Started my last semester today. No big deal, only one class so far.
I've been utterly fascinated by NBC's weak move this weekend. It goes back 5 years this problem. Wait 6. So 6 years ago I sat and watched Jay Leno on the air explaining that in his mind, only one man can host the Tonight Show for 30 years, and that was Johnny Carson. He wanted to bow out on top, and give Conan the job in a smooth transition, one better than when he got the job in 1993. He lost his friend David Letterman over the Tonight Show. He said all of this, as well as saying he'd like to take his wife out to dinner before he turns 60.
Now I'm no Leno fan, I found Tonight under his Jay comes off as nice and doesn't push their elderly buttons. Jack Paar pushed buttons, and even Johnny Carson did, though to a lesser extent. Jay is just watered mush, whereas Letterman pushes some damn buttons, and gripes about his insecurities and whatnot. So when I was in high school I used to watch Letterman, and immediately switch over to the golden God of Late Night - Conan O'Brien.
He's smart and funny, and his comedy could be simultaneously quick witted and sharp, as well inanely stupid...in the best way possible. Conan was promised the Tonight Show, and Jay was happily giving it to him in 5 years. Five years and you get the best seat on Late Night.
But thats not what happened. Jay suddenly chickened out at the last minute and decided he didn't really like his wife or spending his dinners with her. He'd much rather keep the Tonight Show. Contracts were signed and he was between a rock and hard place though...well actually he was between ABC and 10pm on NBC. He stuck with 10pm. So suddenly NBC drops QUALITY PROGRAMMING, some of which they just shipped off to their cable networks to create this cheap, watered down mush of a comedy talk show, starring good ol' Jay Leno.
The Jay Leno Show is a failure in a few ways. While I never really cared for his Tonight Show, I found it at least watchable, like back in the day when we watched it at Night Watch (I was the only Letterman fan there). The Jay Leno Show is virtually unwatchable. Its filled with bad jokes, cheaper skits than Tonight had, cheaper jokes, and watered down interviews that hardly hold your interest. It also failed to capture anyone's attention. People didn't watch the Jay Leno show, for it sucked, so as a result people changed to ABC or CBS for well written dramas, and then stuck around for the local news there and either watched Niteline or Letterman. The NBC affiliates were annoyed that their figures suddenly went down, and as a domino effect Conan's audience become smaller as well.
So This domino effect began to happen starting with Leno. Leno even had the non-team player asshole move of saying that he "wouldn't mind" going back to his old time slot. NBC heard him, and they've decided to take him up on the offer. So Jay goes to 11:35, with a half hour show, Conan is moved to 12:05, and Jimmy Fallon heads to 1:05. Carson Daly, as is no big deal, gets canned.
Now this annoys me for a few reasons. One, Jay should bow out gracefully, he had his time on the Tonight Show, and he retired, if he regrets the decision TOO BAD. You made a mistake, live with it. Give Conan a chance to build an audience at 11:35 on his own, with Jay still pretending he is the necessary crutch to make it happen. Jay Leno isn't getting the figures at 10, why should he automatically regain them at 11:35? Conan has so far, to me anyways, proven to be even better on Tonight than he was on Late Night. So give him a fucking chance to prove it!
I'm excited to watch the Tonight Show tonight, see what Conan has to say after a weekend of speculation...will he stay with NBC or move to Fox? I think he will stay with NBC, but bitterly.
I think Jay likes to pretend he is that nice guy, the all-American honest hardworking guy, but the Tonight Show fell into his lap, after Letterman worked his ass off for it, and now NBC is going to give it right back to him, after he's proved himself a disaster in any other time slot...I fear the worst for Conan.
I've been utterly fascinated by NBC's weak move this weekend. It goes back 5 years this problem. Wait 6. So 6 years ago I sat and watched Jay Leno on the air explaining that in his mind, only one man can host the Tonight Show for 30 years, and that was Johnny Carson. He wanted to bow out on top, and give Conan the job in a smooth transition, one better than when he got the job in 1993. He lost his friend David Letterman over the Tonight Show. He said all of this, as well as saying he'd like to take his wife out to dinner before he turns 60.
Now I'm no Leno fan, I found Tonight under his Jay comes off as nice and doesn't push their elderly buttons. Jack Paar pushed buttons, and even Johnny Carson did, though to a lesser extent. Jay is just watered mush, whereas Letterman pushes some damn buttons, and gripes about his insecurities and whatnot. So when I was in high school I used to watch Letterman, and immediately switch over to the golden God of Late Night - Conan O'Brien.
He's smart and funny, and his comedy could be simultaneously quick witted and sharp, as well inanely stupid...in the best way possible. Conan was promised the Tonight Show, and Jay was happily giving it to him in 5 years. Five years and you get the best seat on Late Night.
But thats not what happened. Jay suddenly chickened out at the last minute and decided he didn't really like his wife or spending his dinners with her. He'd much rather keep the Tonight Show. Contracts were signed and he was between a rock and hard place though...well actually he was between ABC and 10pm on NBC. He stuck with 10pm. So suddenly NBC drops QUALITY PROGRAMMING, some of which they just shipped off to their cable networks to create this cheap, watered down mush of a comedy talk show, starring good ol' Jay Leno.
The Jay Leno Show is a failure in a few ways. While I never really cared for his Tonight Show, I found it at least watchable, like back in the day when we watched it at Night Watch (I was the only Letterman fan there). The Jay Leno Show is virtually unwatchable. Its filled with bad jokes, cheaper skits than Tonight had, cheaper jokes, and watered down interviews that hardly hold your interest. It also failed to capture anyone's attention. People didn't watch the Jay Leno show, for it sucked, so as a result people changed to ABC or CBS for well written dramas, and then stuck around for the local news there and either watched Niteline or Letterman. The NBC affiliates were annoyed that their figures suddenly went down, and as a domino effect Conan's audience become smaller as well.
So This domino effect began to happen starting with Leno. Leno even had the non-team player asshole move of saying that he "wouldn't mind" going back to his old time slot. NBC heard him, and they've decided to take him up on the offer. So Jay goes to 11:35, with a half hour show, Conan is moved to 12:05, and Jimmy Fallon heads to 1:05. Carson Daly, as is no big deal, gets canned.
Now this annoys me for a few reasons. One, Jay should bow out gracefully, he had his time on the Tonight Show, and he retired, if he regrets the decision TOO BAD. You made a mistake, live with it. Give Conan a chance to build an audience at 11:35 on his own, with Jay still pretending he is the necessary crutch to make it happen. Jay Leno isn't getting the figures at 10, why should he automatically regain them at 11:35? Conan has so far, to me anyways, proven to be even better on Tonight than he was on Late Night. So give him a fucking chance to prove it!
I'm excited to watch the Tonight Show tonight, see what Conan has to say after a weekend of speculation...will he stay with NBC or move to Fox? I think he will stay with NBC, but bitterly.
I think Jay likes to pretend he is that nice guy, the all-American honest hardworking guy, but the Tonight Show fell into his lap, after Letterman worked his ass off for it, and now NBC is going to give it right back to him, after he's proved himself a disaster in any other time slot...I fear the worst for Conan.
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