Johnny Carson, 20 Years Later

20 years ago, people really didn't know what the internet was, facebook, blogs, and smartphones didn't exist, I was still driving my treasured red 1967 ford mustang when you could buy gas at a reasonable price, and on this very day all those years ago, Johnny Carson said "goodbye" on his very last "Tonight Show." And I got to watch it when it happened.
As I've written in the past, "Tonight" is one of those things I have close ties to. Years ago, on a summer family trip to Los Angeles, my parents and I almost got to see a Carson taping, but the line got cut off, and so did we. Comedian Robert Klein was one of the guests that night. I still have the ticket. Even though I didn't get to see the show, I did go on a tour of NBC studios and even got to stand on the star where Johnny stood for that famous opening monologue. I even took an imaginary golf swing.

"The Tonight Show" meant a lot to me when I was growing up. My parents let me stay up on school nights to watch the monologue, and I developed a Johnny Carson impression  (although I think it was based primarily on Rich Little's impression of Johnny). I even performed it at school, but I'm pretty sure my grade school counterparts had no idea what I was doing. It was still fun for me.
Johnny was a lot of things to this country, but perhaps most of all, he was a great source of comfort. No matter what, you knew that if you wanted a chuckle, Mr. Carson and his team would be there for you, night after night.
 Some years after that summer trip, I visited L.A. again, and got the rare honor of sitting down to talk with Steve Allen, the very first host of "Tonight," when it was based in New York City. Back then it was a longer show, and it was also live. Mr. Allen was a comic genius, and was very gracious when I met him at his office, and even autographed his biography for me.
After Steve Allen, Jack Paar was the next host. He took on more serious guests. I wrote to him to request an autograph, but never got a response. I later learned that he had become somewhat of a recluse. He was
followed by Johnny as host, then after Johnny, some tumultuous times as Jay Leno took over the show.

In later years, both he and David Letterman were vying for the spot. The story is told well in a book called "The Late Shift," by Bill Carter. It's an excellent read. I saw Leno's tonight show on another visit to Los Angeles, and was not impressed.
Of course, we all know about Conan O'Brien's brief stint as host. I met Conan in New York when he was hosting the show that follows the Tonight Show. Nice guy--very tall. I saw his show in NYC, then flew out to L.A. to see him host his 3rd Tonight Show. He was unfairly treated when NBC got Jay to come back and Conan eventually went to TBS. A real mess. Bill Carter wrote a book about that too. Also a good read.
I wonder what Johnny would say about our digital revolution, about the political scene, what jokes he would have in the monologue. I still miss his reassuring tone, his laughter, and Ed McMahon, Doc Severinsen and the band after all this time. But I sure am glad I got to stay up and watch the curtains part and hear the crowd cheer as Johnny took the stage, and felt the pulse of the nation. For me, and millions of others, it was magical. Thanks Johnny!

Conan O'Brien To TBS...Hmmm....

This whole Conan announcement has bothered me, so even though Grant already wrote a nice piece about Conan's new move, I decided to weigh in as well.
First off, let me say that I'm very glad to see Conan's returning to television in any fashion. In a recent podcast, I misspoke when I said he was going to make an announcement in May about a new show on Fox. I received some bad information. However, I do wish Fox could have given him a commitment. I think it would have been a better move in the long run. Fox has proven itself to be a growing network with solid programming.
I don't know why everyone's so thrilled that Conan is headed to TBS. Personally, I'm not. He's got a strong fan base, but there are a lot of strikes against him by going there. He'll start at 10p.m. Monday through Thursday. That's the time when most people will tune into their local news on NBC, ABC, or CBS. He also faces direct competition from "The Daily Show" and Jon Stewart on Comedy Central.
At 10:35, well-established late night talkers "The Tonight Show," and "Late Show With David Letterman" will hit the air, so it's not exactly a slam dunk for Conan.
I predict people will tune in initially to see what the fuss is all about--again, for the novelty effect, but again, it's my firm belief that established programming will overtake any challengers, and that includes O'Brien.
As I've mentioned in previous articles, I was fortunate enough to meet Conan at 30 Rock in New York, see his "Late Night" show in person, and just last year I was on hand to catch his 3rd "Tonight Show" live. He's a terrific talent, and a very nice person, and I wish him all the success in the world. But going to TBS, is I believe, a bad move. Time will tell.

Conan to TBS

The network that airs some of the best comedies over the past 20 years just got an upgrade! For years TBS has been using the slogan: Very Funny. They just took that slogan to whole new level. Conan O'Brien is moving to TBS, ladies and gentlemen. The move is a surprise to many as most people were waiting for FOX to ink the popular late night talk show host. In the end, FOX could not guarantee that every affiliate would be clear for late night so Coco decided to move to cable. Here's a quote from O'Brien: “In three months I’ve gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I’m headed to basic cable. My plan is working perfectly.”

TBS has been pushing for Conan from the beginning. Ted Turner and company were able to fork out enough dough, power, and even guarantee him his OWN show (which FOX wasn't). Conan's show will start in November. The network will air new episodes 4 out of 5 nights a week (like Jimmy Kimmel or John Stewart). TBS has already renewed "Lopez Tonight" for a second season. George Lopez is thrilled to have Coco as his lead-in every night. This new deal almost closes the book on the Coco saga that has fueled entertainment news over the past few months.

The book isn't finished yet. That's because Conan O'Brien presents "The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour" begins tonight in Eugene, Oregon. The tour is one of the hottest ticket items this Spring. I'm sure Conan will have plenty of jokes about his new gig as he runs across North America.

TBS is with Coco! Click here to see the ad that proves it!

"Butch Cassidy" Sequel... Huh?!?

So, I'm sifting through some entertainment news when I come across this headline from USAToday.com:

'Butch Cassidy' sequel filming  in Bolivia with no 'Kid' Here's the gist of the story from the Associated Press: -

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — The 1969 movie classic Butch Cassidy and  The Sundance Kid ends with neither of the famous outlaws appearing to survive a 1908 shootout with Bolivian soldiers. But Butch at least will ride again in a film entitled Blackthorn that begins shooting in Bolivia next month. American actor and playwright Sam Shepard plays the real-life Robert LeRoy Parker, who led the Hole in the Wall Gang. Cesar Perez is the director of Bolivia's national cinema council. He said Tuesday that Spaniard Mateo Gil is directing the story of Cassidy's attempt to return to the United States. Gil is known for his screenplay of The Sea Inside. The new film plot has Cassidy feeling compelled to commit just one  more robbery before he can retire. Ok, time to insert my opinion here. Is this movie really necessary??  Paul Newman and Robert Redford did such a wonderful job with the original that, to me anyway, it seemed complete.  The story was, in effect, told. Done, finis, kaput. I have a lot of faith in Sam Shepard, so the only thing I can say is "we'll see."  But, I think the best thing anyone can do is just go back and rewatch the original.  It still stands the test of time. Don't forget to check out this week's podcast on the right hand side  of the page under "blogtalkradio"--this week, we cover everything from  a new Captain America to Conan O'Brien's North American tour.

Go Conan.

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to Conan's finale on "The Tonight Show" Friday night. He did an outstanding job of wrapping up his tenure with NBC. It was sad to see him go, but I'm sure we will see him back in the next few months. I hate to see you go, Conan, but you ended on a great "Free Bird" note!

If you thought the fiasco was over, think again. Jay Leno is scheduled to be on Oprah this week. People are speculating that this is a move by NBC and Jay to help gain back some of the "good guy" image. I'm surprised that he is even allowed to talk about the late night drama. Who knows what he will be allowed to say or not say. Be sure to check your local listings if you want to hear from Jay later this week.

For a complete wrap on Conan's finale -- Check out Jody's article below.

Conan's "Tonight Show" Farewell

Watching Conan O'Brien's final "Tonight Show" was a bittersweet affair for me. There's no denying he got a raw deal from NBC with Jay Leno moving back in to take the host's chair. Much has been made of the dustup between Conan, Jay and the network, so I won't rehash the story that most everyone has already heard.
I'll admit I got a little misty eyed watching the show, but I thought Conan added a nice touch of class by thanking NBC after all his years of service there. He started out as a writer for "SNL," then hosted his "Late Night" show for 16 years before taking the "Tonight Show." Tom Hanks, Neil Young, Will Ferrell, and Steve Carell all made Conan's final show extra special.
I feel truly fortunate that I was able to meet Conan a few years ago in New York, and attend a taping of "Late Night With Conan O'Brien." (Ask me about how I chased him down in 30 Rock yelling "Conan! Conan!" True story) He couldn't have been nicer about personally getting me tickets to the show. Then last year, I had the privilege to attend his 3rd "Tonight Show" in Los Angeles and had a great time there as well. It's a shame it had to end this way, but Conan will bounce back and wherever he goes, I'll follow.
Go Team CoCo!

Way To Go, Conan!

Conan O'Brien has rejected NBC's offer to push back his show after Leno. He wants the network to resolve this issue soon. The man was given only 7 months to establish a "Tonight Show" audience and you expect him to just lay down now?? I'm a fan of both Leno and Conan, but I really feel like Conan is getting slapped in the face over this whole mess. Click here to read Conan's statement he released late this afternoon. The wheels of change are already in motion, and for NBC, this is going to end sour for 1 of the 3 late night hosts (Sorry, Carson Daly, I wasn't counting you...).

NBC's Late Night Mess

I knew Jay Leno wasn't doing well in the ratings. That wasn't news. But then late last week came the revelation that the ratings had hurt NBC affiliates as the lead in to the 10pm news, and that NBC was taking action.
Now it's official--As of mid-February, "The Jay Leno Show" is toast. But wait, what's that? NBC still wants Jay on the air?
That's right. And what's more, although it's not set in stone quite yet, it looks like they'll be giving Jay 30 minutes Monday through Friday at 10:35pm, followed by Conan at 11:05pm, then Jimmy Fallon an hour later. Essentially, he's getting back "The Tonight Show" timeslot (at least the first half of it), and Conan and Jimmy Fallon are both getting the shaft.
What remains to be seen is whether or not the plan will work. What we do know is that NBC execs liked Leno in his old time slot. He consistently beat Letterman in the ratings, and it was working well. Conan did not fare as well against Letterman, who will probably extend his run on CBS beyond 2010.

It's conceivable that NBC could buy out the remainder of Conan's contract, then reinstall Leno at the helm of "Tonight." If that were to happen, Conan, now contract free, could hop to another network (FOX has already made overtures).

Personally, I just can't see Leno in a half hour program. Not to mention Conan *immediately* following Leno again--and poor Jimmy Fallon! NBC is said they're still working with all parties to keep them at the Peacock network, and have already ordered a bunch of new pilots to fill that hourlong spot that Leno will vacate in February.

By the way, if you're interested in the kind of drama this has created, I highly recommend the book "The Late Shift" by New York Times television writer Bill Carter. It chronicled exactly what happened when Johnny Carson left "The Tonight Show" in 1992, and how Jay Leno and David Letterman battled it out to see who would take the spot. An excellent read. Carter, by the way, continues to write for the "Times," and is now writing about this latest Leno situation.
So what will happen next for Leno, Conan, and Fallon?
Stay tuned.

"Tonight Show" Takeover!

Okay, so here's my question--what exactly happened Monday night on "The Tonight Show"?? Did anybody see that?
Comedian/Actor Norm MacDonald (who I must first say is one of my favorites), was the first guest, and although, at first it didn't seem like he was drunk or high, he clearly appeared to be under the influence of something.
First, he had a bit with jokes based on the news (typical Norm stuff--jokes taped into a newspaper), then he told this long, drawn out joke about a moth visiting a podiatrist.
Finally, when he had used up all of his time, Conan brings out his next guest, the very funny Thomas Haden Church, and Norm ended up interrupting him, until Church finally had to speak out. Norm was cursing, even suggesting that he didn't care, and that they should just bump the musical guest. Funny or just plain embarrassing? You decide.
Check out the show below.