tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954985364832387420.post7129908531233866817..comments2023-10-15T08:47:16.191-04:00Comments on Spiral Reverie - An Author's Musings: Conan O'Brien vs. Jay Leno vs. NBC vs. HumorBenjamin Fennellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03969365899812684110noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954985364832387420.post-77971558784194141312010-01-19T05:41:53.430-05:002010-01-19T05:41:53.430-05:00Good to hear, I was trying to be comprehensive wit...Good to hear, I was trying to be comprehensive with this post, and I've tried to get every side of the story. :) Yeah, I remember reading discussion about that on the IMDB when everyone was abuzz over Letterman then, and now we're seeing a similar ratings explosion for Conan over NBC's terrible calls here. NBC treated Conan terribly at Late Night, and despite the higher investment, that didn't change at all with the Tonight Show - when Jimmy Fallon's getting better treatment from NBC with his later show, that says a lot. Rather than show even a shred of confidence in Conan or look at why he's had ratings problems, they'd rather simply assume that if he's not pulling Leno ratings in these first few months, it means he never will. From interviews, it even sounds like they just gave Conan the Tonight Show out of fears of losing him, but they never wanted to or had any intention of treating him like a top late night host on the network, second fiddle to Leno - and then even Fallon - which is beyond ridiculous.<br /><br />Yeah, I definitely agree. Developing a larger base and drawing larger ratings has a history of hinging on getting a big guest or some sort of public controversy that draws people to your show. Conan's never gotten any of that, and NBC's never given him that kind of exposure. It really bugs me every time I see all these Fallon ads on NBC when Conan never got that kind of support in any way. They've been giving him such a raw deal for so long, there's no blaming him for walking. NBC doesn't deserve any sympathy here as they try to cast the blame on Conan. I just hope it doesn't take him too long to get a new show elsewhere and that he can bring as much of the staff and crew as possible with him. Likewise, I really hope for more freedom wherever he goes and whatever he does next, so they can bring back more weird, surreal characters and comedy closer to that Late Night edge NBC tried to push out of Tonight. Conan deserves much better.Benjamin Fennellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03969365899812684110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954985364832387420.post-54968829063347838622010-01-18T21:10:17.889-05:002010-01-18T21:10:17.889-05:00You hit this whole thing right on the head, nice w...You hit this whole thing right on the head, nice work! I couldn't agree more. And don't forget that Conan's ratings were on top until Letterman's sex scandal. Then add Leno at 10:00 to the mix and Conan never had a chance. They were giving the better guests to Leno because he was in prime time, and I guarantee you that Leno never had to fight for guests when he was at the show. <br /><br />Also interesting is the fact that when Leno first got The Tonight Show, he was second in the ratings for 3 years until the Hugh Grant prostitute thing happened, and he had Grant on the show. If NBC had given Conan even 1/3 of the chance they gave Jay, this wouldn't be happening. In my opinion, anyway :-DLindsayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18143993209515462136noreply@blogger.com