Conan vs. Letterman
Is this alternative versus classic rock?
That’s what the music business says, we’ve got to be young and hip, the kids demand it! We’re a youth business!
Then why is it that Led Zeppelin is still bigger than any act hatched in the MTV era?
NBC should have paid off Conan and left Leno at 11:35. This is a gigantic mistake. Although Conan will be profitable, the costs of these shows are miniscule relative to the advertising revenue, he will never dominate. Hell, astute observers notice that Craig Ferguson was already denting Conan’s numbers at 12:35. And if you can be beaten by Mr. Wick…
Actually, Ferguson is quite good. It’s his irreverence, his lack of self-consciousness. Everything the vaunted Conan is supposed to bring to the table, yet Ferguson does better. Ferguson knows it’s 12:35, he knows his audience. Conan was the late night guy of college students…almost twenty years ago!
It would be one thing if NBC jetted completely into the future, and installed a twentysomething in late night. That would be an adventurous move, that would truly be looking to the future. But chances are taken on cable, at best. And the younger generation looks to YouTube for cutting edge visual entertainment. The networks are just continuing to bury themselves, playing by rules that no longer exist.
You’ve got to be good.
I’ll say that Letterman is not as good at 11:35 as he was at 12:35. Back when he wore his Adidas and sports coat, Dave was the ringleader, the guy who’d play a prank on the teacher and smirk, the Bill Murray character in "Stripes" who could never be co-opted. Now, he’s on some weird victory lap as an elder statesman. Some people can never grow up. If only Dave stopped wearing those high-priced suits and stopped calling Paul’s group "The CBS Orchestra". Dave tries to live in Johnny’s era, but there was only one Carson.
Still, there’s only one Letterman.
People forget that everybody’s doing Dave’s show now. Carson wasn’t about wall to wall comedy. He had serious interviews, there were fewer set pieces and remotes. Carson’s program was three-dimensional, like life. Letterman has always purveyed a "Little Rascals" show, one that could have emanated from a garage. Granted, he got so good that we’ve got the slick product at 11:35 today. But, there’s still a juvenile element, and when Dave gets serious, he tests limits, he’ll actually criticize Bill O’Reilly.
Conan is the guy who started a rival show down the street. Who has skills, but no vision. Conan didn’t reinvent late night, he just followed in the footsteps. And it’s tough to beat the progenitor doing that.
Meanwhile, Leno imitated Dave too. He turned the "Tonight Show" into wall to wall comedy. But Leno beat Dave because he was more open and lovable. Who’d you like to hang out with, Jay or Dave? Howard Stern said the other night that Dave didn’t come to his wedding, even though invited. Dave goes nowhere, he’s self-conscious, it’s about the show.
But it’s still a damn good show.
The music business was ruined by people who thought they were hip, even though aged. Who were so desirous of being young, that they purveyed evanescent crap that few were interested in.
But the real story of late night network TV is its decline. There are numerous alternatives, not only on cable, but the web. These other choices capture the zeitgeist in a way Conan never did and never will. If Conan revealed his troubles, if Conan were more real, he’d have a chance. But he’s still the overeducated guy with nothing at the core. You can say Jay had little inside, but he was a great standup comedian for years before he got the gig.
To be successful today, you need honesty. Dave’s most precious moments are when he reveals his uncomfortableness. Conan’s too cool to do this.
If NBC were smart, it would immediately pay off Conan and reinstall Jay at 11:35. But it won’t, it’d rather lose the franchise and blame it on something other than its ineptitude. Just like the record business!
