Conan bows out with grace, class

When Conan O'Brien took over "The Tonight Show" for Jay Leno in June, everything appeared to be peachy. Even though people were used to Leno, it wasn't a huge problem for viewers because they could watch him at an earlier hour. Unfortunately for NBC, this decision to scramble hosts, shows and time slots worked against them.It didn't take long before NBC Universal's CEO Jeff Zucker was held accountable for this talk-show-host-shuffling debacle. Apparently it was this man's decision back in 2004, which caused this comedic calamity to take place.

"We were trying to keep both of our talent in house," said Zucker to Charlie Rose in an interview. "Obviously, in hindsight, perfect information leads you to the conclusion that it was a mistake."

Zucker continued to apologize, while calling the skirmish completely overdramatized, distracting people from the tragic devastation in Haiti. Rather than worrying about solving some trivial late-night scuffle, many believe we should be focusing on what really matters: bringing relief to those who were, and still are, trapped under rubble in Haiti.

Try telling that to the flocks of die-hard Conan fans who rallied in major cities, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle Jan. 18, Martin Luther King Day. Fans like these have taken the outcome - his being let go - personally.

After weeks of negotiations, O'Brien's final contract entitles him to $45 million, $12 million of that share going to his staff. As NBC says farewell, they will also be stripping O'Brien of some of the copyrighted and trademarked material, like Conando, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, and many other favorites. Nobody knows whether this decision will be beneficial to NBC, but this is definitely not the end of Conan O'Brien.

"All I ask is one thing, and I'm asking this particularly of young people that watch: Please do not be cynical," he said. "I hate cynicism. For the record, it's my least favorite quality. It doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, I'm telling you, amazing things will happen."

There have been rumors about plans to move his show to FOX or Comedy Central. Either way, loyal fans will follow suit, due to the uproar they caused surrounding his departure. Walking away from "The Tonight Show," he said, was one of the toughest decisions he's ever made and thanked fans for sticking it out with him.

"None of this is personal," Zucker said. "These were business decisions. We're talking about moving back a program a half-hour, a program that wasn't making money for NBC. But the heap of scorn that has been put on this is completely out of whack."

Although Zucker may claim it's nothing personal, it's ironic to hear how when both men attended Harvard they served as presidents, O'Brien for the Harvard Lampoon, a humor magazine, and Zucker for The Harvard Crimson, suggesting there may be history.

When NBC offered Leno to be bumped up to 11:35 p.m., O'Brien refused to have his show start later, partly because the shows following his, such as "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and "Last Call with Carson Daly" would also face scheduling conflicts.

"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,'" explained O'Brien Jan. 12.

In response to this, he instead made the most out of his last few weeks, claiming to have no ill feelings toward NBC, however making occasional jabs their way during the program.

With nothing to lose, O'Brien went all out during the last two weeks of his show, producing some of the strongest and funniest episodes yet. No longer was he nervous about exceeding anyone's expectations because he had nothing to lose.

O'Brien incorporated his inescapable charm and humor into each sketch, making the best out of the conflict, rising to the occasion to lighten the mood and remain classy. Ultimately, he succeeded at making the show using his own goofy mannerisms.

For Conan's final episode he welcomed guests Tom Hanks, Steve Carrell and musical guest Neil Young, who appropriately played "Long May You Run."

To officially end the night O'Brien joined more surprise guests, grabbing his own guitar, to lead the show off with Lynard Skynard's "Free Bird." Will Ferrell, who was clad in a long blonde wig and bell-bottoms, also sang with guests such as ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Ben Harper, Beck and of course Max Weinberg on drums, along with Ferrell's pregnant wife. Surely, this was a "Tonight Show" moment to remember.

"Yes, we have our differences right now and yes, we're going to go our separate ways," O'Brien said. "But this company has been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible."

As far as the legacy of "The Tonight Show" goes, it will always be a well-known program, but through this mess another legend was born. Hopefully, O'Brien will grace our television airwaves once again, and soon.