Kettle Corn

Kettle Corn is what's popping in the world of pop culture. It's like someone just popped a fresh batch of popcorn -- and the smell is too good to pass up!

Experts believe "Avatar" will surpass "Titanic" as the highest grossing film of all-time!

Head on over to hulu to check out the "A-Team" trailer.

One of the most anticipated games of the year, "Mass Effect 2" hits store shelves today.

Jay Leno will be appearing on "Oprah" Thursday.

Lady Antebellum's second album, "Need You Now" is out.

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!

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.

The Jay Leno Show

Here's Jay! (again)
Much has been made of NBC's decision to bring back Jay Leno at put him on at 9p.m. central time Monday through Friday.
And for good reason.
What we're witnessing with "The Jay Leno Show" is a fundamental change in the way television programs will be produced. If this succeeds, and by all accounts, it will, you can look for ABC, CBS, and FOX to counter program using similar strategies.
Leno is a juggernaut. He constantly beat Letterman in late night ratings, and Letterman has a contract with CBS through 2010. It's not inconceivable that CBS could easily bring good 'ol Dave into that 9 o'clock slot. I wouldn't look for that to happen anytime soon, since he's already giving a pretty good drubbing to Conan O'Brien at 10:35.
In any case, Leno himself says he doesn't expect to beat ratings winners like "CSI: Miami," or similar shows with a large following.
It doesn't really matter, because in the long run, NBC will still be the winner, turning out twice as many original programs with Leno, at a cheaper cost than producing hour long crime and/or medical dramas that would normally fit into that time period.
So, how will this affect the talk show guest situation? Leno's already scooped up some serious star power with Jerry Seinfeld set to be the first guest on the program. Let's just hope this won't mean Conan gets the leftovers. In public, O'Brien seems very supportive of Jay. But still, you gotta wonder.
I'm personally looking forward to the show, which debuts Monday night. It promises to be funny in a number of different ways, and putting Brian Williams in there (among other comedy "correspondents"), is a cool touch.
Will it work? Who knows? Time will tell. NBC says it's giving Jay 2 years to find an audience.
That's a looooong time in the land of television programming. Very long indeed.
We'll see what happens.