Image Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty ImagesIn a surprise announcement, TBS announced today that Conan O’Brien will headline an 11 p.m. late-night show for the cable network in November. His program will serve as a lead-in to TBS’ fledging Lopez Tonight, which will shift to a midnight time slot. The network said O’Brien only began talking to execs there last week, and Lopez even called O’Brien himself. “I can’t think of anything better than doing my show with Conan as a lead-in,” Lopez said in a statement. Added O’Brien, “In three months I’ve gone from network TV to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I’m headed to basic cable. My plan is working perfectly.”
News of O’Brien’s yet-to-be-named show that will air Mondays through Thursdays came as a surprise — especially since the conventional wisdom around town was that O’Brien would end up on Fox, with which his camp had been negotiating until last week. The broadcast network has long been angling to get back into the late-night talk show business, even though insiders have stressed that it would take a lot of work to convince its stations to open up the 11 p.m. time slot for a pricey network talk show. Right now, the Fox-owned stations air off-net sitcoms in the time slot and reap huge profits because they sell up to 11 minutes of ad time during the hour. If the lucrative time slot reverted back to the network, the stations would have had to give up some commercial time, which would have resulted in the loss of millions of dollars in ad revenue. There was also the issue of contractual obligations; some stations offered time slot guarantees to off-net shows so the stations would face potential lawsuits if they bumped comedy reruns for O’Brien. To avoid legal troubles, some stations would have had to air O’Brien in later time slots for the short term. That potential lack of continuity couldn’t have been attractive to O’Brien’s camp.
Under the terms of his rich exit deal from NBC, in which he agreed to abdicate his role as the host of The Tonight Show in exchange for a large cash payout of more than $40 million, O’Brien was permitted to pursue other opportunities after Sept. 1. O’Brien has mostly stayed out of the public eye since stepping down in January, though he found some comic refuge in Twitter. He begins his multi-city comedy tour tonight in Eugene, Ore.
It’s debatable whether O’Brien on TBS poses a huge threat to the broadcast networks since viewers have already decided who they prefer in late night. O’Brien got a huge promotional push when he took over The Tonight Show last year but he hasn’t able to maintain Jay Leno’s winning ratings — which is why NBC made the controversial decision to pull the chair out from under him. Leno returned to the time slot after the Olympics and, as expected, is back on top. Letterman trails in second place.
Once on TBS, however, O’Brien should appeal to the same (young) audience that already tunes into Lopez Tonight, which attracts an average age of 33. Still, competition for the younger eyeballs will be fierce in the time slot given the stiff competition from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Colbert Nation, both on Comedy Central. O’Brien is not airing on Fridays because TBS devotes the night to movies – a vital part of its weekend lineup.
For more on O’Brien going to TBS:
Awesome! I am so there!
The age of network television is almost over!
I think it was over by the late 90s – since then there have been fewer truly great shows. However, I think this is just temporary for Conan, he will probably take over for Letterman when he steps down.
Hardly. More people still watch the 11 PM news on local network channels than watch talk shows. And there are still people in the US who do not have basic cable or whose cable systems (or subscription satellite) don’t carry TBS. Lots of luck being a ratings powerhouse, Conan.
PLEASE tell me Andy Richter is going to TBS with him!! Those two together are late night gold!
Go Coco! Next stop – public access!
stevex said: “Go Coco! Next stop – public access!”
I lol’d hard at that.
Conan is going to get destroyed by Stewart and Colbert. Too bad no one mentions that he lost in the ratings so badly that he trailed Nightline in total viewers for 25 consecutive weeks. No wonder the chair was pulled out from under him.
@ THX – How do you figure that network TV is almost over?
I’m still upset about cablevision and how they have blocked channels out, especially the network channels.
I will watch Conan on any channel, as long as it’s not Spice or pay per view.
I don’t understand how NBC dropped the ball the way they did… didn’t they do any market research?!
Conan O’Brien as a lead-in to George Lopez is like going to Megu in NYC for Kobe beef before heading your local Wendy’s for a cheesburger dinner.
Jon Stewart will destroy him the first half hour then Jay (and Dave really since he’s the one that will steal what few Conan viewers there are) will destroy him the second half hour.
I think it’s more like your last meal when you’re on death row, only to find out the hard way that the executioner didn’t wet the sponge like that sick **** in The Green Mile. Seriously, witnessing Lopez’s antics is comparable to a death in which one’s head bursts into a screaming gray matter inferno.
Lay Jeno is mad because Conan O’Brien keeps showing up in his wet dreams. I think that’s the only thing that can account for his weird, unnecessary vitriol. It’s like a gay basher being OBSESSED with gay people. Calm down, Lay Jeno. Nobody wants to read your unreasoned, emotional comments. Methinks you doth protest too much.
I would so be there with you! If…I had cable. Alas, no TBS for me.
I don’t even own a TV. Hopefully TBS will put the show on it’s website (but not gonna hold my breath).
His “fans” wouldn’t even watch him on NBC what makes anyone think they’ll watch him on TBS?
Lay Jeno is mad because Conan O’Brien keeps showing up in his wet dreams. I think that’s the only thing that can account for his weird, unnecessary vitriol. It’s like a gay basher being OBSESSED with gay people. Calm down, Lay Jeno. Nobody wants to read your unreasoned, emotional comments. Methinks you doth protest too much.
Speaking of “protesting too much” did you have to post the EXACT SAME thing twice???
I think this is a mistake (albeit better than NBC) I’m not sure how many people will actually tune into TBS, brodcast stations normally get more viewers than cable
less restrictions, more freedoms on cable = edgier, funnier conan. Albeit its a step down, but a win nonetheless. No network control to compete with cbs, nbc, fox, abc etc.
no affiliates….
I disagree with this comment completely. They are “family-friendly” with their original comedy – see Bill Engvall, George Lopez, and the reruns they have on there – Everybody Loves Raymond, for example.
I don’t see Conan’s edge being allowed here full throttle. And furthermore, he will be up against Jon Stewart…
Okay, that’s it! If ONE more person says ‘albeit’, they are gonna be strapped down and waterboarded while being forced to watch Reality shows!!!
Well, it might just be a ‘temporary’ home until a network gig opens up… and hopefully would still be his even after seven months
Besides, I think Jon Stewart and Chelsea Handler aren’t doing to shabby on ‘basic cable.’
You HONESTLY think a broadcast network still wants him? They don’t. Give it up already.
He doesn’t want broadcast. Give it up already.
Hey Captain @@: Give up what? Am I marching around my cubicle with the Co-Co sign right now? (Answer: no)
Stranger things have happened, but apparently I am not in possession of the magic 8 ball that you are. My bad, smart guy/gal!
Who peed in your Cheerios?
No, Elizabeth, I was talking to the person who posted under “@Elizabeth.” I’m with you, Elizabeth!
Well since The Tonight Show didn’t work out, he’s not necessarily looking for as wide an audience as possible anymore. Cable = more freedom, and probably a comparable salary.
All due respect, Tina, but I think this is a way better idea than Fox, which is the only network open to Conan, and the local affiliates were already grumbling in small fits of short-sighted, bottom-line-obsession. Conan’s fans will follow him to TBS. He will bring a cache to the cable network that it hasn’t had to date. AMAZING.
on the bright side, conan will be able to do pretty much anything he wants. but tbs? conan deserves so much better.
TBS? Really?
Apparently TBS is the only network that would let CoCo bump another show’s timeslot….you know….kinda like Leno was going to do to CoCo, but he threw a tamper tantrum and quit…
Read the story – George Lopez called him and personally asked him to come to TBS.
Wow you’re so gullible.
You honestly think George Lopez picked up the phone, said “Hey Conan, come to TBS”, and Conan agreed.
LMAO – ok then.
Obviously this is just a way to save face to not make it seem like Conan stole his timeslot
(which he is, btw)
No – whatever. Go back to your dark cynical hole. You’re not needed here.
Is that you Jay? I thought you had a car to fix.
This is probably a way for Lopez to keep his show seeing as nobody watched it.
I don’t know how well George Lopez’s show is doing but I imagine it can’t be hurt by a Conan lead in. So yes I can imagine George calling Conan to discuss the possibility of a move.
Yes, of course Lopez called. He will get better ratings at midnight with Conan as a lead-in than he’s getting now at 11 all by himself. Get real, EWsMom. You are the worst.
Exactly. I can’t say that Lopez couldn’t use a lead in, but that would just be making excuses for Conan doing the same thing that caused his own hissy fit.
Actually, Conan refused to take TBS’s offer unless it was ok with Lopez; he didn’t want the same thing to happen again. I just can’t believe Conan is going to “open” for Lopez, seems like it should be the other way around…TEAM COCO!
Crap, I don’t even think we get TBS in Canada anymore.
Hey Fox: EPIC fail.
Hahahahaha, TOTALLY. In a year or two, Fox (namely, it’s affiliates) will realize what a tremendous loss this was for them. Oh well. Their having passed this up is the final nail in the coffin containing Fox’s dreams of ever, ever having a late night show. It all works out for the best, in my opinion.
Have to agree there. Have fun showing the ShamWow commercial, Fox affilliates.
Exactly…like, are Seinfeld and Mad About You reruns REALLY more important than landing Conan? Fox screwed the pooch on that one!
Yes they really are. They make a ton of money off of those shows.
no Chuck. they are joking.
WOW, TBS swooped right in & took him. I would have never guessed he’d go there.
LMFAO!
I thought Conan was such a BIG star, with such wonderful humor that all the young, smart people loved.
YET no other respectable broadcast network even bothered to pick him up, and he couldn’t even make it on a cable network like FX (owned by Fox).
This is a big step DOWN for CoCo…although I’m sure his delusional fans will spin it otherwise.
Jay Leno? Is that you? If so, I hate you and your unfunny show.
Kevin Eubanks?
You’re still employed under me… Don’t talk back to me like that!
Hahahahahaha, see? This is the kind of “gentle humor” Leno fans love.
Don’t be such a hater. Why call CoCo fans delusional? What does that prove, other than you being negative. I’m a proud CoCo fan and I will watch him on any network…and he will always be funnier than Leno. I guess you would say I’m just being “delusional”
And your big hit talk show is on what network again? Oh, you don’t have one? But….you criticize Conan like you’ve done so much better than him….that’s odd. I must’ve read it wrong.
Why would George Lopez NOT want Conan on before him? I watch reruns of The Office and other shows on TBS…then when Lopez comes on I immediately switch over to something else. If Conan’s there, I might stay. Just like a lot of other people might do at the end of Conan’s show.
EWsMom, you are so right! Network is bastion of quality television. No successful comic would ever be caught dead on cable. What a step down it would be to have creative freedom and a discerning audience. You must be a media insider to be so astute.
hahahahahaha, right on, isembard!
I’m just happy Coco’s going to be back on television…what does it have to do with the fact of who or what picked him up?
hey, EWsMom. So it seems that you must be really lonely in life that the only way you can get people to acknowledge your existence is by trying to rile them up with all your quality statements. why don’t you and your attention seeking behavior go “lmfao” somewhere else, you douche.
He couldn’t even make it on a cable network, like FX? What the hell do you htink TBS is, if not a cable network. Also, do you know anything about TV. If you did, you would know that FX is not a network for comedy, whereas TBS has branded itself that way for the past few years.
I’m pretty sure TBS is higher rated than FX, so I’m not sure why you’re framing it as the Holy Grail of cable.
10 years ago this might have seemed like a grim proposition, but I think it’s great news. None of our late night viewing (with the exception of Jimmy Kimmel) is on network TV, and I’m sure we’re not alone.
Good luck Conan – looking forward to it!
Agreed! I think the last decade has proved that networks don’t exactly mean quality and that basic cable isn’t exactly a graveyard anymore. I’m looking forward to an edgy Conan and a boost to George Lopez.
Up against Daily Show and Colbert Report? Ummm …
That was my first thought. Competing against Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert won’t be good for the ratings, and I suspect they draw they same audiences.
And against Chelsea Handler… I wonder which demographics he’s shooting for?
In this day of duel recording DVRs, especially in the audience that these shows attract, it won’t make a difference. I’m a big fan of Stewart/Colbert, but I will also plan to record O’Brien.
DVRs at dawn, Don!
LOL – dueling dvrs…reminds me of the dueling banjos in deliverance. HEY! that might actually attract some of Leno’s viewers!
Fortunately, both TBS and Comedy Central rerun their programs multiple times throughout the night.
Comedy Central was the right play for Conan. They should have gone with Stephen at 10:30, Jon at 11:00 and Conan going up against Dave and Jay at 11:30. Trying to pull those 18-25 YOs from Jon will be no small trick.
On the plus side, anything that pushes George Lopez further into the darkness of late night is by definition a good thing. His show is for masochists only.
18-25 year olds??? I’m 36 and have been a huge fan of Jon Stewart since the John Stewart Show back in the 90s.
Rider, you’re thinking in terms of outdated Nielsen ratings systems. There’s no competition. Both COmedy Central and TBS repeat their late night programming throughout the night, and Comedy Central even repeats it during the following day. Also, the audience for these shows (including people in their 30s and even 40s) primarily use DVRs, which allow for recording two channels at once. The idea that this will fail, or that Colbert should have been moved to 10:30, isn’t too well thought out.
Are all of you seriously under the impression that The Daily Show and Colbert Report audiences aren’t massive DVR and internet users? In case you didn’t know, DVRs usually have two tuners, meaning they can record two channels at once! Problem solved!
Right, because we all know DVR-users watch all the commercials.
Apparently coco’s fans don’t know how to use the DVR. Actually I’m guessing they can’t afford them.
Yet another misguided attempt at wit from Lay Jeno. Keep learning from the master, Lay!
This news just made my Monday brighter! Can’t wait to see Conan on TV again.
Uhh.. hmmm. Love Conan and will enjoy his live show in Atlanta but I don’t even get TBS. Booooooooo.
If you are in Atlanta, maybe Peachtree TV will run it also, since they seem to run a lot of TBS stuff. Since it’s actually TBS and all…
I really hope so! Never understood why I can’t pick up TBS or PBS on the antenna.
Did it say that he would be doing the show from Atlanta? I know that where Turner is, but they don’t have any LA studios? Where does George Lopez do his show?
no – he is doing a series of live shows while contractually obligated to stay off tv.
Glad to to see Conan back, no matter where he is!!!!
i’m surprise it ended up being TBS, but i’m glad that he will be back on. i will definitely tune in.
Looks like someone was tired of dealing with affiliates!!!
Or, looks like someone could only get a new job with TBS.
He obviously was afraid of real competition. Or, FOX and their affiliates didn’t want him.
You guys are so transparent. It’s clear you’re just sad about some lack in your life that you inexplicably try to fill by making negative comments on EW’s Conan-related blog posts. Why can’t you leave well enough alone? You don’t say anything that contributes to a meaningful discussion. Mostly it just seems like you’re mad that other people like somethign so much. I am not a fan of Sarah Palin, but I totally get why people are. She’s charismatic and likes to stand up for who she perceives as “real Americans.” Good for her, and good for the people who like to listen to her. Can’t you guys just be secure in your opinions that Conan isn’t worth watching and calmly decline to voice your opinions here? Or if you must give them voice, can’t you take out the snark and the cynicism and just say what you want without impugning the taste of Conan’s fans?
What the heck does Sarah Palin have to do with this discussion???????