New Book Highlights Conan Leno Fiasco

By Brian Scott
Nov 7 2010

A new book, announced today and set to hit the shelves on Monday, will give everyone a behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest controversies to hit late night television.

The book will outline the scandal of Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien.

NBC has been painted in a poor light ever since the issue started. In 2004 the succession of Jay Leno was announced, with Conan O’Brien as the man who would take over on the Tonight Show. However, things were not to be.

Leno was given his own prime time show, meant as a lead in to the late night offerings. However, the prime time show flopped, leaving the network with nowhere to put their star Leno.

It was not long before the decision was made to do away with O’Brien. They gave him a choice, move to a half hour later or leave the network. He chose the latter and received a $45 million parting gift.

On Monday Conan is set to take the stage for his new late night offering with TBS. While he received a firm offer from FOX to stay on network television, Conan has said that TBS would allow him to return to the television arena much earlier.

The book, by reporter Bill Carter, will give everyone a taste of what was going on away from the public eye. There was a very public uprising about the incident. Millions came out in support of O’Brien and Leno’s return to the Tonight Show came with a loss of millions of viewers.