Things need to be mixed up once and awhile, or so NBC thought when they gave the late night talk show line up an overhaul last June. Conan O’Brien took over The Tonight Show, which was formally hosted by Jay Leno. The Late Night Show that was formally hosted by Conan O’Brien was then taken over by comedian and actor, Jimmy Fallon.

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Conan O'Brien out, Leno back in the game

Published: Thursday, February 25, 2010

Updated: Thursday, February 25, 2010

However this overhaul didn’t last long, which is causing quite the uproar. Jay Leno will be resuming as host of The Tonight Show, which leaves Conan O’Brien without a job. Jay Leno told Oprah Winfrey in an interview ‘If you’re looking for someone to blame for NBC’s late-night horror show, take aim at the network’. Leno says ‘it had nothing to do with me’. But I’m sorry Leno, weren’t we taught as little kids that the rules is there’s no take backs? You can’t give someone something, which they had dreamed about for years, and after a few months decide, I want it back.

O’Brien had aspired to be the next host of The Tonight Show for years, so it was a dream come true when he got the job. He did everything in order to reach that goal, including packing up and moving from New York City, home of the Late Night Show, to Los Angeles where The Tonight Show would be filmed. As NBC is trying to rework the late-night line up, they offered Leno a show at 11:35pm, which would move O’Brien’s show to 12:05. However O’Brien felt that moving The Tonight Show to 12:05 would ruin the franchise that is The Tonight Show.

The shake up at NBC caused outrage, and people took sides on Team Leno or Team O’Brien. Many people have joined Team O’Brien, facing off against Leno. However Leno still insists that it is all about numbers in show business, and the network’s decision came down to ratings.

NBC and O’Brien finally reached an agreement. NBC is releasing O’Brien from his contract, and Jay Leno will take over The Tonight Show as of March 1, 2010. O’Brien will receive $40 million, which includes severance pay for his staff, and O’Brien is free to pursue other things as of September 1, 2010.

O’Brien released a statement that he addressed to ‘People of Earth’. In the statement, he gave details on what exactly had happened. He then discussed his love for watching Johnny Carson, and how he had dreamed of one day, achieving what Carson had obtained. O’Brien also expressed how he loved hosting The Tonight Show, and how hard he and his staff worked for this program. His statement was very polite, and in no way did he take a stab at Leno. At the end of O’Brien’s statement, he even made a joke saying, “I am truly sorry about my hair, it’s always been that way.”

This will not be the last we see of O’Brien; he has talked about going to another network. But whatever he chooses to do, he will remain in this business that he loves.

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Anonymous

Thu Feb 25 2010 16:38

I think that the fact that NBC has issues with letting go. I am a big a fan of Law & Order as anyone else, but lets face it has been around too long! The same has to be said about Leno.... he is an old horse that needs to be put out to pasture....NOT to mention that he is a creative flop and a cornball. I am not per say an O'Brien fan but in truth keeping the new talent for the tonight show would have been an innovative concept and potentially gave this moldy network a little more creditability for ethical works. As far as Leno goes, if he had any character he would have told NBC that getting rid of O'Brien was wrong....especially since a fellow with that many cars has plenty of money and doesn't need to go back to his old spot.

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