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| Phillip Wyatt |
This week, late night veteran Jay Leno returns as host of the “The Tonight Show” on NBC, signifying the end of a youthful and hilarious run with Conan O’Brien.
O’Brien, who took over as host of “The Tonight Show” after Leno left to host “The Jay Leno Show,” was given only seven months to try his hand at hosting the classic late night broadcast before NBC executives made the rash decision to move Leno’s show from 10 p.m. to 11:35 p.m., pushing O’Brien and “The Tonight Show” back to 12:05 p.m.
O’Brien quickly released a statement addressed to the “people of earth,” announcing his departure from “The Tonight Show.”
“I sincerely 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,” O’Brien said.
 Cartoon by Kyle Commerford | The Appalachian. Both NBC execs and Leno blamed low program ratings for the move.
“There’s always someone waiting in the wings in this business to take your job,” Leno said in an interview with Oprah. “If you’re not doing the numbers, they move on. Pretty simple.”
I feel like Leno is positioning himself in the shadows during this scandal, solely blaming NBC for the move.
He could have easily used his fame and power to talk with executives in an attempt to resolve the ratings issue in favor of both late night hosts.
Instead, Leno sat quietly, allowing O’Brien to leave the network and his dream as host of “The Tonight Show” behind.
According to the New York Post, NBC paid O’Brien $32.5 million to exit the show on garden leave, preventing him from hosting any other television shows until Sept. 1.
Leno’s narcissistic demeanor sickens me.
Fox immediately showed interested in O’Brien, according to the New York Post.
As the current number one network, Fox wanted to move fast with a late night talk show in order to compete with the ranks of NBC, ABC and CBS.
NBC executives should have been more aware of the adverse affects of the move on O’Brien and Fallon instead of catering to Leno alone.
Leno should just give it a rest and retire as he ages into his sixties.
I vow to never watch “The Tonight Show” as long as Leno is involved.
I’ll wait until O’Brien lands a hit talk show on another network.
At least I will actually laugh at his jokes instead of staring at Leno’s ridiculous chin.
Wyatt, a junior journalism major from Wilkesboro, is an intern lifestyles reporter.
Cartoon: Kyle Commerford, Intern Editorial Cartoonist |
