I’m With Coco
Sorry NBC, but I'm with Coco.
Jay Leno is just not funny unless you are simple minded or old (both, actually).
Conan's classy letter to the public:
People of Earth:
In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.
Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.
But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.
Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. 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. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.
So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.
Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.
Yours,
Conan
Happy
Took this tonight. Natalie is teething now and this makes me a bit sad as I know the gummy smile won't last forever. She's had a tough week but I think I was happier than she was at this moment.
My 2009 In Six Pictures
On March 27th, Amy and I moved into a new house in the north part of Colorado Springs. The riding is better up here!
On April 19th, I finally broke 28 minutes from the very bottom of the Manitou Incline to the top (27:49). When I first came to Colorado Springs and was 114 pounds heavier, it took me 43 minutes.
On September 2nd, we had to put one of our Bassett Hounds, Kirby, to sleep because of a fast growing cancerous mass on his spine and shoulder. I hadn't cried that hard since I was a little boy and still miss him every single day. Telling the vet that we wanted to put him down was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. You can see more pictures of Kirby here.
On September 15th, our first child, Natalie Rebecca Buckingham was born. The best day of my life almost turned into the worst day as Amy had some serious post delivery complications. You can see more pictures of Natalie here.
On October 16th, I was in a crash on my bike and broke my left clavicle, scapula, 5 ribs and suffered a severe concussion. Ended up staying 5 1/2 days in the hospital and didn't get my clavicle fixed for a month.
On December 22nd, I finally bagged Mailbox Peak with my friend Bryan. It took me four tries to finally reach the summit.
Natalie at 10 Weeks
Kirby Buckingham
He was ready, we were not.
Kirby. Cubby. The Cubs. The Kirbster. Big Bidness. Big Guy. Big Twubbles. My Boy.
When the time had come for his very last car ride, he let me pick him up and carry him out to the car without even the slightest whimper (those with Bassetts know this isn't normal) and he walked casually into the veterinarian's office, even waiting patiently for me to hold the door for him. While we waited for a room, I silently wished he would become completely incapacitated or start barking at the other dogs, showing some life. Instead, he sat calmly between Amy's legs, occasionally looking at us with the eyes that won us over a little over 3 years ago.
A million thoughts raced through my head, memories of the good times we had and my thoughts on death and what happens in the end. Our only goal was to end his pain which he was clearly in. While he was walking on his own, he hadn't had a bite to eat or even a sip of water (Kirby had a serious drinking problem) and he hadn't just been himself in weeks. I spent the majority of this week lying on the floor with him (still doing my conference calls at work) and he had finally let me look into his eyes for long periods of time. I saw sweetness and pain, pain he didn't deserve.
Amy and I stayed with him while Dr. Sunderman injected a powerful sedative followed by an overdose of a narcotic. He calmly fell asleep on his side next to Amy and I on the floor. His heart stopped about 30 seconds after the narcotic was administered. No movement whatsoever. And then he was gone.
We would have done anything to make him better- any amount of money, any amount of time. He was our child. His quality of life was the most important thing however and Amy and I could not fathom dozens of trips to the vet, surgeries, medicines and immobility. The cancer was too aggressive and we were out of time. He deserved better. We rescued him from an abusive family and someone who abandoned him. Though maybe he rescued us. He gave us better days. He deserved to be free of this pain. And now he is.
Thank you so much for finding us, big guy.
Wherever it is we we pass from this physical life, I hope to see this again
