In a statement regarding NBC’s plans to change its late-night lineup, “The Tonight Show” host Conan O’Brien called the proposal a “destruction” of television’s “greatest franchise.”
Under the proposal, NBC would move “The Jay Leno Show” out of primetime to a slot at 11:35PM. That would push “Tonight” to 12:05AM and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” to 1:05AM.
“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,” said O’Brien, adding, “The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.”
Confirming that he has no other offer on the table and has made no decision about an overall future with NBC, he nonetheless said, “I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction,” explaining “nothing could matter more” than the 11:35PM timeslot.
Within the statement, O’Brien also criticizes NBC’s original decision to slot “The Jay Leno Show” in primetime. The “Tonight Show” host explained that ratings support from primetime is crucial to the success of a late-night franchise; “Leno” clearly did not provide the desired degree of support.
“My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work,” noted Conan, prior to closing, “Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it’s always been that way.”
