Rumors of Jerry Seinfeld replacing Conan O’Brien on the tonight show surfaced on the world wide web December 18, 2009. Both Hot Mama Gossip and Perez Hilton reported that NBC was talking to Seinfeld about the possible takeover of the Tonight Show. Hot Momma Gossip quoted an NBC executive familiar with the talks as blaming O’Brien’s low Neilsen ratings as the reason for the sudden change of hosts. The Tonight show has lost 52% of its audience in the last 12 months. November 2009′s rating was the lowest in 15 years. Conan took over as the Tonight Show host in June 2009. He has had less than 6 months to build up an audience in the new time slot.
NBC management has denied the rumors. They insist there are no plans to replace O’Brien. The managers have been offering O’Brien the Tonight Show position since 2004. Jay Leno still has a talk show with NBC it is just on earlier, right before the Tonight Show.
In a lighter vein, The Spoof satirized the rumors on December 19 by stating O’Brien was being replaced because of his hair. It was compared to Donald Trump’s infamous hairpiece.
Will Jerry Seinfeld takes 'Tonight Show' from Conan O'Brien?
This is the best new I’ve heard. I think it would be great if Seinfeld took over the Tonight Show
Best news that I have heard in a while. My wife and I refuse to what Conan. The few times that I have seen him was absolutely stupid and not funny in any way.
Wouldn’t that be great! Seinfeld is hilarious! Conan is just silly, as in a six year old boy finding out he can get a laugh when he says “poo poo”. Seinfeld had the funniest, top rated comedy show on TV for years and I miss his humor! I’ve watched a Conan show 2 or 3 times in the last 6 months just to see if it has gotten any better, It hasn’t! I’d become a loyal viewer again if Seinfeld took over! Please, NBC, axe Conan!
I have really got so much humor and with it laughs which is good for the soul. Conon is great Please do not axe him .
they should just move conan and jay back to their original time slots and be done with it….this EXPERIMENT FAILED>
I agree ,they should remove Conan O’Brian and replace him with Jay Leno. Because he’s original host of The Tonight Show. (Conan O’ Brian Sucks!)
As the saying goes, “Don’t fix it if it’s not broken”. Never should have taken Leno off. I never watch NBC Tonight Show now that Conan took over.
They Should Move Jay Back to the Tonight Show, and Leave Fallon Where he is. Then Send Conan to Some other Network; Fox, HBO, or Showtime would be Good I Guess.
11:35/10:35 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
12:35/11:35 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
I love Conan and couldn’t stand Leno. I think Letterman is phoning it in.
The main reason I think that The Tonight Show is falling so far is that people who use to watch it are watching Leno earlier, which is pretty much the same show. If they got rid of Leno, Conan would do much better. They have way to many talk shows.
Seinfeld might be funny 5 days week Jay was funny 5 days a week, enough experimenting move Jay back, move Conan back, launch Jimmy into outer space without a helmet!
I came, I saw, I left, bring on Sienfeld to save the tonight show.
First of all… GE, who just sold 51% of NBC to Comcast, is clearly in the midst of a shake-up and about to undergo some major changes. That said, you should also be aware that the “out clause” to not give Conan the Tonight Show in 2009 was $45 million (which is why they had to boot Jay, once that deal was cut 6 years earlier). So, imagine what the payout would be if they fired Conan early. Not going to happen. At least not right away. They’ll give him at least another year to get his footing.
I hate Seinfeld – he wasn’t funny in the 80′s and he’s not funny now. I think Leno is an old has-been who has just recycled his old show in a new time slot. Conan is fresh and funny. I love the skits and location shoots he does. I think Conan is doing a great job. Old people may not like him but people in the 18 to 49 age bracket sure do.
I’m in the 18 to 49 bracket I don’t like Conan. He has done better than I expected though.
FYI Leno was the third Host of the Tonight Show, not the origional.
I’m all for Jay coming back and Letterman getting the boot. ( I know not in this discussion) Can’t stand his “humor”.
All you Leno lovers are dating yourselves. Younger audiences think Conan and Jimmy are much funnier. Nonethless, you can keep Leno or Seinfield. I’ll keep watching Conan on Tivo or online no matter what time or channel he’s on.
Nobody likes Conan, thats why his ratings are tanking, remove conan, give Leno his old time slot and have Fallon right after. Jay had the highest ratings the Tonight Show had seen in decades when he was axed, Fallon is steadily building a fanbase and the ratings show. Why keep Conan? He isn’t helping the Network at all, and he hasn’t been funny since the writers strike a couple years ago.
I was a long time conan fan for many years. The tonight show was losing ratings because andy is not funny. I thought the conan/andy team would be awesome back together but he really got lame. he makes stupid little sayings in the middle of jokes and stuff. Conan used to be a simpson writer. If he moves on, I hope he goes back to help write for them again.