April 04, 2004
CONAN THE BARB-ARIAN
There's a great story today in the New York Times today about how NBC has amazingly put itself in the same ridiculous position with Conan O'Brien that it did in 1993 with Letterman and Leno fighting over the 11:30 p.m. start time.
Now, more than a decade after O'Brien took over the Late Night spot, Conan is itching for more professional leg room. And finding none, because Leno's contract recently was extended to the end of the decade.
Beyond being brilliant and hilarious and innovative on his show, O'Brien is unfailingly polite and demure and respectful when it comes to interviews. But the Times story is a telling one. It's the first time I've read quotes from him wishing ill will on anyone. That it's an NBC executive isn't exactly surprising.
Here's a great quote from the story:
John Agoglia, then NBC's chief deal-maker, made little secret of his doubts about Mr. O'Brien — and especially his then-sidekick, Andy Richter, whom nobody at NBC got in the least. NBC later relented, though only to the point of giving Mr. O'Brien 13-week renewals. One night, NBC actually ordered Mr. O'Brien canceled, only to rescind the order the next morning, a night he didn't know of until years later.
"I swear I've made my peace with all of it," he says, taking the high road. "I got an unprecedented break, and I went for it. It wasn't easy. I took my lumps. I have no problems with any of it." But Mr. O'Brien has been studying carefully recent events in late-night — and all the while he's been fingering the scar.
"I have watched a lot of people launch late-night shows since I launched mine and I don't think any of them have been as good." (Hello, Craig Kilborn; that means you, Jimmy Kimmel.) "And they got harsh criticism. But their networks stood behind them steadfastly. I feel my first week of shows are still better than a lot of these other shows that have come along since, and they've had 10 times the network support I had.
"I don't have any complaint with anybody finding fault with me as a performer in the first two years of the show because there was fault there and I'll take it." Here Mr. O'Brien's affable demeanor takes a turn. "But NBC made it more difficult than it had to be. That 13-week renewal stuff is unprecedented in the history of show business. I'm a forgiving person. I tend to let things go and move on. But if John Agoglia somehow fell to the bottom of a coal mine and I was the only one who knew about it, I'm not saying I wouldn't alert the authorities, but I might take my time about it, maybe wait a week or two — provided he had plenty of fresh water."
Day-um. This guy is going to be floating in money when it's all said and done. Whatever network executive signs him - HBO? Are you listening? - is going to be heralded as a genius.