Conan O’Brien returns to The Tonight Show stage after more than a decade, but this time as a guest. The comedian and former host, who once helmed the late-night talk show, now revisits to reminisce about his past experiences with the current host Jimmy Fallon. However, what people can’t forget is his exit from the show. It’s no secret that his departure was not without its share of drama, and the lingering feud with Jay Leno remains a topic of interest and speculation among viewers.
Conan O’Brien Makes a Return to The Tonight Show!
Comedian Conan O’Brien is making a much-anticipated comeback to The Tonight Show stage after an absence of 14 years, following his departure from the NBC talk show. But not as one might think, this time he finds himself seated on the opposite side of the table from what he’s accustomed to on the April 9th episode.
Sharing the stage with current host Jimmy Fallon, whose first late-night show appearance coincidentally was with O’Brien, the reunion comes as a full-circle moment, as the two comedians reminisce about old times and reflect on the evolution of The Tonight Show over the years.
Reflecting on his time on the show, he revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,
“It’s weird to come back. –I haven’t been in this building for such a long time, and I haven’t been on this floor in forever. I was here for 16 years doing the Late Night show before we went out to L.A. and right across the hall — all these memories came flooding back to me”
He also elaborated on how his return to New York brings back a flood of crazy memories he holds dear to his heart, as he stated,
“In my life now, when I ride about Manhattan, I remember being dressed in a loincloth on that corner and dunking myself in chicken broth.”
The studio in question, Studio 6B, located in Rockefeller Center, New York City, was home to the comedian who hosted Late Night for an impressive 16 seasons, spanning from 1993 to 2009, before transitioning to The Tonight Show for a brief period from 2009 to 2010. Despite being brief, it was quite a run after Jay Leno passed the torch, only to snatch it back immediately.
The Feud Between Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno
In 2009, O’Brien took over as the host of The Tonight Show from Jay Leno. However, his tenure lasted only seven months before NBC abruptly dismissed him due to low ratings and scheduling issues, where the network suggested a half-hour shift to 12:05 a.m., a proposal O’Brien addressed by stating in a statement (via Oprah.com),
“Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting.”
He further continued,
“The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.”
Ironically, NBC’s attempt to move Leno to a prime-time slot failed, resulting in the cancellation of his new show within a year. Leno eventually concluded his lengthy late-night career in 2014, spanning an impressive 22 years at the helm of The Tonight Show. His departure paved the way for Jimmy Fallon to take over as the current host.
NBC’s decision to remove O’Brien is believed to have stemmed from a series of challenges, including difficulties in attracting viewers and maintaining strong ratings. Additionally, there were concerns about how O’Brien’s style resonated with audiences, particularly in comparison to Leno’s established presence in late-night television.
However, this decision came as a surprise, especially considering that NBC had replaced Leno with O’Brien in the first place due to similar struggles with ratings and time slots. O’Brien has since moved on to various shows, including a highly successful podcast, but many still regard him as one of the most prominent talk show hosts ever.
