keeping here bcs archives d n seem available at tvtattle, may want to revisit
Friday June 5
Conan is making his NBC bosses look like geniuses, but is it downhill from here?
After such a successful first week, perhaps Conan should quit, says Michael Starr. "Can it get any better?" says Star, noting Conan's high ratings and Obama's endorsement "Answer: Probably not. "Maybe Conan ought to throw in the towel now and quit while he's ahead. Next week is liable to be a huge buzz kill. The American public is notoriously fickle that way." 
Conan could talk Super Mario tonight // Conan: L.A. cultural maven?UCLA grads want Conan as commencement speaker after James Franco cancelsWednesday June 3
Conan becomes comfortable -- and more Conan-like -- on his 2nd "Tonight"
The 2nd outing was more Conan being Conan than the 1st night. As Robert Bianco points out, "Overall, the first show wasn't O'Brien at his funniest; it was too focused on the move and too reliant on taped bits, but it was funny enough to get by. Luckily, Tuesday's second show was a clear step up, with a longer, more topical monologue, a witty anti-Twitter desk chatter bit, and a more pointed taped piece: NBC forcing Conan to shop on the dicier Rodeo Road instead of flashy Rodeo Drive." It was "kinda creepy" for Brian Williams to use Obama to promote Conan2nd night: Conan drops 30%, but he still beats Letterman and a fresh KimmelJump-start on Dave?: Conan is starting at 11:33 each night w/ longer monologueConan's driver's license: Why are his addresses Universal Studios and 30 Rock? Is Conan being an old fogey trashing Twitter? // Dennis Haysbert doesn't tweetTuesday June 2
Conan was perfectly fine on "Tonight," but much of his charm was missing
"Moving up to the big time, and relocating to the earlier time slot, seems to have robbed Conan of much of his charm. Much -- but not all," says Tom Shales. Noting that Conan had a weak monologue with few topical jokes, Shales complains that Conan's debut had too much Conan. He adds: "In addition, though 'The Tonight Show' has always been either live or live-on-tape, meaning recorded in one continuous stream a few hours earlier than its air time, O'Brien's premiere was overloaded with pre-taped bits, so many that it lost some of the immediacy that is central to the show. It was too often a recording of a recording." Conan's debut is Letterman-beating big, but not as big as Leno's final showHe proved to be a natural at 11:30 // L.A. didn't sap Conan's edgeConan was painfully unfunny // Jimmy Fallon is a more hip late-night hostIt was like a slightly overstuffed "Late Night" // Old Conan was simply scaled upWhy is Conan hewing to the past instead of shaking things up? // Too safe!Andy Richter was biggest distraction // New "Tonight" has more zip, zaninessWatch Conan's premiere // Reminder: 1st shows really don't matterExplaining L.A. landmarks // Why recreate "L.A. Confidential" '50s L.A. skyline? Monday June 1
Dave Letterman: "I'm still here. I knocked off another competitor"
Watch a preview of tonight's "Late Show" monologue.
Report: Jay Leno is "angry and upset" with his 10 o'clock show
As Kim Masters reports, Leno delivered a disappointing monologue at NBC's recent upfront. Some blame Leno showing his age. But in late-night circles, Masters says, many say that Leno is in fact not happy with his new role at NBC. "They say that Leno is angry and upset that he allowed himself to be talked into taking the 10 p.m. slot," she reports. "He has realized that the new arrangement will alter the kind of show that he has to deliver far more than he anticipated. And he knows that he will be under intense scrutiny as the person who could save NBC -- or not." One colleague even notes that Leno will be under even more pressure than when he took over for Johnny Carson. Masters adds: "Sources say Leno initially was led to believe he could essentially stick with the old format. Now the network has made it clear that he can't." Most TV executives predict "The Jay Leno Show" will failLeno scores big ratings, but not Obama big // Q&A: Leno and his wifeConan is "a swirly cone of some nerves" for his first "Tonight Show"
Tonight's the big night -- 5 o'clock Pacific time, to be exact -- and Conan is a bundle of nerves. "You have to be," says Conan. "It's a swirly cone of some nerves, excitement. You've got to sprinkle a little bit of dread in there. You've got to sprinkle a lot of stuff in there and mush it all together." Even Conan's longtime producer, rock steady Jeff Ross is feeling nervous, with the inability to sleep in recent days. "We're feeling that thing where you’re confident, but you never really know," he says.Critics hate Leno, love Conan: Does that doom Conan to failure?7 reasons why Conan will succeed // Letterman writer offers Conan adviceConan: It made sense to use my "Late Night" theme for "Tonight"The 12:30-11:30 split is overblown, says ConanOn the deco set: "It's 30 Rock, but it's this cool Los Angeles version of it"Conan on his longtime producer Jeff Ross: He's not my yes-man! Could "Mini-Letterman" Conan make Dave better?
Friday May 29
Jay Leno says goodbye in a lovely and classy way
The only bad part of Leno's final "Tonight Show" was the featured guest, Conan O'Brien, who seemed out of place. The closing segment, however, "was especially touching," says David Zurawik. "In response to reporters asking him what he wanted his 'legacy' to be, Leno brought onstage all of the children who had been born to parents who met while they were working on The Tonight Show during his tenure. There were 68 of them onstage as the program ended, and Leno said he hoped these children were part of his legacy. While it might sound corny, I thought it was a very moving and original moment."Clips: Watch Leno's farewell + Conan & Jay in 1993It's hard to imagine Letterman ending with a surpisingly sweet momentLeno is last of the vaudevillian comics // Jay ended with Show No. 3,375Leno quips: "I'm betting everything that NBC will still be around in 3 months" Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" didn't change much in 17 years
Aside from his lengthy monologue, which ballooned from four to more than 12 minutes, the new set and the loss of Branford Marsalis, much has stayed the same under Leno's "Tonight" tenure. As Paul Farhi notes, "If Jay Leno's reign as the king of late-night TV had one consistent theme, it may have been this one: It pays to be consistent. Night after weekday night, Leno, America's lunch-bucket comic, never varied the tone, the format or even much of the physical appearance of "The Tonight Show," which he inherited from Johnny Carson in 1992. During a period when just about everything in television changed, Leno and 'The Tonight Show' mostly didn't."Leno is the Rodney Dangerfield of late-night hosts: Where's the respect?Unlike that recluse Letterman, Leno is always glad to talk to the pressLeno was too safe, so who cares? // It's anticlimactic with the 10 o'clock showWatch Billy Crystal sing a musical tribute to Leno // More best of LenoHilarious!: Girl sings "I'm Only Happy when it's Jaaay" // Top 10 moments21 years ago: Watch Leno as a "Tonight" guest-host in 1988Watch Johnny Carson's 1992 farewell // Edd Hall recalls his Leno years
Conan: I'll just pretend I'm not competing against my idol, Letterman
Tonight Show with Jay Leno ended Fri May 29.
Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien began Mon June 1.
Late Night with David Letterman continues.
~wkp: Letterman had the late show after the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, wanted to be replace him, when Leno got it instead, Letterman went to CBS & started his Late Night. Conan moved into his spot on the Late Show following Tonight Show on NBC.
so of course I am int in, what's the perceived difference in style, personality ~ Letterman v Leno, where not m similar at all? also Carson, Conan...
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