The War for Late Night_ When Leno Went Early and Television Went Crazy - Bill Carter [230]
Mad About You
Markoe, Merrill
Marks, Rebecca
Medeiros, Joe
Meyer, Ron, as NBC/Conan intermediary
Michaels, Lorne
on Jay at upfront
Late Night, search for host
on late-night wars
Leno at prime time, reaction to
Leno’s outreach to
on power of the network
relationship with Conan
Tonight / Conan, negativity toward
See also Saturday Night Live
Midnight Special, The
Miller, Dennis
Moonves, Leslie
and Kimmel
and Letterman
Morton, Robert
NBC
Conan’s contract
Conan’s litigation threats
executives. See Gaspin, Jeff; Graboff, Marc; Silverman, Ben; Wright, Bob; Zucker, Jeff
late-night profitability
Leno replaced, press release
Leno’s contract
power over creatives
ratings, downturn
Universal, Comcast takeover
upfront week
See also specific shows, executives, entertainers
Nightline
Not Necessarily the News
Obama, Barack
O’Brien, Conan
ABC proposals to
agent. See Rosen, Rick
comedy, personal style
as comic, early development of
comments about Leno
comments about Letterman
earnings at NBC
as Emmy Awards host (2002)
family background
Fox proposals to
Harvard, comedy-related activities
introduced on Leno show
Late Night, Conan as contender
Leno at prime time, reaction to
Letterman admired by
manager. See Polone, Gavin
NBC creative input ignored by
NBC payout to
as performer, decision about
personality traits
post-war position of
rejected as Letterman writer
relationship with Carson
relationship with Kudrow
relationship with Michaels
relationship with Ross
as Simpsons writer
as SNL writer
string dance
Super Bowl promo invitation
TBS program
tenth-anniversary special
Tonight, Conan as host. See Tonight Show, The with Conan O’Brien
tour
upfront week performance
wife of
See also Late Night with Conan O’Brien; Tonight Show, The with Conan O’Brien
O’Brien, Jane
O’Brien, Liza
Odenkirk, Bob
O’Donnell, Steve
Ohlmeyer, Don
and Conan on Late Night
and Conan’s first renewals
replacing Jay, reaction to
Palin, Sarah
Conan refuses to interview
Letterman insult/apology
on Tonight with Conan
Pay-and-play contract
“Polly, the NBC Peacock,”
Polone, Gavin
on Conan’s departure
Conan’s shift to 12:05, reaction to
and first renewals
and Fox/Conan talks
hired by Conan
and Late Night deal
Leno at prime time, reaction to
restrictions after settlement
sees Conan perform
Pope, Maria
Powel, Liza. See O’Brien, Liza
Prime time, Leno show. See Jay Leno Show, The
Prince of Wales clause
Provenza, Paul
Reilly, Kevin
acquiring Conan, efforts in
at NBC
Reynolds, Rick
Rice, Peter
Richter, Andy
begins as sidekick
reviews of
on Tonight Show
Rogers, Mimi
Rosen, Rick
and Conan’s shift to 12:05
and Conan Tonight Show deal
Leno at prime time, reaction to
Ross, Jeff
and ABC negotiation
and Conan’s audition
Conan’s shift to 12:05, reaction to
and Conan’s success
and Fox/Conan talks
Late Night producer offer
Leno at prime time, reaction to
Leno leaves prime-time meetings
personality traits
post-war position of
relationship with Conan
Ryan, Shawn
Saturday Night Live
Conan as writer
Conan quits
and Ebersol
Fallon on
See also Michaels, Lorne
Segelstein, Irwin
Seghetti, Cynthia
Seinfeld, Jerry
on late-night wars
relationship with Leno
upfront week performance
Shaffer, Paul
Shales, Tom
Shandling, Gary
Shapiro, George
Silverman, Ben
Silverman, Fred
Simpsons, Conan as writer
Smigel, Robert
Smithberg, Madeleine
Snyder, Tom
Sony, courting Leno
Sotzing, Jeff
Stern, Howard
Stewart, Jon
ABC pitch to
agent of. See Dixon, James
as comic, early development of
Conan’s view of
Emmy Awards to
family background
as late-night threat
Worldwide Pants, holding deal with
See also Daily Show, The
Super Bowl, Letterman, Leno, Winfrey promo
Sweeney, Anne
Sweeney, Mike
TBS, signs Conan
Team Coco
Tolan, Peter
Tonight Show, The with Conan O’Brien
age of viewers
versus Colbert
Conan prepares for
Conan’s contract
Conan’s salary
Conan supporters near end
decision to leave, satisfaction with
final shows
first show
improving,