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 7 of 15)

shirl Jan 22nd 2010 4:42PM

This is a shame with all the money needed in Haiti to help those people, he is throwing money around.. Hey Conan, you got millions for getting poor ratings in the time slot you demanded.. Why not donate half to help those in need

betalives Jan 22nd 2010 4:41PM

If Conan would have let them move Tonight to 12:05 both Tonight and Jimmy Fallon would have completely tanked. Lenos 10 O'Clock show was draining viewers from Tonight who supported Leno but putting Leno on at 11:35 would have stolen the important 1st half hour from the Tonight Show and pushed Jimmy Fallon way too late in the evening. Would Leno have survived if Carson never left the network ? NBC should thank Conan for saving them from themselves.

harrishmd Jan 22nd 2010 4:42PM

never thought Jay or Conan were that funny. Will not miss either one.

souzalw2AOL.COM Jan 22nd 2010 4:43PM

I cant stand Conan he is not funny he it stupid dumb big kid and needs to grow up Idont whatch and never will. wheeeeeeeeere Johnny

bob Jan 22nd 2010 4:44PM

I don't watch that jack ass and could care less if he goes off the air,that would be one less idiot!

garyblanck Jan 22nd 2010 4:54PM

that was hillarious!---- that's like firing someone and saying you have two more weeks--- they'll blow the joint up!.... he's having fun and getting rich at the same time--" the american dream".... gonna miss him

gogeta66z Jan 22nd 2010 4:53PM

meh craig ferguson is better than all of them, go read his book, though i'll probably watch conan's last episode tonight

Jocardan Jan 22nd 2010 4:52PM

The problem is that not too many folks were staying up to see the News after watching Jay Leno which just proves to me that Conan O'Brien wasn't a big enough draw to keep people from going to bed after Jay Leno. Apparently the sponsors for the News at 11:00 weren't too happy with paying the big bucks for a reduced audience. When Jay was on AFTER the news, people stayed up to see him, not so with Conan. Follow the money........

jakwalks1 Jan 22nd 2010 4:55PM

This is for LEX11111, Conan may have a lot of Education and Degrees but he is lacking BASIC COMMON SENSE, that's what it takes to make a good comedian.
Sorry Conan you need to go to Richard Pryor school of comedy, Johnny Carson must be turning over in his grave watching you and Leno

princesslola15 Jan 22nd 2010 4:54PM

The ONLY people who don't like Conan are the ones that don't have a good enough sense of humor to understand his jokes. NBC is losing A LOT of support from younger generations.

tED Jan 22nd 2010 5:01PM

i am deleting nbc from my channels. i will switch to letterman and ferguson. all conan fans should do the same.

Chris Jan 22nd 2010 5:00PM

NBC screwed Conan. Sure he's getting compensated more than fairly, but they still screwed him in the long run. Conan is funny as hell and will land on his feet some where. Not only will he land on his feet, but he'll probably be on at the same time as that incredibly boring Leno and blow him out of the water ratings wise. Of course, Conan will be in 2nd place ratings wise because David Letterman is the funniest out of them all. Conan is a close 2nd though. I wouldn't even put Leno on the list. That's how bad he sucks.

evuldolphin209 Jan 22nd 2010 6:01PM

I love connan. I hope he has his own talk show on FOX

mchynes Jan 22nd 2010 4:59PM

For crying out loud. He's a comedian...do people really think that everything comedians say is true? He's making people laugh. Over analyzing it takes away the humor.

evuldolphin209 Jan 22nd 2010 5:00PM

I Love Connan I hate NBC for screwing up Connan. I like Leno too but wat was the point of Leno Leaving the Tonight Show if he is heading right back to it. Connan deserves better and I hope he will have his own talk show on FOX.

RCIPULLO Jan 22nd 2010 5:01PM

Good bye, now I cant wait till Leno again!

srdogfostering Jan 22nd 2010 5:49PM

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien did not do well because of pure logistics. If Conan would have been put on at 9/10:00 then Jay would have taken a hit on the 10:30/11:30 spot. Some people would have watched the Talk Show, then the local news before going to bed. Some people watched shows on the other networks, local news and then the Talk Show. Without the early option people would have watched Conan and his ratings would have been higher.

I believe that Jay Leno is in more fault than NBC. You calling BS on that comment?? Well here you go. NBC asked Jay to move back and do a half hour show. He said that he was all for that. He could have said no and it would have ended the drama right there. Legally NBC would have held out till their contracts were completed. Instead Jay, with a larger contact to buy out, gave NBC the okay to move him which cleared the way to have the contract amended. Conan was not happy so he fought the change. He, with the smaller contract, lost the fight and they just paid him off. So, why Jay is at fault? If he would have refused the move NBC would have not moved.

Jay left the show without wanting to retire. Understandable. He feels he still has some years to entertain people, which in my mind is very subjective because I don't think I laughed at much in the last couple years of his show. My suggestion for NBC and Jay was to have Jay Leno do a Variety Show on Saturday of Sunday. His new show format was set up based on an older show from the 50's-60's. Roll with that and see how it goes. Instead they kicked out a very funny man, again I understand subjective, to go back to something that was working. Once you try to fix something that is not broke it never works the same. Tonight Show with Jay Leno will not be like the #1 show he had a couple years ago. Conan will get on FOX and go against Leno and Conan will win with a 1.5, Letterman with .9 and Leno with .7. I am glad Craig Ferguson is not in this race. He is one funny man too.

susieq Jan 22nd 2010 5:08PM

Conan is an inane dork. Always has been. NBC's REAL mistake was to EVER choose to put this stupid jerk on national tv. My friends and I quite Tonight Show when it became sandbox for this ridiculous lout. Good riddance. Please leave sooner.

peter Jan 22nd 2010 5:15PM

the conduct of conan is unbelievably childish bordering on the mentally unbalanced. i fail to see genius in the hunor displayed by a moused up bugatti. but, then again, american humor has reached moronic levels of which conan is a great representative. nbc erred in moving leno, but conan was a tonight show bust, and there was no choice but to cancel him. he should've been cancelled years ago.

Billy Jan 22nd 2010 5:13PM

Without Conan O'Brien, we would not have "The Simpsons" cartoons. I'd be willing to bet that well better than half of the people on here downing him watch that cartoon series religiously.

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