Jay, Conan Turn on Each Other

As Tonight Show saga continues, Leno and O'Brien face off
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 14, 2010 7:24 AM CST

As the late-night shakedown gets messier, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien seem to be turning against each other—and David Letterman is clearly on Team Conan. The Late Show host wants O’Brien to appear on his show “not to rub NBC's noses into their huge mistake, but to welcome Conan with open arms and show him that despite the way his old network has treated him, America loves him,” a source tells PopEater. More:

  • Despite his newfound alliance with Conan, Dave probably wasn’t happy to hear that all this drama caused O’Brien’s Tonight Show ratings to soar. Tuesday’s Tonight beat Letterman’s Late Show in the 18-49 demo by nearly double, The Wrap reports.
  • O’Brien began last night’s monologue with a zinger for Jay Leno: “I just want to say to the kids out there watching: You can do anything you want in life. Unless Jay Leno wants to do it, too.” Later, 30 Rock’s Kenneth joined in the NBC bashing—watch the clip, and other highlights from last night’s show, above.
  • Leno, of course, had his own take on last night’s Jay Leno Show: “Conan said NBC has only gave him seven months to make his show work,” Leno said. “Seven months?! How did he get that deal? We only got four! Who's his agent?” Watch the clip above.
  • David Letterman continued to make his opinion of his former employer known, calling the NBC execs “the pinheads and the nitwits and the twits, and knuckledraggers and the mouth-breathers” during last night’s rant on the Late Show—watch the video above.
  • The only person being nice in this whole situation? Jimmy Fallon, who took over O’Brien’s hosting slot on Late Night. Watch him sing the praises of both Jay and Conan, above.
(More Jay Leno stories.)

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