Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Conan finds his home!

So Coco's moving to TBS! That's great news. Eh, what the fuck is TBS?

[After research] Oh it's yet something else from that Ted Turner fella. A cable channel, Yo-K!

From Variety:

In a surprise announcement, TBS revealed this morning that the former "Tonight Show" host would join the cabler in the 11 p.m. time slot this November. "Lopez Tonight," which currently airs there, will shift to midnight. Like "Lopez," the as-yet untitled O'Brien show will air four days a week, Mondays through Thursdays.

“In three months I’ve gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I’m headed to basic cable," O'Brien said. "My plan is working perfectly.” News was timed to the kick off of O'Brien's "Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television" tour, which starts Monday night in Eugene, Ore.

O'Brien had been widely expected to seal a deal with Fox -- and execs at the broadcast network remained optimistic last week that a deal could eventually be hammered out. But Fox was running into serious financial roadblocks in clearing a late night yakker.

Considering that O'Brien exited NBC after that network downgraded his timeslot, O'Brien likely didn't want to have to wait years to secure full in-pattern clearances on Fox across the country.
TBS, on the other hand, allows O'Brien to be seen virtually nationwide, in-pattern, immediately.
According to TBS, talks began in earnest just last week -- and after "Lopez Tonight" star George Lopez personally gave O'Brien a call. “I can’t think of anything better than doing my show with Conan as my lead-in,” Lopez said. “It’s the beginning of a new era in late-night comedy.”

Turner Entertainment Networks president Steve Koonin called O'Brien "the comedic voice for a generation."

Read the whole thing here on Variety.

5 comments:

vaughan said...

Well It's reported that O Briens contract with tbs is about $10 Million along with his sell out national show and his pay off of about $40 Million from NBC , O Brien can afford to make it not about the Money.....It turns out Lopez is one of those who pushed for the deal as he knows his own late night show will get new viewers. As for Leno well since Jay came back he has failed to Match not only O Briens last few weeks but has failed to even equal O briens Worst Ratings Week ....reinforcing the Impression that it was Jay not Conan that was the problem ( I guess none fell for the Cynical "Emotional Interview" he gave to Oprah.....how bad is it now, well Lenos tonight show band Leader of 18 years has just given his six weeks notice..claiming he "Wanted to try new things"...his replacement? at the moment it looks like it could be Max Weinberg ,Conans old Band Leader and one of thos who lost out when Jay came back....I think it can be summed up that a while ago Slash played on Leno's tonight show , on his jacket? An I'm with Coco Badge!

Constance said...

Does it not strike you as being in poor taste that Slash used Leno's show to put the screws to the guy?

Major General Creedon said...

@ Constance: Eh no! When Leno get a physical beating from a disgruntled Coco supporter - then I'll be appeased. I want blood.

Slash is my new hero. Excuse me while I go now to grow my hair in front of my face....

vaughan said...

Constance

Putting the screws to Leno ...no Constance I call it ( to be read in the voice of Martin Sheen)..."Justice!"

Constance said...

But it's just not cricket!