Disparate views on Conan from two NBC comedy icons

Buy at Allposters.com

PASADENA, Calif. -- Conan O'Brien is "getting screwed," in Chevy Chase's view.

No he's not, says Jerry Seinfeld.

The two comedy icons were on opposite sides of NBC's late night machinations during separate interviews Sunday at the Television Critics Association "press tour."

Seinfeld, whose new unscripted NBC series The Marriage Ref will be sneak-previewed on Feb. 28 after the Winter Olympics' closing ceremonies, took a Conan question from locatetv.com during an early evening interview session promoting his new venture. Chase talked to locatetv at a network cocktail party that same night. As previously posted, NBC will be dropping Jay Leno's prime-time show when the Olympics start on Feb. 12. The network hopes to return him to late night while moving O'Brien's Tonight Show back a half-hour. If both parties agree, it would be the second time that O'Brien has agreed to serve as Leno's followup act.

Seinfeld, who was Leno's first guest on the Sept. 14th unveiling of The Jay Leno Show, jokingly blamed his arrival in formal wear as the reason for his longtime friend's prime-time woes.

"I'm sure the tuxedo was way over the top," he said before turning serious.

NBC's decision to put Leno in prime-time is comparable to Time Warner's ill-fated and since dissolved merger with AOL, Seinfeld contended. "It was just bad timing . . . I think this also was right right idea at the wrong time. It was not a bad idea, and I'm proud of NBC that they had the guts to try something so different and original."

Still, should O'Brien remain at NBC under such circumstances? He's long wanted to host The Tonight Show, but never envisioned that he'd still be in Leno's shadow.

"I don't think anyone prevented people from watching Conan," Seinfeld said. "You know, I'm a standup comic. It's like there's no rules. Once they give you the camera, it's on you. So I can't blame NBC for having to move things around. I mean, Conan had a chance to destroy everybody. I don't think anyone did anything to Conan. I hope he stays. I think he's terrific."

A network "can't hit the ball for you," Seinfeld added. "They can only give you the bat."

Chase, currently co-starring in NBC's Community comedy series, became a major TV star in the first year of Saturday Night Live before abruptly leaving to make movies. In 1993, he returned to TV to host Fox's late night The Chevy Chase Show, which was a short-lived disaster. Still, Chase thinks O'Brien might be better-served by jumping to Fox, which reportedly is interested in making another foray into late night.

"From where I stand, Conan's getting screwed because of NBC's long relationship with Jay," Chase said. "I'm not saying Jay's screwing him because I wouldn't deign to do that. I'm just saying I don't think he's getting much respect. So it wouldn't surprise me if he moved on. But they'll have to work this out relative to their contracts."

In some ways, O'Brien is "too good for The Tonight Show in terms of intellect," Chase said. "That's not to say Jay isn't good. It just means that maybe Jay represents that status quo. Conan will find whatever he needs to find so that he can do his sort of humor. It may not be The Tonight Show."

NBC expects to have its late night picture cleared up before the Olympics. It will then use the Games as a promotional platform for whatever emerges.