If you thought you’d had a few too many beers seeing Jay Leno, Oprah Winfrey, and David Letterman all sharing a sofa during a Super Bowl commercial, don’t worry. It really did happen!
The spot, a commercial for The Late Show, is the biggest TV ad shocker of the Super Bowl, surpassing Tim Tebow with ease.
Letterman and Leno snipe at each other with mock-annoyance, with Dave mimicking Leno’s high-pitched voice. Oprah tries to calm the boys.
Now this is damage control for Leno: Agreeing to appear in a CBS Late Show ad while he’s still finishing out his NBC 10 p.m. show is the coolest thing Jay has done in… ages.
If it also makes Dave the publicity victor — after all, it is a commercial for his show, not the Leno Tonight Show — you have to hand it to Jay for playing along, probably as a slap at the way NBC handled the whole Tonight Show mess.
Now you’ve seen it: What do you think?
source: How the Letterman-Oprah-Leno Super Bowl Ad Came Together [ny times]
In a somewhat unexpected move, Conan O’Brien has told NBC that he will not agree to moving “The Tonight Show” to after midnight to get the network out of the hash they created by moving Jay Leno to prime time.
In the last few days, I’ve been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I’ve been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I’ve been absurdly lucky. That said, I’ve been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.
But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.
Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. 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. 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.
So it has come to this: 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. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. 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.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. 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.
While I’ve got no dog in this fight — I’ve seldom seen O’Brien’s show (old or new), haven’t watched Leno’s new show, and won’t watch “Tonight” regardless of who’s hosting it or when it’s aired — I’ve come around to O’Brien’s way of thinking.
NBC made a bad choice six years ago when it kicked the can down the road and set Leno’s premature retirement into motion. It compounded that error by putting Leno up against the other network’s prime time dramas, not only screwing the network’s affiliates but also seriously hampering O’Brien’s chances to succeed in the franchise he waited so long to inherit. One can certainly understand, then, O’Brien’s not wanting to be relegated back to the midnight slot and screw over Fallon in the process.
One presumes, then, that NBC will figure some way to buy him out of his contract and that O’Brien will do what David Letterman did in a similar situation years ago: Move to another network and compete against “Tonight.” Fox has already issued a statement saying they’d love to have him.
Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien, who’ve both been unexpectedly moved from their time slots by NBC, took turns bashing the network on their shows last night.
Leno, on at 10, went first. “But you know, we’re not just a show anymore, we are now a collector’s item,” he jokes.
“As you may already know, our show has been canceled, fired again. See that shows you NBC’s got nothing, even when they fire you it’s a rerun. Didn’t we just get fired in May?”
Conan got his chance on ‘The Tonight Show.’ “You keep that up,” he says after some audience claps, “and this show won’t start until 12:05,” alluding to his possible new time.
O’Brien took over ‘Tonight’ from Leno in 2009, and NBC moved Jay to a daily show that starts at 10.
But low ratings for ‘The Jay Leno’ show prompted anger from many affiliates whose nightly news casts were suffering, causing the network to announce they were putting Jay back on at 11:35, shifting Conan and Jimmy Fallon to 12:05 and 1:05 respectively.
David Letterman, who stands to lose some of his new-found audience when Jay Leno returns to the 11:35 p.m. time slot, had this to say:
“I’m a little worried about Conan. I’m not worried about Jay, he’ll land on his chin, he always does.”
David Letterman for the win!
source: David Letterman ‘Not Worried About Jay, He’ll Land on His Chin’ [popeater]
TGIF! This week’s celebrity news brought us some pretty funny quotes. We’ve got Nick Jonas commenting on his murse, David Letterman taking a jab at Tiger Woods and himself, along with Russell Brand and his womanizing ways.
“I’m not going to lie about it. I carry a satchel too. It’s like a man purse. It’s a whole thing.”
– Nick Jonas, admitting that he also gets pedicures, on It’s On with Alexa Chung
“I wish he would stop calling me for advice.”
– Recent tabloid headliner David Letterman, taking a jab at his replacement, Tiger Woods, on his late show
“He knows every song, every word, every step, and he wants to wear all the costumes.”
– Madonna, sharing her son David Banda’s admiration for Mom’s music with the British morning show GMTV
“But what can you do with George Clooney? George Clooney is one of the most handsome, best actors in the world and is nice to everyone. It’s like going at Mother Teresa.”
– Ricky Gervais, on promising not to target notorious jokester and charitable actor George Clooney as host of this year’s Golden Globes, to People
“There’s been way higher mountains than you in my past.”
– The 5 ft. 4 in. Seth Green, to the 5 ft. 11 in. Wendy Williams, on dating taller women
“He told me I looked good, but I’d look better if I had a personal trainer.”
– Colin Firth, crediting his trimmer physique to Single Man director Tom Ford, to The New York Times
“I told him he was fat.”
– Tom Ford, recalling a slightly different conversation with Firth, to the NYT
“Anytime there is Mexican food around, you can bet I’ll be eating it,”
– Eva Longoria Parker, revealing her food vice, to People
“You try to pretend like you’re paying attention to your family, but in the meantime, you’re like “Grandma, can you pass the gravy? I’M OPEN!”
– Ray Romano, on the challenges of watching football during holiday meals, on Live! With Regis and Kelly
“The girls with the bigger…”
– Modern Family’sSofía Vergara, giving a new perspective on the age old question of whether blondes or brunettes have more fun, on Rachael Ray
“I thought I was promiscuous, but it turns out I was just thorough – to get the right one.”
– Russell Brand, on dating his way to current girlfriend Katy Perry to British morning show GMTV
We have the top ten quotes of the week, and one of them is a real doozy. Jimmy Kimmel really laid the smack down on Melissa Joan Hart after her ouster from “Dancing With The Stars”. I kinda felt bad for her, but that lasted about two seconds.
“I know a couple other guys were singing and they won’t say it, but I’m man enough to say that Fergie’s ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry,’ Crap! I would sing that in the gym.”
– Jay-Z, manning up to working out to the pop star
“Playing a creepy, unstable character was something I always wanted to do.”
– Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, on her soon-to-be axed Melrose Place character
“They have to make sure they’re able to re-sign Kate Hudson for next year.”
– David Letterman, joking about the NY Yankees’ most famous fan, on his late show
“Cute’s good. But cute only lasts for so long.”
– First Lady Michelle Obama, advising women to see past the looks in order to find a good man, to “Glamour”
“He has ‘mantrums.’”
– Hailey Glassman, referring to boyfriend Jon Gosselin and his angry outbursts, to “The Insider”
“‘You’re marrying your mother – but she is just thinner and prettier.’”
– The Jonas Brothers’ mom Denise Jonas, on how she teases her engaged son Kevin
“I thought the end of the world was going to come so I didn’t have to pay any of my bills.”
– “The View” co-host Sherri Shepherd, joking about her dodgy pre-stardom life, on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
“BRAZIL!!!!! A–! A–! A–! Phat round beautiful ASSES!!!!! Everywhere! Its a ASS tsunami!!!!!!!! I think I like it here!!! Lol”
– Diddy, taking in the local sights during his South American trip, on Twitter
“I would love to have a massive party and meet all the sweaty, geeky, awesome fans who posted on the Internet and believed in the film. I just want to thank them.”
– Micah Sloat, breakout star of the independent-turned-box-office-hit “Paranormal Activity”
“At any point during [Dancing with the Stars], did you consider using witch craft to help you?”
– Jimmy Kimmel, to eliminated contestant and former “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” star Melissa Joan Hart, on his late-night show
“Whoa, hold on. The joke is like 1996.”
– Melissa Joan Hart
“But you know what, so are you, to be honest.”
– Kimmel’s retort
That was so terrible! You could tell that he instantaneously felt like a schmuck for saying that to her.
Holy Jesus, I think this is something that I could go my entire life without seeing. David Letterman got it on with intern Stephanie Birkitt, that much we do know. Little did Dave know, but there were security cameras all over the studio.
Unfortunately for him (and the rest of us), the cameras may have caught his fooling around, even in his private office. The tape reportedly caught the late night TV host with his pants down…and much more… It’s the sex tape that no one really wants to watch or admit seeing.
According to sources, a studio surveillance camera caught Dave in some compromising positions with a younger, twentysomething female staffer.
The tape could also play a part in the demise of the talk show titan’s career. The footage could persuade worried CBS executives to bury Dave’s career and may play a role in the trial of the “48 Hours” producer who tried to blackmail him.
A source said, “If the tape makes its way into the criminal case, it’ll explode his marriage to smithereens. It’s one thing for him to have publicly admitted to having had sexual relations with some women on his staff. It’s another to see him in the throes of passion with one of those women.”
The snitch added, “Dave apparently didn’t know the location of the security cameras at his Late Show studio.”
I guess not. And now we’re all going to suffer. Thanks a lot, Dave! I think we’re going to need a top ten list for why David Letterman should keep his pants on.
There were several goodies from this week’s top celebrity quotes, featuring the Jon Gosselin/Nancy Grace smackdown, to Jessica Simpson’s non-PMSing emotional behavior.
“Wearing some of those outfits I wore when I was 17 or 18. Those were explosions of wrong.”
– Justin Timberlake, reminiscing about his ‘N Sync wardrobe, in People’s 35th special issue
“People in L.A. maintain 360 degree fitness. I don’t have that kind of time.”
– Tina Fey, on making sure she’s shot from the waist up for her N.Y.-based comedy “30 Rock”, to “Harper’s Bazaar” Birthday special issue
“You’ve got on two diamond earrings. You’re obviously not broke.”
– Nancy Grace, to Jon Gosselin on “The Insider”
“Actually, they’re CZs.”
– Jon Gosselin
“I got into the car this morning and the navigation lady wasn’t speaking to me.”
– David Letterman, making light of his admission to having in-office affairs, on his late show
“I guess by now you’ve all figured out how I got the job.”
– David Letterman’s follow-up man Craig Ferguson, taking a jab at his boss, on his late, late show
“Gosh, I’m so emotional. It’s not that time of the month, either!”
– Jessica Simpson, tearing up during her speech at an Operation Smile gala
“Do you always talk at the speed of lightning?”
– Joy Behar, interviewing Kelly Clarkson on “The View”
“This is the death of the emo swoosh.”
– Pete Wentz, on buzzing off his trademark side-swept do, on Twitter
“To me, working out is literally like eating a meal or drinking water or breathing. If I don’t, I just feel like crap…I start punching actors.”
– Hilary Swank, on her need for an endorphin rush, to “Marie Claire”
“I still love her. But she’s retarded, too.”
– Guy Ritchie, throwing ex-wife Madonna’s comment back at her, to “Esquire”
Pretty former “Late Show” staffer Stephanie Birkitt revealed in her diary that she continued having sex with boss David Letterman even after moving in with her CBS-producer boyfriend, who later allegedly tried to extort him over the affair.
Late Show with David Letterman staffer Stephanie Birkitt is seen snuggling her man.
Letterman and Birkitt enjoyed romantic hikes last fall at his sprawling ranch in eastern Montana — where he was married in March — while her boyfriend, “48 Hours Mystery” producer Robert “Joe” Halderman, stayed home in Connecticut, the sources said.
At the time, Birkitt, 34, insisted to Halderman that she and the 62-year-old Letterman had just “a platonic relationship,” a source said.
“I’m his best friend,” Birkitt told the worried 51-year-old Halderman, the source said.
Letterman was such a good “friend” that at least once a week, he also would drive Birkitt home to Norwalk, Conn., where she had been sharing a house with Halderman since he divorced his wife in 2004, sources said. The TV funnyman lived with his longtime girlfriend and their son in Westchester.
The multimillionaire comic even did his best to keep Birkitt, a graduate of Benjamin Cardozo Law School, on his payroll.
After she graduated in June 2008, he offered her a job as his personal lawyer, the sources said.
Birkitt later tried to use the generous offer to persuade Halderman to have children with her, saying she would bring in the bucks in her new job and he could stay home as a Mr. Mom, the sources said.
Halderman exploded when he read Birkitt’s diary in December and learned that she was still carrying on a steamy affair with Letterman, the sources said.
The bombshell details in the sensational case emerged as Letterman returned to the “Late Show” set for the first time since Thursday, when he stunned his audience by revealing he had had sexual affairs with female staffers and allegedly had been the target of a related $2 million extortion plot by Halderman.
A clearly chastened Letterman was greeted with thunderous applause during the show’s taping in the Ed Sullivan Theater in Midtown last night.
“Wow, that weekend went fast,” Letterman deadpanned as he opened his monologue.
Sitting down at his desk, Letterman turned serious, saying, “No, I’m not having sex” with any staff members currently, and insisting, “You can’t be victimized by criminals.”
I’m not fairly certain why, but I could care less about his seedy affairs. Two consenting adults, etc. I do feel sorry for his wife, but it’s up to her to forgive him or not. I don’t think Letterman should lose his job over it.
source: Letterman’s gal cheated on new beau — with Dave! [NY Post]
Before the ratings for Monday night’s show are even announced, David Letterman already has a boost … from his studio audience. The crowd roared its approval for Letterman during Monday’s taping.
“Did your weekend just fly by,” Letterman joked with the crowd in his monologue before tackling a serious apology for his wife, Regina Lasko.
“She has been horribly hurt by my behavior, and when something happens like that, if you hurt a person and it’s your responsibility, you try to fix it,” Letterman told the crowd about wife Regina Lasko during his monologue.
“At that point, there’s only two things that can happen: Either you’re going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you’re going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed, so let me tell you folks, I got my work cut out for me.”
Letterman was also apologetic for his staff in the midst of the scandal.
“I’m terribly sorry that I put the staff in that position. Inadvertently, I just wasn’t thinking ahead. And, moreover, the staff here has been wonderfully supportive to me, not just through this furor, but through all the years that we’ve been on television and especially all the years here at CBS, so, again, my thanks to the staff for, once again, putting up with something stupid I’ve gotten myself involved in.”
Call me cynical, but this scandal is sure coming at a good time for ratings.
source: David Letterman: ‘I’m terribly sorry’ [USA Today]
We’ve got some of the best celebrity quotes from this past week, including Madonna wanting to get run over by a train, Hugh Jackman getting interrupted, and Jessica Simpson’s fear of something.
“I’d rather get run over by a train.”
– Madonna, expressing her opposition to getting married again, on “Late Show with David Letterman”
“You want to get that?”
– Hugh Jackman, addressing an audience member after a ringing cell phone interrupted his Broadway show, “A Steady Rain”
“I don’t call them birthdays. I refuse birthdays.”
– Mariah Carey, explaining why she calls the day she was born an “anniversary,” to “USA Today”
“Oprah, I’ve never done that to a black woman before.”
– Chris Rock, weave-checking the talk show host, on air
“Is this a set up?”
– Lisa Kudrow, after she was pressured into singing the “Friends” classic, “Smelly Cat,” at the Rock a Little, Feed a Lot benefit concert to benefit Feed America
“I’m old, so I need to work fast.”
– Desperate Housewives’ newest resident, Drea de Matteo, 37, on planning to have her second child sooner rather than later, to “USA Today”
“Gloves are off.”
– Michelle Obama, on lobbying for her hometown of Chicago to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, to “People”
“I don’t like to look at Penélope directly. It is too overwhelming.”
– Woody Allen, on his former leading lady’s stunning beauty, to “Vanity Fair”
“I haven’t been to Pinkberry since last July, so it’s been a year and a half I’ve been sober!”
– Sherri Shepherd, experiencing her own version of sobriety, to People
“WTF?!? Do I really have to sleep like this?”
– Jessica Simpson, roughing it in a mosquito-netted bed during her trip to Uganda for her upcoming docu-series, “The Price of Beauty”, on Twitter
A blackmailer is in custody after trying to shake down David Letterman – threatening to expose the late night funnyman’s affairs with several female staffers.
The “Late Show” host, who married his girlfriend of 20 years in March, revealed the stunning plot at the taping of Thursday night’s show – and admitted he had indeed slept with several women who work for him.
A Manhattan grand jury is now investigating.
“This morning, I did something I’ve never done in my life,” Letterman, 62, told his stunned audience.
“I had to go downtown and testify before a grand jury.”
The “Late Show” host said he had received a package three weeks ago from an individual who threatened to expose his dalliances unless he coughed up a cool $2 million.
“I knew he was being blackmailed and that someone was arrested today,” Letterman’s mother and semi-regular guest, Dorothy Mengering, told The Daily News Thursday night from her home in Indiana.
“So far that’s all I know,” said Mengering, who said she heard the news from Letterman’s wife of seven months, Regina Lasko, with whom he has a son, 5-year-old Harry.
“I have not talked to him. I heard it from Regina. I’m looking forward to seeing the show to see what he has to say. I really just found out today.”
Letterman was asked at Thursday’s Grand Jury hearing if he had ever slept with a member of his staff.
“My response to that is, yes I have,” he said.
“Would it be embarrassing if it were made public? Perhaps it would,” said Letterman.
“I feel like I need to protect these people. I need to certainly protect my family.”
Letterman married Lasko, his longtime girlfriend, in March – and announced it on air.
“They say, ‘Well, why did it take you so long to get married?’ and, of course, the answer honestly is we wanted to make sure we had the prenup just right,” he joked.
“I had avoided getting married pretty good for, like, 23 years,” he said. “I secretly felt that men who were married admired me – like I was the last of the real gunslingers.”
Letterman was married once before – to his college sweetheart, Michele Cook, from 1969-1977. He dated comedienne Merrill Markoe after that, and started dating Lasko in 1986.
source: David Letterman reveals extortion plot; Blackmailer wanted $2M for ‘Late Show’ host’s sex secret [NY Daily News]
We’ve scoured the internet for the top ten celebrity quotes for the week and we’ve got some goodies for you. We’ve got President Obama, Craig Ferguson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and more!
“Oh, he’s my least favorite.”
– Boston Red Sox fan Jennifer Garner, after being asked to kiss a picture of Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, on “The Jay Leno Show”
“I’m very peeved Halloween only comes once a year.”
– Drew Barrymore, wishing she could go out in public more often without being recognized, to “InStyle”
“I think it’s important to realize that I was black before the election.”
– President Barack Obama, finding humor in the suggestion that he’s facing criticism because of his race, on “The Late Show with David Letterman”
“I’m unemployed now, and I’d like to be on Mad Men. I also like The Office and 24.”
– A sobbing Kristin Chenoweth, accepting an Emmy for best supporting actress in a comedy series for her canceled show, “Pushing Daisies”
“If you’re going to go, isn’t that a great way to go – with a hot guy sucking on your neck?”
– Jennifer Love Hewitt, explaining her obsession with “Twilight” hottie Rob Pattinson, on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
“We had choose Jewish or Mormon in our family, so obviously I was like, ‘I’ll take the dradle.’”
– Chelsea Handler, explaining her family dynamics on her talk show
“I really am in love with my hose.”
– Regis Philbin, on the breathing apparatus he uses to help his sleep apnea, on “Live! With Regis and Kelly”
“I’d trade this to look like him.”
– Alec Baldwin, accepting his best actor in a comedy series Emmy Award from the Rob Lowe
“It’s kinda our version of The Jay Leno Show, really – but we give more skin, less chin.”
– Craig Ferguson, on CBS’s various CSI spin-offs, on his late night show
“We’re going after Sesame Street, so watch out.”
– The Office’s Jenna Fischer, on what her onscreen pregnancy will mean for the competition, to “EW”
There were some funny quotes on TV this week, and we’ve nailed down the top ten, for your viewing pleasure. Which is your favorite?
1. Ramona Singer
“I feel like an older Cameron Diaz.”
– “The Real Housewives of New York City’s” Ramona Singer, recalling her reaction to her new shorter do
2. Anna Wintour
“I’m an ice queen, I’m the Sun King, I’m an alien fleeing from District 9 and I’m a dominatrix. So I reckon that makes me a lukewarm royalty with a whip from outer space.”
– Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour, finding the humor in the not-so-nice things people have called her, on the “Late Show with David Letterman”
3. Julia Louis-Dreyfus
“It’s the anti-reunion reunion, and I’d like to copyright that.”
– Julia Louis-Dreyfus, on the upcoming “Seinfeld” reunion on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
4. Eli Roth
“So when I was beating the guy, I started thinking, ‘What if I was Hannah Montana?’ . . . And little do they know that that’s why I look so insane . . . I’m torturing myself with thoughts of, ‘How could I actually pull off being a high school student and a pop star at night?’”
– “Inglourious Basterds” star Eli Roth, revealing the inspiration for his Nazi-beating character
5. Renee Zellweger
“Where’s the chips?!”
– Renée Zellweger, after breaking into a guacamole piñata with David Letterman
6. Wanda Sykes
“I’m going to leave The Wanda Sykes Show and try to get her job because $5 million ain’t too bad!”
– Wanda Sykes, joking about Paula Abdul’s reasons for leaving “American Idol”
7. Willie Nelson
“My lungs are in good shape – and there are lots of people all over the world wondering how that could be, like Michael Phelps.”
– Willie Nelson, on his good health despite his reputation as a smoker
8. Bill Maher
“There’s something about being able to pee on your own land.”
– Bill Maher, explaining to recent “transplanted Easterner” Conan O’Brien the benefits of living in California over New York City
9. Marissa Jaret Winokur
“You could wake up one morning and start getting ready for work and then look in the mirror and say, ‘Forget it, I’m calling in fat.’”
– Marissa Jaret Winokur, inventing an excuse for not working, in her weekly “People” weight-loss blog
10. Will Ferrell
“Our goal is to raise money for charity, but also to put Coppertone out of business. You can be charitable, but still be a bloodthirsty capitalist.”
– Will Ferrell, on his Cancer for College sunscreen, which raises money to help cancer survivors afford school
