Actually Conan talks about this in a podcast. He says how people are surprised when they realize that he is not a mere clown or happy-go-lucky guy. It was in Conan O'brien WTF podcast. I was also surprised when learnt he is a Harvard graduate.
Respect to Conan. Despite being screwed over, he still acted as a gentleman and did not hate on them at all. Much respect and love to Conan. You are where you are meant to be though.
Now I dont think he would have gone crazy on them, but during this interview (and some x-month long span) he had agreed not to disparage NBC or Jay Leno according to his exit agreement. If he had said what he really felt, he probably would have been out some major money.
GProck X There is no conflict. Conan's audience abandoned him when he took over for Jay and NBC decided Conan was a failure and wanted Jay back. Then Conan's audience cried their fucking eyes out and blamed Jay even though they abandoned him.
this pretty much... The biggest blame goes to NBC though. Granted conan started with the whole "i'm going to leave and go elsewhere unless you give me the tonight show" crap, causing this whole bullshit show.
+Corbin Conrad Just looked this up too. NBC kind of hung him out to dry, mismanaged his show and jay leno "stole" his show (back). Conan got a good settlement and started a new show on PBS. So in retrospect everything is fine. It apparently was quite a drama lol but I totally missed it as well.
+Dejay Rezme well yeah, he did get the settlement, but it wasn't enough to cover his crew, he had (or maybe it was Andy Richter) said that they needed things to do to help cover expenses for the crew, sure Conan's rich, but he can't go and pay everyone else's salary with no other income, so he went and did the tour show thingy with the same crew and did pretty well. Still NBC's the bigger jerk, Leno too, and Fallon isn't anywhere as good as Conan, unless you consider doing stupid things funny.
+Alistair Bowen-Davies I will. Conan negotiated to get TTS from Leno... who was at the top of the ratings. Leno did not want to give it up. In this very interview(starting at :30) Conan was asked about that and had no answer.. He knows he took the show from Leno. So let me ask you... If you stole my car from me and then 7 months later I stole it back... which one of us is the thief?
He didn't get the numbers. And it wasn't Leno who fired him. Leno din't want to leave in the first place. He was offered the job back and he took it. How can anybody be mad att Leno over this?
That long sigh when asked if Jay handled it correctly tells you everything. Conan admired and respected Leno so much for helping him to get to where he is, that he is absolutely crushed that he is now in a position where he can destroy the guy - and he doesn't. Class act put in an impossible situation.
Impossible situation??? Conan stole the show out from under Leno. He gets asked about that in this very interview starting at :;26 and has no answer. Class act my ass.
+Nick Evers Conan didn't steal anything. It was announced five years beforehand that Conan would be taking over. Leno was completely on board with it, so nothing was "stolen".
+ Steven Cramsie Conan was going to leave NBC at the end of his contract unless he got TTS. He made a deal to get it and then Leno was told he could have two more years on top of the two he had left. He asked for a fifth and Conan had to agree to it. He wasn't "on board" by choice. He did not want to leave, but had no choice in it. I call that stealing.
Conan couldn't destroy Jay Leno are you fucking stupid? He couldn't even fill his shoes. The fact is that Conan's fans tried to destroy Leno and realized they had no power. They weren't even capable of following their leader to a new time slot. Lmfao Welcome to the real world Steven
I never liked him growing up. But now he’s by far the best I wish I could’ve seen it then thank god for the internet time capsule. My opinion may have never seen any different.
"Skids?" The skits are pretty banal and uninteresting. And same for the "extras & interviews." It's not really "easier" for the "audience" to "digest" banal, uninteresting content.
I remember hearing a story in sunday school about two women who came before king solomon both claiming a baby was theirs. So king solomon said to resolve the argument he would cut the baby in half and let each women keep half of it. The real mother who loved the baby knew cutting the baby in half would kill it so she said to let the other women keep the baby but don't cut it in half. Thats how King Solomon knew who the real mother was. In 2010 NBC proposed to move the tonight show to 12 and let Leno be on at 11. Conan said he would rather leave and let Jay have the tonight show rather than damage one of the greatest franchises in tv history. Now obviously nbc isn't king solomon, but as people we can see other peoples hearts and values when decisions have to be made. Conan loved comedy, and he cared about the tonight show. Leno only cared about being number 1. Conan said he can sleep at night, I don't think Leno can. Conan will always be the tonight show host to me.
It's not actually the case. Comcast merged with GE and got hold of NBC some months after this debacle, and the executives were replaced by Comcast's because they wanted to keep their executives. Maaaaybe if the whole thing was handled better they could have kept their jobs, but I don't think so. But don't weep for them, they are all multi millionaires.
1:20 - "Do you believe he acted honorably" is what Steve asked Conan here, and Conan says he can't answer than, but then within 20 seconds he does, in a nice, clever if it was me answer. A great politician he would make.
I remember when this interview first came out! Now, looking back...wow, Conan was in pretty bad shape! And I don't mean, only the way he looks. He truly looked very sad! And OF COURSE...he had all the right to be! Imagine you're promised a dream job, that you waited for YEARS...and that's given and taken from you within a few months. Messed up Jay and NBC, Not cool!
+MinasPraSempre Welcome to America, where money and politics rule the sheep. What would it be like without television? He, nor anyone would be upset, or care! We've created an illusion that is just that! Nothing but expectation!
Google Sucks Sorry, but the whole world is like that. Where there is human beings there are politics. Go to a third world country and you'll see how it really happens. Sad.
lone wolf What do you mean, not really? There are VERY few places where politics don't play a HUGE part. And I don't mean only in the politician world, I mean in general (from kindergarten to the biggest businesses).
Conan has always been a man with principles. And I think that his show on TBS may not get as much "views" as his competitors but he has a fairly big and VERY dedicated fan community... that counts more towards how good your show really is.
William Robertson a lot of people are EXTREMELY irritated by the incorrect use of the word "literally". I knew a guy punched a girl in the face she said it wrongly just to irritate him.
It's just a saying. You need to seriously reevaluate your understanding of English before you call someone an idiot. You surely must be better than to hide behind the anonymity of a keyboard.
@@borgoat1220 it’s been proven that Leno stabbed Conan in the back and tried to blame him for it, the only people who would support Leno over Conan is the people who would do the exact same thing
The whole debacle IS because of Conan. He insisted NBC publicly promise him the Tonight Show and remove Leno, even though Jay was still The #1 ratings winner. Conan started the whole thing. So. Yeah. Blame Conan.
This is a great interview. He clearly as disdain by stating, "I don't think I can answer that!" He did answer the question, but conduct himself in a polite and respectful manner by stating his opinions without giving away too much! Hooray for Conan!
I think people are missing the point, I read a few of the arguments going on and I have to say that the way he ended the tonight show run, how he told everyone don't feel sorry for me, and that it was an honor to host, and he didn't say anything really negative about leno says a lot about his character. His decision to not move the show to after midnight was right. It's the TONIGHT show, and just because Leno failed at 10 doesn't mean he should get a do over on the tonight show. It's unprofessional, unethical and totally selfish on his part. And when he said "don't blame Conan" umm, no one was. I liked Letterman's response (you can find the video somewhere on here) where he spoke out about Leno's remark about not blaming Conan. Leno had his time, he agreed to give it up after five years, then when five years passes he basically says I don't want to go and if you dont' want me taking my ball somewhere else and playing then you better kick Conan back a little and give me my old spot back. It's a totally dishonorable act.
Jay never agreed to give up his position. Conan came to the NBC execs back in 2002 or 03, whining and bitching that if he didn't get the Tonight Show, he'd walk. The execs fearing this, told Leno he know had five years. Execs are the final say, and Leno had no argument to be made, because the word of God already was established. So, Leno let it happen, because his contract basically states that NBC can be rid of him whenever they felt. I'm yet to read one official article stating otherwise. So, no, Leno didn't agree to be replaced, well in the sense that he agreed to being replaced. Contractually he did, but semantics. As far as Leno taking back the Tonight Show, once more, you're completely incorrect. Leno didn't demand back the Tonight Show. The execs once more became concerned when Conan couldn't keep up in the ratings, got scared, and in summary, kicked Conan. Leno was once more placed back into the slot as host as the ratings where in the tank. You can argue the reasons for Leno's failed prime time show causing Conan being shit or whatever, but whatever reason it be, Conan was bad. Plain and God damned simple, Now, as far as the "Don't Blame Conan" thing, it is all press. Stop being stupid for five minutes. Everything is done for PR or to save face, or whatever. And to be honest, there was a bit of bitching from Conan's manager or whatever. All in all, Get real dude.
Not Kevin watch?v=wKNDodhhOEU "I don't wanna see Conan go anywhere else" "This show is like a dynasty, you hold it then you hand it off to the next person" "I don't want to see all the fighting, who's better, all the back and forth through the press, so right now here it is, CONAN IT'S YOURS" Lying sack of shit! Now go ahead and make up more excuses..... I know you want to make up a story to make that video of Jay Leno not count for some reason in your head. oh and Conan was not "bad", it takes time to build an audience and it took jay longer than 6 months to build an audience on the same exact show but I guess that doesn't count right? All in all, Get real dude.
The internet audience isn't the one making the reviews. I guess Leno had better numbers within specific groups of people - those making the reviews. We have to count in the fact, that this was late 00's. Things could have turned out differently as if right now. Overall, I agree that generall public agrees that Conan is better. I myself adore Conan and I'm far cry from being an American.
@@RobloxxGame You like Conan. I dub you as an *"Official American".* Of course, I have no _real_ power to do so, but I feel it's the thought that counts, right?
You can just feel the rage in this man. He is exercising so much restraint in how he speaks of Jay. He always does his best to keep an even keel even when he wants to just explode and unleash all of his fury. But hes a classy guy and will always take the high road. Way to go Conan!
Conan is back on the air and I think that's what really matters. A lot of us admire and enjoy his comedy and I think that's what brought him back, even if it had to be on a seperate network
All you guys are awesome. Showing such support for a true comedian legend. It's wonderful to see. I'm sure if Conan was reading all these comments it would make him very happy.
SuperShinkenRed The only reason Fallon would ever beat Conan for a time on network TV, would be due to Fallon having the 16-29 young female demographic NBC treasures so much (because women thinks he's hot and hip). However, over time, Conan would surely sin the overall ratings with his superior funniness, wit, improv, intelligence, and overall superior talent.
+Alexander Klisiewecz Jimmy is weird and no one thinks he's hot, Conan had the tonight in his hands but he couldn't handle it and and the ratings plummeted but that doesn't make him any less funny I believe he's the smartest and the funniest but he is good where he is now and let's hope he has a long contract
Conan is absolutely right in his feelings and telling others how he feels about it. I feel like he handled everything very well. He got SCREWED! I'm VERY glad he DIDN'T keep quiet about it. I'm so thankful that he laid it out for everyone so that everyone will know how f'd up NBC is and how easily someone can be done wrong in that industry. I've been watching Conan for 17 years. There was never a time where I didn't laugh. Jay Leno is and was pathetic. His jokes weren't funny and he had no passion in his performance. He wasn't funny. Good job Conan!
joan Jones jay leno lacks sense of humor.. he doesn't even realize what he's saying isn't funny at all. you may think otherwise, but you'll be disagreeing with people like howard stern, louis ck and so on. i know i can't change you but i want to ask you how old you are.
joan Jones LOL, no I'm not Conan's wife or sister. I think it's interesting that Conan's target audience and major audience are younger people. To me that says a lot because with a society that is ever changing he can still entertain the youth and masses. He's obviously doing something right. :)
Suraj Lamichhane Howard Stern is considered a source? Wow, last I checked, he was never funny. As far as Jay not being funny, he's funny, but only so much. He's on PUBLIC television. If you've seen him on his tours and stuff, it's a million times better than what he does on the Tonight Show. Of course, the reason being is that since he has to fit a large demographic, he has to play it safe. Louis C.K is 20 times funnier than Jay on the Tonight Show. Plop Louis into Jay's place, and you'd be saying the same things about him as if he were Jay. Still though, seriously, Stern? Stern! Come now man, don't talk comedians and include his name. Mentioning Stern in the same sentence with Louis should get you smitted by the ghost of Johnny Carson.
Don't even waste your breath. I work in this world and it takes 6 months to a year before the writers adapt and get into the flow of catering to that Tonight Show audience. I remember going on Yahoo the day after Fallon premiered and everyone was slamming the shit out of him calling for his head. But what happened? Fallon became comfortable and got into the groove. For some of you who were too young to experience it, the exact thing happened to Leno. He was hated when he first came on. These hosts become an institution so when they walk away watchers are gunning for the new guy. Conan should have at least been given the proper amount of time. I guarantee you that NBC was begging Johnny to come back in thar first month he was gone. But he had money, integrity mad knew that he achieved what he wanted to. The reason he selected Leno over Letterman was because he knew Dave had his own thing and wanted to pass the show along to someone fresh. Maybe that's where NBC screwed up by not letting Leno pick his successor or forcing him out. The fact is he was out and the fact that he had a send off and came back ruined his reputation. You guys keep saying that "You would all do the same thing". No I wouldn't because it's cheesy as fuck and a guy like Jay Leno can do a million other things. I guess he was never that creative
It's true. If you go into business with a friend, even if it's the best friend you have ever had or could possibly imagine having, be prepared that you might lose them.
Jay leno hosted the tonight show for NBC for a long stint, conan worked Late Night, which came on afterward. Conan eventually negotiates a deal with NBC where he gets the tonight show if he stays on (probably because NBC didn't want to lose another Late Night host like they lost Letterman), and Leno takes an even earlier slot in primetime. Leno's show and Conan's show both have viewership problems, and NBC is worried. Leno starts to make noise about wanting to return to the tonight show timeslot to get more viewers, which would push conan back past midnight. Conan is trapped. He can't accept Late Night's time slot back because that would mean kicking Jimmy Fallon out. In this interview, Conan shows discomfort about staying in a show that somebody else really really wants, so he voluntarily leaves, and Leno returns to the Tonight Show although a lot of people think Conan was pressured or forced out by NBC even suggesting the schedule changes. And as you might be able to tell, Leno didn't exactly have that long a run in the tonight show after he returned. So basically the NBC executives created a situation in which they were so afraid of losing talent to other networks that they ended up disrupting their two biggest talk show talents. Some blame Leno for trying to take back his old spot, but the whole event is a mess from start to finish and there were no happy endings for anyone involved.
this man is with principle and i saw the hurt in his eyes but carried himself well enough. for that conan, you have our respect. it is not much, but it is yours. even NBC and Leno cannot take that away.
***** when is Leno funny? show me one interview or stand up.. Conan is so much more funnier.. Besides, Leno is a piece of shit in real life..Who quits and then comes right back out of spite.?? Only a douchebag trying to ruin Conan's career..
Yeah, he's blazing a trail washing up on TBS. He's the envy of everyone being the guy who got overshadowed by Jimmy Fallon. Lmfao You're a fucking loser.
Conan is such a great guy. After all the things that had happened between him and Leno, when asked what he would do if he were in Leno's shoes, he didn't say that his methods of doing things is rịght and Leno's wrong. He just said that it's his way of doing things. That's all that matters. He didn't care who the villain was. He always tries his best to remain true to himself. That is dignity of a real man. That is class.
Conan O'Brien. Literally one of the best actual human beings in the entertainment business. Had a chance to truly dig into Jay leno and would 100% have everyones support but chose to be the bigger man. Respectively answered the questions without any negative comments. Talked about Jay like the way Conan would want to be treated. Even though Mr. Leno chose not to go that route, instead was completely selfish in every aspect. Cheers Conan 🍻
team coco here. I could spend all day watching his videos. the ways he makes fun of himself and other people and how genuine he is to me is funny. i didn't even know he has a beef with nbc until triump said something about it in an interview. haha Conan is good and TBS is blessed to have him.
I don't care if Leno' s ratings were better. The fact is, Leno gave the show to Conan. He gave it up. How could anyone in good taste just come back after that and kick him out. It's just kind of, well...douchey. He gave it up. There should of been no take backs. As a MAN, Leno should of known that was wrong. He screwed Conan. NBA didn't for Leno back on, Leno made that decision. And it was just all in bad taste. Plain and simple. Conan has every right to be angry. I imagine taking over the show was a great honor and he just got shit all over. Of course ratings are bad at first. Look at Saturday Night Live when the new cast members come in to take the place of the old ones. We are all like "hey who the hell are these guys" at first but you grow to love 'em. Leno is a money grabbing prick. HE GAVE UP THE SHOW PEOPLE AND THEN WAS LIKE OH WAIT NO I MISS IT. It's messed up. How can you side with him? A fan of Conan or not?
PogoMojo So people just go through life, spelling and using grammar like absolute idiots and no one is meant to correct them? Great plan bro, 20 years down the line and everyone is writing like a 12 year old texting girl.
PogoMojo That is the attitude of someone who is still in school. Don't worry, go back to your flappy bird, the big boys and girls will take care of things.
Michael Townsly But flappy bird can't be downloaded from the app store. Plus you have the attitude of someone in school also... You're correcting grammar.
This is why I will be watching Conan in the future. Ironically I didn't watch him before. The way he made sure his people were taken care of when he left made a difference to me also. The man's got class and a rare thing called integrity.
I can understand Leno wanting to comeback and getting his way because of how long he had been on the show, but then he left again in like 4 years. To screw a guy that you were friends with over 4 years of working that you didn't need is pretty weak. It is not like he came back for another 10 years or more.
Beyond the comments for Jay and maybe Conan, there may be near universal agreement that one Jeffrey Zucker is the most horrific and abominable executive in the history of television
And this is why I love Conan so much. There aren't that many people left who are truly good and honorable people. I know I cant say I am one of them. I can and will say that Conan O'Brian is.
Watching this 13 years later seems like an eternity ago. ... And then I remember when Letterman said something about not knowing much about this "Conan O'Brien" guy, but wished him luck taking over Late Night. So now I'm feeling very, very old.
Conan made a deal with NBC to take the Tonight Show away from Jay in 2004. This Broke Jay's heart. He loved it at NBC they were like a second family to him. NBC CEO Jeff Zucker didn't think that Jay would stay number one very long. But Jay remained number one all the way through the five-year contract that he had to 2009. So when he was still number one Zucker offered Leno a prime time spot at 10 o'clock. This allowed Jay to stay at NBC. Conan took over the Tonight Show and the numbers tank down to 49%. Jay's numbers tanked down 33%. The news network affiliates thought that Jay was such a terrible lead-in that they decided something had to be done otherwise a number of them were going to take away their contract with NBC. NBC offered an ultimatum to Conan and Jay. Jay would do a half hour program at 11:30 and Conan's tonight show would be pushed to 12:05. Conan refused this offer. They then went to Jay and asked him to take the Tonight Show back after Conan's contract was bought out. He agreed but Conan and the press painted Jay in a very very dark light. Jay was always a bit frustrated with NBC after he came back. This partly led to his contract being bought out and being replaced with Jimmy Fallon
The whole debacle IS because of Conan. He insisted NBC publicly promise him the Tonight Show and remove Leno, even though Jay was still The #1 ratings winner. Conan started the whole thing. So. Yeah. Blame Conan.
This is the first time I've seen Conan be serious. It's strange to watch.
I'm actually scared of this. He is such a genuine guy when he's serious
Actually Conan talks about this in a podcast. He says how people are surprised when they realize that he is not a mere clown or happy-go-lucky guy. It was in Conan O'brien WTF podcast. I was also surprised when learnt he is a Harvard graduate.
yea it's weird. why so serious as the joker would say
Dernare223 I️ kno right!
He's so sad here
Respect to Conan. Despite being screwed over, he still acted as a gentleman and did not hate on them at all. Much respect and love to Conan. You are where you are meant to be though.
Now I dont think he would have gone crazy on them, but during this interview (and some x-month long span) he had agreed not to disparage NBC or Jay Leno according to his exit agreement. If he had said what he really felt, he probably would have been out some major money.
ARCtrooperblueleader he did say he doesnt like cynicism
ARCtrooperblueleader can you explain me please what is this conflict between Connan and Leno and NBC I dont get it.
GProck X There is no conflict. Conan's audience abandoned him when he took over for Jay and NBC decided Conan was a failure and wanted Jay back.
Then Conan's audience cried their fucking eyes out and blamed Jay even though they abandoned him.
this pretty much... The biggest blame goes to NBC though. Granted conan started with the whole "i'm going to leave and go elsewhere unless you give me the tonight show" crap, causing this whole bullshit show.
"I don't think I can answer that"
My man, you just did.
That's Conan O'Brien!
Stig's Italian Cousin not really. He didn't say what Leno did was dishonorable
Yeah, but he implied the living heck out of it. (And rightly so in my opinion.)
do you think he was honorable?
-i dont-..i dont think i can answer that. its very clear what he thinks mate
He wasn't allowed to say anything bad about Jay or NBC. It was in his severance contract.
Still cannot find a single commenter to say something bad about conan.
I don't know the story well, what is bad about Conan now?
+Corbin Conrad Just looked this up too. NBC kind of hung him out to dry, mismanaged his show and jay leno "stole" his show (back). Conan got a good settlement and started a new show on PBS. So in retrospect everything is fine. It apparently was quite a drama lol but I totally missed it as well.
+Dejay Rezme well yeah, he did get the settlement, but it wasn't enough to cover his crew, he had (or maybe it was Andy Richter) said that they needed things to do to help cover expenses for the crew, sure Conan's rich, but he can't go and pay everyone else's salary with no other income, so he went and did the tour show thingy with the same crew and did pretty well. Still NBC's the bigger jerk, Leno too, and Fallon isn't anywhere as good as Conan, unless you consider doing stupid things funny.
+Dejay Rezme it's TBS not PBS
+Alistair Bowen-Davies I will. Conan negotiated to get TTS from Leno... who was at the top of the ratings. Leno did not want to give it up. In this very interview(starting at :30) Conan was asked about that and had no answer.. He knows he took the show from Leno. So let me ask you... If you stole my car from me and then 7 months later I stole it back... which one of us is the thief?
I'm team Conan. Conan is funnier. He deserved it. Done. End of conversation.
eas leeps " done" why are all the sheep saying this word ? stoppppppppppp
Ok. Done.
plutoplatters done
done
He didn't get the numbers. And it wasn't Leno who fired him. Leno din't want to leave in the first place. He was offered the job back and he took it. How can anybody be mad att Leno over this?
That long sigh when asked if Jay handled it correctly tells you everything. Conan admired and respected Leno so much for helping him to get to where he is, that he is absolutely crushed that he is now in a position where he can destroy the guy - and he doesn't. Class act put in an impossible situation.
Impossible situation??? Conan stole the show out from under Leno. He gets asked about that in this very interview starting at :;26 and has no answer. Class act my ass.
+Nick Evers Conan didn't steal anything. It was announced five years beforehand that Conan would be taking over. Leno was completely on board with it, so nothing was "stolen".
+ Steven Cramsie Conan was going to leave NBC at the end of his contract unless he got TTS. He made a deal to get it and then Leno was told he could have two more years on top of the two he had left. He asked for a fifth and Conan had to agree to it. He wasn't "on board" by choice. He did not want to leave, but had no choice in it. I call that stealing.
Conan couldn't destroy Jay Leno are you fucking stupid? He couldn't even fill his shoes.
The fact is that Conan's fans tried to destroy Leno and realized they had no power. They weren't even capable of following their leader to a new time slot.
Lmfao
Welcome to the real world Steven
Julio get a male name and stop crying like a bitch.
Team Coco all the way baby!
Definitely!
Jasonsenipor
You, of course, are referring to Leno backstabbing Letterman. Yes, Leno is a liar and dishonorable man. Pathetic people admire him.
@Jason that’s Leno not Conan
how can you possibly not like conan, hes the best.
Marc I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like him, so I guess it’s not possible!
He's not the worst, but that doesn't make him the best.
@@borgoat1220 no, he’s the best.
People born before 1970 probably have a difficult time getting him.
I never liked him growing up.
But now he’s by far the best I wish I could’ve seen it then thank god for the internet time capsule. My opinion may have never seen any different.
It's weird seeing Conan serious...
Not really
he's being sincere.
Now his current show Conan , has better skids, extras & interviews then jay.. Plus it's easier for the audiences to digest
Skits are nowhere as good as they were on Late Night.
You messed it up completely when you used the word “then”
@@joshua2k20 literally no one said "then"
@@joshua2k20 He wrote "skids" instead of "skits," and you're only concerned he misspelled "than?" LOL
"Skids?" The skits are pretty banal and uninteresting. And same for the "extras & interviews." It's not really "easier" for the "audience" to "digest" banal, uninteresting content.
"I can sleep well". That's the point of life. Being good is a sign of strength. Go Conan!
His last two weeks on The Tonight Show were some of the funniest on television. He threw caution to the wind and it was glorious to watch.
I remember hearing a story in sunday school about two women who came before king solomon both claiming a baby was theirs. So king solomon said to resolve the argument he would cut the baby in half and let each women keep half of it. The real mother who loved the baby knew cutting the baby in half would kill it so she said to let the other women keep the baby but don't cut it in half. Thats how King Solomon knew who the real mother was. In 2010 NBC proposed to move the tonight show to 12 and let Leno be on at 11. Conan said he would rather leave and let Jay have the tonight show rather than damage one of the greatest franchises in tv history. Now obviously nbc isn't king solomon, but as people we can see other peoples hearts and values when decisions have to be made. Conan loved comedy, and he cared about the tonight show. Leno only cared about being number 1. Conan said he can sleep at night, I don't think Leno can. Conan will always be the tonight show host to me.
The difference I think is NBC (The King) kinda did went through with the cutting the baby in half in some ways.
That was a great analogy, Elizabeth. Thanks for sharing.
Also, why would anyone want half a baby
Bitchesgotnotaste ...John Mulaney?
captaingymshorts haha yes sir/ma'am
It did end up costing the NBC execs their jobs.
why are all the replies under this op deleted? NBC EXECS lost their job you say?? AWESOME!!!! I WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS!!
why are all the replies under this op deleted? NBC EXECS lost their job you say?? AWESOME!!!! I WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS!!
It's not actually the case. Comcast merged with GE and got hold of NBC some months after this debacle, and the executives were replaced by Comcast's because they wanted to keep their executives. Maaaaybe if the whole thing was handled better they could have kept their jobs, but I don't think so.
But don't weep for them, they are all multi millionaires.
okrajoe good
and they just always end up getting jobs elsewhere, people with money have useful connections
1:20 - "Do you believe he acted honorably" is what Steve asked Conan here, and Conan says he can't answer than, but then within 20 seconds he does, in a nice, clever if it was me answer. A great politician he would make.
Well he did go to the same school as most of them
I remember when this interview first came out! Now, looking back...wow, Conan was in pretty bad shape! And I don't mean, only the way he looks. He truly looked very sad! And OF COURSE...he had all the right to be! Imagine you're promised a dream job, that you waited for YEARS...and that's given and taken from you within a few months. Messed up Jay and NBC, Not cool!
+MinasPraSempre Welcome to America, where money and politics rule the sheep. What would it be like without television? He, nor anyone would be upset, or care! We've created an illusion that is just that! Nothing but expectation!
Google Sucks Sorry, but the whole world is like that. Where there is human beings there are politics. Go to a third world country and you'll see how it really happens. Sad.
not really.
lone wolf What do you mean, not really? There are VERY few places where politics don't play a HUGE part. And I don't mean only in the politician world, I mean in general (from kindergarten to the biggest businesses).
Interviewer: "Do you think he acted honorably?"
Conan: (longest sigh ever)
CONAN IS CLASSY
Conan has always been a man with principles. And I think that his show on TBS may not get as much "views" as his competitors but he has a fairly big and VERY dedicated fan community... that counts more towards how good your show really is.
Time is usually all we need. 13 years later and he looks happier and content now on the podcast clips.
First time I hear Conan talking normal.
it's literally unreal what happened to this man. unreal.
WTF? get a life Sal.
William Robertson a lot of people are EXTREMELY irritated by the incorrect use of the word "literally". I knew a guy punched a girl in the face she said it wrongly just to irritate him.
It's just a saying. You need to seriously reevaluate your understanding of English before you call someone an idiot. You surely must be better than to hide behind the anonymity of a keyboard.
I count five punctuation errors in your comment.
@@basketvector7311 **error's
I love Conan because he is always honest, not like Jay..
Jay is very honest, he gives tons of money to charity.
Clay3613 what does giving money to charity have anything to do with honesty?
How do you know Conan is honest? Prove it.
@@borgoat1220 it’s been proven that Leno stabbed Conan in the back and tried to blame him for it, the only people who would support Leno over Conan is the people who would do the exact same thing
The whole debacle IS because of Conan. He insisted NBC publicly promise him the Tonight Show and remove Leno, even though Jay was still The #1 ratings winner. Conan started the whole thing. So. Yeah. Blame Conan.
This is why we love Conan. Such a humble, kind, and classy guy.
I hope HBO gives you have a great run.
This is a great interview. He clearly as disdain by stating, "I don't think I can answer that!" He did answer the question, but conduct himself in a polite and respectful manner by stating his opinions without giving away too much! Hooray for Conan!
Conan - love that dude. Smart, funny, honorable. And the beard plays
Conan has one of the sharpest minds I've ever seen
Conan distributed his paycheck $45 million amongst his staff just shows how great of a man he is.
I think people are missing the point, I read a few of the arguments going on and I have to say that the way he ended the tonight show run, how he told everyone don't feel sorry for me, and that it was an honor to host, and he didn't say anything really negative about leno says a lot about his character. His decision to not move the show to after midnight was right. It's the TONIGHT show, and just because Leno failed at 10 doesn't mean he should get a do over on the tonight show. It's unprofessional, unethical and totally selfish on his part. And when he said "don't blame Conan" umm, no one was. I liked Letterman's response (you can find the video somewhere on here) where he spoke out about Leno's remark about not blaming Conan. Leno had his time, he agreed to give it up after five years, then when five years passes he basically says I don't want to go and if you dont' want me taking my ball somewhere else and playing then you better kick Conan back a little and give me my old spot back. It's a totally dishonorable act.
Jay never agreed to give up his position. Conan came to the NBC execs back in 2002 or 03, whining and bitching that if he didn't get the Tonight Show, he'd walk. The execs fearing this, told Leno he know had five years. Execs are the final say, and Leno had no argument to be made, because the word of God already was established. So, Leno let it happen, because his contract basically states that NBC can be rid of him whenever they felt. I'm yet to read one official article stating otherwise. So, no, Leno didn't agree to be replaced, well in the sense that he agreed to being replaced. Contractually he did, but semantics.
As far as Leno taking back the Tonight Show, once more, you're completely incorrect. Leno didn't demand back the Tonight Show. The execs once more became concerned when Conan couldn't keep up in the ratings, got scared, and in summary, kicked Conan. Leno was once more placed back into the slot as host as the ratings where in the tank. You can argue the reasons for Leno's failed prime time show causing Conan being shit or whatever, but whatever reason it be, Conan was bad. Plain and God damned simple,
Now, as far as the "Don't Blame Conan" thing, it is all press. Stop being stupid for five minutes. Everything is done for PR or to save face, or whatever. And to be honest, there was a bit of bitching from Conan's manager or whatever.
All in all, Get real dude.
Not Kevin watch?v=wKNDodhhOEU
"I don't wanna see Conan go anywhere else"
"This show is like a dynasty, you hold it then you hand it off to the next person"
"I don't want to see all the fighting, who's better, all the back and forth through the press, so right now here it is, CONAN IT'S YOURS"
Lying sack of shit! Now go ahead and make up more excuses..... I know you want to make up a story to make that video of Jay Leno not count for some reason in your head. oh and Conan was not "bad", it takes time to build an audience and it took jay longer than 6 months to build an audience on the same exact show but I guess that doesn't count right?
All in all, Get real dude.
@@FilipinoWaylon26 he literally said, "in '09 it's yours" he did agree to leave.
This reminds me of my therapy sessions.
When Conan is't funny he's pretty depressing
Most comedians are. They tend to laugh out their problems.
He does take anti depressants
Many comedians seem to be eternally depressed, in fact Conan himself said as much on an interview with Stern
Thats how most funny people behave
In other words, he’s always “pretty depressing”
What a class act. GOAT of late night.
They should have given him back the tonight show after all of this. NBC keeps forgetting that the youth of today will be the viewers of tomorrow.
I never believe leno had better ratings. Conan have more audience. Look at his followings.
The internet doesnt lie. Network does
The internet audience isn't the one making the reviews. I guess Leno had better numbers within specific groups of people - those making the reviews. We have to count in the fact, that this was late 00's. Things could have turned out differently as if right now.
Overall, I agree that generall public agrees that Conan is better. I myself adore Conan and I'm far cry from being an American.
@@RobloxxGame You like Conan. I dub you as an *"Official American".* Of course, I have no _real_ power to do so, but I feel it's the thought that counts, right?
Conan is the man . our Hero , our savior .
not only he is an amazing comedian , he is also intelligent , Smart , Classy and kind . best thing on TV .
You can just feel the rage in this man. He is exercising so much restraint in how he speaks of Jay. He always does his best to keep an even keel even when he wants to just explode and unleash all of his fury. But hes a classy guy and will always take the high road. Way to go Conan!
We love conan, He is THE BEST HOST EVER!
Conan is back on the air and I think that's what really matters. A lot of us admire and enjoy his comedy and I think that's what brought him back, even if it had to be on a seperate network
And now he's gone
All you guys are awesome. Showing such support for a true comedian legend. It's wonderful to see. I'm sure if Conan was reading all these comments it would make him very happy.
Conan handled this so honorably. WOW. Such an inspiring attitude.
Glad TBS picked him up. What a great man!
All these people saying how bad conan is, when he is one of the more successful talk show hosts. (Presently)
Not even close. On cable? Sure. I seriously doubt he could beat Fallon on network TV.
SuperShinkenRed The only reason Fallon would ever beat Conan for a time on network TV, would be due to Fallon having the 16-29 young female demographic NBC treasures so much (because women thinks he's hot and hip). However, over time, Conan would surely sin the overall ratings with his superior funniness, wit, improv, intelligence, and overall superior talent.
*win
+Alexander Klisiewecz hot and hip? LOL.
+Alexander Klisiewecz Jimmy is weird and no one thinks he's hot, Conan had the tonight in his hands but he couldn't handle it and and the ratings plummeted but that doesn't make him any less funny I believe he's the smartest and the funniest but he is good where he is now and let's hope he has a long contract
Man rewatching this ten years later. I forgot how hard he took this. I can only imagine rewatching some of his banned from TV stuff he did
Conan is absolutely right in his feelings and telling others how he feels about it. I feel like he handled everything very well. He got SCREWED! I'm VERY glad he DIDN'T keep quiet about it. I'm so thankful that he laid it out for everyone so that everyone will know how f'd up NBC is and how easily someone can be done wrong in that industry. I've been watching Conan for 17 years. There was never a time where I didn't laugh. Jay Leno is and was pathetic. His jokes weren't funny and he had no passion in his performance. He wasn't funny. Good job Conan!
WHAT???? Jay wasn't funny and Conan was?????LOLOLOL Are you Conans wife or sister?
joan Jones jay leno lacks sense of humor.. he doesn't even realize what he's saying isn't funny at all. you may think otherwise, but you'll be disagreeing with people like howard stern, louis ck and so on. i know i can't change you but i want to ask you how old you are.
joan Jones LOL, no I'm not Conan's wife or sister. I think it's interesting that Conan's target audience and major audience are younger people. To me that says a lot because with a society that is ever changing he can still entertain the youth and masses. He's obviously doing something right. :)
Suraj Lamichhane Howard Stern is considered a source? Wow, last I checked, he was never funny.
As far as Jay not being funny, he's funny, but only so much. He's on PUBLIC television. If you've seen him on his tours and stuff, it's a million times better than what he does on the Tonight Show. Of course, the reason being is that since he has to fit a large demographic, he has to play it safe. Louis C.K is 20 times funnier than Jay on the Tonight Show. Plop Louis into Jay's place, and you'd be saying the same things about him as if he were Jay.
Still though, seriously, Stern? Stern! Come now man, don't talk comedians and include his name. Mentioning Stern in the same sentence with Louis should get you smitted by the ghost of Johnny Carson.
Don't even waste your breath. I work in this world and it takes 6 months to a year before the writers adapt and get into the flow of catering to that Tonight Show audience. I remember going on Yahoo the day after Fallon premiered and everyone was slamming the shit out of him calling for his head. But what happened? Fallon became comfortable and got into the groove. For some of you who were too young to experience it, the exact thing happened to Leno. He was hated when he first came on. These hosts become an institution so when they walk away watchers are gunning for the new guy. Conan should have at least been given the proper amount of time. I guarantee you that NBC was begging Johnny to come back in thar first month he was gone. But he had money, integrity mad knew that he achieved what he wanted to. The reason he selected Leno over Letterman was because he knew Dave had his own thing and wanted to pass the show along to someone fresh. Maybe that's where NBC screwed up by not letting Leno pick his successor or forcing him out. The fact is he was out and the fact that he had a send off and came back ruined his reputation. You guys keep saying that "You would all do the same thing". No I wouldn't because it's cheesy as fuck and a guy like Jay Leno can do a million other things. I guess he was never that creative
So glad Leno is off the air. Zero Integrity.
Love you, Conan
It just pain me to watch this interview, Conan deserves so much more.
This kind of back stabbing shit goes on in business all the time. No honor in business.
It's true. If you go into business with a friend, even if it's the best friend you have ever had or could possibly imagine having, be prepared that you might lose them.
what happened exactly. i still cant figure it out
Jay leno hosted the tonight show for NBC for a long stint, conan worked Late Night, which came on afterward. Conan eventually negotiates a deal with NBC where he gets the tonight show if he stays on (probably because NBC didn't want to lose another Late Night host like they lost Letterman), and Leno takes an even earlier slot in primetime. Leno's show and Conan's show both have viewership problems, and NBC is worried. Leno starts to make noise about wanting to return to the tonight show timeslot to get more viewers, which would push conan back past midnight. Conan is trapped. He can't accept Late Night's time slot back because that would mean kicking Jimmy Fallon out. In this interview, Conan shows discomfort about staying in a show that somebody else really really wants, so he voluntarily leaves, and Leno returns to the Tonight Show although a lot of people think Conan was pressured or forced out by NBC even suggesting the schedule changes. And as you might be able to tell, Leno didn't exactly have that long a run in the tonight show after he returned.
So basically the NBC executives created a situation in which they were so afraid of losing talent to other networks that they ended up disrupting their two biggest talk show talents. Some blame Leno for trying to take back his old spot, but the whole event is a mess from start to finish and there were no happy endings for anyone involved.
i see seems like the details are very merky to really understand it well. how did conan end up on tbs ?
thanks for the info :)
"Please, don't blame Conan."
Still can't believe how delusional some humans can be.
Conan remains the best.
this man is with principle and i saw the hurt in his eyes but carried himself well enough. for that conan, you have our respect. it is not much, but it is yours. even NBC and Leno cannot take that away.
I don't want to go back and watch Conan O'Brien Can't Stop again. Such a great documentary.
Conan > Leno
*****
who's still on tv..???
*****
when is Leno funny? show me one interview or stand up.. Conan is so much more funnier.. Besides, Leno is a piece of shit in real life..Who quits and then comes right back out of spite.?? Only a douchebag trying to ruin Conan's career..
*****
Leno is the most unoriginal comic ever to be on tv....In the history of television..
*****
He helped write The Simpsons...What do you expect? At least acknowledge talent.. Unreal.
Yeah, he's blazing a trail washing up on TBS. He's the envy of everyone being the guy who got overshadowed by Jimmy Fallon.
Lmfao
You're a fucking loser.
Conan is such a great guy. After all the things that had happened between him and Leno, when asked what he would do if he were in Leno's shoes, he didn't say that his methods of doing things is rịght and Leno's wrong. He just said that it's his way of doing things. That's all that matters. He didn't care who the villain was. He always tries his best to remain true to himself. That is dignity of a real man. That is class.
Conan O'Brien. Literally one of the best actual human beings in the entertainment business. Had a chance to truly dig into Jay leno and would 100% have everyones support but chose to be the bigger man. Respectively answered the questions without any negative comments. Talked about Jay like the way Conan would want to be treated. Even though Mr. Leno chose not to go that route, instead was completely selfish in every aspect. Cheers Conan 🍻
team coco here. I could spend all day watching his videos. the ways he makes fun of himself and other people and how genuine he is to me is funny. i didn't even know he has a beef with nbc until triump said something about it in an interview. haha
Conan is good and TBS is blessed to have him.
Honestly conan is so much better than leno. Leno is not funny at all.
TeamCoco!!!
conan all the way ❤️ i love how genuine he is
Conan takes the high road. Good for him.
He looks very good with that beard! Daddy style
I don't care if Leno' s ratings were better. The fact is, Leno gave the show to Conan. He gave it up. How could anyone in good taste just come back after that and kick him out. It's just kind of, well...douchey. He gave it up. There should of been no take backs. As a MAN, Leno should of known that was wrong. He screwed Conan. NBA didn't for Leno back on, Leno made that decision. And it was just all in bad taste. Plain and simple. Conan has every right to be angry. I imagine taking over the show was a great honor and he just got shit all over. Of course ratings are bad at first. Look at Saturday Night Live when the new cast members come in to take the place of the old ones. We are all like "hey who the hell are these guys" at first but you grow to love 'em. Leno is a money grabbing prick. HE GAVE UP THE SHOW PEOPLE AND THEN WAS LIKE OH WAIT NO I MISS IT. It's messed up. How can you side with him? A fan of Conan or not?
Michael Townsly
Jesus, man.... calm it.
PogoMojo So people just go through life, spelling and using grammar like absolute idiots and no one is meant to correct them? Great plan bro, 20 years down the line and everyone is writing like a 12 year old texting girl.
Michael Townsly
It's gonna happen one day, whether you like it or not...
PogoMojo That is the attitude of someone who is still in school. Don't worry, go back to your flappy bird, the big boys and girls will take care of things.
Michael Townsly
But flappy bird can't be downloaded from the app store. Plus you have the attitude of someone in school also... You're correcting grammar.
it's so fascinating to watch conan talk seriously (like a normal person).
This is why I will be watching Conan in the future. Ironically I didn't watch him before. The way he made sure his people were taken care of when he left made a difference to me also. The man's got class and a rare thing called integrity.
I like Conan and Jay. This situation really had me torn. I blame NBC.
Remember: "Don't blame Conan!"
I always enjoy Conan he truly is a great comedian and talk show host
Conan showing a very generous spirit here.
Seeing Conan sad makes me sad... anyways, Conan rocks...
I can understand Leno wanting to comeback and getting his way because of how long he had been on the show, but then he left again in like 4 years. To screw a guy that you were friends with over 4 years of working that you didn't need is pretty weak. It is not like he came back for another 10 years or more.
Mad respect for this man
& NOW HES SAYING GOODBYE 🥺🥺🥺
he looks way better with the beard
Shadownite he needs to bring it back!!!!!! but he doesn't 😳😳😳😳
Beyond the comments for Jay and maybe Conan, there may be near universal agreement that one Jeffrey Zucker is the most horrific and abominable executive in the history of television
Great point. Conan is a stand up guy and they are rare now.
And this is why I love Conan so much. There aren't that many people left who are truly good and honorable people. I know I cant say I am one of them. I can and will say that Conan O'Brian is.
"Do you believe he(Leno) acted honorably...?"
"Dahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" - CoCo
LOL
I love Conan he's so much funnier than jay
Who can’t love this man!
I'm glad Conan has his own show now, he deserves it.
NBC not Jay Leno. They asked him back!
the bigger man
Great to see Conan serious!
And years later Conan is still the funniest/best late-night host.
Jay Leno is a "Class A Jerk"!! What NBC did to Conan is beyond disgusting. Conan is light-years ahead of Leno in talent. You rock, Conan!! Team Coco!!
conan is the best! i dont know why he got screw for some ratings,.
This is like watching the Twilight zone. he is a completely different person in this interview. I never thought I'd see him so sincere
Watching this 13 years later seems like an eternity ago. ... And then I remember when Letterman said something about not knowing much about this "Conan O'Brien" guy, but wished him luck taking over Late Night. So now I'm feeling very, very old.
Who watches Leno anyway? I'm guessing people with a minimal sense of humor.
he used to be great...its a little sad watching him now...its a bit like watching michael jordan play for the wizards
boner638 lol ur SOO right
boner638
spot on
Skeleton Closet I watch his Garage show I like it
Leno is best comedian on this Earth currently. NBC was not a class act. That said, Conan is approaching Leno's greatness.
how come they don't do this for everyone leaving taco bell ???
I loved Conan! He was perfect for the tonight show..
i miss conan
his sketches and skits were always so hilarious
I like Fallon and Conan
Conan made a deal with NBC to take the Tonight Show away from Jay in 2004. This Broke Jay's heart. He loved it at NBC they were like a second family to him. NBC CEO Jeff Zucker didn't think that Jay would stay number one very long. But Jay remained number one all the way through the five-year contract that he had to 2009. So when he was still number one Zucker offered Leno a prime time spot at 10 o'clock. This allowed Jay to stay at NBC. Conan took over the Tonight Show and the numbers tank down to 49%. Jay's numbers tanked down 33%. The news network affiliates thought that Jay was such a terrible lead-in that they decided something had to be done otherwise a number of them were going to take away their contract with NBC. NBC offered an ultimatum to Conan and Jay. Jay would do a half hour program at 11:30 and Conan's tonight show would be pushed to 12:05. Conan refused this offer. They then went to Jay and asked him to take the Tonight Show back after Conan's contract was bought out. He agreed but Conan and the press painted Jay in a very very dark light. Jay was always a bit frustrated with NBC after he came back. This partly led to his contract being bought out and being replaced with Jimmy Fallon
Casey Hansen Conan didn’t “take” the tonight show, it was given to him
Conan never got a good chance. From day 1 Leno was still the first late show of the night, completely undercutting Conan.
Conan is a genuine guy and a talented comedian.
this is by far conans best skit ever
wow...ive never seen conan this serious...i blame nbc more than leno
The whole debacle IS because of Conan. He insisted NBC publicly promise him the Tonight Show and remove Leno, even though Jay was still The #1 ratings winner. Conan started the whole thing. So. Yeah. Blame Conan.
When he says "I'm happy with my decision, I sleep well at night" that's a man who doesn't take it more personally than he could have
Agreed one hundred percent. Conan is the man.