Conan O?Brien Loses Late-Night Lead in Second Week on ?Tonight Show?

[Goosemaster]

*puts away his 'all the old people stopped watching cause we switched over to digital' card for later*

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: fustercluck
Old people like Letterman, young people like Conan. Everyone wanted to see Conan's debut though, that's why it was so big. Falloff was expected. Anyways, I'll continue to watch both thanks to tivo - But I do like Conan a lot more.

Got that right. My mother in law is pissed. "WHO THE HELL THINKS THAT GOOFBALL IS FUNNY???"

Heh---most people maam...most people.

 

[chuckywang]

It's called hulu.

 

[Blayze]

Not really surprised. Conan has always been hit and miss with me, and he isn't popular with the older crowd (the ones I know don't watch the Tonight Show anymore). Fallon has also improved on Late Night, and I've actually been enjoying his show a lot more than Conan's Tonight Show.

Can't wait until September when Leno returns, although I don't know how well the 10pm time slot will work.

 

[0roo0roo]

meh, they are measuring the geezers or something. he's been pretty good this week, he's certainly better than letterman... never mind fallon which i can't watch at all.

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: Blayze
Not really surprised. Conan has always been hit and miss with me, and he isn't popular with the older crowd (the ones I know don't watch the Tonight Show anymore). Fallon has also improved on Late Night, and I've actually been enjoying his show a lot more than Conan's Tonight Show.

Can't wait until September when Leno returns, although I don't know how well the 10pm time slot will work.

Fallon's timing and pitch just plain stinks. They need to hire a professional to help him out.

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: Blayze
Not really surprised. Conan has always been hit and miss with me, and he isn't popular with the older crowd (the ones I know don't watch the Tonight Show anymore). Fallon has also improved on Late Night, and I've actually been enjoying his show a lot more than Conan's Tonight Show.

Can't wait until September when Leno returns, although I don't know how well the 10pm time slot will work.

It'll work fine, Leno is fucking awesome. Conan is good at times, Letterman and the rest all suck. Leno owned the late night slot from day one until he decided to move till 10. At 10 he will no competition. If anything his already high ratings should go way up.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: gorcorps
My question is, is that much lower than Leno's average numbers?

No, it was not until Hugh Grant came ion after gettign caught with the hooker did he get 1st place after carson.

 

[skace]

Isn't it a little ridiculous to rag on his ratings this soon?

 

[Codewiz]

Originally posted by: Nik
I've never been polled or asked what I watch. How do folks know what I'm watching? Other than polling a comically small sample audience, where do they get these ratings?

I used to watch Leno, Conan, and Daily every night. Now I get to watch Conan only and I wouldn't miss it for the world. He's hilarious. Comedic genius.

I am guessing you never took any classes that explain polling, sample size and distribution. It isn't rocket science.....

 

[Double Trouble]

I've never found Conan funny at all. I tried, because there's not much else on when he's on, but he's just not funny at all to me. I can definitely see why his ratings would crumble. I wonder who they're going to replace him with......

 

[rh71]

Is this the retarded Nielsen system again?

As mentioned before, old people like Letterman more... old people will sit in front of their tv at that hour. Younger people can always download Conan. Even if this isn't happening, it shows you that viewership numbers aren't necessarily accurate of show-interest in our digital age. Does Nielsen even consider tivo? Google says no.

 

[Fritzo]

This may be the explaination:

Letterman/Palin start a feud after Letterman cracks jokes about her daughter

Everyone loves a good feud.

 

[TheVrolok]

Like others have said, I'll bet it's the remaining Leno audience losing interest in Conan. Not a surprise there, entirely different audiences.

 

[tw1164]

Originally posted by: chuckywang
It's called hulu.

I think online views now counts in the ratings, only for the first week or something.

 

[Aharami]

Originally posted by: Slick5150

Originally posted by: JS80
anyone surprised? o'brien's a lefty unfunny douchebag.

??? Conan is pretty much the most un-political talk show there is. He rarely, if ever, has any real talk of it. He might crack a joke or two at a politician, but it isn't party specific.

leave it to JS80 to bring politics into a thread about late night shows

 

[tw1164]

Originally posted by: rh71
Is this the retarded Nielsen system again?

As mentioned before, old people like Letterman more... old people will sit in front of their tv at that hour. Younger people can always download Conan. Even if this isn't happening, it shows you that viewership numbers aren't necessarily accurate of show-interest in our digital age. Does Nielsen even consider tivo? Google says no.

Tivo sells their own data/ratings.

 

[nanette1985]

It doesn't matter whether any of us individually like or dislike the show - it's the ratings. That's the way the business works. Leno had his own audience, and obviously he did rather well in the TV ratings bracket. Now it's Conan, he's not a clone of Leno, and who knows if he can carve out a profitable spot for his own variety of humor. Gotta respect Conan for sticking with his own style and not trying to be like Leno or Letterman.

I'm rooting for him, but not watching, he's not my taste. I'm watching the ratings, not the show. Then again I only watched Leno for the opening monologue. Leno's good with that kind of joke. Oh, and the headlines too.

 

[lizardboy]

Originally posted by: QueBert

Originally posted by: Blayze
Not really surprised. Conan has always been hit and miss with me, and he isn't popular with the older crowd (the ones I know don't watch the Tonight Show anymore). Fallon has also improved on Late Night, and I've actually been enjoying his show a lot more than Conan's Tonight Show.

Can't wait until September when Leno returns, although I don't know how well the 10pm time slot will work.

It'll work fine, Leno is fucking awesome. Conan is good at times, Letterman and the rest all suck. Leno owned the late night slot from day one until he decided to move till 10. At 10 he will no competition. If anything his already high ratings should go way up.

I love listening to people who have absolutely no clue what they're talking about. Leno did not "choose" to go to 10, he was forced. Leno did not "own" from Day 1, in fact, Letterman kicked his ass the first couple years. Leno's "high ratings" are expected to be destroyed by whatever the other networks air at 10pm (CSI Miami, etc.). The local affiliates are going to go bonkers b/c Leno's low ratings are going to destroy their 11pm newscasts. Don't expect more than one season of Leno 5 nights per week @ 10pm.

 

[oznerol]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: JS80
anyone surprised? o'brien's a lefty unfunny douchebag.

There is something wrong with you if you're bringing up politics in this thread. :roll:

Seriously. Everyone knows Conan isn't funny because he's a filthy Irish drunk.

 

[PimpJuice]

Originally posted by: lizardboy

Originally posted by: QueBert

Originally posted by: Blayze
Not really surprised. Conan has always been hit and miss with me, and he isn't popular with the older crowd (the ones I know don't watch the Tonight Show anymore). Fallon has also improved on Late Night, and I've actually been enjoying his show a lot more than Conan's Tonight Show.

Can't wait until September when Leno returns, although I don't know how well the 10pm time slot will work.

It'll work fine, Leno is fucking awesome. Conan is good at times, Letterman and the rest all suck. Leno owned the late night slot from day one until he decided to move till 10. At 10 he will no competition. If anything his already high ratings should go way up.

I love listening to people who have absolutely no clue what they're talking about. Leno did not "choose" to go to 10, he was forced. Leno did not "own" from Day 1, in fact, Letterman kicked his ass the first couple years. Leno's "high ratings" are expected to be destroyed by whatever the other networks air at 10pm (CSI Miami, etc.). The local affiliates are going to go bonkers b/c Leno's low ratings are going to destroy their 11pm newscasts. Don't expect more than one season of Leno 5 nights per week @ 10pm.

Sounds like you're the one who doesn't know what they're talking about. Leno said he wanted to retire......so they gave Conan the contract, then Leno changed his mind and had nowhere to go but 10pm.

Get your facts straight if you're going to call someone out.

 

[HannibalX]

Give it some time. Leno didn't get good rating until 1996.

 

[OutHouse]

i have watched a few episodes before conan went to the tonight show and i didnt care for him. i have watched a few episodes with him on the tonight show and i still don't care for him. the one thing that annoys the hell out of me is his stupid band especially the obnoxious trumpet player who has to blast out that damn high note 5 fucking times when Conan comes out on stage.

I didnt watch Leno that much but when i did i enjoyed it and wasn't annoyed by slap stick half wit sophomoric comedy.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: PimpJuice

Sounds like you're the one who doesn't know what they're talking about. Leno said he wanted to retire......so they gave Conan the contract, then Leno changed his mind and had nowhere to go but 10pm.

Get your facts straight if you're going to call someone out.

This is not the case. It was widely reported that NBC (foolishly IMO) promised the Tonight Show to Conan to keep him at the network, with a huge liquidated damages clause in case they didn't follow through. Leno did announce his "retirement," but don't take that to mean this was his decision - it certainly seems totally inconsistent with the fact that he continues to do 300+ standup appearances per year and is now hosting a prime time show 5 nights a week. Jay has never appeared to have any interest at all in retirement.

I have always thought Leno was a highly talented comic (his appearances on Letterman in the 1980s were just brilliant), but his Tonight Show sucked IMO - he has always played to the lowest common denominator and been a complete kiss-ass to his guests. That being said, his ratings have been great for years and I found it an incredible decision by NBC to pull him off the Tonight Show in favor of Conan, who I think is a much better host but who will alienate many older viewers.

As for the prime time show, we shall see. Frankly I hope it fails because I think Leno is a phony and his show is boring. I don't know that prime time audiences want what is essentially another Tonight Show, and the kind of viewership he garnered on the Tonight Show would be considered a total failure in prime time. He may well be successful, though - only time will tell, and there really isn't enough recent precedent for what NBC is trying to know whether this will work.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: Don Vito Corleone

Originally posted by: PimpJuice

Sounds like you're the one who doesn't know what they're talking about. Leno said he wanted to retire......so they gave Conan the contract, then Leno changed his mind and had nowhere to go but 10pm.

Get your facts straight if you're going to call someone out.

This is not the case. It was widely reported that NBC (foolishly IMO) promised the Tonight Show to Conan to keep him at the network, with a huge liquidated damages clause in case they didn't follow through. Leno did announce his "retirement," but don't take that to mean this was his decision - it certainly seems totally inconsistent with the fact that he continues to do 300+ standup appearances per year and is now hosting a prime time show 5 nights a week. Jay has never appeared to have any interest at all in retirement.

I have always thought Leno was a highly talented comic (his appearances on Letterman in the 1980s were just brilliant), but his Tonight Show sucked IMO - he has always played to the lowest common denominator and been a complete kiss-ass to his guests. That being said, his ratings have been great for years and I found it an incredible decision by NBC to pull him off the Tonight Show in favor of Conan, who I think is a much better host but who will alienate many older viewers.

As for the prime time show, we shall see. Frankly I hope it fails because I think Leno is a phony and his show is boring. I don't know that prime time audiences want what is essentially another Tonight Show, and the kind of viewership he garnered on the Tonight Show would be considered a total failure in prime time. He may well be successful, though - only time will tell, and there really isn't enough recent precedent for what NBC is trying to know whether this will work.

all talk show host are kiss ass to their guest, late night tv isn't a fox news or CNN flame fest. the host want a friendly experience so their guest will come back and that they can get future unknown guest. if a talk show host became a ass to his guest he wouldn't have any. most guest are "A" list people and are doing the host and themselves a favor by coming on the show to pimp their new movie or book. its a symbiotic relationship.

of course Leno played to the most common denominator the vast majority of the county loves that. when people tune into to Leno they want to be entertained, humored and have a smile on their face. It is the type of show that people just want to watch and forget about their day for a hour.