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jokes about 12:05 shift

last show

Leno at prime time, impact on

versus Letterman

Manifesto/departing statement

as NBC “don’t lose Conan” strategy

NBC negativity toward

NBC settlement with Conan

and Olympics weeks

Palin on

promos

ratings

salary

shift to 12:05, Conan’s reaction to

time-period protection, lack of

Tonight Show, The with Jay Leno

Conan as guest

guests, Leno’s disinterest in

last show

Leno replaced, NBC reasons for

Leno’s return after Conan

Leno wins over Letterman

ratings versus Letterman

replaced, Jay tells staff

replacement decision, Leno reaction to

replacement plan, secrecy of

revenues

during writers’ strike

Turner, Bonnie

United Talent

Upfront week

Leno performance

Vickers, Debbie

Conan’s ratings, tracking

and format of Leno show

Leno leaving prime-time meeting

relationship with Leno

replacing Leno, reaction to

Wells, John

West, Howard

“Wild Blue Yonder,”

Williams, Brian

upfront week emcee

Wilton North Report, The

Win Ben Stein’s Money

Winfrey, Oprah

Leno interview

and Super Bowl promo

Winstead, Lizz

Wolf, Dick

Wong, Andrea

Worldwide Pants

pitch to Ferguson

power of

and Stewart

Wright, Bob

relationship with Conan

Zucker as successor to

Wright, Suzanne

Writers’ strike

Wurtzel, Alan

Ziffren, Ken

and Leno contract negotiations

Leno leaves prime-time meeting

Zucker, Jeff

comments about Letterman

Conan as “king” proclamation

“don’t lose Conan” strategy

“don’t lose Leno” strategy

improving shows, notes to Conan

NBC, status under

post-war position of

prime time, moves Leno out

professional experience of

relationship with Conan

threatens icing Conan

Tonight / Conan, negativity toward

Tonight with Conan, informs Leno about

and upfront week

Frontispiece Photo Captions and Credits

TOP ROW: NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker with his two surviving late-night stars, Jimmy Fallon and Jay Leno (NBC Universal Photo Bank/Paul Morse); Conan O’Brien onstage at Late Night with his creative brain trust, executive producer Jeff Ross (left) and head writer Mike Sweeney (NBC Universal Photo Bank); David Letterman, for twenty-eight years a star of late night, at his post behind the desk at Late Show (JP Filo CBS/WORLDWIDE PANTS).

SECOND ROW: Jeff Gaspin, the new leader of NBC’s Entertainment operation and the man with the plan to revamp late night (NBC Universal Photo Bank); Gavin Polone, manager to Conan O’Brien, agent provocateur to NBC (photo credit: Sarah Shatz); Jay getting advice from his longtime executive producer and closest adviser, Debbie Vickers, while a special guest shows some interest. It was the first visit ever for a sitting president to a late-night show (NBC Universal Photo Bank).

THIRD ROW: James Dixon (left), the busiest agent in late night, with one of his three stars, the multi-award-winning Jon Stewart (Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel are also his clients) (photo credit: James Dixon); Craig Ferguson, CBS’s Scottish-born original in late night is joined by robot Geoff Peterson on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Monday, April 5, 2010, on the CBS Television Network (© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS); Marc Graboff, cochairman of NBC Entertainment and chief deal-maker at the network (NBC Universal Photo Bank).

BOTTOM ROW: Dick Ebersol (right), the chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics, played many roles in the career of the NBC CEO Jeff Zucker, including mentor, close counselor, and longtime friend (Ben Hider/Getty Images Entertainment); Rick Rosen, one of the captains of Team Coco, agent, adviser, and friend to Conan O’Brien (Matthew Simmons/Getty Images Entertainment); Jimmy Kimmel channeling Jay Leno and “Headlines”—and generating headlines of his own (photo credit: Don Barris).