Late Night Deal Signed and Sealed

As a long time reader of Nikki Finke, I rely on her for all my entertainment biz news. When she reports it, I believe it. Until then, it's up in the air. She's Hollywood's most feared and most trusted.

That said, she's reporting the end of this whole late night fiasco because as of this morning, the deal has been officially signed. Conan's last show will be January 22nd, and Leno is scheduled to come back on air March 1st. This is how much of a stand up guy Conan is -- he's supplementing severance plans for his staff out of his own pocket. How admirable is that? As if I needed more of a reason to love Conan O'Brien. Per the new deal, his contract will expire early on September 1st, 2010, meaning he will be free to pursue other opportunities then. Just in time for my birthday and I couldn't think of any better gift. Nikki is reporting that Conan is itching to come back on air so hopefully something is in the works as I type.

Per Nikki's blog, NBC and Conan's joint statement:

NBC and Conan O'Brien have reached a resolution of the issues surrounding O'Brien's contract to host "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

Under terms of an agreement that was signed earlier today, NBC and O'Brien will settle their contractual obligations and the network will release O'Brien from his contract, freeing him to pursue other opportunities after September 1, 2010.

O'Brien will make his final appearance as host of "The Tonight Show" on January 22.

And now some obligatory praising of Jay Leno and his return to the Tonight Show by NBC:

"We're pleased that Jay is returning to host the franchise that he helmed brilliantly and successfully for many years," said Gaspin. "He is an enormous talent, a consummate professional and one of the hardest-working performers on television." to host the franchise that he helmed brilliantly and successfully for many years," said Gaspin. "He is an enormous talent, a consummate professional and one of the hardest-working performers on television."

It's a little bittersweet now that this is all over. On one hand, I'm happy that Conan stuck by his guns and never wavered, but on the other hand, I'm pissed as hell. How is it that NBC couldn't understand the value of comedy gold that is Conan O'Brien? When you have talent like that, you don't let it go. And you definitely don't put a talk show host in a primetime slot when you're already lacking original content.

I'm officially done with this circus. Time to move on and look forward to Conan's next move. He will be sincerely missed and The Tonight Show will never be the same.

Now enjoy this little clip of Conan spending NBC's dough. He did a sketch last night where he introduced a new character not for laughs, but for dollars. No real comedic value in the sketch besides the fact that is was ridiculously expensive for NBC to air and re-air. As a result, NBC pulled the clip from the website and Hulu.

The sketch included a Bugatti Veyron, the world's most expensive car, with the backing track of the original master recording of Rolling Stone's "Satisfaction".

Check out the clip here.

Now for a more pressing issue, please contribute anything you can spare to the Haiti relief fund.
Red Cross
UNICEF
OXFAM

Anti-NBC sentiments, Settlement details, Rallying for Coco, and Jimmy's scathing remarks on Leno

Anyone who saw the Golden Globes this past Sunday knew that the blistering anti-NBC remarks were flying left and right on the carpet and inside the awards show. This seems to be the new trend as the Twitterworld is 'atwit' with anti-NBC quips and blogs are buzzing with news about the bloody mess that is this Tonight Show fiasco.

It's all about to come to an end though, and it's not a happy ending. I'm sad to say that the settlement plans are in motion and are nearly a done deal. Friday will be Conan's last show as the Tonight Show host. Conan will be walking away with a $40 million payout and Jeff Zucker's attempt at icing out Conan for the next 3.5 years have been thwarted. That seems to be the only bright spot in this whole saddening situation. I'm heartbroken that after only seven months on air, Conan O'Brien will be stepping down from his title as Tonight Show host and Jay Leno will be taking over the throne once again. Can someone please send Leno an explanation of the term 'passing the torch'? Because I just don't think he gets it. I think the only thing he gets is dollar signs and dealbreakers.

As if the Conan support isn't already blistering obvious in this town, Team Coco supporters gathered today just outside the Universal Studios lot to protest. TMZ has been covering the protest and reporting live with a video feed. Check it out here. There's a video at the source with none other than our good ole Tonight Show sidekick, Andy Richter waving from a rooftop.

The only pic as of now of Sasquatch himself braving the rain to reach out to the masses who came to rally for him this morning: http://twitpic.com/yprvd

ETA: pics and a video of Andy's short speech to the crowd:





So what can we hope for in the future? That Conan return to late night once again, but sadly no deals have been made and even if there were one in the works, it would take at least a year to set up a brand new show around our dear Coco. I'll be waiting for you, Coco!

I'll post when news is official and the deal is signed and sealed. For now, check out Jimmy Kimmel's appearance on Jay Leno's 10@10 last week. I'm still reeling. One of the best things I've seen on TV. MUST WATCH! Warning: it's scathing and there is second hand embarrassment abound for Jay Leno.

Some of my favorite moments:

• [Asked by Leno what the best prank he ever pulled was] "The best prank I ever pulled was I told a guy that—five years from now—I'm gonna give you my show. And then when the five years came, I gave it to him, and then I took it back almost instantly."
• [Asked by Leno if he ever orders anything off of the TV] "Like NBC ordered your show off the TV?"
• [Asked by Leno what the record is for number of lap dances he's received in one night] "Strippers, I don't like in general. Because you have this phony relationship with them for money, similar to that of when you and Conan were on The Tonight Show together, passing the torch... you know what I'm saying."
• [Asked by Leno what he hasn't yet hosted, but would like to] "Oh, this is a trick, right? Where you get me to host The Tonight Show and then take it back from me?"
• [Asked why he came on to do the segment] "Listen, Jay, Conan and I have children—all you have to take care of is cars. I mean, we have lives to lead here. You've got $800 million, for God's sakes—leave our shows alone."

Jean Paul Gaultier, Zac Posen x Target

What popped up all over the internet last week? The much awaited lookbooks of Jean Paul Gaultier and Zac Posen's lines for Target.

I am sad to say that I am very underwhelmed by the results. I had such high hopes for both collections, especially Zac's, but they both seemed to have fallen short. Can't wait to see both collections in person to assess the situation fully, but it's just not looking good. Too bad-- because I really love myself some Zac Posen.

JPG's line has a very youthful feel to it, and not particularly in a good way. Items include tattoo sleeved tops and leggings intermingled with splashy floral prints. Prices range from $17.99 for the swimsuit separates to $199.99 for the leather jackets. The only thing I'm really into at the moment is the trench ($59.99). Check out the rest of the lookbook here. JPG for Target launches March 7th!














Zac's line has an 80s feel to it with items that include brocade, denim, and even a convertible prom dress ($79.99). The items that jump out to me are the lipstick tank ($16.99), that awesome retro suit ($29.99-$49.99), and the neon tiger prints ($39.99 for the dress). Check out the rest of the collection here. Look out for Zac Posen x Target in stores on April 25th.

Golden Globes 2010 Recap

The Golden Globes were on Sunday, and I have to say, the red carpet was pretty much a downer. The first big awards show of the season and it was a snooze fest. Too bad. Big upsets and surprises when it came to the award recipients too, but more on that later.

My favorite of the night:
Kate Hudson in Marchesa
Wish she hadn't done those shoes, but I'll take what I can get considering all the other bland dresses on the carpet. I'm glad Kate took a chance with this dress, it's just a shame it was rainy and gloomy in LA because poor thing was carrying around her train like a little puppy.













Also loved Maggie Gyllenhaal in Roland Mouret. Not alot of women can pull off all that salmon pink, but my girl Maggie G does it with grace.
















Real offenders of the night:

Christina Hendricks in Christian Siriano. I love Christian, but this just did not work on Christina. I just couldn't look away--it was like rubbernecking past a car accident. T-r-a-i-n-w-r-e-c-k.













Lea Michele in Oscar De La Renta--this is just a classic case of too much dress on too little of a girl. Girl is petite--why would she want to wear a whale of a dress?

















Alright, enough of the snarky fashion commentary, time to move on to the winners and losers. Now before I get myself all riled up, I have to remind myself that this is the Golden Globes. It's not a precursor to the Oscars and it is a hell of a toss up every damn year. I just really had a hard time of understanding what went down this year.

To summarize:

• Very surprised and shocked to see The Hangover win for best musical or comedy. Really thought the Weinstein Co wined and dined enough people for a Nine win. I'm not upset about The Hangover win though, just surprised. I really did enjoy that movie and I genuinely thought it stood out this year among other comedies, hell, movies in fact.
• VERY surprised and shocked to see Glee win. Somewhere in my heart and mind there was a glimmer of hope for the underdog, Modern Family to nab a win, but wishful thinking. Maybe next year.
• More surprises: female and male drama actor awards. Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side and RDJ for Sherlock Holmes. This IS Sandra's year. Not only is The Blind Side the highest grossing film with a female star headlining the marketing campaign, but she's been getting awards recognition. With a GG under her belt, you know she can up her quote now. But as much as I love myself some Sandra B, I was really hoping for Gabourey Sidibe to win for Precious. Her performance in that movie blew me away. Still in shock over RDJ's win for best actor and I'm sure he is too. I'm sorry, but what about George Clooney?
  
• Well, well, well. I guess James Cameron can laugh in the faces of all the naysayers. Big night for Avatar. Somehow I thought best director would be going to Kathryn Bigelow or Jason Reitman. I also thought best picture would go to Up in the Air, but hey, it is the GGs. Interested to see how this will all play out come Oscar time.
• Nice little tribute to Martin Scorsese during the presentation for his Cecil B. Demille award. Anyone else notice the huge plug for Shutter Island in the video montage? Well played, Paramount.
  
• So, so, so pleased to see Toni Collette, Julianna Marguiles, Christoph Waltz, and Mo'Nique win. Well deserved. Especially Mo'Nique though. Can't tell you how absolutely blown away I was by her performance in Precious. It made me fear her and love her at the same time.
  
• VERY surprised to see Michael C. Hall win for Dexter. He's been previously nominated every year for Dexter, but he's never won. John Lithgow's win was very much expected, but Hall's win not so much. Guess the two can toast to their new shiny awards to put up on their mantles. Not gonna lie though--I was really hoping for a Hugh Laurie win and very much expecting a Jon Hamm win. Guess I was wrong on all accounts.
  
• And one last thing to end this all. WHY OH WHY does Alec Baldwin keep winning for 30 Rock? Can we please recognize the awesomeness that is Steve Carrell as Michael Scott on The Office?
  

Full list of winners below:

MOVIES

Motion Picture, Drama
Avatar

Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
The Hangover

Director
James Cameron, Avatar

Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes

Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo'Nique, Precious

Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Screenplay
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

Foreign Language Film
The White Ribbon (Germany)

Animated Feature Film
Up

Original Score
Michael Giacchino, Up

Original Song
"The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart; music and lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett


TELEVISION

Television Series, Drama
Mad Men

Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Glee

Actress in a Television Series, Drama
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Actor in a Television Series, Drama
Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Toni Collette, United States of Tara

Actor in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Chloë Sevigny, Big Love

Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
John Lithgow, Dexter

Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Grey Gardens

Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens

Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance

HELL NO TO 12:05! Conan's Statement: January 12, 2010, Universal City, CA

Check out Conan's statement below. He says HELL NO to 12:05 and for that, I love him more than I thought possible. When he read this aloud to his staff yesterday, he broke down into tears, and for that, I will stand by this man forever.

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 17 years, 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 years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson 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 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

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 The Tonight Show. 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 the Tonight Show, 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 and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC 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 hair; it's always been that way.

Yours,

Conan

The late night clusterfuck

When I first heard that Conan was replacing Jay as the Tonight Show host, I threw up a hell yeah. When I first heard that Jay was getting his own primetime slot EVERY night at 10pm on NBC, I threw up a Hail Mary and then a hell no for two reasons. A Hail Mary because I hoped, hoped, that everything would be okay with the death of that timeslot for all parties involved: the network, the affiliaties, and Conan. And then a hell no because I knew, knew, that there was no possible way that the network could be saved from this.

NBC has backed themselves into a corner. They had been severely lacking original scripted programming for a long time, and by granting Jay the 10pm timeslot every night of the week, they were throwing away their chances for any good scripted material. To no big surprise to anyone at all, the Jay Leno Show has been canceled. But why and what this means for everyone else involved?

Well, Jay was canceled because he simply wasn't cutting it. He was a ratings upset and he was sucking up too much valuable time for scripted programming (which NBC has finally figured out, and are now in full swing of developing many new scripted programs for the 10pm slot). Most importantly, he was upsetting the affiliates and they were threatening to take serious action. The 11pm news is a major cash cow for the local affiliate stations and it's how they make their profit. As the ratings lead-in, Jay was causing a severe drop in ratings for the affiliate news stations and that was a big no no.

Now NBC is attempting to "remedy" this by giving Jay his 11:35pm time slot back and pushing Conan's Tonight show to the 12:05-1:05 time slot. This has NEVER happened in the history of late night. The Tonight Show has always aired after the local news. Now not only has NBC embarrassed Jay by canceling his show and replacing it with a new half hour format, but they've further embarrassed Conan by asking him to be pushed into a later time slot after only 7 months in the original time slot.

Yes, you read that right. SEVEN MONTHS. Conan has only just been passed the Tonight Show torch and he's already been forced into this unimaginable situation. When Leno first took the host gig at the Tonight Show, he was still losing out in ratings to Letterman 18 months in. Now someone tell me how that's fair?

Now here's where it gets sticky for NBC: they can't simply force Conan's hand. This is highlighted by the fact that they would owe Conan $60 million if they were to break contract with him. This is also another good reason why Conan isn't so ready to jump ship, not to mention that jumping ship would only give NBC the satisfaction of a win.

There's a lot more I have to say, but for now, I'll just say: FIGHT, CONAN, FIGHT!

Next up: Conan's statement released yesterday. Read the whole thing.

The wonderful Wes Anderson's stop motion NBR acceptance speech

I keep saying this time and time again, but it's never any less true: I love Wes Anderson. His acceptance speech as a stop-motion character in the style of one of his Fantastic Mr. Fox characters only made me love him more. How incredibly adorable and uniquely Wes Anderson is this?

Watch Wes Anderson accept his "Special Fimmaking Achievement" award for Fantastic Mr. Fox from the National Board of Review. He also came on stage in person afterwards to thank the board. How amazing!