Conan O'Brien reached a settlement with NBC.
From TMZ:
Conan O'Brien and NBC worked out their final conflict hours ago and have reached a $45 million settlement ... and we've learned it's a sweeter deal for Conan than anyone thought.
Network sources tell TMZ the "mitigation" clause was taken off the table. Translation -- Conan will get a severance of $32.5 million, regardless of whether he gets another hosting gig. Not bad for seven months work.
As we first reported, NBC will pay $7.5 million to Conan's "Tonight Show" staff -- and our sources believe the network added several thousand more to the pot at the last minute.
In addition, NBC will pay a whopping $4.5 million to the executive producer.
Conan has agreed he will not take another hosting gig 'till September at the earliest.
It's hard to feel sorry for the guy.
It's even sort of hard to think of NBC as a villain considering what the network is paying out.
On Thursday's Tonight Show, the second to last with O'Brien as host, NBC was still being portrayed as the epitome of evil.
Robin Williams and Barry Manilow were O'Brien's guests. Pee Wee Herman and Ben Stiller made brief appearances.
None of the guests showed any love for NBC.
Robin Williams was especially vulgar, frequently giving the finger. The repeated pixelation of his hands was annoying.
At one point, he went behind O'Brien's desk and looked out over the backdrop of the set, the fake view, and he started yelling out that NBC got it wrong, flipping the bird.
"You idiots! You did the wrong thing! What have you done? Look at this!"
With his back to the audience, he simulated exposing himself.
Later, Williams danced and sang a song with the refrain, "F--- the bastards that can't take a joke." Again, pixelation was necessary. O'Brien joined in the dancing.
I don't know that this is a good way for O'Brien to go out.
He told his audience that his final two shows would be filled with fun, fun on TV.
In my opinion, it really wasn't very much fun. I bet junior high boys enjoyed it though, and probably David Letterman.
VIDEO:
Robin Williams pt.1
Robin Williams pt.2
7 comments:
looks like you are also a bastard that needs to learn how to take a joke. conan has a right to be angry no matter how much he's getting paid off. he's going out with a bang and wasn't afaid to offend anyone. that's what makes the best comedy. and robin william's was hilarious. hardest i've laughed in a while.
How about you get a sense of humor. The Robin Williams interview was hilarious. Go back to watching Jay Leno you uptight prude.
NBC is the villain in all of this, if you took the time to do a bit more research. All of this, and I repeat, all of this was NBC's fault from the start. They screwed up five years ago, trying to keep all of their pawns. And then last year, the geniuses thought giving Leno a show would be a good idea. I knew from the start that it would get cancelled. And so they told Jay he could have an 11:35 show, PROBLEM BEING that's the Tonight Show's time slot. Conan did the right thing, and he has EVERY right to be angry with them. The Tonight Show was his DREAM JOB and NBC let him down.
Nah, the blogger is right. Being uptight has nothing to do with anything here. Just being rude, vulgar and childish takes no talent.
Robin Williams last HBO Special was terrible. He really has lost his edge. Too bad.
I agree with comment #1 ( Megan) conan has the right to be angry and Robin Williams was the funniest thing I've seen in a while. I would have burst out loud laughing had my little girl not been asleep in the other room, but go conan! Take a job with Fox, screw NBC!
Wow. What a remarkably humorless and unhappy, judgmental and self-righteous person you are. Would you mind if I gave you a tiny bit of unsolicited advice?
Let someone touch your icy cold vagina. Seriously, you'll feel much better.
Normally, I reject comments that include excessive profanity and ad hominem attacks on me or other posters.
In this case, however, I decided to publish some of those type of comments because I think they might indicate why the writers would find Williams' shtick last night appealing.
I welcome all opinions. Disagree with me. Express your thoughts. No need to resort to name-calling and vulgarity.
Esaul writes, "if you took the time to do a bit more research."
You're off base. I've followed this saga closely. Moreover, I've followed late night TV closely. I've watched Conan from the beginning. I was a nightly viewer. By far, I thought he did the funniest stuff on late night TV.
I know NBC's role in this. Back in 2004, the network screwed Jay. Now, the network has screwed Conan.
Yeah, I get it.
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