Defeated O'Brien Confirms Crushed Dream: "This was Not Our First Choice"
Moments ago, Conan O'Brien confirmed that tomorrow is his last day as host of The Tonight Show, but promised to go out with an NBC-bashing bang. Meanwhile, Jay Leno announced his return to 11:35 as David Letterman continued eviscerating him.
As per usual, all of the noteworthy clips from tonight's broadcasts are grouped below by show and labeled accordingly.
I. THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN
12:00 AM ET: Besides to confirm that tomorrow will be his last day, O'Brien used his monologue to toe the line of the nondisparagement clause of his settlement agreement with NBC, making several less-than-positive remarks about the network that crushed his dream.
After his monologue, O'Brien welcomed Pee-wee Herman on stage to help explain the legal angle of his dispute with NBC. Herman, of course, had a unique way of presenting things.
12:25 AM ET: After returning from break, O'Brien revealed some more of the offers he received after he listed The Tonight Show for sale on Craigslist, before introducing a new character that cost three times the $1.5 million Bugatti Veyron Mouse from last night: 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, wearing a mink Snuggie and watching restricted NFL Super Bowl footage.
O'Brien's first guest was the always unpredictable Robin Williams, who DID NOT disappoint. It's almost impossible to adequately describe the segment in words, but here's a teaser quote from Williams: "You leave, and it's just gonna be Jay and Dave fighting like two strippers battling over a merkin."
12:45 AM ET: O'Brien's second segment with Williams saw a continuation of the shenanigans of the first, but things got serious for a bit when Williams serenaded him and the host nearly lost his composure.
At the very end of the show, we were treated to something that is usually reserved only for the eyes of the studio audience: O'Brien's "end of show" song—brief, but quite touching.
2:15 AM ET: Following the Mine That Bird bit (four clips above this text), O'Brien was alerted by his producer that a surprise guest was about to make his way out, before Ben Stiller joined him and Andy Richter for a chat and some reminiscing.
II. THE JAY LENO SHOW
10:20 PM ET: Here's Leno's full statement, in which he confirms that he's "chosen to stay on the Titanic."
10:40 PM ET: Besides his statement, Leno's only other relevant remarks on the show (so far) tonight were a couple of lame jokes about NBC. Shocking, I know...
III. THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN
9:00 PM ET: Here's video of Letterman—on tonight's show, which will air on CBS at 11:35 PM—introducing a segment called "The Jay Leno File," before playing a short video that accuses Leno of twice slithering his way up the late night ladder. Oh, and something about Jimmy Stewart...
Oh, snap! Point, Letterman.
If this clip is any indication, it looks like we'll have another gloriously drama-filled night on our hands. Of particular interest (to me, at least): following the news today that O'Brien's settlement with NBC included a nondisparagement clause—meaning that neither party can publicly trash the other—will he hold back from bashing the network on tonight's broadcast? Does the clause not take effect until O'Brien is off of NBC? Does it even matter? If O'Brien has proved one thing over the last two weeks, it's he's capable of going rogue in a way that Sarah Palin can but wish to emulate—let's hope that he exits with a bang.
1:30 AM ET: Seems Letterman's monologue was just as biting as the preview clip. Watch as he not only goes after Leno, but pokes fun at NBC and Carson Daly, too. Letterman put it best when explaining why he continues to bash Leno: "It's fun."
1:45 AM ET: After returning from his first break, Letterman took a minute to address rumblings he'd heard about the fact that he's told so many jokes about Leno, but had avoided making them about O'Brien. After reiterating the fact that he just plain enjoys mocking Leno, he invited Late Show writer Joe Grossman on stage to tell a few jokes about O'Brien—or not? Find out for yourself, below.
IV. JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!
4:30 AM ET: Any time Kimmel has weighed in on NBC's late night lineup over the last two weeks, it's been brilliant—tonight was no different. Watch as Kimmel introduces and then plays a video about the Late Night War, which was modeled after a Ken Burns documentary (thanks, the.interweb.accounts).
V. LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON
1:05 AM ET: In a departure from his pattern for the last two weeks, Fallon actually said a few things about the NBC late night situation on his show tonight, simultaneously paying tribute to O'Brien and poking fun at the network that employs him.
VI. THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART
3:10 AM ET: Unfortunately, it appears as though my footage of Stewart's show—as well as that of Stephen Colbert's and Jimmy Kimmel's—was somehow lost. I sincerely apologize for this, and please know that I'm doing everything I can to track down video of the shows I'm missing. When I find it, I promise that I'll post it.
That said, I was able to use my phone to record the end of Stewart's show from the DVR on my TV. Obviously, the quality of the video leaves a lot to be desired, but it's better than nothing—right?
Anyway, here's Stewart's "Moment of Zen" bit, at the beginning of which he screamed "Team Conan!"
Update! Commenter scottdavey85 has come to our rescue and provided me with a high quality version of the Stewart clip. Watch below.
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[The Late Show with David Letterman]
[The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien]
