That's the rumor and according to this and TMZ, it's happening right after the Olympics.

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2010/01/is_nbc_moving_jay_leno_back_to.html

TMZ Drop

http://www.tmz.com/2010/01/07/jay-leno-nbc-conan-obrien-tonight-show/

Edited January 8, 201015 yr by JaneAusten

And if I'm wrong, and also if I'm not, tell me what else rubbed you the wrong way about Leno here (and elsewhere)?

I agree that Leno has always come off as an opportunist, but a lot of his act comes off as too over choreographed and stilted.

By comparison, Letterman, who I like better but am NO fanboi of, always seemed more natural and smarter.

Johnny Caron apparently never liked that NBC gave The Tonight Show to Leno when he retired, Letterman was his choice. I believe this too, until his death, Carson was an uncredited consultant for Letterman.

Leno has always kissed too much ass, from what I've seen and heard, to get where he is....

Yes, we hear the media say it doesn't matter, because other parts of the NBC family, like USA, are doing well, but this type of blunder is still pathetic and easily avoidable, and for all the "no such thing as bad publicity," I think this makes NBC look awful and just reinforces for viewers that they cannot ever trust NBC to do anything right.

You have to couple this with all the other poor decisions Zucker has made over the past several years.Letting successful shows end and not having a real ongoing transition plan. The idea that even coming in last in ratings regularly and still making a profit is successful, airing cheap trash. All he's done is destroy what became to be known as the network of Must see TV to the state it's in today. And NBC better be careful. Their last area of dominance, The Today Show, is now looking at serious competition with the changes GMA has made.

You have to laugh at Letterman too after seeing those demos ratings. Yes, he has almost twice The Tonight's viewers, but still... Leno always run him over. And the battle from now on shall be interesting too.

I think Leno will definitely win the 18-49 again. In Total Viewers, they will probably go back and forth and then Leno won't look back after 6 months - 12 months.

I agree that Leno has always come off as an opportunist, but a lot of his act comes off as too over choreographed and stilted.

Yes! A lot of fakeness there, but weirdly and contrary to what one would expect, the fakeness isn't really a turn-off for people.

Leno has always kissed too much ass, from what I've seen and heard, to get where he is....

Servility sure does describe him

And as in every other part of entertainment industry, seeking morality and ethic is a misplaced pursuit here. All of them, Letterman included, use opportunities to their advantage. Of course, Leno would do the same, or worse, had this happened to Letterman.

I hope NBC has to pay Conan a hefty settlement.

I'm with you Conan, keep your head high and stick it to those bastards with class and by using the legal system...

I think Leno will definitely win the 18-49 again. In Total Viewers, they will probably go back and forth and then Leno won't look back after 6 months - 12 months.

Yup.

Just like Juliajms said: this will be an issue for what — 5 days? 2 weeks? 3 months? And then the dust will settle and we're back at business as usual.

In Leno vs. O’Brien, Fans Show Allegiance Online

1. What doesn't matter?

2. Jay/Conan mess?

What? Jay back at The Tonight Show?

It doesn't matter that NBC is bleeding money and has been a fiasco for 3-4 years now. They say well, USA is doing well, Univision is doing well, it's time to move on from broadcast networks.

Yes, the Jay/Conan mess.

I'm already seeing Time and some of the other sites say stuff like perhaps this Leno move won't be a bad thing in the end, it got NBC publicity, and Leno's ratings are going up because of the attention, and so on.

It doesn't matter that NBC is bleeding money and has been a fiasco for 3-4 years now. They say well, USA is doing well, Univision is doing well, it's time to move on from broadcast networks.

Yes, the Jay/Conan mess.

I'm already seeing Time and some of the other sites say stuff like perhaps this Leno move won't be a bad thing in the end, it got NBC publicity, and Leno's ratings are going up because of the attention, and so on.

Zucker is probably seen as a wild success at GE. He's a man ahead of his time.

Edited January 14, 201015 yr by JaneAusten

It doesn't matter that NBC is bleeding money and has been a fiasco for 3-4 years now. They say well, USA is doing well, Univision is doing well, it's time to move on from broadcast networks.

Hm... Don't know.

Perhaps they're trying to convince themselves, but I don't think they really believe it.

I'm already seeing Time and some of the other sites say stuff like perhaps this Leno move won't be a bad thing in the end, it got NBC publicity, and Leno's ratings are going up because of the attention, and so on.

I hope so. I dislike Conan on the tonight show, and I really just dislike Conan in general. Love Jimmy Fallon, and love Jay so i wont mind if Jay goes back to tonight show and jimmy stay where he his...bye conan!

Nikki Finke:

BREAKING NEWS! EXCLUSIVE! 3 PM: I've just learned that, for the past 48 hours, Universal Studios President/COO Ron Meyer was negotiating a settlement between the network and Team Conan. "Ron is a former agent, one of the biggest in Hollywood. He could get this done, so NBC used him. No one would talk to each other, and they talked to Ron. He got everybody to talk to everybody." The deal sketched out puts Jay Leno back hosting The Tonight Show, and Conan O'Brien exiting with a lot of money. But there are still some terms to be worked out which is why there hasn't yet been any announcement. But "anything can happen" now that Meyer is no longer involved, and NBC is back in charge. I can tell you there are definitely people around NBC Universal boss Jeff Zucker who want to keep Conan in place. "But Zucker is digging in his heels because of the bad press. He's being stubborn," a Team Conan insider just told me. Stay tuned.

THURSDAY 2:15 PM, 5TH UPDATE: NBC isn't confirming Internet reports of a done deal that Jay is in, Conan is out, as host of The Tonight Show at 11:35 PM. According to my insiders, Team Conan is denying the reports. But O'Brien's reps acknowledge: "It's a very fluid situation". Meanwhile, I've learned Team Conan didn't know NBC had just put out that press release boasting about Conan's heated-up ratings. "He's been killing in recent weeks. NBC can see that."

THURSDAY, 2 PM, 4TH UPDATE: Amid unconfirmed Internet reports that NBC's Leno-Conan switcharoo for hosting The Tonight Show at 11:35 PM is now a done deal for Jay but not Conan, the network just sent out a news release noting that "NBC's The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien has topped all broadcast and cable competition in the key late-night demographic of adults 18-49 for the week of January 4-8. At 12:35 a.m. ET. Last week also saw Conan deliver bigger audiences than CBS's Late Show with David Letterman and the ABC lineup of Nightline and Jimmy Kimmel Live in adults, men and women 18-34, men 18-49 and men 25-54. Conan has finished #1 or tied for #1 among broadcast networks in adult 18-49 rating for nine of the last 11 weeks. The median age of Conan's audience last week was 45.6, nine years younger than Nightline's" 55.0 and 11 years younger than Letterman's 57.3."

So, let me get this straight: NBC is crowing about the numbers of the guy they want off The Tonight Show and off NBC in favor of Jay Leno. Yes, that makes a lot of sense -- in Zuckerland.

Edited January 14, 201015 yr by Sylph

I'm not surprised, but I don't think NBC is going to profit from this in the longrun. He damaged the 10PM slot with that crappy show and, unless NBC has something other than SVU to fill the timeslot, the local news won't recover and neither will The Tonight Show. It will take at least a year for viewers to find their way back to Leno, if not more.

Jay has broad appeal, the Middle America auds. We know that. But Middle America also doesn't like a villain. And Jay is, very deservedly, being exposed as the greedy, jowly bastard we know him to be. Not only is The Tonight Show damaged goods, but so is Jay. I'd be very surprised if Jay came out smelling like a rose in all of this. And even more surprised if NBC recovered in the ratings.

So I wonder when Leno's first Tonight Show airing will be? After the Olympics? Because I fully expect to see Letterman's special guest that night to be Conan.

So I wonder when Leno's first Tonight Show airing will be? After the Olympics? Because I fully expect to see Letterman's special guest that night to be Conan.

LOL! I would love it, I don't blame Letterman for still hating Leno after all these years.