Comedian Conan O’Brien made a nostalgic return to NBC’s “The Tonight Show” on Tuesday, marking his first appearance since being ousted as host in 2010. Reflecting on his comeback, O’Brien expressed mixed feelings, describing the experience as “weird” after such a long absence from the studio.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
O’Brien, who previously hosted “Late Night” on NBC 14 years ago, reminisced about his time on the network, recalling how “all these memories came flooding back” upon returning to the familiar surroundings of the studio. Despite the passage of time, stepping back onto the set stirred up a wave of nostalgia for the comedian.
O’Brien’s tenure as host of “The Tonight Show” was short-lived, lasting less than a year before he was replaced by Jay Leno in a controversial move by NBC.
The decision to oust O’Brien sparked widespread backlash, with fans rallying behind O’Brien and criticising the network’s handling of the situation.
O’Brien reminisced with Fallon about his memories living in New York and all the comedy bits he had to do while in the city. While Fallon also shared with him a photo of him and O’Brien on ‘Late Night’ in 1999, saying that O’Brien was his first ever talk-show.
Awkward Encounters
During his appearance on the show, O’Brien shared a light-hearted moment with host Jimmy Fallon, joking about the strange feeling of seeing someone else occupy the studio space where he once filmed.
Despite his fondness for Kelly Clarkson, who currently tapes her show in the same studio, O’Brien couldn’t help but jest about the perceived sacrilege of another host in his former studio.
I love Kelly Clarkson. Who doesn’t love Kelly Clarkson? But still I felt like, It’s not right! Blasphemy!… They should have burned it to the ground!
The Conan and The Tonight show fiasco is a rabbit hole and was one of the most controversial business decisions in late-night history, but since it all happened 14 years ago, here’s a quick recap.
Why Conan Hasn’t Been Back
The feud between Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno at NBC was a saga that unfolded over years, casting a shadow over the network’s late-night programming. Leno took over as host of “The Tonight Show” in 1992, succeeding the legendary Johnny Carson, while O’Brien began hosting “Late Night” in 1993.
In 2001, NBC extended O’Brien’s contract with the assurance that he would eventually inherit “The Tonight Show” throne. However, this arrangement wasn’t made clear to Leno until around 2004, setting the stage for future conflict.
In a bid to accommodate both hosts, NBC offered Leno a primetime slot with “The Jay Leno Show” in 2009, preceding O’Brien’s “Tonight Show.” However, poor ratings led to Leno’s return to late night, pushing O’Brien’s show back by half an hour and sparking discontent.
In January 2010, tensions reached a boiling point when O’Brien issued a defiant statement announcing his departure from NBC. He lamented the network’s handling of the situation and expressed his unwillingness to compromise on the integrity of his show.
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… I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction.
After negotiations, NBC agreed to a $45 million settlement with O’Brien and his staff, paving the way for his exit from the network. O’Brien also agreed to a contractual ban from television appearances for seven months.
In November 2010, O’Brien launched “Conan” on TBS, where he continued to entertain audiences until June 2021. Meanwhile, Leno briefly reclaimed his role as host of “The Tonight Show” before retiring in 2014
Support For Conan
Conan used that settlement to continue paying for his staff and to fund a comedy/music tour since he was under a contractual ban from television appearances. Conan paying for his staff out of his own pocket isn’t something new as during the 2007 writers strike, he did the same thing.
This time fans applauded him for not letting dozens of people be without a job, especially considering that these people moved to Los Angeles from New York when he left Late Night.
Many of those staff members make brief appearances during his recent works in, Conan, Conan Needs a Friend, Conan Without Broders and so on – and even in interviews like the most recent Hot Ones Interview.
During the conflict between Conan O’Brien and NBC, public sentiment overwhelmingly sided with O’Brien. Twitter was abuzz with expressions of support for the comedian, with over one million people joining Facebook groups such as “Team Conan” and “I’m With Coco.”
Artist Mike Mitchell’s poster, reminiscent of the Obama “Hope” poster, depicted O’Brien with an American flag backdrop and the slogan “I’m With Coco.” This image gained widespread circulation online and at rallies, I don’t mean to sound old but you could find this picture literally everywhere on social media during that time.
Supporters organised rallies outside NBC studios in major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, and New York City. O’Brien himself made a brief appearance at a rally in Los Angeles, where he treated the crowd to free pizza. Other members of the Tonight Show team, including Andy Richter and Max Weinberg, joined in to address the crowd.
Numerous figures in the entertainment industry voiced their support for O’Brien, including actors, comedians, and even talk show hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart. Most notably one iconic host defended him, which was David Letterman himself.
Letterman who ridiculed Leno’s statement where he pleaded that “nobody should blame Conan”, Letterman shot back with,
In the thousands and thousands of words that have been printed about this mess, who has blamed Conan?
Life After Late-Night
Since leaving “The Tonight Show,” O’Brien has embarked on various projects, including hosting the talk show “Conan” on TBS for 11 years. He has also ventured into podcasting with “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” and is set to launch a new travel show, “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” on Max. (You can read more about it HERE!)
While O’Brien expressed his love for his former late-night gig, he also acknowledged the appeal of podcasting, which allows for more extended and intimate interviews. Despite moving on from the world of late-night television, O’Brien remains appreciative of the experience and commended Fallon for his success on “The Tonight Show.”
You made it your own, You’ve done so much great, quality work, and I couldn’t be happier for you. I really am thrilled for you, and you deserve all good things. (O’Brien to Fallon)
Mutual Admiration
Closing the interview, O’Brien praised Fallon for his contributions to “The Tonight Show,” applauding him for making the show his own and delivering quality content.
Fallon reciprocated the admiration, acknowledging O’Brien’s influence and work ethic during his tenure as host – citing him as sort of an inspiration for him to work harder.
We love ALL things comedy; stand-up comedy, movies, TV Shows, and even Late-Night hosts, if it’s funny we’ll keep you guys updated! And if you’re looking to laugh out loud in person, then head on over here to one of the best comedy clubs in London, because here at Big Belly Comedy Club, we’ve got hilarious comedy shows 7 nights a week!
