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It's extremely rare for news out of NBC headquarters to make us happy, but it's happened: Conan O'Brien is taking over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno in 2009. We thought we'd never say this, as it seemed depressingly certain that Leno would give up the desk only at the moment his bones turned to dust and he was vacuumed off his chair, but we're actually going to watch The Tonight Show tonight to hear the announcement. It's a brilliant one-time ratings ploy, just like the time Daffy Duck put on a devil costume and drank a gas-can full of nitroglycerin to upstage Bugs Bunny.

Drudge has the e-mail from Jeff Zucker to the NBC staff, announcing the change: "I can't say enough about this late night team and these two men - especially Jay Leno - who worked tirelessly with us to help us find the appropriate time to make this announcement." Hmm, suprisingly classy. Zucker continues, "Jay hardly squirmed as I threw him in the trunk of my Benz and stabbed him repeatedly, explaining how it's Conan's turn at The Tonight Show." Huzzah!