X17 News

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - As Tonight Show host Conan O'Brien negotiates with NBC execs to leave the network after the Peacock decided to push back The Jay Leno Show into Conan's slot, the shows fans are wondering just how it's all going to play out.

X17 caught up with Conan O'Brien's wife Liza at the Brentwood Country Mart in west Los Angeles yesterday and we asked how her husband is doing; she told us ...

"He's hanging in there."

And when we ran into Larry King and ask which lat night host he prefers, he was very diplomatic, saying:

"I like them both!"

CLICK HERE to see the video clips of Mrs. O'Brien and Larry King

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (X17online) - NBC may have ditched Conan O'Brien, but Saturday Night Live creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels has the comedian's back. As for NBC replacing O'Brien with Leno, Michaels says "After early struggles, he prevailed. And I'm sure he will again."

For many years, Michaels was the executive producer of Late Night With Conan O'Brien. He says he chose O'Brien for the gig because he was "very smart," "had an amazing character" and was "just brilliant."

Michaels also gave his theory as to why the O'Brien/Leno debacle took place. He says that "there was a lot of worry and concern" that Leno would pop up on another network which is why the comedian was given the 10 p.m slot.

SNL's Seth Meyers, who also worked with O'Brien in the past, says "You can't tell someone that you want to stay married for five years and then get a divorce."

O'Brien hasn't announced plans on when he'll be returning to TV. For now, the former Tonight Show host is staying in contact with his fans via Twitter.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (X17online) - Who needs to host The Tonight Show when your fans will follow you anywhere? That's what Conan O'Brien is banking on. The former NBC host will announce today that he will be headlining a 2-month tour that will kick off April 12. Coco and the gang are performing in 30 cities!

The tour, named Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television is a direct slam on NBC. You may recall, the network had written in O'Brien's exit contract that he could not appear on television until September.

O'Brien will not start the tour in a big city like LA or NY, but instead he has chosen Eugene, Oregon.

Andy Richter and the former Tonight Show band will also be incorporated into the show.

When asked about why he's going on tour, O'Brien says: "It was either a massive 30-city tour or start helping out around the house."

O'Brien will give tour updates via his Twitter account. Ticket prices will start at $39.50.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (X17online) - FOX has recently approached the former Tonight Show host to participate in the network's Idol Gives Back special on April 21. But when an American Idol producer reportedly asked NBC if Conan could participate, the peacock network said no.

Under the agreement that he made when he left The Tonight Show, the host cannot make any TV appearances until May 1.

O'Brien sources say that discussions with FOX have not been about a possible late-night talk show. However, some are speculating that he could launch a show as early as September. Reports also claim that the comedian is considering a possible syndicated or cable show.

O'Brien's Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on TV 30-city tour begins on April 12 in Eugene, Oregon.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Conan O'Brien is up for an Emmy in the outstanding variety, music or comedy series category, however since the award show is airing on NBC, the network is holding on to their settlement deal with the former Tonight Show host which states he can't say anything negative about his former employers.

The settlement states that O'Brien cannot make any "disparaging" comments about NBC, NBC Studios, Jeff Zucker, Jay Leno, Dick Ebersol, Jeff Gaspin and Marc Graboff

As of September 1st, the settlement agreement ends ... however, the Emmys air three days before that date. For that reason, NBC will be watching O'Brien's every word.

O'Brien left the peacock network back in January.

MANHATTAN, New York (X17online) - Conan O'Brien will be back on the air on November 8th when his show Conan launches on TBS ... and sidekick Andy Richter will be by his side.

The duo have been working together since 1993. Just recently, Richter was a part of Conan's Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour.

Richter released the following statement:

"I'm thrilled to be going back to work with Conan, and very excited to start a whole new venture on TBS. However, I am mostly looking forward to getting out of the house again."

O'Brien joked, "This decision was made without my authority. I will get to the bottom of this."

Photo courtesy: NBC

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Within the seven months since Jay Leno has taken back the Tonight Show slot, his ratings among younger viewers have dramatically fallen.

Leno's viewership has dropped 0.1 points below Conan O'Brien, who hosted the Tonight Show from June 2009 to January 2010. Recent figures have shown that nearly 34 million viewers, ages 18 - 49, tune in to late night talk shows between 11pm to 1am, according to Nielsen.

Leno has also been losing steam against longtime rival David Letterman. Over the summer, the difference between the two shows was around 800,000 viewers, but now that number has dwindled to a mere 130,000.

As for Conan, the comedian has already begun taping segments for his upcoming TBS show, Conan ... premiering November 8th.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Seth Rogen will become the first guest star to appear on Conan, which will launch November 8 on TBS. Rogan will be joined by Jack White from the band The White Stripes who will be the show's first musical guest. Coincidentally White helped close down Late Night with Conan O'Brien appearing as the show's final guest in 2009.

The entire line-up for the show's premiere week will also include Tom Hanks, 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer and musical guest Soundgarden set to air Tuesday.
Mad Men star Jon Hamm, comedian Charlyne Yi, and musical guest Fistful of Mercy will appear on Wednesday, November 10. Michael Cera of the upcoming film, Modern Family's Julie Bowen and comedian Jon Dore will finish off premiere week Thursday, November 12 according to Variety.

O'Brien has been hard at work taping the upcoming launch for Conan at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.

NEW YORK, New York (X17online) - New York Times writer Bill Carter is releasing a new book called The War for Late Night: When Leno Went Early and Television Went Crazy which will detail what went down when Conan O'Brien left NBC.

In the book, Carter writes the question "What does Jay have on you?" ... something he claims is what Conan kept asking NBC executives.

He writes that O'Brien, who found out that Leno was taking The Tonight Show back, told executives, "I know how hard I worked for this. It was promised to me. I had a shitty lead-in."

As for how O'Brien felt about Leno, Carter says Conan told his producer and head writer, “I’m not gonna hear from that guy. I’ll probably never hear from him again.”

Even Jeff Zucker was quoted as saying, "I want an answer from Conan and I want an answer quickly. You know I have the ability to pay him or play him, and I could ice him for two years. ... Just let me tell you something: You are not going to f**king play me."

The War for Late Night: When Leno Went Early and Television Went Crazy hits stores on November 4.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Tom Hanks stopped by Conan O'Brien's TBS talk show where it was revealed that the Oscar-winning actor is the one who have O'Brien the nickname "Coco."

The comedian joked with Hanks telling him, "You ruined my life!"

In response, Hanks tells Coco, "Finally, he'll blame something on someone other than Jay."

As for Conan's ratings, his first show beat out both Leno and Letterman. However, the second show raked in 2.8 million viewers which was down 33% from the premiere night.

COHASSET, Massachusetts (X17online) - The Roman Catholic priest who was accused of stalking comedian Conan O'Brien has been arrested again for stalking a Boston TV personality.

According to the local police, the Rev. David Ajemian was arrested Thursday for violating a restraining order that was issued to keep the priest away from Anthony Everett, a co-host for a show on WCVB-TV.

Reportedly Ajemian called the station several times and violated a "harassment prevention" order.

Ajemian was suspended by the Boston archdiocese in 2006 and can no longer act as a priest.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Michael Chiklis has been signed to the lead role in a CBS comedy pilot Vince Uncensored, and Conan O’Brien will executive produce, along with David Kissinger.

The Warner Bros. project centers around a man who faced a life changing experience, and then “decides to take a more honest approach to his life, work and family.”

Chiklis is currently on ABC’s No Ordinary Family, which may not be picked up for another season.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Conan O'Brien, will take his show on the road yet again, TBS announced Wednesday.

The late-night talk show host will take his LA-based program Conan to New York for a week's worth of shows later this year and he'll set up shot in Chicago next year, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Conan O'Brien's late night talk show Conan on TBS has been extended through April of 2014, the network announced Wednesday. O'Brien came to the network after a 16-year run hosting Late Night on NBC, and although it hasn't been a ratings smash, the show has a loyal younger audience that frequently tunes in online.

"Night after night, Conan and his team have put together terrific shows that draw a young and fiercely loyal audience. As if that weren't enough, they also have built a dynamic online presence that keeps fans engaged like no other show in late night," Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TBS, TNT, and Turner Classic Movies, said in a statement.

The road to network stability has been rocky for O'Brien, who was handed the reigns for The Tonight Show by NBC only to have them taken back eight months later and handed over to his predecessor, Jay Leno.

Ever the jokester, O'Brien expressed his joy over the announcement and didn't miss the opportunity to throw in some political humor. "I am excited to continue my run with TBS because they have been fantastic partners. This means I will taping episodes of CONAN well into the Ron Paul presidency."

Conan averages 1,000,000 viewers per night, according to Nielsen ratings.