Leno to pass Tonight show over to Conan (2009)

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Jay Passes "Tonight" Torch to Conan

from eonline

Conan O'Brien is getting his chance to move up in the world. Or at least into an earlier time slot.

On Monday, Jay Leno announced that he had selected O'Brien to take over his Tonight Show gig when he steps down in 2009.

"In 2009, I'll be 59 years old and will have had this dream job for 17 years," Leno said in a statement.

"When I signed my new contract, I felt that the timing was right to plan for my successor and there is no one more qualified than Conan. Plus, I promised [my wife] Mavis I would take her out for dinner before I turned 60."

Monday marks the 50th anniversary of The Tonight Show, which Leno inherited from Johnny Carson in 1992.

When Leno debuted as host, viewers didn't take to him right off the bat. In fact, NBC reportedly came thisclose to firing him in 1993 and replacing him with rival David Letterman, with whom he had originally vied for the job. (Letterman reportedly declined the replacement offer.)

But Leno rebounded in the 1994-95 season and even nabbed an Emmy for Outstanding Host in a Variety, Music or Comedy series. Since then, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno has won the last nine seasons in late night ratings.

In March, Leno signed a four-year contract extension with NBC worth an estimated $100 million and guaranteeing him the distinction of holding down the second-longest Tonight Show hosting slot, trailing Carson's 30 years on the job.

The Tonight Show first aired in 1954, with host Steve Allen, who played the piano and performed comedy sketches with guest stars—all on live television, a rare commodity these days.

Allen hosted the show through 1957, at which time Jack Paar took over the slot. Paar's most memorable moment as Tonight Show host came in 1960, when he stormed off the stage in protest of NBC's censorship of one of his jokes and stayed away for several weeks before returning. He stuck with the show until 1962, at which point Carson took the reins through 1992, becoming one of television's best-known personalities along the way.

With Leno now passing the torch to O'Brien, NBC no longer has to worry about its Late Night funnyman jumping ship for a more coveted timeslot at another network—something O'Brien had alluded to in the past.

O'Brien has signed a new contract with NBC, extending his Late Night with Conan O'Brien gig for five more years, at which point he'll take over Tonight Show duties from Leno.

"The Tonight Show is one of the great franchises in television and I am thrilled to get this opportunity," O'Brien said in a statement.

"I am thankful to everyone at NBC--which has been my home for the last 11 years--and I am particularly grateful to Jay for all the generous support and kindness he has always shown me."

Before O'Brien's change of fortune at the Peacock, he had been rumored to be up for consideration for Craig Kilborn's vacated Late Late Show slot at CBS, putting him in line to eventually succeed Letterman.

O'Brien began his hosting career on Late Night spot at NBC after previous host Letterman hopped to CBS in 1993. He suffered through a dismal first few weeks as host, during which he was almost fired.

Gradually, through popular bits such as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, O'Brien revived the show, which averaged 2.5 million viewers during the 2003-04 season.

NBC execs were apparently relieved to lock down O'Brien for the network.

"It is a great accomplishment and testament to both Jay and Conan that we were able to all work together on a long-term plan for this important institution," NBC Universal Television Group President Jeff Zucker said in a statement.

"We look forward to more years of laughs from Jay and are thrilled to have Conan's future be as part of the NBC family."