Leno – Letterman type fight hoped to be avoided
By Jeffrey Mitchell
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 3/11/08 — NBC, which has bet the loss of cash cow Jay Leno and millions on the ascendancy of Conan O’Brien as the top late night star, had a sudden shocker as Craig Ferguson’s CBS’s “Late Late Show” averaged more viewers than O’Brien’s “Late Night” (1.9 million to 1.8 million) for the time.
Ferguson, just recently sworn as a United States citizen is being embraced . The host hit a ratings milestone last week with his first victory over NBC’s O’Brien.
Conan, who has been repeatedly promised the “Tonight Show” after Jay leno, is now losing in the ratings. This could lead to another scenario that such as the historic take over of the “Tonight Show” by Leno.
NBC is building a new studio just for Conan, even kicked out the “Desperate Housewives” set to do so.
(See related HT story). Their bet on Conan is big and will get bigger when his new salary kicks in next year.
NBC-Universal backer General Electric has already warned of a profits problem in 2008, and the “Tonight Show” with Carson to Leno is the networks most enduring money maker.
It was well know that Johnny Carson wanted David Letterman his replacement. Letterman would always write Carson with lines for his monologue despite the ongoing problems.
It caps a slow and steady climb for Ferguson and raises a red flag for future. show host O’Brien, although NBC says it is still happy with O’Brien’s audience and cannot likely back off.
“He’s getting looser and looser all the time and for the last few months it’s clear that he’s having such a good time that you can’t resist it as a viewer,” said veteran late-night hand Peter Lassally, Ferguson’s executive producer.
Ferguson, a Scotsman, passed an American citizenship test and was formally sworn in on Feb. 1. He’ll be host of the annual White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington later this month, a high-profile gig for a comic.
It may not be enough to make NBC reconsider putting Jay Leno out to late-night pasture next year, but his designated successor, Conan O’Brien, just suffered a notable ratings defeat at the hands of his own CBS rival, Craig Ferguson.
For the first time ever, the CBS “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” topped NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” during a full, five-night week of original head-to-head broadcasts ending April 4, Nielsen Media Research reported on Thursday.
Scottish-born Ferguson, who follows the “Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS, averaged 1.88 million total viewers for the week, compared with 1.77 million for O’Brien in the hour immediately after NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” according to Nielsen.
Still, there is no evidence that Ferguson is gaining ground on O’Brien by building his audience over the long term.
To the contrary, Ferguson’s bigger accomplishment seems to be that he has merely lost fewer viewers this season, with his total audience slipping 12 percent from a year ago, compared with a 24 percent drop for O’Brien.
Late-night TV ratings in general have hit a slump this season, in large part because of the toll taken by the writers strike.
Leno remains firmly planted at No. 1 at 11:30 p.m. ahead of Letterman, but compared to last year he trails his own viewership performance season-to-date by about the same measure as O’Brien.
The situation would seem to be cold comfort for NBC executives who announced in September 2004 that O’Brien would take over from Leno as star of “The Tonight Show” in 2009 in a succession plan aimed at smoothing the transition from one host to another.
–
51 responses so far ↓
1 Judy // Apr 11, 2008 at 11:04 am
I hope Ferguson takes over for Leno.
I think he is funnier, more relaxed, less contrived.
Both are silly, but Ferguson is believable while Conan is not.
From a silly viewer.
2 Kay Kelly // Apr 12, 2008 at 6:36 pm
I think Leno is as close to Johnny Carson as any network will ever find. Conan is a nice guy but TOO GOOFY and not funny. I cannot imagine how Ferguson has ANY AUDIENCE!Some of the time, Letterman seems more interested in what he is going to say next rather than listening to the guest.
If Leno isn’t picked up by some network it will truly be a big loss to late night talk. If Carson could see how things turned out, I believe he would be glad Jay was his successor.
3 David Johnson // Dec 14, 2008 at 7:48 am
Ferguson is way better than connan
4 Webmaster // Jan 5, 2009 at 12:34 pm
made professionally. So to hold
5 Spider // Jan 6, 2009 at 4:33 am
This is very interesting site…
6 Julia // Jan 6, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Excellent web site I will be visiting often
7 Anonyme // Jan 6, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Dear web-master ! I looked your site and I want to say that yor very well
8 Anonyme // Jan 7, 2009 at 5:37 am
huyak
9 Elvis // Jan 7, 2009 at 7:40 pm
used princecraft boats
o
10 John // Jan 8, 2009 at 5:02 am
I have always wanted a compendium of novena prayers. Thank you for sharing all these prayers with us. It brings joy and happiness to everyone. I know, I do feel that way.
11 Spider // Jan 8, 2009 at 1:49 pm
The site\’\'s very professional! Keep up the good work! Oh yes, one extra comment – maybe you could add more pictures too! So, good luck to your team!
12 Marly // Jan 8, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Hi, everybody7
13 Maggy // Jan 9, 2009 at 10:44 am
Excellent web site I will be visiting often
14 Bob // Jan 11, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Wonderful pages! Keep up the grat work.i
15 Anonyme // Jan 12, 2009 at 7:22 am
I have been looking for sites like this for a long time. Thank you!
16 Bob // Jan 12, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Hi! Definitely nice and neat site you got there.
17 John // Jan 13, 2009 at 3:13 am
Hello people! Nice site!
18 Marly // Jan 14, 2009 at 6:10 am
Your site is very interesting and useful
19 Julia // Jan 14, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Excellent site – do keep up the good work.
20 John // Jan 15, 2009 at 10:16 am
Very good web site, great work and thank you for your service.
21 Julia // Jan 17, 2009 at 12:10 am
Excellent site, added to favorites!!+
22 Spider // Jan 17, 2009 at 6:04 am
This website is Great! I will recommend you to all my friends. I found so much useful things here. Thank you.
23 Webmaster // Jan 17, 2009 at 11:05 am
Sentimental and nostalgic. Great.t
24 Spider // Jan 17, 2009 at 12:02 pm
You guys do a wonderful job! Keep up the good work!!!
25 Suzan // Jan 19, 2009 at 5:00 am
I\’l be back…
e
26 Bob // Jan 19, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Hi, all. Nice site…I really like your site ! Good job man.r
27 Maggy // Jan 21, 2009 at 2:49 am
Cool guestbook, interesting information… Keep it UP. excellent site i really like your stuff.t
28 Marly // Jan 21, 2009 at 2:06 pm
I enjoy your site very much! THANK YOU
29 Bob // Jan 21, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Fabric Depot Portland Oregon
30 Suzan // Jan 22, 2009 at 5:40 am
I enjoy your site very much! THANK YOU
31 Elvis // Jan 22, 2009 at 1:53 pm
links
32 Spider // Jan 22, 2009 at 2:07 pm
I\’m love this great website. Many thanks guy
33 Alex // Jan 23, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Anime Planet
K
34 Elvis // Jan 24, 2009 at 4:34 pm
hochu vodki!
35 Albert // Jan 24, 2009 at 10:40 pm
I praise God for answering my prayers. God, you are so wonderful, majestic. Jesus Christ, I adore Your Sacred Heart.
36 Suzan // Jan 29, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Hello admin, nice site ! Good content, eautiful design, thank !
37 Anonyme // Jan 31, 2009 at 3:24 am
Very cool design! Useful information. Go on!
38 Maggy // Feb 1, 2009 at 2:15 pm
I have been looking for sites like this for a long time. Thank you!9
39 Hollywood Today Staff // Feb 1, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Thank you Maggy! -ed.
40 Webmaster // Mar 22, 2009 at 5:06 am
This site is really superb!!! Thank you for you work! Good Luck.
41 Suzan // Mar 22, 2009 at 8:40 pm
hochu vodki!r
42 Albert // Mar 23, 2009 at 4:12 am
s prazdnikov vasG
43 Maggy // Mar 24, 2009 at 11:55 am
Just wanted to say helloo
44 Webmaster // Mar 25, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Sentimental and nostalgic. Great.
45 Julia // Mar 26, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Lucky to find you, keep on the good workk guys! Best of luck.e
46 X-man // Mar 27, 2009 at 8:23 am
This is very interesting site
47 Spider // Mar 27, 2009 at 4:20 pm
made it .All information on this site is represented for users. A site is
48 Julia // Mar 29, 2009 at 9:02 pm
I\’m love this great website. Many thanks guye
49 Rush // Apr 1, 2009 at 12:41 am
Hi, all. Nice site…I really like your site ! Good job man.
50 Airlia%9Schwarz // Jul 28, 2009 at 4:15 pm
:O So mush Info :O THis Is just A vERy Virtually Awesome Internet Site DUDe
51 Luisurrier // Jul 28, 2009 at 4:33 pm
gr8 Work bro
Leave a Comment