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 3 of 15)

Rick Jan 22nd 2010 3:01PM

FINALLY he is gone I hope for good! I never liked him from DAY ONE and have waited has a far better sense of humor adults can relate too! HAPPY CONAN IS GONE!a long time to see his demise on TV. Nothing personal against Conan but he simply is NOT FUNNY! Not once have I even chuckled at his childish antics. I hope the replacement

jps755 Jan 22nd 2010 2:53PM

Conan has never been funny. He cannot change that by spending big bucks or slamming NBC. You made your millions while millions make nothing. Don't whine, just go quiet into the night.

Joecaseyjr Jan 22nd 2010 3:02PM

So many have forgotten that Conans show was floundering in last place of the nightly talk shows. I watched his shows at the beginning but found him more to be silly than funny..Maybe the show only lasted 7 months and Jays show even less. However jay had a bigger hill to climb where Conan took over the already already #1 Late night show....The bantering and publicity as of late has drawn viewers and some sympathy for Conan..But he should heed the old saying..Burnt Bridges are not safe to cross.

Steve Jan 22nd 2010 2:58PM

I think now that you've seen CONAN at his best......Everyone can clearly understand why his show failed. I've said it before and I'll say it again, THERE WERE NEVER any indicators, five, six, seven years ago, that Conan O'Brien should even be allowed to SIT where the likes of Paar, Allen and Carson have. As the clips you've just seen clearly demonstrate, the man is NOT FUNNY, petty, yes, but NOT FUNNY!

It doesn't matter now though, even if the door hits him in the ass, he's got that fat f**king billfold (Thanks to the Moronic pleasures of Jeff Zucker) to soften the blow!

clubcollins Jan 22nd 2010 3:00PM

NBC is run by idiots. They move the guy, Jay Leno, whose tired act and low ratings at 10pm are responsible for this fiasco, BACK to the Tonight Show where he'll bomb worse! Brilliant! They should have canned Leno, put in some decent programming at 10pm, and given Conan time to rebuild the franchise. He's the funniest talk show guy on the air.

Leno's prints are all over this one. I used to like the guy, even if his act was past it's prime, but now I hate him. I'll never watch him again. It's hard to think of a guy as funny when he's shown himself to be a blood sucking leech. Letterman will eat his and NBC's lunch. I can't wait!

Conan will return and reign, and I'll watch him wherever he ends up.

Mark Jan 22nd 2010 3:01PM

I never really got his humor. Probably for the fact that, you are so distracted by his constantly unbuttoning, buttoning, unbuttoning, buttoning his jacket, frantic crack head jumping around on his old show..and then it became even more irritating - when he brought the same to the Tonight Show.

Lord, I miss Johnny. Even more so when this immature bonehead took over. If there was a network available that played re-runs of those old shows....neither Jay nor Conan would have gotten my attention. Get some CLASS Conan. Stop acting like a spoiled brat..and move on...the rest of us are.

debbie K Jan 22nd 2010 3:04PM

Conan is just showing how childish he really is, does he realize NBC can sue him and take these crazy stunts out of his final pay check: guess not! but Conan is just too stupid to realize what this will cost him so in the end he will get what he deserves Glad your leaving Conan Can't stand you anyway and you are not funny Conan is such a JERK and stupidty in his case will be painfull

ciara13b Jan 22nd 2010 3:52PM

i think you're the one who is stupid if you think he really spent that kind of money on those jokes. i'm not sure you can read, because you clearly didn't read the article. it specifically stated what was and wasn't paid for...the car was on loan, the horse was not the real horse, etc. get over yourself.

and for all of you who complain about conan's payout, it's also been stated that he is supplementing his staff's severance with money from his own pocket. do you all even remember how he paid his staff out of his own pocket during the writer's strike? if you guys don't like him, then don't watch. there's no need to call him names and say bad things about someone you don't even really know with exception of what you see on tv. i can tell you that leno's move back to the tonight show is not going to work out like they planned. letterman will outdo him.

Adam Jan 22nd 2010 3:02PM

it's a joke, he obviously didn't spend all their money on that stuff.

maris Jan 22nd 2010 3:07PM

conan and letterman are both as funny as train wrecks. get them both off the air. letterman is cruel, mean, and a lousy cheater. conan is just ignorant and bitter. letterman go home to your mommy and conan just shutup and go

allen Jan 22nd 2010 6:54PM

conan is a geek NBC was fair with 32 mil to just walk away but he still whines

arnie6196 Jan 22nd 2010 3:04PM

All of you Leno supporters or those of you who don't find Conan funny - crawl back into the nursing home you came out of, turn the TV off at night so you can get some rest, and make sure someone changes your Depends in the morning! Leno is a douche who only appeals to people who find Art Linkletter funny. And please stop associating the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with the one that Leno stole from Carson and Letterman. Johnny will rise up in his grave and smite you for doing so. Leno will bomb in his old time slot, and NBC will get its just desserts.

Nzest Jan 22nd 2010 3:04PM

People seem to forget, with all of the nastiness going on during late night that Jay was pulled from his number one show because NBC heads were afraid they'd lose Conan. All this talk that Jay is greedy and should have walked is bull ****.

Why fix it if it wasn't broken? It was and will be again Jay's show. Can't wait to have him back where he belongs --

fillintheblank Jan 22nd 2010 3:08PM

Conan will be missed, I was an avid Letterman viewer until Conan took over the Tonight Show. Leno has done stuff to get his way before and I hope his show fails again in its new time slot.

najonescampbell Jan 22nd 2010 3:07PM

I agree with the comments. Conan never was funny. His silly antics only made him look stupid. So long Conan.

Panish56 Jan 22nd 2010 3:08PM

I personally love Conan, I was at his show in New York on a few occasions. I think his humor might be above alot of people's heads. I don't think it's Conan I think it's NBC's 11:30 viewing audience. Middle America might be just too stupid to find him funny. Very sad to see him go this way, but I'm another network will pick him up in September.

ed Jan 22nd 2010 3:09PM

Where's Craig Kilborn, yea bring back Craigers yea huh

Nonie Jan 22nd 2010 3:19PM

What's WRONG with this man? He is so lucky to be getting the millions NBC is giving him. He was hired to be creative not stupid. He's been crying Leno took all the material earlier...well be creative that's what yur hired to do! I thought he would never make 1 year and he didn't but he should do something wonderful with his $ for the betterment of something or someone. And to spend NBC's monet for stupid skits when every company even NBC is cutting jobs of people who want a job and try. But then it's self centered Conan. So haappy they got rid of him ...just kick Conan to the curb after the show tonight!

ambiguousclone Jan 22nd 2010 3:13PM

I think he should take the entire remaining budget and donate it to charity, maybe homeless veterans and the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

grazzman2345 Jan 22nd 2010 3:12PM

The guy is a jerk, he isn't funny except to middle schoolers, acts like a 7th grader himself, and is the second worst talk show host anywhere behind his competitor Letterman. Neither of them has ever said or done anything to make me smile. I take that back ... Letterman had a heart attack. That made me laugh.

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