Dave responded to Jay's "Don't Blame Conan"
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- Опубликовано: 19 янв 2010
- Blame Conan!' He Pleads
Just when you think David Letterman couldn't get any more fired up about his nemesis Jay Leno and the current 'Tonight'-gate debacle over at NBC, the 'Late Show' host comes out and unloads another massive anti-Jay manifesto for the world to see. On Tuesday, Dave responded to Jay's "Don't Blame Conan" statement with a heated and harsh statement of his own, calling Leno "phony" and saying that nobody in the world is blaming Conan for the current situation. 
Развлечения
Letterman not knowing Fallon's name has to be one of my all time favorite things.
But that guess, though! 😂
Holy shit 400 likes, what is this.
Who's Falling?
Who
I remember watching this live when it happened and when he came out with Lonnie Donegan, I laughed for about ten minutes straight.
I loved the way Dave protected Conan, just like Johnny Carson protected Dave.
Wow! David Letterman did a great impression of Jay Leno 😅
Nathan Fugate says: *"...just like Johnny Carson protected Dave."?*
Some "protection". Leno got Carson's job, and Dave switched networks.
@@muffdiver240 that wasn't Johnny's fault. That was the network acting like Hitler. What Jay did was ridiculous.
@@nathanfugate8210 You have a tendency to ridiculously overstate your case:
*1.)* "That was the network" hiring the man with the broadest appeal. This amounts to logic/economic common sense, *NOT* "acting like Hitler".
*2.)* "What Jay did was" to pursue & attain his worthwhile goal. I feel sorry for you if you consider that to be "ridiculous".
*3.)* Obviously it "wasn't Johnny's fault" - there's no "fault" to begin with, and Johnny was powerless to "protect" Dave, though he may have wished that he could.
I personally like Dave more than Jay, particularly back in the 80's/early 90's, but I can hardly blame NBC for protecting its bottom line for the shareholders- that's what corporations are supposed to do.
That "Jay Leno is terrible" is ultimately irrelevant: over the years, he consistently garnered higher ratings than Letterman, and all other competitors in his time slot, as well. That's a fact. Feel free to stfu, @@DrSpaceman69. Class dismissed.
I'll have you all know that in 2022, I'm not blaming Conan.
Thanks for keeping it real, Dave.
We could blame Dave. Conan's ratings were also hurt by the revelation of his sex scandal, and the accompanying on air apologies Dave had to deliver in it's wake.
I come back to this video every so often, when I start thinking about blaming Conan.
@@gallery7596I'm seeing your replies from 10 months ago 6 months ago 5 months ago on different comments defending Jay Leno, damn mate just how much did Leno pay you to keep coming back to this vid?
Right. Jay Leno paid me. That's the problem with Team CoCo tribalism. Not just the inability to see both sides of a controversy like this, but you even doubt the sincerity of someone's opinion because it doesn't reflect your own. I always find that disappointing.
@@gallery7596 What does that mean? A sex scandal on CBS attracted viewers away from NBC? I guess that's
not all that far fetched. Letterman was regularly beating Leno until Leno had Hugh Grant on after Grant was
busted with a Hollywood hooker while Elizabeth Hurley was in England.
I loved it when Conan first got the deal and Howard Stern came on Conan and told him, "You know Jay is never going to let this happen, right?", and Conan was just stunned that he might be getting effed.
Conan ought to have studied the history of how *NBC* makes deals and then goes back on them. They told Jay he would get Carson's seat IF he turned down an offer from *CBS.* But when the time came for Jay to take over "The Tonight Show," *NBC* told Dave that he could have Jay's job IF he, too turned down *CBS.* That's the way *NBC* rolls, and Conan was naive to think they couldn't do the same thing to him.
@@gallery7596 I have felt the same way about people in my life when their behavior towards others seemed consistent. My belief was: "Well, they are good to me." lol
@@FredLord-sp4ym Damn, this hit me hard!! I've made that mistake far too many times and paid for it. Finally learned though.
@@Desantisgogoboots Hopefully it was before you married. Oof.
For the longest time I didn't know what was wrong in my life,
until one day my therapist pointed out that I shouldn't blame Conan
...and then showed you *this* "instructional video" prepared by experts
The same thing happened to me. Idk why I cried so much after he told me this.
@@arcade85_ Presenting this week's guest speaker -
Jordan Schlansky
"Don't blame Conan" is probably one of the greatest examples of lack of self-awareness in human history.
Lolol
I almost blamed Conan today, but I decided to come back here and watch this. Crisis averted.
🤣😂🤣😂
Lol
Goodjob, im so proud of you
Ok, well if you change your mind, I’ll be in the lobby
Conan was partially to blame, though.
I love Letterman for sticking up for Conan and Norm Macdonald. Incredible show of true decency.
yes. There's actually a lot I did NOT like about Dave. but to his credit, he did stand up when it was time to speak out.
He did this before, for Howard, when they both were working for NBC and the idiot execs there wanted to fire the future King of all media...
I like how norm stuck up for jay Leno too. Decent guy
I believe you meant Norm Macfallon.
Dave isn't known as a great impressionist but that little "I'll be in the lobby" he nailed. I like Jay when he's doing the car gig but man he schmucked this whole situation up. It all worked out fine. Nobody blamed Conan and Lonny Donnigan still has a job somehow.
If Conan had accepted one of those offers from *ABC* or *FOX,* the entire debacle could've been averted. So we can blame him a little, too.
Lonny Donnagan landed Jay Leno's job in the end.
It's the only reason I watched this clip again. I remember this well, the first time I heard "I'll be in the lobby " I almost died.
Just as long as you don't blame Conan.
Conan is one of the greatest late night hosts of all time. The fact that he kept all his staff on payroll during the network switch really speaks volumes about his character. A true class act, and an amazingly funny guy. He may not be getting as big numbers on TBS, but at least he has more creative control
👏👏👏👏👏
Yeah and then Conan does the same thing to Lopez so yeah....no one is exactly clean
@Doubbledikdan the same thing that leno was going to do to him ... moved lopez' timeslot an hour later causing lower ratings and eventual cancellation....truth be told it was neither lenos or conans fault in either situation but the tv execs who just pinned the blame on the talent...
@Doubbledikdan thats the point he did and he didn't...after Lopez was cancelled he tried justifying it by saying that he had actually saved lopez by giving them another season which is the complete opposite of what Lopez later said actually happened.....conan had his part in the play no doubt just as much as Leno did in his departure from the tonight show....truth be told conan shouldve known what would happen but he had a crew he was paying out of pocket at that point so i cant really blame him either.
@@qs4177 fuck lopez he aint shit
This bit was probably Dave's biggest F you to Leno, and he didn't say anything bad about Leno. Genius
Letterman was a genius. His deadpan look straight into the camera to reiterate "Don't blame Conan" is incredible. He said it all letting people read between the lines
@@ToxicKlay why the past tense?
@@A6Legit Letterman was a genius ( in how he handled this).
👍🏼
@@alexdasliebe5391 makes sense
Plus he started off by letting us know that he knows Jay. He's known him for over 30 years. "Ah, that's the Jay I know." i.e. the nice guy act is b.s. and he's really a snake.
Dave using the name of an obscure British skiffle singer to reference Jimmy Fallon is the most underrated of all his jokes.
Yeah a vast majority watching probably didnt know someone like that actually existed. It still worked. Even better if you knew, I guess.
I’m pretty sure Dave was never happier in his life then when he wrote this segment
My feeling is that Dave never wrote these segments. His disdain for Jay and his ways came naturally. LOL.
@@FredLord-sp4ym Dave is one of bitterest people in the history of television.
“That...what’s his name? Lonny Donagan...? Jimmy Fallon” ouch hahahahaha
Classic Letterman. Love it
That’s all I can refer to JF as now 😂😂 Lonny Donagan
Butch McQueen my shoe
Served up a good ole fashioned grand slam with that one.
My old man's a dustman...
Conan having CONAN instead of Late Night is even better, imo. It’s more... Conan. 🤷🏼♂️
Only sad thing is that he lost a lot of amazing material since NBC owns the rights to it
Yeah but ita only 30 minutes
Conner Wilson it used to be an hour...
In a way, it did work out better creatively for Conan in the end. He does great stuff now he wouldn't be able to on NBC. His comic con week is always a highlight.
For us yes it is better but Conan would’ve gotten paid a lot more so it sucked for him. Glad he still has a show though cuz Conan is my favorite.
Dave's contempt for Jay cleared my acne, straightened my teeth, and improved my credit!
👍 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
I have been in love with David Letterman for over 45 years!
There, i’ve said it and I’m glad! 😎
thats all fine and dandy but somehow it made my wife pregnant
Dave's continuing bitterness only leaves me disappointed in him. He still doesn't recognize that not getting "The Tonight Show" was actually the best thing that ever happened for the longevity of his career in television.
😂😂😂🤣🤣😂😂
@@rowdybme4584 😂😂😂😂🤰👩🍼
“ I’ll be in the lobby you know if you need me” is probably the most unexpectedly good impression
update from 2021: still not blaming Conan.
😂💯
Check tomorrow...just to be sure
Team COCO 🧡
Conebone69 all the way brotha
Letterman retired, and thenConan retired. It's the end of an era for late night shows.
David forgetting Jimmy Fallon's name is one of the best things I've ever seen.
I wish he'd forgotten Kimmel's too. Or confused those two mayo sandwiches for one another.
Haha Lonnie Donegan
@@warrenjehosephat231 lol what a great way to describe them
It wasn't just that he forgot his name, it was the fact his best guess was "Lonnie Donagan" lmfao. That just killed me.
I would have forgotten about Jimmy Fallon if the network local news didn't shove his name in my face whenever I am trying to watch the weather....they are advertising the boy hard and he sucks
I love the Leno impression: “ _Okay_ , _but_ _if_ _you_ _need_ _me_ _I’ll_ _be_ _in_ _the_ _lobby_ .”
Dave is a master. When he did the tonight show, you feel like he is sitting there in your living room talking to you personally. All the other talk show hosts, except Conan, are putting on a performance that doesn't feel personal. They're presenting themself to the crowd.
He was talented, but unfortunately all I see in this video is Dave's bitterness over being NBC's second choice to replace Carson all those years ago.
Craig Ferguson too, who was under Dave's production company!
@@writingthefuture I always found it remarkable that for his last show, Craig chose as his only guest *Jay Leno.*
How does jimmy Fallon get a late night spot and Conan gets put on TBS. Conan is a genius, he has the funniest skits on tv
Agreed!
Le reddit silver member-(:-) )& exactly!!!!
@frank dreben fallon has been apolitical since the beginning. he's even had trump on
Conan isn’t funny and his ratings were weak.
@frank dreben It takes a real douchebag to bring up politics in an apolitical video. If you're gonna be a whiny little bitch about things, go elsewhere.
This is brilliant. It’s cool that Letterman had Conan’s back.
Agree. And both David and Conan are kind of sympathetic guys.
probably had more to do with his hatred for leno than having conans back ;)
Dave had multiple reasons to back Conan over Jay.
Yet the cocksucker didn't have Bill Hicks back so fuck Howard Stern and fuck David Letterman.
@@somerandomarmydude who's Bill Hicks?
Dave always came across as insightful. Combined with his rebellious streak, that's why he had had a bit more sarcasm than his contemporaries.
And that's exactly how comedians should behave.
3:45 The Leno impersonation is spot on. 🤣
Pretty cool that conan came back better than ever on tbs
Yeah, Conan is great. Jay used to put me to sleep.
@@1983jcheat Pre TBS Conan tho man is comedy gold.
You forgot to put 'Dood' at the end of your comment! You have to start over from level 1!
Is Conan still on?
@@kylorenkardashian5518 Yes he is.
This morning I woke up distraught but not knowing what put me in a bad mood, my first reaction was to blame Conan. But thankfully, this video magically appeared in my recommendations and I was quickly swayed!
Way to refocus!
@@Majinjef2099 😂😂
Conan moved to NBC he sucked he changed his show and sank his own ship.
I still blame conan. Every day.
I'm sitting here scrolling through RUclips videos with my glass of wine, 17 months into this pandemic, wondering why I've lost my job, lost some of my friends due to Covid and seeing a nation more divided now than ever and, of course, my first thought was to blame Conan! Thank God my fingers stumbled upon THIS video. Dave gave me the clarity of thought to realize that all of this might actually not be Conan's fault! Thank you, Dave!
I love every second of this takedown. But Paul confirming that Dave in fact has his own problems might be my favorite bit.
I miss Dave every day, and am grateful I don't have to hear Paul twice as often
Amen to that.
_You don't have to hear Paul twice as often?_
@@justinmraap what did Ryan mean by that crack, I wonder?🤔
@@pamelacass9642
I know what he meant ...but I can't decide if you're being sarcastic or not.
TV's worst sidekick. My god he sucked lol
Leno may have had higher ratings, but Letterman was the unquestioned master of late-night TV in the post-Johnny Carson era, and this bit shows why.
@Cowboy 1959 Letterman was more of an innovator than Leno, especially after the first few years of their head-to-head competition. Leno consciously wanted to create a show that would appeal to as many people as possible, so any type of edginess was out.
I can't call Letterman "the unquestioned master," though, considering that he consistently had lower ratings than Leno. "The comedian's comedian" would be a better title for Letterman.
When he sent rupert to be the waiter.. I have yet to see a sketch from any late night talk show... that made me laugh that hard
@@wolffiegaming He made Rupert tell a McDonald's employee that he was going to "drop him like a bag of dirt." One of the hardest I've ever laughed.
I always watched Dave. Way funnier and a better show. My fav was Craig tho.
Actually, Leno pulled-off a Leno on David, before he pulled-off a Leno on Conan. People say that David should've gotten the Tonight Show after Carson, just like they say for Conan.
At first I blamed Conan. Then I saw this video and thought to myself: "You know, Dave's right. Don't blame Conan." But seriously, don't blame Conan.
Wow ! At first I blamed Conan too . Then I saw this video and then I read your comment- and I thought to myself Daddio17 is right “ Dont blame Conan “.
But seriously- #don’t blame Conan ...😂
@@frenchtoast7742 I can't find any video or article showing "the don't blame Conan" phrase or the entire speech . I guess they did their best to erase it from the internet . Luckily Letterman reacted to it.
@@mamouilletten1562 Jay almost certainly meant that people shouldn't be hard on Conan for the "Tonight Show" ratings slide that began just days after Conan took over as host.
@@gallery7596 Oooh what a good guy !!
@@frenchtoast7742 explain why did you actually blame Conan at the start ?
Wow. All I can say is wow. The fact that David Letterman addressed this issue and what a douche Jay Leno has always been is one of the classiest things I've ever seen. He knew that Leno has ALWAYS been a dirt bag and that what he did Conan Andy, and the rest of their crew was despicable and he let his viewers too
While other hosts or celebrities wouldn't have and did not want to get their hands dirty or do anything that might have a negative backlash on them- David Letterman unapologetically spoke the truth. What a stand up guy Letterman is abd what a class act Conan is.
And Jay Leno can suck it.
REE: "The fact that David Letterman addressed this issue and what a douche Jay Leno has always been is one of the classiest things I've ever seen."
Felt tinged with bitterness to me. He never seemed to get over being *NBC's* second choice to replace Carson. And let's remember that Dave's reputation wasn't exactly spotless considering the embarrassing scandal he was forced to admit to just a few months before the Jay/Conan thing came about. Jay didn't pick on him when that was happening either, but when it was Jay's turn to be in the middle of a public mess, Dave didn't show the same mercy.
RE: "...and that what he did Conan Andy, and the rest of their crew was despicable..."
But Conan green lit an *NBC* proposal he knew was deciding Jay's retirement date for him. Conan himself said he owed Jay a lot for the support he'd given him over the years at the network. It wasn't necessary for Conan to enter into that 5 year deal when his contract was set to expire before Jay's. He could've had a show with an earlier start time a lot sooner than *NBC* was offering him "The Tonight Show" at Jay and his staff's expense.
Jay understood the Entertainment/Television Business better than most managers and network executives. He represented himself, cutting out the middle "man" which in the end, was not a smart move as he had nobody to blame. "Do not blame 'Conan.'"
@@FredLord-sp4ym Jay was wrong about that, though. We can in part blame Conan because (for one thing) it was his 2004 decision that set that debacle in motion.
3 months into 2022 and here I am up at 1am, and I needed to be reminded to "Not Blame Conan". Thanks Dave
God I remember when I almost blamed Conan. I'm so glad I didn't.
Lol!!!!
*_D O N ‘ T_* blame Conan.
LMAO!!
I told you not to do that.
@@ThereIsNoLord Jay said that, too!
I’m so glad that dude Paul was there to translate what Dave was saying!
He was such a weird guy 😂
He's the worst.
"Don't blame Conan?"
"Don't blame Conan."
"Don't blame Conan?"
"Don't blame Conan."
Black Rod he literally paused for like a second so people could laugh and was gonna start talking again, till dude wanted repeat shit again
Yup! The 'second fiddle' talk show phenomenon is hopelessly formulaic. Even Steven Colbet has one. So unessesary. The only guy I can think of who doesn't have an 'Ed McMahon' type charactor is John Stewart.
So sad that i was too young to appreciate Daves humor. Only into my 20s and now almost 30 can i look at his time on TV and his time at the Comedy Store and fully appreciate his humor and schtick.
It's funny because Jay Leno's second stint on The Tonight Show only lasted for four years or so, but this Leno pushes out Conan story is still going strong almost 15 years later 😅
Yes, it's a mischaracterization of what happened. So, too was the claim that Carson was pushed out. Johnny was 65, only doing 3 shows a week while taking frequent vacations,
he was losing younger viewers to Arsenio Hall, and "Saturday Night Live" was mocking him for being over the hill. Johnny knew it was time to go.
@@gallery7596he left at the perfect time
And Conan's original deal in 2004 was basically deciding Jay's retirement date for him. If Conan had recognized that what *NBC* could do to Jay (and to Dave) they could also do to him, the entire debacle could've been averted.
It’s still a crime against humanity that Fallon not Conan has the Tonight Show.
Conan had the Tonight Show and its ratings tanked during the few months he had it; also, Conan threatened to leave NBC if he did not get the Tonight Show within 5 years which is how Jay Leno came to 'announce' his retirement in 5 years. A little bit of facts go a long way. Letterman never got over the fact that Leno got the show and he did not.
@@hallinden3942 Jay Leno stayed to have his own show ahead of Conan's Tonight Show with the same structure and guest appearances, that's why it tanked. Both show actually tanked, that's why Dave says, you don't leave but set up shop in the lobby, you go somewhere else. Since both shows weren't doing great, NBC wanted to move Leno back to his Tonight Show's time while pushing Conan in the dead hours. Conan already sees the network doesn't care about him and clearly, Leno never wanted to stop his Tonight Show, it's toxic, so Conan, being the bigger man, gave the show back to Leno.
@@ft.jackjimmy7282 - I think Conan did not have a choice but to give the show back; also, Conan told NBC that if he weren't hosting The Tonight Show within 5 years, he would leave NBC; that is why Jay Leno 'submitted' his 5 years notice to NBC; he was slapping Conan and NBC in the face. I think Jay was the guy wronged not Conan but again, I do understand what you have stated.
It is all about ratings; Jay's audience moved to Letterman's show rather than stay with Conan.
Stop it.
Oh my God, Letterman's Leno impression is priceless. I wish he had let that one out more often.
Marler's Movie Reviews and Relationship Advice my impression of myself sucks ruclips.net/video/nc6HXnmUHSg/видео.html
I love how he sets up the whole joke, (jay says conan shouldn't be blamed but his managers should, jay points out he has no managers or agents of his own) with the obvious punchline being "so blame Jay!", but stops just short of it because the answer is so palpably obvious to absolutely everyone.
Don't recall Jay saying anything about Conan's managers. He just said that it wasn't fair to hold Conan totally responsible for "The Tonight Show's" bad ratings- and he was right about that, too, because Jay's 10pm show was partly to blame. However, there's no question the ratings slide began the first week Conan took over "The Tonight Show." *NBC* was mostly to blame for monkeying with what up until May 2009 had been an extremely successful line up. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
"Well I feel I've gone too far yet again"....and we thank you for that Dave
The fact that Lonnie Donigan still has a job is kinda sad.
100
He is the least funny of all of the hosts on a major station in the last 30 years
he has a job for one reason. He does 'woke' jokes that don't offend or bother anyone. That is more important than being funny now.
Wait so Lonnie Donigan's actually a person? I thought Dave was just poking fun at Fallon. Which is totally okay by me. Ah well, as long as we have Colbert, Kimmel, Conan, etc. I'm good.
@@TigDegner They ARE talking about Fallon, mate! They're just playing into Dave's joke :D
I read the book about this. The book taught me too things. 1) Leno had the better contract for The Jay Leno Show and the better contract always wins, and 2) Conan had much more integrity than Leno ever will.
Which book?
And far less talent. Between them, Fallon, Kimmel, and O'Brien have made me laugh maybe two times total.
Ray Lebowski the strength with Fallon is he is a likable, nice guy and he makes people want to tall with him. But i have cringed hard...very hard...with his monologues. I wish someone would have come to him and helped him. Colbert is extremely political to the point where its not funny; but i admire his craft and hes a hard worker.
@@WilfBond55 you wouldn't know talent if it bit you in the sack, lebowski. Shut the fuck up
@@exclamationpointman3852 Colbert problem is not being too political, but leaning toward party more than ideas, look at Bill Maher who is entirely political but still enjoyable by the whole political spectrum.
I always come back to this clip, maybe once in a year or so. And always in that year, I forget how insufferable Paul is by ruining Dave’s jokes and timing.
HahahHaaaaa so agree
I miss Dave. His presence is a major part of my childhood.
When I was a kid, we would watch Letterman and then switch right over to Conan when it ended lol
I love this friendship between Conan and Dave!
Diesley Gunner they both got screwed by NBC and Jay lmao
Dave norm and Conan
It's 2021, almost 11pm and here I am, watching vintage Dave, not blaming Conan
(Thanks to you folks for the upvotes❤️We all know that Conan's not that kind of a guy😄
Its1 am for me. And i dont blame conan
1:30 Am and I don't blame Conan
6:30 pm, and I'm not blaming Conan.
6:16 pm and I do not blame Conan
It’s a Saturday night in 2021, and I’m here not blaming Conan.
God bless Letterman, I kept carrying this weight around with me, this blame for Conan. Thank you David for freeing me.
After many years, I've reached peace of mind and I am ready to no longer blame Conan for Jay and NBC being massive cnts.
^ Misogynistic comment. ^
"I said...no one IS blaming Conan."
Godamn he is a national treasure and FUCKING SAVAGE.
"I said to myself*", sorry I have seen this clip many times 😂
Yeah Conan is a national treasure, don't know about Dave
@@sicfxmusic is this the talking to the moon clip?
@@nalie6754 I mean, the actual phrase used is "I said to myself", and not "I said"
Letterman was the master of being Savage. I'm reminded when Carson told him about the rumors that he would firebomb NBC back during that debacle and Dave's like "Well I hate waiting in lines, but I'd do it."
It's 2019. Still not blaming Conan.
(Edit): Hey, folks! It's 2020 and we are in the age of the coronavirus in April. Just wanted to tell everyone to PLEASE stay safe and...still not blaming Conan in 2020.
(Edit): First of all, to any and all who are blessed to be here, in order to read to read this in 2021...I am STILL not blaming Conan. Secondly, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
(Edit): God bless all who are still here in 2022! We are STILL NOT BLAMING CONAN!!!
Didn't blame him in 2023...
Currently, not blaming him in 2024.
God bless, all.
You sure? Not even a little?
@@dakotahriddle8794 Nope. Not even a sliver.
@@robertdavis3036 Good man. Keep fighting the good fight my friend.
@@dakotahriddle8794 Team Coco...forever!
@@robertdavis3036 Until the end, and after that.
It’s one of his finest written and expertly delivered monologues.
Still sweet 15 years later....like great literature
I’m from the UK, so Late Night television has never been as big a deal over here. However from what I can gauge, this Johnny Carson guy presided over the coveted gig of hosting the Tonight Show for 30 years starting in 1962. In 1992 he retires and NBC crowns Jay Leno as Carson’s replacement, thus prompting a disgruntled David Letterman to take a new show, late night with David Letterman, from NBC to CBS, a move that kickstarted an ongoing feud between himself and Leno.
In 2001, when Conan O'Brien's contract neared its end and he was being courted by other networks, NBC agreed to extend his contract and eventually make him the fifth host of The Tonight Show. However the network neglected to tell Leno about this arrangement. In 2004, when they did finally get round to informing Leno that O'Brien would take over as host of the Tonight Show in 2009, NBC tried keeping both of it’s late-night stars by offering Leno a nightly primetime show before O'Brien's Tonight Show.
Conan fronting the Tonight Show didn’t receive strong ratings, and NBC moaned about a drop in ratings, so they returned Leno to his 11:35pm start time and bumped O'Brien half an hour later to 12:35am. An understandably indignant O'Brien, much like Letterman a decade earlier, furiously declined and left the network entirely and went on to successfully host his own late night TV talkshow, Conan, which aired on TBS for 11 seasons. Leno was therefore reinstated with a second tenure hosting the Tonight Show in 2010. However, by 2014, Leno was eventually replaced by Jimmy Fallon and, after a 22 year run, CBS aired the last episode of late night with David Letterman in 2015.
Is that, more or less, a vey longwinded summary of events, with the upshot being that Jay Leno (“the one who’s not funny”) has absolutely zero professional integrity, with the court of public opinion strongly being in favour of David Letterman and Conan O’Brien.
Secondly, and I’m going completely off-topic now, but was Joan Rivers’ account about leaving the Tonight Show as Carson’s permanent guest hostess to compete with him on The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers honestly only down to her feeling unsettled when Carson's contract was renewed for two years, but hers was only renewed for one, despite Joan getting better ratings than Carson? The first person Joan allegedly called to say that she was leaving the Tonight Show was Johnny, and he hung up on her and never spoke to her again, even after her husband Edgar Rosenberg’s suicide, which happened after Joan challenged Fox executives, who originally wanted to fire Edgar as the show's producer, but instead fired them both in 1987. Jay Leno, in keeping with his predecessor, maintained an unofficial embargo on Joan Rivers for 27 years until Jimmy Fallon, feeling that the statute of limitations against Rivers had long expired, invited her back as a guest for his show’s debut?
I do hope that whoever reads this can understand, and perhaps even appreciate, my fascination with American late night TV shows, particularly as the most interesting thing about the U.K.’s most popular chat show hosts is that one is actually Irish, the other one has Rhotacism, another one quit and his replacement’s now dead….
Well said and it’s true Leno is not funny.
@@BkBk-gy6vr Hahaha, thanks for your reply. Letterman certainly had a fair share of douchey moments himself. Gesturing towards Cher infamously calling him out in 1986 as being a certain curse word. His interviews with Angelina Jolie, Aishwarya Rai, Oprah and Leonardo Di Caprio also spring to mind, namely because they never returned.
However at least the moments on his show are memorable, infamously and notoriously iconic even: Drew Barrymore flashing him, Madonna dropping 14 F-Bombs, Farrah Fawcett and Courtney Love being so blatantly high that even God needed binoculars to see them, (I’ve always thought that Crispin Glover and Joaquin Phoenix were just doing bits), ugh there’s just so many!
In the UK, however, the majority of the most memorable celebrity TV appearances happened on morning television. Although, that being said, Meg Ryan’s frosty appearance on Sir Michael Parkinson‘s Saturday night show is definitely something to behold.
I looked up Lonnie Donegan and he's a 50s "skiffle singer" who does look kinda like Fallon and I laughed even harder.
He was a huge influence on amongst others Lennon & McCartney
He was a major influence on every British musician in the 50s and 60s and even into the 70s. He wasn't just a skiffle singer, he popularized it. Everyone from the members of the Beatles to Led Zeppelin started with skiffle, and he was their influence.
I didnt know he was areal person
BFisch very well articulated. Jimmy Page began with a skiffle group, if I remember correctly, and there's some old recorded TV footage somewhere here on RUclips
@@siggylloyd3566 it was either The Originals, or the New Originals that Jimmy Page was in.
One of Dave's greatest bits of all time: "Uhhh, I'll be in the lobby... Don't hang around!"
It was a shockingly good impression, too.
Dave did NOT blame Conan.
0:38 That smile when he says "but I just can't help myself," is the reason I love Letterman so much.
You can tell who's never watched a single episode of David letterman by them commenting on how Paul butts into David talking.
Yup
Thank you
So do yall actually like him? He's fucking awful
I've never watched his full shows, but I've caught lots of Letterman over the years, I've never heard Paul doing this before tho, I thought it was pretty annoying.
So, he's _intentionally_ ruining the flow of the joke. Thanks for the insight.
I'm so glad Conan is still going strong. He's an awesome host and his writers are funny as hell. Definitely the best host and the best late night show currently on TV.
I wish I hair the color of yours, it's beautiful!
Last sentence, totally agree!
Meyers, Colbert & Corden suck.
(-_-;)
Hes a good dude
Conan is quitting late night tv on June... so we can safely say that he is switching to hbo max (variety show) being the best late night host of our generation (the others are far away from him.), our Carson, our Letterman or whatever you want to call it
This makes me miss Dave so much. He's out there now having the time of his life in peaceful tranquility, fly fishing, & relaxing in the bosom of Mother Nature's beauty...a truly happy ending for a celebrated icon. Yet there are some days where things are rough, tensions flare, expectations dashed with disappointment - and I think of how many times David Letterman & his show put those awful days to bed. I can't watch contemporary late night; too much politics & far more left-wing than I can stomach. There's no disillusionment that Dave didn't have his own views which I'm sure differ from mine, but that was never an issue watching his show. He understood what a priviledge it was being welcomed into America's homes every night & didn't take it for granted. What Johnny Carson was to my parents, Dave was to me. Conan was undoubtedly the best in modern late night. It's amazing to see these old clips & smh at how NBC managed to drop the ball yet again.
If David Letterman & his show "put awful days to bed" then how do you think he would have dealt with Jan 6th? Contemporary late night may be "far more left-wing" than you can stomach and I can respect that you feel that way. However, don't think for a second that Dave wouldn't have addressed that act of treason exactly how the current hosts have addressed it. Dave didn't suffer fools lightly. He knew what a con man and fraud Trump is and exposed him as such on one of his shows. It was the show when Trump was ranting about how terrible China is. He let Trump go on and on and then pulled out Trump's line of shirts and ties and asked him where they were made. Of course Trump initially LIED and said he didn't know where they were made because all the man does is lie. And then Dave exposed the fact that Trump made his clothing line in Bangladesh and China. Since you love those amazing old clips I encourage you to go watch that one.
Very well put
A master at his work, excoriating Leno but still bringing out comedy.
I miss the good ol days of Letterman on late show and Craig Ferguson on the late late show.
Between your avatar and your comment, you're really dating yourself.
@@bigmike5785 I'm married but sure pal whatever helps you sleep at night
@@packlesswolf1 huh? I'm just saying you're young, I assumed a young man.
Craig was the most underrated late night guy ever.
@@andyb1653 I agree. He was the only host to make me laugh out loud every night guaranteed.
9 years later and this is still "Vintage Letterman". Funny as hell!!!
TMB Trumpet so true. So true.
Letterman is going down in history along with his "true blue" crowd: Carson his mentor, and Craig Ferguson his brilliant protegé.
Meanwhile, Jay is gone with the wind and his replacement Fallon is widely despised on YT for being a pathetic unfunny sycophant with an annoying laugh. Two of a kind if you ask me.
I always felt that Lonnie Donegan was an underrated TV personality.
I love the goofy rhythms of Paul. Dave says, “if I can invoke a little French”, and Paul immediately says, “Please do. Anytime.” I cracked up at that. And then Dave mentions the state of the network speech, and Paul literally says, “State of the network. State of the network. State of the….State of the network speech.” It’s so random sometimes but really adds to the zaniness.
Great hype man
I love Paul. “You say…this is vintage Jay.”
He is actually very annoying and ruins 90% of the jokes
As the years passed, Paul's laugh and asides became devastatingly funny. I greatly miss Dave and Company.
@@Adeptbe Some say "ruin," others say "Improve." I love Paul's asides.
"I got my own problems."
Not enough people in this world acknowledge this about themselves.
ibieiniid
Yea like the Left, they need to worry about their own asses lol
@@T25de
And yet, here you are calling out other people's problems and making no mention of yourself.
ibieiniid
That’s the joke 😉
Help!! Hypocrisy!!
You can acknowledge them and not deal with them. It's kind of what he did here.
I think the audience reacted the way was because he had a whole blackmail affair thing a year earlier.
That "I hope you're not planning on blaming conan, are you?" always kills me. 3:13
Coming back anytime I need a laugh to hear Lonny Donagan. Love it.
You know, I was feeling the tiniest urge that I was going to start blaming Conan, but this video reminded me. It wasn't his fault.
It was at least partially Conan's fault. Dave's, too because that was a very bad time for his sex scandal to be made public as it drew people away from Conan's "Tonight Show."
There is a Universe where Conan did get The Tonight Show and technology and humanity advanced faster than this timeline
If all the people that say they like Conan actually watched Conan, he would have remained as the host.
@@kewltony nope. The Jay Leno Show tanked Conans ratings when it shouldn't have ever been on the air. The same thing would've happened if Johnny Carson had his own half hour talk show an hour before Jay 3 months into Leno hosting The Tonight Show. It's as simple as that.
@@kewltony TRUTH. Conan's fans abandoned him. That's the real truth of all this. All the people raging in this comments section are the same people that never actually watched him in his new time slot. See how Popeye is still trying to blame Leno? That's what it looks like to be a child who cannot handle reality.
Conan's fake fans canceled Conan.
@Spookrockcity Uh, okay. Then how do you explain his successful run on TBS? Did Conan's fans abandon him on The Tonight Show with the ultimate goal of getting him to TBS? That's a weird goal, but mission accomplished I guess.
And also Tiktok never got invented there.
I will always love how David Letterman treated Jimmy Fallon exactly how we should’ve all treated Jimmy Fallon
Fallon is really good at getting RUclips views which is what they are after at NBC.
@@bulldogsbob brainless pablum for the shallow mind
@@romulus_ yet here you are, watching youtube.
@@asyc89 as are you. funny, I don't see what your statement has to do with what's being discussed here.
@@asyc89 but never Fallon
I always wished Paul's mic had a kill switch.
Dave had Conan's back and Norm's back when Norm got fired from SNL weekend update. Great dude!
Paul sounds like Rain Man in this just repeating every last couple of words Dave says
GiantSandles Only less socially adept and he can't play poker for shit.
+GiantSandles yeah..yeah...repeating every last couple of words
+ModelCitizenBrigade Every last couple of words.
+Hoganply Couple of words..right..
+GiantSandles Yeah. every last couple of words
3:45 leno impression cracked me up
+brian whalen i mean... it's a letterman impression tho
Letterman could say what ever the fuck he want to say. In my mind, Conan is the best and Letterman is simply Yoda.
It's a near perfect impression of him.
is that a picture of the fictional character played by James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams?
no, it's a picture of me you jerk
NOBODY has timing to drop a punch-line like Letterman… flawless.
Always the funniest person. They made such a mistake not keeping their word and putting David as host of the tonight show.
Conan's last couple of weeks at NBC while they were letting his contract run out were the best shows of late night ever.
Conan had an expense account for the show, and he expended that account to the extreme. Introducing the newest late night character, Bugatti the mouse,accompanied by it's theme music, the original master for the Rolling Stones Satisfaction.
No man, the REAL late night show; the original Conan show that actually came on after midnight. The one that ended with the Will Ferrel Freebird rendition....that was the greatest. They used to get really out there....Masturbating Bear ftw
@@whaddyathink949 In the year two thousaaaaand, in the year two THOUSAAAAAAAAAND!
@@3Rayfire oh man. Now I’m invested. That skit was lit.
😄
Savage. Good for him, he made them suffer in the long run
Over the past 3 years, I got divorced, my business failed, and I my health deteriorated.
I was so tempted to blame Conan, but thank goodness I stopped myself when I realized he had nothing to do with my problems…
All along it was Jay Leno.
No, it was Barzinni.
I enjoy replaying this every couple of years 😁
This was 14 years ago and can’t believe jinny gallon is still in this business
All these years later and I still resent Jay Leno. That guy is a snake.
You have no life if your so set on Jay Leno
Christopher Cruz: Whereas you are better, you're also commenting on the same video 😂
But please, Don't blame Conan.;)
At least he's not a coward like Conan.
Jay has a garage full of amazing cars and quite the rolodex of celebrity phone numbers.
Conan has a 92 taurus and fans, co-workers, friends, & family who adore him. Plus hes funnier & smarter. Id say conan won in the end
It says something when all the other late night hosts (Fallon, Kimmel, Colbert and O'Brien) all pay tribute to Letterman on this last show and hardly anyone payed tribute to Leno.
I thought Kimmel and Fallon were the same person
Wait...you mean they're not?!! :-P
PCBacklash _ Kimmel is much less annoying. I’m offended that you thought he was the same person as Fallon.
cluster c They're both humorless asses. They have their moments, but, for the most part, they're a waste of time.
Because all those idiots are FAR Left sheep...just like Letterman.
Here we are in 2021, Dave's retired, Jay's "retired', Conan's "retired", Fallon has the Tonight Show, Kimmel has his show, and Colbert has The Late Show....Am I the only one wondering what Lonnie Donagon is up to?
Ill be in the lobby lmaooooo 😂
The venom Dave has for Jay is just amazing in the best way possible.
At about 2:52 when he is more or less done with the joke and looks away. That expression right there is the sort of expression my grandfather gave me when he was so disappointed in something I had done it made him sick. It is the epitome of "I can't believe you've done this"
The two just can’t stand each other. A lot of animosity between them.
@@omt4293 I don't think Jay felt that way, and Dave told Oprah after all this that he still considers Jay a friend. Clearly, Dave's an odd guy, though.
Dave has nobody to blame for his not getting the show but himself. The Jay vs Conan thing was NBC’s fault.
@@TheGodYouWishYouKnew well no. The deal between Jay and Dave for the Tonight Show is legendary. But Dave took his own advice when he didn’t get the Tonight Show, he went to CBS, and then proceeded to kick Jay’s ass for the first 3-4 years. It wasn’t until the Clinton scandal that Jay took the lead. By that time, Jay had found his footing in making the most inoffensive comedy ever, while Jay was known for pushing the edge a little bit more. So they each found their voice in all of this.
I personally blame Lonnie Donegan.
Yes she's a bitch
I blame him for a lot of music that's happened. Lots of major UK musicians in fhe 60s and early 70s got their start because of him.
the bass slide after "but I just can't help myself" is an underrated moment
Let's remember that O'Brian and his staff received a settlement from NBC of 45 million, ( 62 million today, ) to leave the network.
I will never understand how Jay Leno had the audience he did. I couldn’t stand him and his brand of humor. I feel like he grabbed all of the 55 and over crowd. Anyone that I knew found Conan to be much cooler and funnier.
Jay had the best monologue than any talk show host before or after him, he just happens to be not too likable.
Leno was talented. So was Conan. It was just the Leno audience that had been built for decades didn't mesh with Conan's style. That's no one's fault. I prefer Conan but all the trashing of Leno is just people buying into Letterman's digs at him over the years.
@@TruckTaxiMoveIt All the times I tried watching Leno's monologue I found it perfectly bland and often predictable. I mean, it makes sense; when you're on one of the biggest shows, you likely will try to appeal to the widest audience, which means taking no risks. And when you've been doing it for so long, you _also_ need to fit into the mold your audience has come to expect.
@@jameslutian1977 Actually, in my case, I've never liked Leno from his pre Tonight Show appearances. And I know what happened with Joan Rivers but she would've been a better replacement for Johnny.
AGREE.
I love the delight on Daves' face when he says, "I just can't help myself." Lol!
He reminded a little bit of Bugs Bunny when he said this.
@@IronMan-tk8uc I guess I haven't watched enough Looney Tunes to see that, but your comment led me to review this clip which I appreciate. I find it endlessly entertaining!
@@wakeupbell2491 Ok, thanks.
"well I feel I've gone too far, yet again, tonight"
2024 update: still not blaming Conan
"Eeeeeh...I'll be in...in the lobby, if you need me!"
LOL
Love him or hate him Letterman is the only talk show host with any balls to speak the truth he never ever sucks up to any celebrity he just says it as it is.
To be fair, Kimmel had Leno on via a video link, and pretty much roasted him, to his face, in real time...
EDIT: Wait, correction, I had that slightly backwards - Leno had Kimmel on his show (Leno's) via a video link, and was asking him some "interview" questions, and Kimmel roasted Leno... ruclips.net/video/PBtitOjc6Rg/видео.html
Vince Veloce Thats why Carson liked him so much and none of them stand even close to Carson.
@@svyt That was pretty brutal, but Kimmel and Jay have been in communication since, and to his credit Jimmy said not too long ago that he'd be a jerk to continue to hate Jay.
@@gallery7596 To _continue._ Key word. He did the right thing at the time.
Not true. Conan's that way too 😁
I love the way he refers to Jimmy fallon as Lonnie Donegan lol
His name was Lonnie Donagan
"I'll be in lobby, if you need me!"
My dad loved Dave. I always wondered why. Now I'm pushing 40 and I see how he loved Dave's cynicism.
Lonnie donigan has a job ,laughing uncontrollably at everything 😂
"Lonnie Donnigan has a job too!" 😂
who gave Paul a mic?
Dave.
+MetrazolElectricity He's basically doing what Ed McMahon did for Carson. It's so if a joke falls flat there isn't a silence. Paul was musical director for Saturday Night Live before this.
MetrazolElectricity I wasn't trivializing
MetrazolElectricity I assure you I wasn't. Everything I said was neutral. He did do what McMahon did and he did work on SNL. And that is indeed the side-kick's job - to help keep things flowing. I don't particularly like Paul's style but I respect his talent, he's an excellent musician.
+maroonoasis I blame them. Shaffer is a douche bag