Conan won't host NBC's Tonight Show at later hour

PASADENA, Calif. -- Push has come to shove, and Conan O'Brien isn't taking it anymore.

While many of the nation's TV critics were attending a session for the spooky new ABC series Happy Town, O'Brien issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying he will not go along with NBC's proposal to push his Tonight Show back a half-hour to make room for a new late nighter hosted by Jay Leno, whose prime time show is being canceled next month.

He kept his sense of humor though, addressing his missive "People of Earth" before backing NBC into a corner.

"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," O'Brien said in part. "The Tonight Show at 12:05 (eastern time) 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.

"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 . . . 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."

O'Brien said he currently has no offers from a rival network, although Fox executives expressed interest during a session with TV critics Monday.

"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," O'Brien said.

NBC basically is left with two choices. Return the Tonight Show to Leno after taking it away from him. Or let Leno leave the network in the interests of keeping O'Brien as the host at the appointed hour. The first option is the far more likely scenario.

O'Brien took over the Tonight Show last June and has been running second to CBS' competing Late Show with David Letterman after Leno ran No. 1 in the ratings during his long tenure. But Leno flopped in prime-time, delivering mostly meager lead-in ratings to NBC's local late night newscasts.

O'Brien ended his statement by apologizing for his trademark, big-waved red coif.

"I am truly sorry about my hair," he said. "It's always been that way."

NBC executives had no immediate comment. You can find O'Brien's complete statement here.