"In three months I’ve gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I’m headed to basic cable. My plan is working perfectly."
April 12, 2010 10:55 AM Subscribe
Though most were betting on the former Tonight Show host to end up with a show on FOX, Conan O'Brien has confirmed today that he will do a late night show for cable network TBS at 11pm, starting in November. There was no word on the status of the masturbating bear.
I hope this doesn't cut into the Continuous James Bond Marathon usually plays.
posted by DU at 11:00 AM on April 12, 2010
posted by DU at 11:00 AM on April 12, 2010
But I just cancelled cable!
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:00 AM on April 12, 2010
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:00 AM on April 12, 2010
For those wondering about George Lopez (i.e. did Conan pull a Leno): from TMZ
We're told [Turner entertainment chief Steve] Koonin went to George Lopez and said he would only approach Conan if George gave his blessing. We're told George immediately figured out that having Conan as an 11:00 PM lead-in would be nothing short of amazing for a midnight show.
With Lopez on board, we're told Koonin then approached Conan with the idea. Conan's first reaction -- he didn't want to do to someone else what was done to him, referring to NBC's decision to blindside Conan. Koonin told Conan that George had signed off, but Conan wanted to make sure. George then called Conan to reassure him he was on board and thought they would be great partners.
posted by sallybrown at 11:02 AM on April 12, 2010 [18 favorites]
We're told [Turner entertainment chief Steve] Koonin went to George Lopez and said he would only approach Conan if George gave his blessing. We're told George immediately figured out that having Conan as an 11:00 PM lead-in would be nothing short of amazing for a midnight show.
With Lopez on board, we're told Koonin then approached Conan with the idea. Conan's first reaction -- he didn't want to do to someone else what was done to him, referring to NBC's decision to blindside Conan. Koonin told Conan that George had signed off, but Conan wanted to make sure. George then called Conan to reassure him he was on board and thought they would be great partners.
posted by sallybrown at 11:02 AM on April 12, 2010 [18 favorites]
I think Conan's going to get some grief over the fact that with this new show, he's bumping George Lopez back an hour to midnight. (Imaginary headline: Conan Lenoing Lopez.)
posted by thewittyname at 11:02 AM on April 12, 2010
posted by thewittyname at 11:02 AM on April 12, 2010
Just think of the Coco Lopez Coconut Milk co-branding opportunities!
posted by anthom at 11:06 AM on April 12, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by anthom at 11:06 AM on April 12, 2010 [6 favorites]
Wasn't part of the uproar around this whole thing about the sacredness of the 11:30 talkshow?
posted by roll truck roll at 11:07 AM on April 12, 2010
posted by roll truck roll at 11:07 AM on April 12, 2010
I dunno, I'm glad to see him not feeding Murdoch's maw.
I think Conan's going to get some grief over the fact that with this new show, he's bumping George Lopez back an hour to midnight. (Imaginary headline: Conan Lenoing Lopez.)
How many people watch Lopez's show now? How many will watch it after Conan? Heh. It's interesting that even this small network did everything on the up and up when they were on the verge of getting a huge prize, compared to NBC.
posted by delmoi at 11:08 AM on April 12, 2010
I think Conan's going to get some grief over the fact that with this new show, he's bumping George Lopez back an hour to midnight. (Imaginary headline: Conan Lenoing Lopez.)
How many people watch Lopez's show now? How many will watch it after Conan? Heh. It's interesting that even this small network did everything on the up and up when they were on the verge of getting a huge prize, compared to NBC.
posted by delmoi at 11:08 AM on April 12, 2010
I'm convinced George Lopez was designed by committee after some VP of marketing heard that Hispanics were the fastest growing minority group.
posted by 2bucksplus at 11:09 AM on April 12, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by 2bucksplus at 11:09 AM on April 12, 2010 [4 favorites]
I wish him the best, but I have no cable. I hope he keeps doing stuff on the Internet.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:11 AM on April 12, 2010
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:11 AM on April 12, 2010
To the point though, the way CoCo and LoLo handled this transition reflects well on both of these gentlemen.
posted by 2bucksplus at 11:11 AM on April 12, 2010
posted by 2bucksplus at 11:11 AM on April 12, 2010
Blazecock Pileon: "I wish him the best, but I have no cable. I hope he keeps doing stuff on the Internet."
I've always said that Conan is the preferred host among people who don't watch much TV. I hope that TBS is thinking about how to improve their Internet presence to allow for streaming full shows, etc.
posted by roll truck roll at 11:13 AM on April 12, 2010 [4 favorites]
I've always said that Conan is the preferred host among people who don't watch much TV. I hope that TBS is thinking about how to improve their Internet presence to allow for streaming full shows, etc.
posted by roll truck roll at 11:13 AM on April 12, 2010 [4 favorites]
To the point though, the way CoCo and LoLo handled this transition reflects well on both of these gentlemen.
And all this time, I thought they both were working through agents...
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 11:14 AM on April 12, 2010
And all this time, I thought they both were working through agents...
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 11:14 AM on April 12, 2010
It's interesting that even this small network did everything on the up and up when they were on the verge of getting a huge prize, compared to NBC.
TBS itself is small(ish), but it's part of Time Warner, not exactly a mom and pop operation. Though I think Kabletown might be bigger now that it's acquired GE Sheinhardt NBC Universal.
posted by kmz at 11:18 AM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
TBS itself is small(ish), but it's part of Time Warner, not exactly a mom and pop operation. Though I think Kabletown might be bigger now that it's acquired GE Sheinhardt NBC Universal.
posted by kmz at 11:18 AM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
TBS has: The company's current assets include CNN, HLN, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim
The only real issue here is that I'll have to watch those fucking terrible TBS commercials -- the ones where they have a call center for determining if something's funny. It's a good thing I love Conan.
BTW -- is he still going to tape in LA?
posted by spiderskull at 11:21 AM on April 12, 2010
The only real issue here is that I'll have to watch those fucking terrible TBS commercials -- the ones where they have a call center for determining if something's funny. It's a good thing I love Conan.
BTW -- is he still going to tape in LA?
posted by spiderskull at 11:21 AM on April 12, 2010
TBS ... Well, I suppose it's past the point where it matters if you're on a "major" network, whatever that means anymore. But TBS is still pretty far off the dial for most people under 50 or anyone who's not interested in endless reruns of long-dead television series, even though it was one of the first cable channels. I guess there is some hope that he'll be less constrained by the format of a major network show, but his budget (and by consequence his writing staff) will suffer. I'll check it out anyway, which I was never inclined to do with his Tonight Show - I like Conan and don't much care for Leno, but it still had FAIL written all over it.
posted by krinklyfig at 11:25 AM on April 12, 2010
posted by krinklyfig at 11:25 AM on April 12, 2010
Conan should have been put on TCM if he's going the Turner route as a comic lead-in for Robert Osbourne.
/might be kidding
/might not
posted by deacon_blues at 11:27 AM on April 12, 2010
/might be kidding
/might not
posted by deacon_blues at 11:27 AM on April 12, 2010
Dammit. No cable. I love Conan, but I'm not going to start paying for TV just to see his show.
posted by 1adam12 at 11:34 AM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by 1adam12 at 11:34 AM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
The Daily Beast confirms Lopez's support for the move:
Polone says George Lopez told O’Brien, “I really want you here. You and I are the team. I want to move to midnight.”posted by l33tpolicywonk at 11:34 AM on April 12, 2010
I'm convinced George Lopez was designed by committee after some VP of marketing heard that Hispanics were the fastest growing minority group.
I believe his sitcom and talk show were designed exactly this way. But he's actually a pretty decent stand-up comedian with the style of a storyteller, and he can really work a room, so he's got the chops and a pretty big fan base already (though I don't think they care about his talk show at all). I think he has a place, but the sitcom worked better than the late-night gig.
posted by krinklyfig at 11:37 AM on April 12, 2010
I believe his sitcom and talk show were designed exactly this way. But he's actually a pretty decent stand-up comedian with the style of a storyteller, and he can really work a room, so he's got the chops and a pretty big fan base already (though I don't think they care about his talk show at all). I think he has a place, but the sitcom worked better than the late-night gig.
posted by krinklyfig at 11:37 AM on April 12, 2010
This crusade to compel the masses to refer to him by the cheeky diminutive "Coco" is really annoying. I can't read it or hear it without feeling a little ill.
posted by hermitosis at 11:38 AM on April 12, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by hermitosis at 11:38 AM on April 12, 2010 [5 favorites]
This crusade to compel the masses to refer to him by the cheeky diminutive "Coco" is really annoying. I can't read it or hear it without feeling a little ill.
The nickname was an invention of the Twitter Tracker segment and was popularized further by Tom Hanks on the same episode.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 11:43 AM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
The nickname was an invention of the Twitter Tracker segment and was popularized further by Tom Hanks on the same episode.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 11:43 AM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
The nickname was an invention of the Twitter Tracker segment and was popularized further by Tom Hanks on the same episode.
I was in the audience for the taping of that episode (and I never get tired of saying so), and part of the Coco movement came from a moment during a commercial break when Tom really worked the audience up into a Coco chant (complete with C-O C-O hand gestures). It just seemed to stick after that. My friend and I came out of the taping already calling him Coco in casual conversation even before the show aired that night.
posted by Servo5678 at 11:48 AM on April 12, 2010 [12 favorites]
I was in the audience for the taping of that episode (and I never get tired of saying so), and part of the Coco movement came from a moment during a commercial break when Tom really worked the audience up into a Coco chant (complete with C-O C-O hand gestures). It just seemed to stick after that. My friend and I came out of the taping already calling him Coco in casual conversation even before the show aired that night.
posted by Servo5678 at 11:48 AM on April 12, 2010 [12 favorites]
Lopez (and I love the nickname "LoLo") knows he can expect to draw a LARGER audience with Conan as lead-in even at a later hour. He may not be a particularly funny comedian, but he is show-biz-savvy (almost a Hispanic Leno, so WATCH YOUR BACK O'BRIEN!). Conan really didn't want to be seen as 'pulling a Leno' on anybody else (which would have been inevitable if he'd gone to Comedy Central, displacing Stewart and Colbert) for practical, emotional AND moral reasons.
Working with the "Turner" arm of Time Warner (one of the less EVIL media megacorps out there, especially compared to NBC and FOX) will have benefits for the Wacky Redhead (not to be confused with other wacky redheads like Lucille Ball or Karl Marx), like getting the Pale Force cartoon a regular timeslot on Adult Swim... maybe even a late-late rebroadcast on the news-talk oriented HLN (he used to have his reruns shown on CNBC in prime time, remember?) No, this is a good thing.
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:52 AM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Working with the "Turner" arm of Time Warner (one of the less EVIL media megacorps out there, especially compared to NBC and FOX) will have benefits for the Wacky Redhead (not to be confused with other wacky redheads like Lucille Ball or Karl Marx), like getting the Pale Force cartoon a regular timeslot on Adult Swim... maybe even a late-late rebroadcast on the news-talk oriented HLN (he used to have his reruns shown on CNBC in prime time, remember?) No, this is a good thing.
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:52 AM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Conan really didn't want to be seen as 'pulling a Leno' on anybody else (which would have been inevitable if he'd gone to Comedy Central, displacing Stewart and Colbert)
Were people discussing this like it was a thing? Because literally no executive could be so stupid as to kill that golden goose.
posted by TypographicalError at 12:00 PM on April 12, 2010
Were people discussing this like it was a thing? Because literally no executive could be so stupid as to kill that golden goose.
posted by TypographicalError at 12:00 PM on April 12, 2010
so he's got the chops and a pretty big fan base already (though I don't think they care about his talk show at all).
I work on the Warner Bros. lot where the Lopez show is taped (he has a golf cart styled like a classic lowrider), and I see the lines that form for the show both in the morning to pick up tickets and at night to see the show. Really, really big lines. I think his fan base has followed him to the talk show.
posted by Bookhouse at 12:06 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
I work on the Warner Bros. lot where the Lopez show is taped (he has a golf cart styled like a classic lowrider), and I see the lines that form for the show both in the morning to pick up tickets and at night to see the show. Really, really big lines. I think his fan base has followed him to the talk show.
posted by Bookhouse at 12:06 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
I don't understand the appeal of any of these late night shows - save one. I recently spent a couple weeks house & cat-sitting at my folk's home, which comes complete with a huge flat screen TV and cable (I have neither). I hadn't watched any of these programs in at least a decade, and they were all just ... weird, boring, forced and artificial. I found them all, basically, appalling. Nobody had anything of interest to say, not the hosts, not the guests, and I felt embarrassed for everyone, on either side of the desk. Except ... for Craig Ferguson and his Late Late Show. He seemed genuine, and genuinely delighted to be actively creating something on-the-fly in front of his audience, and his interviews also felt recognizably human, often touching and humane.
posted by Auden at 12:06 PM on April 12, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by Auden at 12:06 PM on April 12, 2010 [4 favorites]
He may not be a particularly funny comedian
All I can say is, as far as Latino comedians go, he's better than Paul Rodriguez, and Carlos Mencia isn't technically Latino, but .... do I really need to add that Mencia sucks?
posted by krinklyfig at 12:11 PM on April 12, 2010
All I can say is, as far as Latino comedians go, he's better than Paul Rodriguez, and Carlos Mencia isn't technically Latino, but .... do I really need to add that Mencia sucks?
posted by krinklyfig at 12:11 PM on April 12, 2010
Ahhh, Craig Ferguson. I love him AND his robot skeleton army!
posted by bitter-girl.com at 12:11 PM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by bitter-girl.com at 12:11 PM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Wasn't part of the uproar around this whole thing about the sacredness of the 11:30 talkshow?
Conan was reportedly upset about the idea that The Tonight Show, specifically, would be switching time slots (and thus being marginalized) on his watch. Kind of like moving Saturday Night Live to Sunday nights, although another sketch show might do well in that time slot.
posted by davejay at 12:12 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Conan was reportedly upset about the idea that The Tonight Show, specifically, would be switching time slots (and thus being marginalized) on his watch. Kind of like moving Saturday Night Live to Sunday nights, although another sketch show might do well in that time slot.
posted by davejay at 12:12 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Craig Ferguson and his Late Late Show
Yes, he's really good at it, and slowly but surely, people are catching on, including the celebrities he books. He books way bigger guests than almost anyone with a similarly difficult timeslot.
posted by krinklyfig at 12:12 PM on April 12, 2010
Yes, he's really good at it, and slowly but surely, people are catching on, including the celebrities he books. He books way bigger guests than almost anyone with a similarly difficult timeslot.
posted by krinklyfig at 12:12 PM on April 12, 2010
Team Coco... 11 pm for you! You go, Team Coco!
posted by explosion at 12:13 PM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by explosion at 12:13 PM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
But TBS is still pretty far off the dial for most people under 50 or anyone who's not interested in endless reruns of long-dead television series, even though it was one of the first cable channels.
Yeah, basic cable has made some strides lately, with good shows on FX and USA and AMC. But I still never watch TBS.
posted by smackfu at 12:26 PM on April 12, 2010
Yeah, basic cable has made some strides lately, with good shows on FX and USA and AMC. But I still never watch TBS.
posted by smackfu at 12:26 PM on April 12, 2010
I don't watch TBS because for me, not much good on that channel. Once Conan's show is on that particular number of my cable box, I'll watch it. I don't think it matters what "channel" he's on, that's a concept rapidly becoming anachronistic. As pointed out above, he needs wide initial distribution of each episode, Internet streaming, and a company that can leverage the show and associated properties into different content areas (other channels, etc.).
A fraction of Comedy Central's nightly audience bothered with hat random cable channel until they got content everyone wanted. With content availability becoming more ubiquitous, I imagine Conan is rightly less worried about bg initial broadcast audiences and more about total audience development. (If he's smart he is, anyway.)
posted by LooseFilter at 12:42 PM on April 12, 2010
A fraction of Comedy Central's nightly audience bothered with hat random cable channel until they got content everyone wanted. With content availability becoming more ubiquitous, I imagine Conan is rightly less worried about bg initial broadcast audiences and more about total audience development. (If he's smart he is, anyway.)
posted by LooseFilter at 12:42 PM on April 12, 2010
Anything that hastens the shuttling of Leno to the trash heap he belongs in is okay by me, but lacking cable means I won't be watching Conan's new show any time soon.
posted by tommasz at 12:43 PM on April 12, 2010
posted by tommasz at 12:43 PM on April 12, 2010
I'm with LO-CO.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 12:45 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by furiousxgeorge at 12:45 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
This is TBS going after Comedy Central. It will need more than 8 hours of Family Guy followed by 5 hours of The (US) Office to fill out the schedule (let's not forget TBS begins it day with a 3 hour block of Saved by the Bell). TBS has been trying to be the Funny (TNT is the drama, etc) for years. What Turner does with its networks is cross promote this shit out of their assets (too much I think with bugs popping up on every show ever). This will be a success for Turner, if they get more eyeballs than Stewart/Colbert.
For Conan, being on cable does give him a little more latitude. Less use of bleeps of profanity and more adult (or childish but for TVMA audiences) types of humor. The pressure will be lower for Coco (lower expectations with ratings) and like Letterman got when he left CBS, he'll probably have a lot more control over the show.
The Daily Show would never make it on broadcast TV. I love Jon Stewart, but if he were the host a broadcast TV show, it wouldn't be as good as his cable gigs are. It think that Conan on cable will be the same way. The Daily Show's rating are a fraction of what Leno gets on a bad night but Jon Stewart has more buzz and is part of the public eye than Leno is. I think Conan will be the same.
If I were Fox, I would have brought him on to be on FX for a few years until the local affiliate bullshit could sorted out and then bring him to broadcast TV again.
My cable system does TBS HD on the east coast feed so an 11pm show it on at 8pm for me, and I can still watch the Daily Show at 11pm. This is win-win for me.
posted by birdherder at 12:47 PM on April 12, 2010
For Conan, being on cable does give him a little more latitude. Less use of bleeps of profanity and more adult (or childish but for TVMA audiences) types of humor. The pressure will be lower for Coco (lower expectations with ratings) and like Letterman got when he left CBS, he'll probably have a lot more control over the show.
The Daily Show would never make it on broadcast TV. I love Jon Stewart, but if he were the host a broadcast TV show, it wouldn't be as good as his cable gigs are. It think that Conan on cable will be the same way. The Daily Show's rating are a fraction of what Leno gets on a bad night but Jon Stewart has more buzz and is part of the public eye than Leno is. I think Conan will be the same.
If I were Fox, I would have brought him on to be on FX for a few years until the local affiliate bullshit could sorted out and then bring him to broadcast TV again.
My cable system does TBS HD on the east coast feed so an 11pm show it on at 8pm for me, and I can still watch the Daily Show at 11pm. This is win-win for me.
posted by birdherder at 12:47 PM on April 12, 2010
People of Earth:
In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 5 months, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.
Six months ago, I signed a contract with TBS to take over the 11PM slot from Family Guy reruns in November of 2009. Like a lot of us, I spent time getting high and watching Peter Griffin every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:00 is impossible without both.
But sadly, we were never given that chance. The chair I so lusted after was animated, non-existent in objective reality. Graciously I accepted the next best thing, to host a talk show in the time slot. But after only five months, with my Lopez Tonight show in its infancy, TBS has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.
Today, TBS executives told me they intended to move Lopez Tonight to 12:00 to accommodate the new Conan O'Brien show at 11:00. For 22 weeks Lopez Tonight has aired immediately following the last Family Guy rerun of the night. I sincerely believe that delaying Lopez Tonight into the next day to accommodate a comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of George Lopez-hosted talk shows. Lopez Tonight at 12:00 simply isn't Lopez Tonight. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the late repeats of My Name Is Earl, which I also used to watch while baked (except during the third season, which was hit-and-miss,) out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other TBS syndicated repeat that I love, and it would be unfair to Jason Lee, who depends on the small-but-steady stream of residuals.
So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of Lopez Tonight. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with Lopez Tonight, I believe nothing could matter more.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer. My hope is that TBS 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.
Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my career; it's always been that way.
Yours,
George
posted by furiousxgeorge at 12:52 PM on April 12, 2010 [5 favorites]
In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 5 months, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.
Six months ago, I signed a contract with TBS to take over the 11PM slot from Family Guy reruns in November of 2009. Like a lot of us, I spent time getting high and watching Peter Griffin every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:00 is impossible without both.
But sadly, we were never given that chance. The chair I so lusted after was animated, non-existent in objective reality. Graciously I accepted the next best thing, to host a talk show in the time slot. But after only five months, with my Lopez Tonight show in its infancy, TBS has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.
Today, TBS executives told me they intended to move Lopez Tonight to 12:00 to accommodate the new Conan O'Brien show at 11:00. For 22 weeks Lopez Tonight has aired immediately following the last Family Guy rerun of the night. I sincerely believe that delaying Lopez Tonight into the next day to accommodate a comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of George Lopez-hosted talk shows. Lopez Tonight at 12:00 simply isn't Lopez Tonight. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the late repeats of My Name Is Earl, which I also used to watch while baked (except during the third season, which was hit-and-miss,) out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other TBS syndicated repeat that I love, and it would be unfair to Jason Lee, who depends on the small-but-steady stream of residuals.
So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of Lopez Tonight. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with Lopez Tonight, I believe nothing could matter more.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer. My hope is that TBS 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.
Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my career; it's always been that way.
Yours,
George
posted by furiousxgeorge at 12:52 PM on April 12, 2010 [5 favorites]
In all the surprise that he landed at TBS of all places, one thing I don't hear being addressed is: how did Fox screw this up? I thought they were the leading contender all along.
posted by squeakyfromme at 12:54 PM on April 12, 2010
posted by squeakyfromme at 12:54 PM on April 12, 2010
Coco seems to hate L.A. Is he going back to NYC to tape the show?
posted by mrhappy at 12:56 PM on April 12, 2010
posted by mrhappy at 12:56 PM on April 12, 2010
Am I alone in not seeing a ton of difference between cable and network? I am aware that the difference exists, but generally in my TV viewing life I just watch good shows and tend not to care what channel they are on.
Are there still people who really care whether something is broadcast or not? Why is the distinction between cable and network so important?
posted by Aizkolari at 12:58 PM on April 12, 2010
Are there still people who really care whether something is broadcast or not? Why is the distinction between cable and network so important?
posted by Aizkolari at 12:58 PM on April 12, 2010
The Daily Show would never make it on broadcast TV. I love Jon Stewart, but if he were the host a broadcast TV show, it wouldn't be as good as his cable gigs are.
For proof of that one need look no further than when Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect" jumped from Comedy Central to ABC. Now he's back on HBO doing the same thing under a different name, and whether you like his humor or not I don't think you can accuse HBO of muzzling the guy.
posted by squeakyfromme at 1:00 PM on April 12, 2010
For proof of that one need look no further than when Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect" jumped from Comedy Central to ABC. Now he's back on HBO doing the same thing under a different name, and whether you like his humor or not I don't think you can accuse HBO of muzzling the guy.
posted by squeakyfromme at 1:00 PM on April 12, 2010
Why is the distinction between cable and network so important?
Presumably because there are still people like me living in the Stone Age without cable. However, I think the distinction is rapidly fading as fewer and fewer people continue to go without cable: a) it's still the most common way to get broadband, and b) when even Monday Night Football moves to basic cable that's a pretty clear sign that the balance of power has shifted.
posted by squeakyfromme at 1:02 PM on April 12, 2010
Presumably because there are still people like me living in the Stone Age without cable. However, I think the distinction is rapidly fading as fewer and fewer people continue to go without cable: a) it's still the most common way to get broadband, and b) when even Monday Night Football moves to basic cable that's a pretty clear sign that the balance of power has shifted.
posted by squeakyfromme at 1:02 PM on April 12, 2010
Bah. I'm not sure if being able to watch Conan (in standard-def!!) is worth $40(+?) a month.
posted by Silly Ashles at 1:08 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Silly Ashles at 1:08 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
One thing about cable that hasn't come up yet: unlike broadcast TV, cable is technically un-regulated with regards to vulgarity. Cable networks in the US have traditionally respected broadcast rules regarding a "family hour" until 10 PM ET, but unlike broadcast networks, have been known to take liberties with cursewords from time to time: while the South Park episode It Hits the Fan is perhaps the most famous example, Comedy Central allowed Jon Stewart to interview the author of On Bullshit unbleeped a few years ago, and both Mad Men and Breaking Bad have been employing the Big S (and even a Big F or two) from time to time. TBS may be easily convinced to lower vulgarity standards for the new Conan show, if not for curse words, than certainly for the occasional self-pleasing mammal or two.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 1:33 PM on April 12, 2010
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 1:33 PM on April 12, 2010
Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my career; it's always been that way.
Yours,
George
posted by furiousxgeorge at 2:52 PM on April 12 [has favorites +] [!]
Eponysterical.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 1:38 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yours,
George
posted by furiousxgeorge at 2:52 PM on April 12 [has favorites +] [!]
Eponysterical.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 1:38 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
how did Fox screw this up? I thought they were the leading contender all along.
The affiliates were not thrilled. They would have to give up well-performing sitcoms where they make a lot of money directly (since Fox the network is not involved). In addition, they have already spent millions buying their slate of reruns for the next few years, which is worth a lot less if they run it at midnight instead of 11 PM. One more thing is that some of these sitcom syndication contracts guaranteed an 11 PM timeslot.
All in all, it's not clear they would gain anything from Conan over top-tier sitcoms.
posted by smackfu at 1:40 PM on April 12, 2010
The affiliates were not thrilled. They would have to give up well-performing sitcoms where they make a lot of money directly (since Fox the network is not involved). In addition, they have already spent millions buying their slate of reruns for the next few years, which is worth a lot less if they run it at midnight instead of 11 PM. One more thing is that some of these sitcom syndication contracts guaranteed an 11 PM timeslot.
All in all, it's not clear they would gain anything from Conan over top-tier sitcoms.
posted by smackfu at 1:40 PM on April 12, 2010
All in all, it's not clear they would gain anything from Conan over top-tier sitcoms.
Reruns of top-tier sitcoms. That's a big distinction, I would think.
posted by squeakyfromme at 2:29 PM on April 12, 2010
Reruns of top-tier sitcoms. That's a big distinction, I would think.
posted by squeakyfromme at 2:29 PM on April 12, 2010
All in all, it's not clear they would gain anything from Conan over top-tier sitcoms.
And I think more than a few affiliates don't have the confidence in Fox not to fuck it up. Fox has a long and illustrious track record of killing off promising shows before they found their audience, or programming absolutely dreadful shows. A Friends, The Office or2 1/2 Men show in syndication has a known ROI. At the end of the day, that's all that matters.
To be a success on Fox, Conan would have to beat Dave and/or Leno. Based on the broadcast TV demographics, tradition, advertiser budgets, that wouldn't happen. To be a success on cable, he need only pay the bills (and a grand slam home run would be to beat Stewart and/or Colbert).
Bah. I'm not sure if being able to watch Conan (in standard-def!!) is worth $40(+?) a month.
TBS has been in HD for years. Albeit most of the programming is in faux HD (standard def stretched to 16:9) but that has more to do with most of their programming being old programs that weren't originally produced in HD. The Lopez show looks very good in HD on TBS.
posted by birdherder at 2:37 PM on April 12, 2010
And I think more than a few affiliates don't have the confidence in Fox not to fuck it up. Fox has a long and illustrious track record of killing off promising shows before they found their audience, or programming absolutely dreadful shows. A Friends, The Office or2 1/2 Men show in syndication has a known ROI. At the end of the day, that's all that matters.
To be a success on Fox, Conan would have to beat Dave and/or Leno. Based on the broadcast TV demographics, tradition, advertiser budgets, that wouldn't happen. To be a success on cable, he need only pay the bills (and a grand slam home run would be to beat Stewart and/or Colbert).
Bah. I'm not sure if being able to watch Conan (in standard-def!!) is worth $40(+?) a month.
TBS has been in HD for years. Albeit most of the programming is in faux HD (standard def stretched to 16:9) but that has more to do with most of their programming being old programs that weren't originally produced in HD. The Lopez show looks very good in HD on TBS.
posted by birdherder at 2:37 PM on April 12, 2010
Hm, if it gets bumped after midnight, isn't it technically the "Tomorrow Night Show"?
posted by qvantamon at 2:58 PM on April 12, 2010
posted by qvantamon at 2:58 PM on April 12, 2010
TBS may be easily convinced to lower vulgarity standards for the new Conan show, if not for curse words, than certainly for the occasional self-pleasing mammal or two.
I know the Adult Swim guys have complained about Turner standards now and again, but they seem to get about as much vulgarity as you need in their shows. Self pleasing bear should make the cut.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 3:28 PM on April 12, 2010
I know the Adult Swim guys have complained about Turner standards now and again, but they seem to get about as much vulgarity as you need in their shows. Self pleasing bear should make the cut.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 3:28 PM on April 12, 2010
krinklyfig: Carlos Mencia isn't technically Latino...
Wait, what? Is there like a board certification exam he failed or something? According to Wikipedia he was born in Honduras to a Mexican mother and a Honduran father.
I mean, I know Latinos would be happy to disavow him, but they can't just arbitrarily dump him. At least start a rumor that he's Icelandic or something.
posted by Panjandrum at 3:36 PM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Wait, what? Is there like a board certification exam he failed or something? According to Wikipedia he was born in Honduras to a Mexican mother and a Honduran father.
I mean, I know Latinos would be happy to disavow him, but they can't just arbitrarily dump him. At least start a rumor that he's Icelandic or something.
posted by Panjandrum at 3:36 PM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Wasn't part of the uproar around this whole thing about the sacredness of the 11:30 talkshow?
This won't be the Tonight Show, which has been on at 11:30/11:35 and I think a bit earlier but after 11 for at least close to 60 years.
posted by juiceCake at 3:40 PM on April 12, 2010
This won't be the Tonight Show, which has been on at 11:30/11:35 and I think a bit earlier but after 11 for at least close to 60 years.
posted by juiceCake at 3:40 PM on April 12, 2010
I don't understand why no one is giving poor TBS its due. It is the #2 cable network in the US for adults 18-49 and 18-34. That's better ratings overall than Comedy Central or ESPN, though ESPN is very dependent on events. Number 1 is USA, which is owned by NBC, so no go for Coco. It also has the most subscribers of any network.
And the #1 cable network is Nickelodeon, but wouldn't that be interesting. Oh wait, he did try that.
posted by ALongDecember at 7:07 PM on April 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
And the #1 cable network is Nickelodeon, but wouldn't that be interesting. Oh wait, he did try that.
posted by ALongDecember at 7:07 PM on April 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
I don't understand why no one is giving poor TBS its due.
From their home page right now: "tonight on tbs: 8/7c three full hours of Family Guy"
posted by smackfu at 8:26 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
From their home page right now: "tonight on tbs: 8/7c three full hours of Family Guy"
posted by smackfu at 8:26 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yet somehow Adult Swim is the most brilliant thing ever on TV when everyone knows what is its flagship show.
posted by ALongDecember at 8:38 PM on April 12, 2010
posted by ALongDecember at 8:38 PM on April 12, 2010
Very true, it's biggest original contribution to entertainment has been 200+ episodes of Tyler Perry shows. (Tyler Perry's House of Conan, anyone?) But I was just writing about how many critics are talking about the deal like Conan is ending up on public access.
posted by ALongDecember at 9:14 PM on April 12, 2010
posted by ALongDecember at 9:14 PM on April 12, 2010
(let's not forget TBS begins it day with a 3 hour block of Saved by the Bell)
Wasn't Saved by the Bell on Adult Swim for a while? Ah, yes, here's the story covered by the journalistic behemoth known as MTV.
posted by krinklyfig at 9:56 PM on April 12, 2010
Wasn't Saved by the Bell on Adult Swim for a while? Ah, yes, here's the story covered by the journalistic behemoth known as MTV.
posted by krinklyfig at 9:56 PM on April 12, 2010
Yet somehow Adult Swim is the most brilliant thing ever on TV when everyone knows what is its flagship show.
The way I see it, Family Guy is a way to keep the lights on at Williams St., so I can just skip past it, and I guess now American Dad. Still, how many times can people watch the same episodes, even if they're fans? I know, they make a new one every few years or something like that ... I just wish Space Ghost was still their captain.
posted by krinklyfig at 10:02 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
The way I see it, Family Guy is a way to keep the lights on at Williams St., so I can just skip past it, and I guess now American Dad. Still, how many times can people watch the same episodes, even if they're fans? I know, they make a new one every few years or something like that ... I just wish Space Ghost was still their captain.
posted by krinklyfig at 10:02 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
I just watch good shows and tend not to care what channel they are on
This makes it sound like you don't realize cable costs money. Maybe you don't care if a show is on a $0/month network or a $40/month network, but presumably you'd start to care (or at least stop watching) if it moved to a $40,000/month network. At some point, a channel isn't worth the cost of watching, and for many people that point it basic cable.
posted by scottreynen at 10:06 PM on April 12, 2010
This makes it sound like you don't realize cable costs money. Maybe you don't care if a show is on a $0/month network or a $40/month network, but presumably you'd start to care (or at least stop watching) if it moved to a $40,000/month network. At some point, a channel isn't worth the cost of watching, and for many people that point it basic cable.
posted by scottreynen at 10:06 PM on April 12, 2010
Hm, if it gets bumped after midnight, isn't it technically the "Tomorrow Night Show"?
That's a common misconception. Technically, the nomenclature of television shows is based on the Julian day.
posted by Crabby Appleton at 8:38 PM on April 14, 2010
That's a common misconception. Technically, the nomenclature of television shows is based on the Julian day.
posted by Crabby Appleton at 8:38 PM on April 14, 2010
I think I like the idea of Adult Swim more than I actually like Adult Swim. I was a huge Space Ghost fan; I have all the DVDs and still watch them a lot. Do any of the Adult Swim programs come close? They all seem too "it's okay, we're all in on the joke." The Neil Hamburger to Space Ghost's Andy Kaufman. If I'm wrong, tell me which shows I should rent.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:14 PM on April 15, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by roll truck roll at 12:14 PM on April 15, 2010 [2 favorites]
Do any of the Adult Swim programs come close?
I think something about the limitations of the Space Ghost format (i.e. the talkshow conceit and the extremely limited-motion animation, working with a much more primitive set of digital tools than they have now) that really brought out the best in those guys and made the various ways in which they pushed the format all the more potent. Sealab and ATHF in their prime were both spottily brilliant, but even their high points don't match SG:C2C, as far as I'm concerned.
posted by anazgnos at 3:04 PM on April 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
I think something about the limitations of the Space Ghost format (i.e. the talkshow conceit and the extremely limited-motion animation, working with a much more primitive set of digital tools than they have now) that really brought out the best in those guys and made the various ways in which they pushed the format all the more potent. Sealab and ATHF in their prime were both spottily brilliant, but even their high points don't match SG:C2C, as far as I'm concerned.
posted by anazgnos at 3:04 PM on April 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Do any of the Adult Swim programs come close?
Absolutely, and even surpass. The Venture Brothers for example.
posted by juiceCake at 7:59 AM on April 23, 2010
Absolutely, and even surpass. The Venture Brothers for example.
posted by juiceCake at 7:59 AM on April 23, 2010
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posted by wcfields at 10:58 AM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]