NBC debacle

OK, I'm not usually one to follow headlines concerning actors and actresses. Other than the cover of magazines I walk past endlessly at Price Chopper, I don't have the time to follow the Hollywood gossip. I don't care if Brad and Angelina are splitting, I don't care who is having a baby....

But, I feel compelled to comment on the whole Tonight Show scandal. Jay Leno gave up The Tonight Show which was deservingly rewarded to Conan O'Brien. Jimmy Fallon then took over Conan's late night time slot. Then the tiny snag in NBC's plan....Leno tanked in prime time.

Let's see. All Leno did was repackage his version of the Tonight Show and broadcast it at 10pm EST. He got rid of the desk and decided to talk to his guests family style. Same band. Same lame jokes. Same format pretty much. Had Leno decided to change things up...I don't know, try a variety show, ANYTHING different, he may have been able to capture some type of an audience. I'm sorry, I'm not forgoing watching my CSI to watch Jay...he's just not that interesting.

Getting to Conan. I love Conan. Conan is a late night host who SHOULD be up there with the greats of Carson and Letterman. He revolutionized his time slot. He brought new and interesting skits, he never beat a dead horse, he's personable and likable! Over the past few years I would either suffer through Leno or switch over to Letterman before Conan came on. Jimmy Fallon is doing a good job at filling the time slot, and is beginning to make a name for himself. Conan changed that time slot forever and has some mighty big shoes to fill.

Just recently within the last hour or so I've seen reports where NBC is coming to a deal with Conan for him to leave the network. How can I say this gently...okay, I can't.....NBC GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASSES! You are letting one of the best talents you have left on your network go! Yes, he's pretty much thrown you under the bus in the last week or so, but I'm sorry, you've done that yourselves with this seasons programming choices! Props for Mercy and Trauma...but what else have you brought to the table? You've lost Thursday and Sunday nights to ABC. You've lost Monday and Wednesday nights to CBS. You threw all this money into a 10pm time slot for Jay Leno which SUCKED....it was a carbon copy of his Tonight Show stint. Something tells me that stockholders should be taking a serious look at whether NBC executives are making sound investments in their programming future. America's Got Talent is not going to float a network.

It will be a sad night for The Tonight Show if Conan O'Brien is let go. It will be a once again boring time slot should NBC put Leno back in his place. O'Brien is right, NBC has not supported him and has not given him enough time to build an audience...it's been 7 months. Some shows take 1-2 seasons to build a fan base, but whatever you do, give this man some cement shoes instead of a life preserver.