For the past month, there have been disputes surrounding NBC and its dealings with popular talk show hosts Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien.
Due to Leno’s new prime-time audience and his inability to intrigue or entertain many with his new 10 p.m. program “The Jay Leno Show,” numbers began to plummet, causing the numbers for O’Brien’s “The Tonight Show” at 11:30 p.m. to drop as well. Something needed to be done about the drastic change in ratings.
After striking a deal with NBC, O’Brien was forced to leave the airwaves until September 2010, after which he will more than likely be signed with FOX. Obviously this situation has caused turmoil amongst both Leno and O’Brien fans.
Now, I must say, I have always preferred O’Brien over Leno. His sense of humor and honesty are refreshing. Leno’s work is dry and I’ve never once found myself cracking a smile at it. Leno seems to be a fan of cheap humor whereas O’Brien knows what’s funny.
He can get me laughing out loud every time.
It just isn’t right that O’Brien should be bullied out of his job because Leno failed and NBC can’t let go.
Leno claimed, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, that he was merely seeking to fight for the jobs out there. His interview was clearly a poor attempt to gain some sympathy.
Don’t be fooled. It’s because Leno decided to do a new show and failed that the numbers were brought down and this whole issue started in the first place.
O’Brien’s final show on Jan. 22 was an unbelievable success. With more viewers than any of his previous shows, O’Brien showed fans his appreciation and reminded us all why we love him in the first place.
“Please do not be cynical. … For the record, it’s one of my least favorite qualities. It doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody gets in life exactly what they thought they were going to get, but if you work really hard, and you’re kind, amazing things will happen,” O’Brien said.
NBC has made a terrible mistake. Why would a network get rid of a guy who is clearly funnier than Leno and apparently doing better in his ratings?
Leno has lost his touch. Maybe it’s time to cut the cord and let someone new take the reins–and keep them.
Poor O’Brien only got to experience what he calls “every comedian’s dream” for seven months. Not cool, NBC.