Hundreds of protesters gathered in LA, Chicago and New York this week. They could have been raising funds for Haitians, whose country was tragically hit by a 7.8 earthquake, leaving thousands dead and many more injured and homeless. Or maybe rallying for the health care bill that so many Americans desperately need, a bill that may die because of an election taking place this week in Boston for (ironically) Ted Kennedy’s former seat.
But no. They were protesting a shift in late night television on NBC. For those who are completely clueless, Conan O’Brien took over The Tonight Show last June, after Jay Leno’s “retirement.”
To the surprise of many, Leno was then given a 10 PM time slot for a show similar to The Tonight Show. NBC thought this genius because it’s a whole lot cheaper to do a variety show than a late night crime drama like Law And Order.
Flash forward to late last year, when some NBC affiliate stations complained that their 11 PM news ratings were down because of a poor lead-in. NBC then decides to move Leno back to 11:35 PM and asks O’Brien to move to 12:05 AM, which technically isn’t a tonight show at all.
In response, O’Brien said, “I seriously believe that delaying The Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting.” In short, O’Brien wasn’t interested.
What followed was a whole lot of gossip and some of the funniest Tonight Shows I’ve seen in awhile.
Now the question still remains, why do so many care about this seemingly frivolous issue?
Well, first of all, my generation has grown up with O’Brien in their lives, from his time as a writer for The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live to his takeover of Late Night on NBC. For many, it was a little heartbreaking to watch the last Late Night with Conan O’Brien (I cried a bit, I’ll admit it), but we were all proud that he was on to better things.
The second reason is a little less obvious, but more important than the first. When receiving the chance to host The Tonight Show, O’Brien finally had landed his dream job. And now, after being pushed out of his chair, he joins 10% of Americans who are unemployed.
Let’s be honest, O’Brien will not be forced to file for welfare, especially with his expected $30 million plus pay out. Despite that, many of us sympathize for a guy who worked all his life for one goal, only to have that childhood dream stolen from him by some corporate jerks who couldn’t do their jobs.
We can also appreciate O’Brien as a boss because, if the rumors are true, he will not sign an agreement until his entire staff has a decent severance from NBC. Many of us probably wish that our bosses would’ve been so kind.
Jeff Zucker, CEO of NBC Universal, claims that he has received death threats because of this debacle. He admits Leno’s 10 PM time slot was a mistake and believes NBC will be okay after this whole situation passes.
With recent failures like “My Own Worst Enemy,” Lipstick Jungle” and “Kings” and no wins at the Golden Globes, okay is probably a little overstated, but whatever the boss says goes, right?
Like many of us, O’Brien will deal with the cards he’s been given, but he’s also reminding his viewers that he’s going to be fine. That same thing can not be said for those suffering in Haiti. Please help any way you can.
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