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EXCLUSIVE: Here’s the latest twist to the Conan O’Brien odyssey. Getting shoved out of his TV dream job as Tonight Show host is going to make him a movie star. I’m told that early talks are underway to give documentary feature treatment to O’Brien’s 30-city live comedy/music revue, which is called “The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour.” Planning is just getting underway, but I’ve heard that Media Rights Capital has already had conversations about coming aboard as financier. Rodman Flender is in talks to direct.
Making a film doesn’t violate the terms of O’Brien’s split from NBC, which gave him directly a $33 million severance package to vacate the Tonight Show hosting chair and stay off the air until the fall. Reports say he is getting close to signing a deal with Fox, one that could be announced as quickly as upfronts. But there might be other surprise moves for the chat host, so don’t dress for the Fox launch just yet.,
O’Brien got the live show started as a way to help his staff of about 40 keep busy and employed. NBC gave up an extra $12 million for the staff. Considering that the staffers uprooted their families and pulled their kids out of schools in New York and moved them across the country — only to see NBC end Conan’s Tonight Show run after only seven months, they deserve whatever extra gig they can get until O’Brien resurfaces behind a desk for another network.
In New York, the tour hits Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden in June, venues that sold out quickly. Hey, maybe Conan will return to Gotham when he lands the next job. Things were going great for him until he left.
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I say Conan should do his movie! And I’ll bet it’ll do well.
Go Conan..show them what you are made of! I am sure it will be great!
He will be successful with this new venture. I”ve always liked Conan, I think that he’s really funny and goofy. NBC moved to quickly to put him in a chair on a time slot that was better suited for Leno, because Conan was already great in his own time slot.
smart guy
How is MRC still solvent? Who is giving them money? I’d rather own the lowest tranche of an Inland Empire mortgage bond.
How is any independent film studio still solvent?
That’s an entirely different question, Anon.
MRC’s entire reason for existence was as a separate entity for financing “the next Sasha Baron Cohen film”, due to the huge haul from “Borat”. That film turned out to be “Bruno”, and everyone took a well-deserved bath on that one. Presumably, MRC should be a bankrupt entity by now. That’s what Randa is asking.
Not to mention the fact that they lost 100 mil plus on their Sunday night CW disaster.
Everyone in LA seems to love to rag on the 909 and 951.
A concert movie featuring Conan and an all-star roster of guest comedians and musicians is a pretty good idea. It would be relatively cheap to produce, would attract a lot of interest and media attention (free advertising) and would be a great way to give Jeff Zucker the proverbial finger.
amen. you are correct,sir.
lol. nice nod to Mr. Macmahon.
AGREED. In fact, I’d buy tickets happily, and probably but the DVD. Conan is really, really funny in his prepared bits where he’s had time to edit out all the stuff that is not funny, and Smigel can be brilliant with Triumph where he does the same.
Conan got his start writing funny gags, and can really do some hit it out of the park at bats when he is in the groove.
It was always his stand up that was weak, because he hadn’t work decades in clubs knowing how to handle an audience like Ferguson or Leno.
People will pay for laughs. When doing prepared bits, Conan is really, really funny. Win for everyone!
I don’t see him returning anytime soon to television, the only broadcast network that might hire him is FOX, and it’s already almost April. If he was going to appear in the Fall, they would be talking, planning, instead he’s going on tour, and they’re going to film it much like Hannah Montana concert tour, and they expect to make money off of this? Good Luck. I’m going to laugh if he can’t fill the venues.
“Good Luck. I’m going to laugh if he can’t fill the venues.”
You do know that most of the cities have been sold out since day one, right? People want to see him and he’s doing a pretty good job of filling the venues.
“Good Luck. I’m going to laugh if he can’t fill the venues.”
Wow. The Toronto show sold out in a FLASH. Tickets are going for $150 minimum from scalpers. Get your head out of the ground.
Hey Jeff, don’t you have some other shows on NBC to fuck up instead of wasting time posting anonymously here on DHD?
Chicago sold out within minutes, added a second show that also sold out in the same amount of time. Most venues have added second shows, also selling those out quickly.
Sounds like you’re not going to laugh at all. The same thing that I don’t do when Leno is on: Laugh. (And speaking of Leno, remember when he couldn’t fill his venue very recently, cutting his customary 2 shows to one? And the venue offering discount tickets to the one show?)
Too bad those people in Chicago didn’t watch Conan on the Tonight Show! Ha, I love Conan but I know the Tonight Show’s ratings in Chicago suffered deeply – even before Leno started his prime show.
Holy crap! lsb is going to laugh?? Conan, Conan! I’m so sorry for you dude.
I’m no big Conan O’Brien fan, but why so personal? Did Conan cut you off in traffic or something?
Most of the cities are already sold out. So, guess you’ll have to find something else to laugh at, here -hands you a newspaper that says “Dewey Defeats Truman”- this strikes me as the pace you keep up with news.
“Good luck. I’m going to laugh if he can’t fill the venues.”
Seattle: two shows, Sunday / Monday, sold out in minutes. I was lucky to score two in the balcony @ $70 for Monday night’s show, and in the aftermarket the current ask for an orchestra seat runs as high as $400. Nothing in the house below $175. Meanwhile, Leno’s audience at the Riviera gets in for free as consolation for blowing next month’s car payment at the $5 blackjack tables.
So, yeah, I’d say Conan will fill the friggin’ venues.
Minneapolis sold out in minutes.
FOX will announce Conan is coming to the network in May at the FOX Upfronts. Reserve your plastic table and metal chairs today!
Leno is up in the ratings…just saying.
Define “up”. He’s dropped a fair bit from his previous run on “Tonight”, from what I’m hearing, and the competition against Letterman is much tighter – it’s been neck and neck some nights.
I don’t get all the fuss. I tried watching Conan when he had the Tonight Show and he is just not funny. What on earth can he do in
a live show on tour? This is a much ada about nothing except it is
costing NBC a fortune for making such a huge mistake in the first
place. Quit giving this so much attention and hopefully he’ll (Conan) go away.
So you missed Conan’s entire run on Late Night? Do yourself a favor and look up “Conan in Ireland” and “Conan Old Time Baseball” for two very good examples of why there’s a lot of fuss.
I wonder if the real plan here is for Conan to do this kind of credibility-oriented thing for a couple of years, then replace Letterman at CBS when he retires.
There’s no way that’ll happen. Ferguson is doing too good a job and is loved by viewers. When Dave retires it seems that the seat would go to Ferguson if CBS is smart.
Plus, CBS wouldn’t want the same backlash PR-wise that NBC got for not picking Dave as the successor to Johnny.
And Ferguson is great in the chair anyway.
Not a chance. Everyone knows Kimmel will replace Letterman.
Um, that will never happen.
i hope he returns to NYC
I used to be a fan on Late Night, didn’t like him much on the Tonight show, it never seemed to fit him. But after the NBC fiasco, and his unclassy behavior, I won’t watch him again. Not once did he say, maybe we could have done things a little differently or something, it’s blame everyone but himself. LOOK IN THE MIRROR COCO!
He’s desperate, and from what I hear, Fox isn’t too interested.
You’re talking about LENO, not COCO. Unclassy? Blame everyone but himself? Those two things sum up Leno. Conan was never unclassy, nor did he blame everyone but himself… he didn’t have himself to blame. He had an NBC that was unwilling to give him a fair shot.
Back when Leno took over the Tonight Show, at seven months NBC was regretting Leno and wanted to pull him and put Letterman in his place. What did Letterman do? He moved on, and did the Late Show. Later, Leno built up the ratings with other people’s skits retitled. At the same point in the lifetime of Conan’s Tonight Show, NBC did the same thing, but this time it was Leno that was in the same position that Letterman was in. Leno didn’t follow Letterman’s footsteps and leave.
Yeah, Letterman is such a classy person to follow as an example of
how one should behave.
Please try to understand there’s a difference between professional ethics and what one does in their personal life. Professionally, Letterman has shown far more class and honour than Leno ever has. Just look into “The Late Shift” if you want to learn more.
Well said. For those who don’t know,two of the recurring sketches that Leno stole and retitled are,Headlines, which he stole from David Letterman (Small Town News). And Jaywalking, which he stole from The Howard Stern Show. I have no idea why Leno is so popular… especially after this most recent fiasco. Geez, and I thought the Leno/Letterman debacle was bad back in the early ’90′s. That pales compared to the Leno/Conan mess of 2010. Jay should’ve walked… period.
Cindy, if you want to look at classy behavior, watch Conan’s last Tonight Show, in which he thanks NBC for his 20-year employment and asks his fans not to become cynical from the whole ordeal. Then, watch Leno’s appearance on Oprah. The two men will speak for themselves.
not only sold out but he has had to add extra dates and is fending off endless requests for other cities to be added… i think the docu feature idea is genius! i miss coco….
I wish Al Gore had been this proactive and nimble after Bush v. Gore.
Every ticket but the VIP packages were sold out for both the Kansas City and Tulsa shows in literally 3-4 hours. I don’t think he’s having a problem finding an audience. I do understand Jay is planning a short tour of nursing homes to retaliate.
The momentum of Conan will continue to surge. The irony being: Network TV’s about coddling young viewers. If he plays this right-which I believe he will-Conan’s team will orchestrate a grand underdog status,via live performance,that shall nurture such an all encompassing teat that Jeff Zucker may have the worst case of public colic,ever.
I know his shows for Chicago were sold out in seconds, I cant wait for Conan to return to Tv, and ill be in line to see the movie when its released. NBC is nothing but fools. Viva Conando!!!
It’s public content/care water under the bridge. Unless there’s a big “BAM!” (content-wise) no one’s going to care.
(Yes, Conan, this is a purposeful taunt from a fan.)
So is it going to be 90 minutes of Conan telling a dumb joke, then making a stupid face, telling another dumb joke, then making a dumb dance move? And on the weekend it’s released, will the producers brag about the numbers, when in fact more people in the target demographic, the ones who supposedly love Conan so much, will have preferred staying at home and watching Family Guy reruns on Adult Swim?
Conan knew his strengths, which is why he didn’t spend 20 minutes doing a bland stand-up routine like Jay does night after night. Instead, Conan does a five to ten minute stand-up routine, followed by comedy skits and great interviews. Conan’s strengths are in his sketches and interviewing skills. Watch his interview with Mike Tyson from the last few weeks of his Tonight Show to see a well handled interview.
Paul,
There is nothing wrong with being a Conan fan (I actually am too), but that doesn’t mean you have to defend EVERY comment on here that is against him. Let it go. It’s over and done with. The bottom line is that NBC should have never promised him the Tonight Show job 6 years ago and should have let Conan go then.
What are Leno’s numbers?
Last night while channel surfing around 1224, I came across Wolverine dancing again.
After the dance I turned the channel, same Jay.
I hope Conan comes to Michigan.
As for the movie, I’m ready to sign the release form and do a string dance.
I can’t imagine NBC expected this boomlet for Conan. And he’s shown he’s got Harvard smarts with such great tactical moves. The irony is that Leno became very old news the moment he was back on “Tonight.” It’s all downhill for Jay from here on out because his audience is so old and getting older. In five years (or less), NBC will be deeply regretting it’s desperate “solution” of January 2010.
Will the movie be called “Conan O’Brien’s Block Party”?
But seriously, I look forward to whatever he has lined up. He should take Kurt Sutter up on his offer of a role on Sons of Anarchy.
Go Conan!
Great job keeping the team working, Conan!
NBC really shot themselves in the foot…over and over and over again. I still can’t watch Leno and not think about what a jerk he is. Nevermind how many shows got cancelled thanks to him…he wiped out a lot of jobs.
My Name is Earl, Life, Southland, etc.
And strange enough when Leno returned he tries the skit stuff and all the other things he claimed he would do with the 10pm show, which never seemed to appear. Which leads me to wonder did he tank his 10pm show on purpose knowing it would be cheaper to dump Conan?
Hmmmm,
So because NBC didn’t make the exact moves that you would have done, then they shot themselves in the foot? So you think that because you hate Leno and think that he is a jerk, that everybody else feels the same way?
First off, My Name is Earl (besides being an awful show) ran it course and dropped in the ratings significantly. The show was made by FOX and they even turned down the option to pick it up when NBC cancelled it. Then Southland? What nobody here cares to mention is that Southland lost over half it’s audience from when it premiered to when it aired its last episode on NBC. Over half! And it aired in the THU 10P time slot. People tried it and didn’t like it! Maybe its one of those made-for-cable shows, but it didn’t work on broadcast TV. That’s for sure.
Lastly, it’s not the “job” for networks to keep writers/producers employed. It’s their job to make money. You sound like a typical bitter, unemployed writer.
Bobby,
You’ve taken a lot of liberty with my post but let’s go through what I really think and how that relates to ‘everyone else’….since you asked.
It isn’t just my opinion that they shot themselves in the foot. Anyone with half a brain knew the minute they placed Leno on at 10pm they were shooting themselves in the foot…even Leno knew. They then spend millions to build a studio for Conan and rehab Leno’s. More shots in the foot going with that failed 10pm strategy.
They should have given Leno Top Gear USA. He loves cars and would have shined in that position. If you have ever seen his garage and a few car review clips you know that to be true. I suspect Zucker was being too cheap on the production value and that is why Leno turned it down. Catching just a still shot of the Top Gear USA pilot confirms my thought. Cheap production value. So another couple shots in the foot by not giving Leno a proper show that wouldn’t compete with their Tonight Show legacy or smear the Leno brand with those long forgotten memories of being a Carson backstabber made fresh again.
I liked My Name is Earl, but didn’t watch it in prime time anymore and I never watched Southland. So really that was for all the people on internet who lost their favorite shows. Just trying to be empathic with my fellow viewers because I did watch Life and liked it. Another shot in the foot losing viewers to other shows.
I never said it was NBC’s job to keep writers/producers employed. I was giving Conan props for trying to keep HIS team working until they can find a tv network. Clearly, Conan is keeping his team working and his name in audience’s mind to help that network deal become a reality. I hope he pulls it off. Another shot in the foot by NBC, making a hero out the guy you fired and will be your competition.
NBC ruined a lot of viewing patterns for people and they went elsewhere. And since the 10pm ratings went up 45% after Leno left. Clearly the affiliates were right about Leno at 10pm being a ratings killer for both the news AND Conan. However, Leno hasn’t improved Conan’s rating by 45% and has increased the avg demo by 10 years. Yet another shot in the foot.
So yes, NBC shot themselves in the foot repeatedly. If you have issue with any of my opinions please feel free to debate them. However, I never was so bold to assume that I spoke for ‘everyone else’.
And no, I don’t hate Leno, it is just I see backstabber instead of Leno. Leno giving an interview that he would take back The Tonight Show if asked was the same bs he pulled on Carson. Using the media to steal a show. Sorry, can’t respect someone who does that twice. So it is hard to watch him. If you can…great…go for it.
One more thing, Zucker could have made NBC and Leno into a type of hero for the auto industry. With Leno’s knowledge of all types of cars his reviews could help the auto industry fix what is wrong and rehab their image when they produced a winner.
Even worse, NBC knows that the auto industry wants Leno’s stamp of approval because the guides would stop on the studio tour next to the shiny apple red Jaguar had given to him for free. Jaguar just wanted him to drive it around town and tell them what he thought. If he liked it he could keep it, because it was a rolling advertisement.
NBC forgot to exploit an angle that they did on the studio tour which could bring millions to them on tv and help the auto industry at the same time. At a time when both needed positive shows/showings.
So, no I am not a writer just a disappointed fan who could see the writing on the wall better than Zucker could.
I wish Conan the best. He was a budding young comic 20 years ago; now he’s another never-really-was. His niche audience is the late-night folks. Of course his shows are going to sell out; it’s pretty easy to fill a venue with all the publicity he’s gotten out of the NBC fiasco. Jay’s older audience is the money audience, and whether they’re going to die off soon or not, they control the purse strings that the kids never will. Most of the Conan folks are the younger broke folks. Go to it, kids! I think it’s great Conan is being supported by someone, but Leno is obviously the king.
Can we just cut through all this: Conan is a brilliantly funny man, but has never been and will never be a performer. As such, he doesn’t relax the viewer the way the viewer seemed to want to be relaxed at 11:30. He will succeed on a niche level, always, because he’s so damn brilliant and a great writer — but a natural born talk show host this man is not and will never be.