno, supposedly, thought that he wouldn’t have the staying power that Carson had and thought he should retire in 2009, since he would be 59. NBC offered him the ten o’clock slot and he took it and decided to do the same stuff at ten that he had been doing at 11:30. Why NBC let him is beyond me. Leno could have re-engineered the variety show format and should only have done it once a week.

At the end of the day this is Jeff Zucker’s stupid mistake and once Comcast takes over I hope he’s the first one to lose his job.

]]> By: P. Lee http://www.larrygetlen.com/2010/01/19/what-%e2%80%9cthe-wire%e2%80%9d-can-teach-us-about-conan-o%e2%80%99brien-jay-leno-and-the-current-late-night-debacle/comment-page-1/#comment-91 P. Lee Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:32:11 +0000 http://www.larrygetlen.com/?p=327#comment-91 The affiliates were revolting because of Jay, not Conan. Also, the ratings for Conan for 18-34A were on par with Letterman. If broadcast cannot get their act together I'll just go online. Just as cheap and heck of a lot more entertaining. The affiliates were revolting because of Jay, not Conan. Also, the ratings for Conan for 18-34A were on par with Letterman. If broadcast cannot get their act together I’ll just go online. Just as cheap and heck of a lot more entertaining.

]]> By: Larry http://www.larrygetlen.com/2010/01/19/what-%e2%80%9cthe-wire%e2%80%9d-can-teach-us-about-conan-o%e2%80%99brien-jay-leno-and-the-current-late-night-debacle/comment-page-1/#comment-90 Larry Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:46:34 +0000 http://www.larrygetlen.com/?p=327#comment-90 @Oscar - Doesn't matter whether it was offered or asked for, just as it doesn't seem to matter to many Conan supporters that Jay didn't demand, or even ask for, the Tonight Show back now, but that it was completely NBC's call. Many who are trashing Jay now are doing so because he's taking the show back instead of retiring and turning it down. Well, same point with Conan in 2004. Conan, in 2004, could have said to NBC, "I'm not taking The Tonight Show because it's Jay's, and that wouldn't be right." Instead - however the idea originated - his reps ultimately said, "give Jay's show to Conan, and Conan stays. If not, he's gone." @Oscar – Doesn’t matter whether it was offered or asked for, just as it doesn’t seem to matter to many Conan supporters that Jay didn’t demand, or even ask for, the Tonight Show back now, but that it was completely NBC’s call. Many who are trashing Jay now are doing so because he’s taking the show back instead of retiring and turning it down. Well, same point with Conan in 2004. Conan, in 2004, could have said to NBC, “I’m not taking The Tonight Show because it’s Jay’s, and that wouldn’t be right.” Instead – however the idea originated – his reps ultimately said, “give Jay’s show to Conan, and Conan stays. If not, he’s gone.”

]]> By: Oscar http://www.larrygetlen.com/2010/01/19/what-%e2%80%9cthe-wire%e2%80%9d-can-teach-us-about-conan-o%e2%80%99brien-jay-leno-and-the-current-late-night-debacle/comment-page-1/#comment-89 Oscar Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:58:57 +0000 http://www.larrygetlen.com/?p=327#comment-89 That's bull. Conan and his people didn't demand the Tonight Show, it was the carrot NBC offered him to keep him from leaving for Fox or ABC. That’s bull. Conan and his people didn’t demand the Tonight Show, it was the carrot NBC offered him to keep him from leaving for Fox or ABC.

]]>