LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) — Ousted "Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien will return to late-night television in November with a show on cable channel TBS, the network said Monday.
"In three months I've gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I'm headed to basic cable," O'Brien said in a news release. "My plan is working perfectly."
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) — Ousted "Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien will return to late-night television in November with a show on cable channel TBS, the network said Monday.
O'Brien's talk show will air weeknights at 11 p.m. ET/PT, leading into "Lopez Tonight" which will shift to a midnight start, TBS said.
"I can't think of anything better than doing my show with Conan as my lead-in," George Lopez said. "It's the beginning of a new era in late-night comedy."
Negotiations for the deal began last week after Lopez called O'Brien to ask him to consider joining the network, TBS said.
"In three months I've gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I'm headed to basic cable," O'Brien said in a news release. "My plan is working perfectly."
The new show has not yet been given a name.
O'Brien has been off the air since January when NBC canceled Jay Leno's prime time hour after disappointing ratings led to an affiliate revolt.
NBC's local stations suffered a drop in ratings for their 11 p.m. newscasts in the months that Leno's earlier show was a lead-in.
NBC paid O'Brien and his staff an estimated $40 million to clear the way for Leno to return to the "Tonight Show" host chair he handed off to O'Brien last year.
The settlement left O'Brien free to launch a competing show after September 1, 2010.
The ouster of O'Brien after just seven months on the show stirred his friends and fans — dubbed Team CoCo — to launch a variety of anti-NBC protests.
Leno recently told Joy Behar, host of HLN's "The Joy Behar Show," that he expected O'Brien would return to late-night television as a head-to-head competitor.
"I think Conan will come back, and he'll be strong and, you know, we'll all compete against one another," Leno said.
"It should be me against (David) Letterman, against Conan, against (Jimmy) Kimmel, and then you see who wins," he said, referring to all the other late-night comedians.
I've seen him around a few times, even been right next to him a couple times. 'Low key' is an understatement: if he was any more mellow he might slip into a coma.
Does he still wear that fishing hat and dark blue suit all the time?
It's been years since I've seen him, but he was still wearing that weird 'nubby' hat, the one that looks like stubby dreadlocks all over. Odd. Plus he is ridiculously thin, crazy-thin, like he'd blow away in a breeze.
Location: The birthplace of Rock & Roll, baby. Gender:
Posted:
Jan 25, 2010 - 11:15am
cc_rider wrote:
I've seen him around a few times, even been right next to him a couple times. 'Low key' is an understatement: if he was any more mellow he might slip into a coma.
Does he still wear that fishing hat and dark blue suit all the time?
He's pretty low-key actually. He used to frequent the bar I worked at in my college days.
I've seen him around a few times, even been right next to him a couple times. 'Low key' is an understatement: if he was any more mellow he might slip into a coma.
Location: The birthplace of Rock & Roll, baby. Gender:
Posted:
Jan 24, 2010 - 1:58pm
Jimi_the_Saint wrote:
Yeah, cause he's good - but it's something more. Every time I see Billy Gibbons, I feel like I'm seeing a Yeti or something. I get super-stoked. I think he's one of the few people (in fact, I can't think of anyone else - maybe Dolly Parton - izzat weird?) who would render me starstruck if I met him.
He's pretty low-key actually. He used to frequent the bar I worked at in my college days.
Yeah, cause he's good - but it's something more. Every time I see Billy Gibbons, I feel like I'm seeing a Yeti or something. I get super-stoked. I think he's one of the few people (in fact, I can't think of anyone else - maybe Dolly Parton - izzat weird?) who would render me starstruck if I met him.
Indeed and Beck too. Conan was wailing on his guitar too. Fun stuff.
Beck... was he the Billy the Kid looking young guy to the far right? And who was that just to the right of Billy Gibbons? I was thinking Elvis Costello.
Neil... a living legend, a veritable god of RnR.
Will Ferrell.. a living schtump.
Conan was quite the gentleman.
Billy the Kid indeed. Not sure who the spanish guy was but he was wailing. Didn't see Elvis. He was very gentlemanly.
Indeed and Beck too. Conan was wailing on his guitar too. Fun stuff.
Beck... was he the Billy the Kid looking young guy to the far right? And who was that just to the right of Billy Gibbons? I was thinking Elvis Costello.
$60,000 doesn't seem like much for moving your family cross country to a job you will retire from and then being out on year ear in 7 months.
I agree. He was with NBC for over 20 years and moved his family across the country. I'm also disappointed in Leno because they were supposedly good friends; he should have taken the high road and bowed out.
