Source: Conan O'Brien May Sue NBC

January 14, 2010 | Today's Top Stories

The feud between Conan O'Brien and NBC has become an all-out war -- and it may move to the courtroom.

An insider tells "Extra" today that Conan may sue NBC over his timeslot war with Jay Leno.

conan obrien jay leno

Conan took aim at Leno during his monologue on "The Tonight Show" last night, saying, "Hosting 'The Tonight Show' has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me -- and I just want to say to the kids out there watching: You can do anything you want in life. Unless Jay Leno wants to do it too."

Conan, who is currently battling Leno over the 11:35 PM timeslot on NBC, joked that he may have to work at Starbucks if the network bumps his show to 12:05 -- a move he said would cause the "destruction" of the "greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting."

"Hi, I'm Conan O'Brien, and I've been practicing the phrase, 'Who ordered the Mochaccino Grande?' the late night host kidded.

Leno tore into NBC during his opening monologue, slamming the network that has been his home for 17 years. "Welcome to NBC. America's most dysfunctional TV family. Thank you very much," he joked. "You thought the Gosselins were screwed up. Oh my god!"

The "Jay Leno Show" star also took aim at his rival host. "Conan O'Brien, understandably, is very upset. He had a statement in the paper yesterday. Conan said NBC has only given him seven months to make his show work. When I heard that... seven months! How did he get that deal? We only got four! Who's his agent? Get me that guy. I'll take seven."

Today, a new report states that if Conan refuses the proposed move to 12:05, NBC is threatening to keep him off the air for the duration of his contract -- three-and-a-half years!

More news outlets are reporting that O'Brien's last night on "The Tonight Show" will be January 22.

comments


Conan O’Brien is playing this game very, very well.

He’s lucky that he even has a career because when he started out on late night TV he SUCKED for at least 2 years, but NBC stood by him.

I guess he’s forgotten about that.

I think both Leno and O’Brien are acting like overpaid prima donnas, but O’Brien is the bigger jerk IMHO.

O’Brien will say that he’s been “incredibly lucky” but he then has a tantrum.

I believe that Conan actually WANTS TO BE REPLACED so that he can sit on his @ss for 3 1/2 years and still get paid $80 million.

Smart, very smart indeed.

NBC should give Sunday through Tuesday 11:30 - 12:30 PM to O’Brien and Wednesday through Friday 11:30 - 12:30 PM to Leno.

And when O’Brien’s contract expires they should just can him.

Problem solved.

Andrew
January 15, 2010

jay leno is some what funny but conan is hilarious if conan goes to fox I’m on bored leno had his time but I know he’s gonna get his show back with no dignity

mykey
January 15, 2010

We should remember that Jay Leno had #1 rating @ the Tonight Show. All this is NOT Jay’s fault. His contract finished. He was offered the same position @ other networks and NBC decided to eat their cake and have it @ the same time. So the network created this 10:00 spot just to keep him and Conan. I started to watch Conan in the Tonight Show. Personally I prefer Jay. Lately I am not watching the Tonight Show because I disagree with Conan’s attitude. He is angry, understandable. Take it out with NBC, sue them. But do not make Jay look bad. Letterman, he knows he would lose the ratings he has now after Jay left. Remember he was 2nd to Jay. It’s in his interest to make him look very bad, plus the old thing when Johnny Carson’s replacement. Better than Conan, much, much better. Jimmy Fallon.

Lecsy
January 15, 2010

i don’t think 11:35 is the “bewitching hour”…when i “WAS” working 9-5…i couldn’t stay up that late to watch the tonight show…so what’s the big deal?…if an entertainer/show is good enough…there’s always TiVO…it’s not about that though…it’s about moving the whole show to a different time slot just to accomidate jay leno’s needs/wants/demands! what are you thinking nbc? are you that desperate to keep leno? i mean really!
i know nbc could make it without jay leno…leno needs to step down while he has some pride left and let somebody else have their turn at the helm…if he’s such a great talent/so much in demand…give him a variety/talk show at an earlier time slot during the day…oprah does daytime and does it quite well…so does ellen degeneres…if leno is so good at what he does…he should be able to make it at any hour and not have to run over someone else to do it…it’s conan’s time now…conan’s paid his dues and waited for his turn…the tonight show has always been on at that time slot…i don’t see how nbc could even consider changing it for someone who’s career is near it’s end…jay is old news…it’s time to move over jay and give conan his chance just like johnny carson did for you.

skylark211
January 15, 2010

this reminds me of the jon of (J&K+8) with these contracts that basically control their lives. Same thing only conan is a bigger name. I think the contracts need to be torn up.

crymeariver
January 15, 2010

There’s a reason Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman are all working feverishly to depict this as solely being Leno’s fault. It’s because Leno is funny and they are not.

This became perfectly evident when Jimmy Kimmel did 10@10. Every answer Kimmel gave to him was an insult at Jay Leno, and not a single one of them was even slightly amusing.

Leno has the right idea though: he’s directing his frustration solely at the network and letting Letterman and Kimmel make asses of themselves. They all want to make Leno look like the bad guy, but all this debacle has sufficed to highlight is how mean and unfunny Kimmel and Letterman are.

Michael Ross
January 15, 2010

Conan was doing fantastic before all of this. It’s time for Jay to be done. He’s not funny anymore.

db
January 15, 2010

Not one bit Jay’s fault. He retired ans was offered a job so he accepted. All you Jay haters would have done the SAME! So please shut up! Everyone deserves to make the choice to work. They canceled Jay at 10pm and offered him his old 11:35 so he accepted..duhh! Like I said all you Jay haters would’ve done the same and NOT given up your paycheck for another guy. Gimme a break.

Tammi
January 15, 2010

Jay chose to be where he is now.
I think he has had his time why does he need more I find it highly selfish on his part.
Conan is Great on the the tonight show
and made it better than ever!!
when Jay comes back i believe his ratings will be lower than ever!!
so gets what he deserves…

kris.
January 14, 2010

Good bye Leno, Good bye, we will sing you Lulubies!!!!

Conan should stay there, a contract is a contract let the court handle the situation.

Anonymous
January 14, 2010

Hey Alicia - best internet comment ever - I wanna send this link to Leno for “Headlines” lol…..ya Leno…eat that cake that you made…eat it! pure gold.

Marie Seas
January 14, 2010

David hit the nail on the head. I hate how Jay is being made to look like the bad guy in this whole thing. He was a good soldier for NBC. They came to him in 2004 and told he was out in 2009-during those 5 years he could have left, but he didn’t- he stayed and made money for them and stayed number 1.

I have nothing against Conan, I feel badly for him. But none of this is Jay’s doing. NBC is wrong here on so many levels. They f-ed up a good thing when they screwed around in 2004. Once they realized they made a mistake- they made it worse with the 10pm thing and then this craziness this week….but put the blame where it belongs with NBC.

Jack
January 14, 2010

Fact is, if Jay had retired, they wouldn’t be considering firing Conan after ONLY 6 MONTHS! They would be giving him a chance to build an audience on the new time slot since he’s a proven talent! But because things didn’t work out for Jay and Jay wants to come back, NBC is pushing Conan out. That’s why both NBC and Jay look like the bad guys. Jay should refuse to knock off another guy from his job and work on some other arrangement. I could have told you Jay’s show wasn’t going to work SINCE IT’S THE SAME AS HIS OLD SHOW, EXCEPT THAT HE STANDs A LOT LONGER. Oh, boy.

Ruth O
January 14, 2010

I have heard about the unfortunately Jay Leno has “what he wants”,
I was just curious to ask how many individuals will loes their jobs on the tonight show with Conan O’brien?
and I was curious to know if Jay Leno has the mental cappacity to understand that he is destroying NBC’s once great reputation.
Conan O’brien was one of the most generous human being in this world to save all of his employees jobs on his move to California, And I just hope everyone will realize how generous and what a great person Conan really is, And I hope they all realize how selfish Jay Leno is for destroying the Tonight Shows reputation and NBC’s reputation.And not to mention all the people he will put out of work,and out of hope.
All of your fans love you Conan and will always support you.
“Conan will win in the End”

Kt Martin
January 14, 2010

Sorry, Leno did not walk away… He was pushed out the door by NBC and given no choice. Conan was already losing the 12:35 time slot to Craig Ferguson on CBS. But NBC zucked it up and moved him to 11:35 where Conan never got the rating Leno did, even before Leno started his show 3 months after Conan. NBC is tring now to fix the original zucked up move, and they are handling it badly. But, they are right. Leno is not the villin in this. NBC is.

David Calef
January 14, 2010

I don’t care for Conan all the much. I only periodically watch him if he has a guest I want to see. However, I don’t blame him at all if he sued NBC. A contract is a contract.

bunnycalif
January 14, 2010

I think Leno is full of it. He walked away from the Tonight show cause he thought it was him that was popular and now that he know it’s the time slot/show that made him he wants to trample over everyone to get back. He made his cake and now hi has to eat it! It’s unfair to Conan and I would like to continue to watch Conan at 11:35. IT’S HIS SHOW NOW! Goodby Leno.

Alicia
January 14, 2010
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