by Joe Gillis, Feb 17 2010 // 1:00 PM
While most of us are still railing after the Conan/NBC/Leno debacle, plans are still underway for Leno’s return to the illustrious Tonight Show host position on March 1st. However, not all is smooth sailing with the show. Word is coming in that band leader Kevin Eubanks, who served as Leno’s “number 1″ for a massive 17 years, will be leaving the show along with announcer John Melendez.
Eubanks originally planned to remain on as Leno’s bandleader when he returned to the Tonight Show, but it looks like he’s now having a change of heart. From Variety:
Eubanks is said to be interested in returning to touring and working out a flexible schedule with the “Tonight Show.” Whether that means he’ll leave for good — or take lengthy leaves of absence, as Conan O’Brien band leader Max Weinberg did to tour with Bruce Springsteen — has not yet been worked out, NBC insiders said.
Eubanks joined the “Tonight Show” band in 1992, and replaced Branford Marsalis as band leader in 1995. When Leno moved to “The Jay Leno Show,” Eubanks became the leader of the renamed “Primetime Band.”
NBC has not yet looked for Eubanks’ replacement. (An online rumor that Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker would replace him was quickly shot down by all involved.) As for Melendez, he took on a behind-the-scenes role as writer, and will continue that position.
Posted in: Comedy · Late Night · NBC · Networks · News · TV
Tagged: Jay Leno, John Melendez, Kevin Eubanks, Late Night, NBC, The Tonight Show, TV
by Matt Raub, Jan 20 2010 // 9:00 AM
We all know that this NBC Late Night war is getting out of hand. It’s good to see some are taking it seriously, while still adding a comedic twist to it, though. SNL’s Seth Meyers broke down the fiasco into marital terms that we could all understand, and now it’s time for Taiwan to take a crack at it, using the skills they’re best at: state-of-the-art computer animation.
Finally, the whole war has now been put into terms that us geeks can understand. Of course, we have no idea what’s actually being said in the video, but what we do know is that Jeff Zucker, Jay Leno, and Conan O’Brien turn into Captain America, Superman, and the Hulk about halfway through…and battle. What else could you ask for?
Is this just the Taiwanese News mocking our coverage of the Late Night War, or do they really think that the only way we solve our problems is by putting on superhero costumes and fighting? Check out the insane news report after the jump, and if anybody knows what is being said, please fill us in.
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Posted in: Comedy · Fan Films · Fandom · Late Night · NBC · Networks · News · TV · Video
Tagged: Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Jeff Zucker, Late Night, NBC, The Tonight Show
by Matt Raub, Jan 18 2010 // 11:00 AM
Once again, the country has been split. This time, it’s not for for land, democracy, money, or rap music, but the coveted prize of NBC’s The Tonight Show. The country’s sides are broken down to “Team Conan” and “Team Leno.” Though the latter should be “Team NBC”, nobody wants to take sides with the network after the decisions they’ve made.
Of course there are people who remain independent, or on “Team Dave”, but they don’t really matter here. With NBC announcing that their letting Conan go, fellow celebrity supporters of O’Brien are standing up and taking as many potshots at the network as they can on national TV. One of those supporters is Saturday Night Live’s Seth Meyers.
Meyers is not only the first solo host of Weekend Update since Colin Quinn back in 2000, but he’s also the show’s current head writer. Meyers took a moment to explain the “Late Night War” in a pretty marital analogy for everyone to understand, which both enlightened us, and stuck it to NBC CEO Jeff Zucker at the same time. Take a look at the clip after the jump.
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Posted in: Comedy · Late Night · Legal · NBC · Networks · News · TV · Video
Tagged: Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Jeff Zucker, NBC, Saturday Night Live, Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show, Weekend Update