As Conan O'Brien supporters rally in the rain this afternoon to protest NBC's mistreatment of the redheaded Tonight Show host, O'Brien and the network are nearing a deal that would award the host around $40 million for walking away. Two sticking points have surfaced in the negotiations, though: a non-disparagement clause that would prevent the host from bashing NBC for a certain period of time, and the custody of Conan's intellectual property. Among the characters in question are Triumph the Insult Dog, Pimpbot 5000 and the Masturbating Bear. (As for Andy Richter, NBC will get to visit him once a month, but only at the Burbank Ikea for a light breakfast).
Everyone wants a fresh start after a bad divorce, so it might be a good idea for Conan to leave his furniture, his bits and the other sour Tonight Show memories at NBC. On the other hand, sources close to the negotiations say that the network is willing to let Conan keep the characters if he agrees to other clauses. Of all the bits, Conan has the best chances of retaining Triumph the Insult Dog, who might be considered the property of writer (and Triumph's puppeteer) Robert Smigel.
This is not the first time the network has stripped a late night host of his material. Back in 1992, NBC famously retained the rights to several of David Letterman's trademark Late Night skits when he moved to CBS, including the Top Ten List and frequent character Larry "Bud" Melman. Letterman was able to incorporate the same ideas at his Late Show by renaming his Top Ten the "Late Show Top Ten List" and inviting Calvert DeForest, the actor who played Melman, to be a frequent guest on his new show.
The details of Conan's contract, which are said to include severance packages for his Tonight Show staff, will be announced later today. Conan will reportedly tape his last Tonight Show on Friday, celebrating his final week with guests including Tom Hanks and Howard Stern., thenJay Leno will return to the Tonight Show perch on March 1, after NBC airs the Winter Olympics.
While Coco fans anxiously await the formal announcement, which will also reveal how long Conan will have to wait before joining another network, let's take a moment to remember Triumph at his best, interviewing Star Wars fans.