THIS JUST IN!
Jay Leno will quit in 2009 and be replaced by Conan.
Just heard it on msnbc.
Wow, I’d never have believed that…
Letterman must love hearing this. On the one hand, NBS is doing for Conan what they refused to do for Dave. On the other, Dave’s ratings against Conan will be huge.
However, 5 years is a long time. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this thing changes long before then.
Yeah. Isn’t this about the point at which Joan Rivers was slated to replace Carson?
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dave retire in the next 5 years. If that happens, Conan will rule the airwaves.
I dunno. Jay will presumeably keep his stand-up career going after he retires. What would Dave do? Race his cars? I don’t think a life of leisure is his thing; he seems too driven and insecure for that.
Plus, I think Dave has enough of an ego that he’d want to stick around in the (not unreasonable) hope of beating Conan and The Tonight Show and reclaiming the late-night crown.
Is anyone else reading this in Conan’s ‘In The Year 2000’ singsong?
After 17 years of destroying the best late night show on TV, I’m glad to see him go. Unfunny, uninspiring, still doing O.J. jokes…buh-bye now.
O.K.?
Interesting news. I guess NBC learned from its mistake with Dave and is actually offering the position to the guy in the late timeslot. If CBS is smart, after Letterman leaves, they will be get all the money they can and make an offer to Jon Stewart.
I like Leno.
Don’t worry about how he is going to pay the mortgage after he leaves the show. He is performing here in Las Vegas at the Mirage in November and tickets start at $85. Plus, I believe in an interview that he said he has never yet touched a dime he has made from doing the Tonight show, and he lives just from the income from his act when he tours.
I think Conan will be a good replacement. Sure, there are other comedians who I think are funnier, but to keep a show like this on the air over a long period of time is a talent not many have - just ask Arsenio, Magic Johnson, Pat Sajak, Joan Rivers, Whoopi, etc. etc. Actually, the only other person I think who could have pulled it off would be Ellen Degeneres, and she seems quite happy to have her hit afternoon talk show.
So - so long Leno, hello Conan. Sounds like a plan to me.
Take over Al Roker’s spot on Today?
I, too, think Conan will be an excellent replacement for Leno. If a guest gets too brash, Conan will give him a smoldering look, and if that doesn’t work, he’ll pounce on the guest and dash his or her brains out with his double-bladed axe.
Same with the audience if they don’t laugh at his monologues. Or even if they do.
Should be good television.
Though I wonder how having the Tonight Show will change Conan’s act. He’ll be under greater scutiny, and back when Carson left, there were fears that Letterman couldn’t “tone down” his act, which was one reason they went with Leno in the first place.
Shouldn’t make much difference. The changeover was titantic from Carson – who was longtime king of latenight TV – to Leno – who is not. This is not meant as a slam on Leno; it’s just recognition that latenight TV is different now. There are more channels, more options and people are simply not as focused on one show as much as it was in the days of three networks and UHF.
The same thing happened in the changeover from Walter Cronkite to Dan Rather. The shift from Rather to whoever will not matter as much (it wouldn’t have before Rathergate, but it will matter much less now that his ratings are falling).
Besides, Leno had not had as much experience behind the desk as O’Brian, and there were questions as to what he’ll retain and what he’ll drop from the Carson days. Since O’Brian’s been on the air for years, I would assume he’ll just move his show over but not change it much.
Raise his child? The man’s a father now; maybe he’ll want to be home sometimes.
On the other hand, it’s long been recognized by anyone with a brain, and most that don’t, that Conan is far funnier and more talented than Leno could ever be. 
I just heard the local Fox channel promo this story rather strangely: “See which Simpsons alum will take the reins when Leno retires …”
This was during a Simpsons rerun …
Bringing Carson back would be an improvement. Even if propped up with a stick, Carson would be an improvement.
thats exactly how I meant it.