It's Official: Conan O'Brien to Leave NBC
Matt Richenthal
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In the least surprising TV development since Dr. House cured his last medical case, Conan O'Brien is officially exiting The Tonight Show and NBC.
The comedian and the network have agreed on a deal that will pay him and his staff a combined $44 million.
“In the end, Conan was appreciative of the steps NBC made to take care of his staff and crew, and decided to supplement the severance they were getting out of his own pocket," said his agent, Gavin Polone. “Now he just wants to get back on the air as quickly as possible.”
Joel McHale (Community) explains to Conan O'Brien how far NBC must go to become a respectable television network.
The earliest O'Brien can sign with another network, however, is September 1.
He also signed a "non-disparagement clause," which bars him from hammering NBC on the air. Fortunately, David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel and many other talk show hosts/celebrities have signed no such deal.
Conan's final Tonight Show will air tomorrow night. It will feature a pair of A-list guests: Tom Hanks and Will Ferrell.
Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.
