Conan O'Brien: Divorce from NBC is Ugly and "Crazy Expensive"

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed)
Jan 22nd 2010 at 2:20PM

If you can't beat them and you are leaving anyway, why not spend all their money?

That seems to be Conan O'Brien's philosophy this week as he embarked on a series of skits and extraordinarily expensive props to put on the appearance that he intended to blow through the Tonight Show budget in one week.

On Wednesday he trotted out a Bugatti Veyron, a rare and pricey sports car that costs as much as some private jets. O'Brien unveiled the Bugatti Veyron, showing the million dollar car embellished with mouse ears and whiskers. O'Brien claimed to have purchased the sports car.

Last night, he upped the ante by bringing out Kentucky Derby winning racehorse Mine That Bird adorned with a mink "Snuggie" and by showing restricted Super Bowl footage. This "crazy expensive" skit, he claimed, cost NBC $4.8 million.

But did O'Brien really spend millions of NBC's money? Our sources reveal the Bugatti is owned by Bob Petersen of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and was loaned to the show for free. Conan did authorize to pay for its transportation costs to and from the show. It is already back at the museum where it may end up being moved to the Hollywood Wing, where important cars from movies and TV are displayed.

Likewise, the identity of the racehorse and the authenticity of the Super Bowl footage has since been disputed. As our sports-loving friends at FanHouse point out, that footage was actually a 1984 USFL game between the Tampa Bay Bandits and Houston Gamblers. A quick look at the horse on the Tonight Show and at Kentucky Derby winner reveals that while the two share some markings including a white smudge on the forehead, they are not the same animal. Mine That Bird is a bay with a darker mane and a smaller white marking than the horse that appeared on the Tonight Show (which was a chestnut). And while it is hard to tell from a television screen if the horse is wearing real fur, the thinness and drape seem to indicate that the horse is not adorned in real mink.

To be sure, there were some costs involved with the jabs at NBC. Our sources say that O'Brien may have actually purchase the rights to use the master copy of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" which played while he unveiled the Bugatti. O'Brien claimed the skit cost NBC $1.5 million in expenses to air, which includes securing the royalty rights for the music. This may explain why, as Mashable reported, the network took down the clips of the Veyron sketch from Hulu and NBC.com to avoid fees associated with replaying the song each time. The clip remains on YouTube.

O'Brien's antics became more fantastic since he put "The Tonight Show" up for sale last week on popular website Craigslist offering a barely used show "guaranteed to last for up to seven months." The posting was later pulled but Conan used the ad as a launching off point for what he called "crazy expensive" comedy bits.

What set O'Brien off was a decision NBC made earlier this month to move "The Jay Leno Show" to the "Tonight Show's" slot at 11:35 pm beginning in March, and shift O'Brien's show to 12:05 am. Leno, who's show is floundering in its current 10:00 pm slot, is supportive of the decision. O'Brien, on the other hand, is outraged. O'Brien is livid that he passed up "far more lucrative" offers to have the opportunity to take over "The Tonight Show" in June 2009. "I sincerely believe that delaying The Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting."

O'Brien only has one more chance to pull another fast one off on NBC. Earlier this week, the comedian reached a deal with NBC to step down as host of the "Tonight Show", reportedly pocketing a $32 million payout, with his staff receiving a severance package worth another $12 million to $13 million. He is prohibited from going back on the air until September of this year. O'Brien's final show as host of the "Tonight Show" will air this evening. What should Conan trot out tonight? We're hoping for some serious bling. Maybe he'll wear Lil John's record setting crunk necklace or something similar.

We'll see what he has in store for us.

Tags: bugatti veyron, BugattiVeyron, conan obrien, ConanObrien, jay leno, JayLeno, kentucy derby, KentucyDerby, Mine that Bird, MineThatBird, nbc, nbc universal, NbcUniversal, rolling stones, RollingStones, Super Bowl, SuperBowl

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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 15)

Jaynicgurl Jan 22nd 2010 2:37PM

I love Conan and I can't wait to see him on another network that won't screw him and his staff over just because Leno wasn't happy with HIS ratings. Remember, Leno was getting canceled. Conan, you're a comedic genius with millions of fans! We're with CoCo!

Alvin Herrington Jan 22nd 2010 2:57PM

Genius is not a word I would associate with him, stupid, maybe an idiot. not at least bit funny, I am glad he is GONE! and that is were he needs to be., If he had that many fans, he would still be on the air....you are wrong! Thank goodness he is G O N E!

lexiiiii Jan 22nd 2010 3:32PM

Actually Alvin, you're wrong. Conan is more of a genius than he is an idiot. He graduated valedictorian from his high school, magna cum laude from Harvard, wrote for shows like SNL and the Simpsons, and hosted a wildly successful late night talk show for over 16 years. How many idiots do you know with those kinds of credentials?

Denise Jan 22nd 2010 4:32PM

Actually, Lex, having book smarts doesn't measure one's maturity level.

Bringing up about his educational past doesn't prove anything.

What proves what many of us are saying is seeing it in his behavior. His behavior in itself says it all and doesn't say a lot about Conan.

Davie Jan 22nd 2010 6:48PM

Leno wasn't getting cancelled. Conan wanted the tonight show or he wouldn't renew his contract. Lenos ratings were still good, but they decided to let Conan have it anyway to keep from losing him. They gave Leno another show, simply because they have to pay him anyway and his salary is much greater than Conan. Leno is still under contract so if they have to pay him anyway. Conans ratings were always bad compared to Leno or anyone else on late night. I think that Conan can be funny at times, but also very selfish. His decision not to move back a half an hour just cost everyone that works for him their jobs. I'd call that really selfish. For that, I don't like Conan anymore

filleleon Jan 22nd 2010 5:33PM

The skits were not funny. But, again, Conan is not funny.

robert white Jan 22nd 2010 2:41PM

conan was never and will never be funny.thats what is wrong with the usa.pay big cash to assholes who dont do anything usefull to anybody.like banks government and politicians.

tonymama13 Jan 22nd 2010 4:48PM

wow if america is that bad maybe you should leave mr. white. whining about the GREATEST country in the history of man??? go live in iran or vezuela and be with other usa HATERS. Nobody wants to hear your independant wannabe crybaby bs. WAAHHHHHH like a lil baby. As for conan WE LOVE YOU!!! i had love for jay also but now that he wants tonight show back because he is too lame to keep ratings at a different time slot, then boo to him too. he should move to iran with crybaby robert white

page Jan 22nd 2010 2:43PM

Wow he want's to do things that stupid! No wonder they want to get rid of him. Think of the good he could have done on his show with that money! His jokes are lame he is lame the car looked stupid and Mine that Bird's owner should get out of the horse industry.

lhgraphics Jan 22nd 2010 3:12PM

Duh, he didn't really buy Mine That Bird. In fact that wasn't even the right horse. Mine That Bird is a bay and the horse he had on the show was a chestnut. I don't watch the show but I thought the outrageously expensive skit was funny.

brownrecluse11 Jan 22nd 2010 4:06PM

Page, page page... it's called comedy.. did you really think they paid 1.5 million for the car? and that was not the real race horse. obviously you did not read the article before you made your post or if you did you did not retain what you read.

stick with leno,,, the rest of us coco nuts get his humor

Corry Jan 22nd 2010 2:45PM

Why the hell they picked conan for the late show or whatever i have no clue but at lest jay leno got another TV show thats just as funny!

Alvin Jan 22nd 2010 2:47PM

I think he is a joke and not even near funny at all. Why they let him have the show is beyond me. What few times I watched, he was stupid, not interesting in the least bit. I am glad he is gone! Hope he stays that way, he is just a drama queen! Good ridence.

Steve Jan 22nd 2010 2:45PM

I doubt it really cost the millions he claimed it did to do these skits, I think it was all a joke. GE wouldn't let him spend shareholder's money in such a callous way.

Then again, GE allowed him and his staff out of their contracts for over $40 million. Where is the outrage over that, shareholders?

Stacie Jan 22nd 2010 3:29PM

That "smudge" on the horse is called a star.

Conan is not funny....I only watch him if I like his guests better than Leno and last night Robin Williams won.

But for once - I love his skit. Because of the horse, of course.

Arlene Jan 22nd 2010 4:19PM

Never cared for him, and like his less now. Big Leno fan.

DAZ Jan 22nd 2010 5:22PM

@ARLENE, SO TRUE. CONAN IS NOT FUNNY AT ALL!!!!!!! LAME, LAME,LAME. THAT HAIR LOOKS LIKE WOODY WOOD PECKER. (for those of you that know who woody wood pecker is) LOL

frank Jan 22nd 2010 4:34PM

Conan was silly funny at 1 AM but tried to become a real tonight show host and failed. He failed to carry the Carson/Leno torch. NBC did what is smart to bring back Jay who consistantly beat Letterman and all the NBC affliates were happy for their local new programs prospered from NBC's 10 PM lineup to the news. . The dumbest decision was to faze Jay out of the tonight show for fear that Conan would sign with ABC or Fox. Just cost them an amazing amount of money and 7 months to realize how dumb it was to hold on to Conan. I doubt if Fox or ABC will ever put Conan against Letterman or Leno. If they do they will have some problems to solve as did NBC.

LN154 Jan 22nd 2010 3:09PM

People in this country lost their jobs without security of making millions and retiring with ridiculous millions just to go away.Take your money and go without this silly game.It 's not funny and after all,your employer just let you go.Nobody has job security ,that's all.Show class,say thank you and bow out.
By the way,all todays talk shows are boring,same formula,same lame jokes and guests.

Laurie Jan 22nd 2010 5:28PM

Actually, you don't have to just go away when you're let go if you have a contract. Most people who make big money don't give up the successful show they already have and move themselves, their family, their staff, and their families across country to take a new gig without a contract. NBC either had to keep Conan on or pay out the rest of the contract. Sounds to me like he gave part of his contract compensation to his staff. I love Conan, but I do think he's an acquired taste, and some people just don't "get" him. I agree that some of his bits appear immature, but I doubt if anybody loves everything anyone does. He is one of the truly funniest men on television and makes his guests all appear interesting and funny too. But anyone who has paid any attention at all know he's a class act and a genuinely good person. Conan will do juuuust fine, and I like Jay Leno too, but I'm not sure he'll do as well on the Tonight Show anymore now either unless they get some good competitive programming on leading into the 11 pm news. Bad bad bad network decisions. But NBC is getting known for that right now.

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