Conan's Back

I waited until after episode two to write this, mainly because I wanted to see if it could follow up with a great opener.

If you've been reading my blog since the beginning, then you've read my huge Conan/NBC breakup rant that lead into several long posts. I was furious. Conan's been the only late-night personality I really liked, since Leno and Letterman seemed too professional and corporate. Conan didn't He was crazy and spastic and it was awesome. Conan had to tune it down when he got moved to 11:30, and it wasn't totally the same. NBC is run by morons (even tho Zuckerberg is on his way out finally) and they're in last place behind king of network reality trash Fox.

The whole Conan/NBC breakup must of been humiliating for Conan. He was metaphorically slaughtered in front of national television over several weeks. He stuck to his principles and paid the price for it. NBC put him off for 9 months. While he was in limbo with NBC and still doing shows, it's the funniest he's ever been. Angry Conan was awesome.

While he was off the air, he did a comedy tour and built a huge social media campaign to keep his name out there and his popularity at a continual high. So Conan's finally back. It doesn't really matter what he says or does, it's just nice to have him back. The first few weeks will be all about how everyone supported Conan and he took less money and stupid jokes like that. It's nice to have him back and it's even better that it's on at 11. Makes it more time-friendly for East Coasters who need to be up early for something called work. I don't know anything about that concept, but most people do.

What gets interesting now is how Conan's competing with Leno/Letterman and now Jon Stewart too. I used to love watching Stewart but fell off the wagon before college. And, after the first two shows, Conan is killing everyone. He's got the popularity over the rest of them and the timeslot to win. And I think TBS will do anything they can to keep him content. To NBC he was just one of many, to TBS he's one of one. (I'm not considering George Lopez anything worth anything). TBS might be on a lower budget but they're making network-money off advertising to spend on this show.

I think Conan's on a mission. He's not going to be on a smear campaign for Leno, but he's going to be trying his hardest to beat out everyone. And he's got the platform to succeed. He's basically taken his network show to a basic cable channel on an earlier timeslot. His only real competition to me (and my coveted demographic) is Jon Stewart. My only concern is will I keep watching? Will I be watching in 3 months? Will I care? Will anyone still care? The sparkle of the "Conan's back" routine will fade away, and then he just becomes another talk show. Sure, he's the only one I'd want to watch, but do I really want to watch a talk show at 11? How tired do we get of actors plugging their movies? I bet most people would rather watch Jersey Shore re-runs than hearing what Samuel L. Jackson is up to. So who knows. I predict I'll watch the monologue and then peace out - pending the guests.

Either way, I'm happy that Conan's got his show back, and that he can take out the competition that kicked him out. Any joke regarding NBC makes me burst out laughing. It's great. And seeing the Masturbating Bear? It's always nice to see old friends.

Go CoCo.

Conan to TBS

Well, Conan finally found a new home, and apparently it's going to be TBS, also known as Turner Broadcasting Station, also known for holding the tag line "very funny".

This move strays from the conceived thought that he would end up at Fox. I feel like Fox would have never worked out. Too many affiliates would have to rearrange their schedule to pull it off on a real risk/gamble.

I think I like the move. Certainly Conan has to go SOMEWHERE. He can't just stay on this tour. He won't make it. TBS provides him with an outlet that is relatively visible (most people have at least basic cable) and he can come in with NO expectations. Fox would want him to knock off the main broadcasting stations. He won't. He can't.

By being on TBS he gets to be a little more risky than the national channels. He can be who he was at 12:35. But at 11. Again, with no expectations, he can do whatever. If he flops, it's not an issue, if he succeeds, TBS looks like geniuses.

I'm curious to see how the deal is structured with money and years. I would think that eventually Conan would like to be back in the national spotlight (Letterman's job???) and I hope he doesn't get stuck in this deal doing that.

What is also interesting is the growth and development of cable television. Outside of the HBO/Showtime, most cable stations don't generate nationally-recognized original content. Most of their shows would be syndicated. Family Guy is on every channel. Slowly we're starting to see that shift however. Obviously the big winner is Mad Men, but there's been other great shows that are starting to develop/have developed as well, like Breaking Bad, The Shield, Nip/Tuck, etc. I think it's great - the ability of options. No longer do we have to watch shows that appeal to literally everyone because there are only 5 outlets. I can watch ESPN and you can watch TLC and both be perfectly happy. The options out there (on every outlet, not just TV) is what makes technology so great - everyone can have their niche.

I Hate Jay Leno, NBC, and Capitalism

Over the weekend, Conan was officially terminated from his position on The Tonight Show in favor of bringing back Jay Leno. I know I ranted about this before, but this is too big to not keep talking about. This is most likely going to be a reiteration of my previous post. So if you read it, you can skip it. You're welcome.

There's just so many things about this whole issue that bother me, it's hard for me to focus on one at a time. Here's my first though - Jay Leno.

Leno hosted The Tonight Show for 17 years. 22 if you count being Carson's regular substitute. That's a LONG time. He accepted that he would step down in 2009 to make way for Conan. So why is he letting this happen? Why can't he just ride off into the sunset? I understand NBC's concerns of him stealing his audience to another network. That should of been in Leno's contract that he wouldn't jump to another network. Leno's near 60 - how well do you think he can connect with his audience? (Of course my favorite 60 year old, Bruce Springsteen, connects with my 22 year old self daily - but that's an entirely different level)

My point is, Leno should do something else. He had his time. He agreed to step down. It's the honorable thing to do. Go produce a show. Write a book. Star in a movie. Ride your bike across the country. Enjoy yourself.

Next up - NBC. They committed to Conan in 2009. They made a whole new set. Promotions out the ying-yang. So how can they 7 months later think about moving The Tonight Show to 12:05. The original late-night TV franchise. The one that started it all. It always started after your local news. To move the show is blasphemy. Obviously I wasn't around when the show started, but I believe in tradition. You don't see network national news being moved to 6 or 7.

So whatever, they went against their word. They picked Leno to be the 11:35 guy. But the way they went back on Conan, including NBC Sports Director Dick Ebersol calling Conan "gutless" and "chicken-hearted" for his jokes towards the network, is unprofessional. Why isn't this jerk off fired? The Olympics are going to lose near $200 million for NBC. Maybe he should be more concerned about his department making money than what the late night programming is doing.

Okay so clearly that comment got me fired up a bit. It's just unbelievable. What did they expect Conan to do? You piss someone off and give them an outlet to vent their frustration, of course they take advantage. You say crude things, you're going to get them right back. Conan's voice is just much louder than NBC execs - because they gave it to him.

My other question is what exactly is NBC planning for the future? Leno's almost 60. How long is he planning on doing this? 10 years max? Then who's hosting The Tonight Show? Jimmy Fallon? Some no name? Dane Cook? Jon Stewart? Good work NBC, you really have a good business plan. I wonder why you're 4th in ratings. Bravo. Good luck picking up males 18-35 for Leno. In Conan they had a set plan for at least 20 years. Good. Job.

Even if Leno was at 11:35 and Conan at 12:05, Then what happens when Leno retires, move Conan back to 11:35? Good for Conan for standing up and not taking NBC's BS and treating Leno like the second coming. I wouldn't take it either. He may be out of a job and may not have some options for a while, but he's keeping his pride and his manhood intact.

My point is - is Leno SO important to the network that they are willing to cut Conan. Clearly he is. I just don't see it. It angers me beyond belief. I don't think I'll watch Leno, mainly because I don't find him funny. But also just to protest NBC. I hate it. It's not okay.

I'm with CoCo.

Technology is Leading to the Destruction of Network Programming

I had a revelation at the gym today. 2010 is going to be the end of two (but probably four) of my favorite shows. Lost and Nip/Tuck are in their final seasons. 24 is rumored to end after this season because it's becoming too costly (and seriously, how many more bad days can Jack Bauer have?) On top of that, it's becoming more and more likely that Conan's run on NBC is going to end shortly.

While I assume Conan will be back on television in some capacity. The others will not. This will leave a huge hole in my regular television programs. I'm not sure what to do. I think it's become a state of television programing that I mentioned in a previous post. Companies are trying to save money, so they produce cheaper programs. Typically, it's the reality, game-show, or talk-show instead of a more costly-scripted show. Or a spin-off of a highly successful show (something ridiculous too, like CSI: North Dakota)

This is saddening, as the networks read success of shows in very literal terms of ratings and how much advertising revenue they can generate from these ratings. In today's age with video easily accessible on demand through various different outlets, ratings from when the show aired aren't reliable. For example, I don't get to watch Conan every night, but I'll try to watch it on Hulu everyday. Honestly I prefer the shorter format. 30 second commercials vs 3 minutes. I can watch when I want. It makes watching it when it airs not important. Technology has allowed for shows to be on demand. Legal or Illegal, it cannot be stopped.

Because of these technological advancements, the viewer is taking away network's primary source of revenue. I believe this is going to lead to less quality programming in favor of more cost-effective shows, which leads to the viewer most likely being less entertained. We can all enjoy some reality shows, but not ALL the time.

I'm not sure what the appropriate solution is here, because I don't see any stopping the Internet/DVR/TiVo phenomenon. It's just something to be aware of. Our forms of entertainment are evolving. The only shows that will get green-lit will be surefire hits. Shows that don't have great ratings, even with critical success don't keep airing. (I keep using the Southland example - I really should watch before I continue to use it.)

I think our best hope relies with Premium Cable networks, like HBO, who typically script higher quality programs than others. The Wire is widely considered by many (including myself) to be the greatest show of all time. It did not receive high ratings or garner much support from awards shows. However HBO stuck with the show and let it ride out its full five seasons, and everyone who has viewed it is thankful for that.

In the meantime, I plan on enjoying what's left of my favorite shows, and hope the entertainment industry can figure out how to make more quality shows, while finding a source of income.

What the Hell is Wrong with NBC???

This might be my longest post yet, because the nature of the topic is so complicated. Consider yourself warned.


As of last night, NBC officially canceled The Jay Leno Show, what can only be described as a failed experiment with the best of intentions. They averaged 5 million viewers a night and saved a decent amount of money. Affiliates were complaining about a drop in their local news programs following Leno. I don't really understand how this happens. If anything, I'd rather watch Leno than typical NBC programming (ER (RIP), Law & Order, Biggest Loser, etc). In Philly, I really like the local NBC news broadcast, mainly because my neighbor used to run the station and I met several of the staff. I think overall I enjoy how NBC does it's broadcasts, especially in their News division. Lately though, they have been boneheads.

This all started five years ago, when NBC announced that Leno would move off of The Tonight Show and install Conan O'Brien, who had been waiting in the wings for almost 12 years. Then it got closer and closer to game time, and NBC was having second thoughts. Leno could go to Fox or ABC and take his fan base with him and away from NBC, who had the highest rated late-night shows. I get that issue, NBC doesn't want to lose it's highest rated comedian to another network. So why would they announce this plan five years ago? They clearly didn't think things through and started getting scared about the possible outcome.

Then came the revolutionary news. Leno would still have his show but at 10P.M, cutting their typical 10P.M. programming in favor of a five-night comedy talk show. It would save money on scirpted shows, but also was a huge change from the norm. It was a risk. NBC didn't expect the show to provide huge ratings - it just expected to save money. In the meantime, it had to cut a show that critics were raving about (Southland - which I really am interested in seeing) in favor of keeping Leno. Southland was picked up by TNT and the second season will be played Tuesday at 10 (conveniently where it would be on NBC, and also against the show that replaced it (Leno) show on NBC.)

So Leno didn't work out because affiliates were losing ratings in their local news shows at 11. I've expressed how this doesn't make sense to me. Are people so lazy that they will watch The Bachelor and not change the station after for the news? Is this serious? The only other guess that I could make would be that people watching The Bachelor or whatever programming would see the promo for the news (something ridiculous like "How to lose 100 pounds in 2 hours") and stick around to see that one story. Outside of this hypothesis, I'm really baffled. If I have one favorite local news broadcast, I can change the station. Maybe this shows how littler favoritism viewers have, because they will see the same news no matter what. It's possible the reflection of lower news ratings is due to the stream of information over the internet.

Now back to what NBC is doing now. The proposed plan is to have Leno for a half hour at 11:35, Conan have Tonight at 12:05, and Jimmy Fallon starts at 1:05. Conan is the one who gets screwed in this process. After being promised just five years for his dream job, he moved his family and entire staff from New York to Los Angeles to do the show. Conan was going to be NBC's lead comedian. No more Leno. And after a little over half a year, he is being told he has to be behind Leno, again. Technically he still hosts The Tonight Show, but isn't The Tonight Show supposed to start after the news? So it's not the same at all. Conan is getting taken away what was promised to him.

Before I keep continue, I should say that I have always enjoyed Conan. I don't know when I started watching, but he was always the highlight of my pre-driving Friday nights when I could stay up that late. Leno doesn't do anything for me. He's a clown with a big chin and a strange voice. I don't think Conan can succeed doing the same stuff an hour earlier. In many ways the show has changed from its Late Night time frame, but the core is still the same. Conan attracts the younger viewers - people like me. Leno attracted many older viewers who can't handle Conan's random behavior and cruder jokes.

I understand why ratings-wise he was not succeeding as well. I still enjoy him. I think he was funnier on Late Night because he could get away with more things at a later time slot. I think he can do the more raunchy material if he goes to 12:05. It's a matter of principle however. NBC made a commitment and are going back on it. I'm not sure why Leno isn't the expendable one here. Maybe give him a half hour show once a week during Primetime. It's not like NBC has really good shows outside of Thursday night (and maybe Heroes.) That way he can be funnier and work less. I'm sure there is a better solution.

Conan should want to leave NBC and go to Fox. I'm just not sure that's the best solution for him. Being at 11 is an even earlier position with potential for worse ratings, and being outside of the "Big-3" could allow for him to disappear. Does anyone really watch Fox for anything other than Idol? (and 24) Unfortunately, I think Conan's best interest is to stick with NBC and accept taking a later time slot. If I were him I would keep making jokes at NBC and ripping them apart. Do more racy material, bring back the masturbating bear, bring some of Late Night to Tonight.

The one other confusing issue is how does this affect the ratings? Letterman's competition gets cut in half. Same for Craig Fergueson. Fallon gets a half hour to himself in what can only be described as infomercial limbo (also known as the only place you can find Carson Daly on TV anymore - who I assume is getting axed). I never know what or when Kimmel comes on. Does anyone watch Kimmel?

There is no right solution. NBC has really dug themselves in a hole. They seem to enjoy digging themselves deeper. Maybe this will work out. Either way, Conan still got screwed. Fallon, who isn't as important to NBC and they never made any promises, is also getting the raw end of the stick. And this explains the Comcast buyout of NBC - the beginning of the end of national-wide broadcast stations.

UPDATE - 01.13.2010 - As of yesterday Conan released a statement said that he will not do Tonight after Leno, because it loses it's original identity if it's not at 11:35. He said he has no offers. This makes another even more interesting point I didn't mention. What if Conan leaves? What happens to The Tonight Show? Does Leno take over (again?) NBC is really screwing itself. Speaking of ratings, this transition can't help NBC at all. More people will flock to Letterman faster than a peacock.

In the meantime, I think Conan's frustrating his anger into GREAT comedy. Here's a link to last night's episode. I think it's one of his funniest Tonight Show's yet. When a comedian is actually invested in the jokes, it makes for better humor. It's surprising NBC allows for him to rant and joke so much about his job, but I have really enjoyed it. I really hope NBC gets it's head out of it's rear and gives Conan the job they promised him.