The day is finally here: tonight's Tonight Show will be the last hosted by Conan O'Brien. With the departure deal now signed, the Wall Street Journal discusses how the host will do with that whole nondisparagement clause thing. At any rate, he had no pause when it came to taking shots at the network during last night's show (though Robin Williams did most of the dirty work). He's also joked about some loopholes: like being able to trash NBC in Spanish, or in song. more ›

Finally, Conan O'Brien — with just two more nights behind his Tonight Show desk — has reached an agreement with NBC. According to the NY Times, negotiations went into the night and resulted in a deal that will pay him about $32 million and allow him back on the small screen in 8 months time. The deal was signed around 1 a.m. PCT, and the Wall Street Journal reports that he also secured about $12 million for his staff. more ›

Another day, another barrage of Conan O'Brien news items to filter through. With just a few more shows left at NBC, last night Conan declared: I am just three days from the biggest drinking binge in history." He also said that he'd be "making a move to Fox... Megan Fox." more ›

So much news in the Conan O'Brienosphere today. First off, TMZ reports that while the late night talk show host may not get to keep Triumph & Co. he is getting a $32.5 million payout upon leaving NBC and his Tonight Show hosting desk. He is free to move on to another network, but not until September. And since Conan loves his cast and crew, who have been with him since Day 1, you know he looked out for them during negotiations. Rumor has it they are all getting paid severance by the network, grand totaling their payout at around $40 million. more ›

As Conan O'Brien's last week as host of The Tonight Show is upon us (he'll film his final show on Friday), word is that his departure deal may be agreed upon today. While it's already been reported that the host will likely be able to go live on another network as early as September, and will receive a hefty financial payout — the stall seems to be surrounding the characters Conan has created while on the network. more ›

Yesterday we mentioned there were some rumors going around that Conan O'Brien's last Tonight Show would being next week, and today it's confirmed. The Daily Beast reports that the host is leaving NBC, receiving a payout and is welcome to pursue other network opportunities before his contract expires. more ›

Yesterday Jay Leno issued his own open letter to the People of Earth, and even though it was just a parody, we imagine it wouldn't be far off from what the man himself would have to say. Which would be nothing in comparison to Our Hero Conan O'Brien's letter. But the big news today is Conan is leaving NBC. According to Bill Simmons, at least, "Next week is Conan's final week hosting the Tonight Show. His staff is trying to book big guests so he goes out with a bang. It's true." more ›

Last night, Our Hero Conan O'Brien delivered his monologue on NBC's Tonight Show just hours after sending out a statement questioning that same network's choice in reshuffling their late night hours. He was rightfully applauded by many yesterday for declaring he would not stay on as host if the legendary time slot was pushed, as well as for the class he exhibited in delivering that news. (He even broke down talking to his staff, who have been with him since the beginning.) more ›

Following his assault on NBC for their recent decisions during his monologue last night, Conan O'Brien has announced that he will not host The Tonight Show if it is moved to follow Jay Leno at 12:05 a.m. more ›

When we asked last week if Conan O'Brien should stick around NBC after they gave Jay Leno his old time slot back — leaving Conan to decide whether he wanted to stay and air later, or leave — you said he should LEAVE! Well, yesterday we heard of rumors he may be moving to Fox... and now the Wall Street Journal has printed that rumor, too, saying the talk show host has already met with the rival network. more ›

This week was filled with speculation about what would happen to Conan O'Brien now that Jay Leno is taking his old 11:30 time slot back. Conan has allegedly yet to make a decision about his next move, or whether or not he'll stay at NBC... but last night he finally addressed the rumors on his show: more ›

With word coming in yesterday that Jay Leno would be reclaiming his 11:30 p.m. time slot on NBC, the question mark was where Conan O'Brien would land in the shake up. TMZ now reports that network execs are letting him decide if he wants the midnight to 1:00 a.m. slot; "if he does, Leno's show will only be a half hour. If Conan walks, Leno will get a full hour." more ›

For the past few months, William Shatner has been making regular appearances on The Tonight Show to give dramatic readings of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's words. Since he's read her farewell speech and Tweets, it was natural he'd try his hand at excerpts from her memoir Going Rogue. But there was a surprise after he finished—Palin herself appeared to read from his memoir, Up Till Now. more ›

Last Friday, Conan O'Brien slipped while doing a Tonight Show bit with actress—and triathlon competitor—Teri Hatcher. He hit his head on the floor while trying to race Hatcher and was injured enough for the show's taping to stop. Last night, he shared his experience and video of the fall. (It's 8 minutes, so might be good to watch during lunch... or skip about 1:15 in) more ›

The AP reports that legendary Johnny Carson sidekick Ed McMahon passed away shortly after midnight this morning at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, surrounded by his wife, Pam, and other family members. The entertainer, a Marine who served in WWII and Korea, was 86. Though his publicist declined to divulge the exact cause of death, it's known that McMahon suffered from multiple illnesses, including bone cancer, and sustained a neck injury caused by a 2007 fall. Recent years had been financially difficult for McMahon, whose Beverly Hills home was nearly foreclosed upon last year after he defaulted on a $4.8 million loan. But he didn't seem bitter while explaining his problems to Larry King (video), and still had fond memories of his 30-plus years on The Tonight Show. Other co-hosting gigs during his long career included Star Search, TV Bloopers And Practical Jokes, and, who could forget, Alf's Hit Talk Show. more ›

Last night, Conan O'Brien officially took over hosting duties for The Tonight Show and opened the show with a taped bit that showed him running across the country from NYC to LA (with scenic stops at the Wrigley Field in Chicago, St. Louis Arch, and a Victorian Doll Museum somewhere else). more ›

While Special Olympics chairman Tim Shriver believes President Obama is apologetic about his unfortunate remarks comparing his poor bowling skills (he got a 129) to the Special Olympics, more voices are chiming in. Notably Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who has a son with Down syndrome and is a champion to special needs families, said she was "shocked", “This was a degrading remark about our world’s most precious and unique people, coming from the most powerful position in the world. These athletes overcome more challenges, discrimination and adversity than most of us ever will. By the way, these athletes can outperform many of us and we should be proud of them. I hope President Obama’s comments do not reflect how he truly feels about the special needs community.” Long Island Special Olympian Daniel Fletcher, who has competed in basketball, golf, baseball, and equestrian events, tells Newsday that he'd happily challenge the President in bowling—Fletcher recently scored a 130. more ›

President Barack Obama visited the Tonight Show last night, becoming the first sitting president to appear on the program. He discussed the hoopla as Commander in Chief ("Michelle jokes about how our motorcade -- you know, we've got the ambulance and then the caboose and then the dog sled. The submarine."), explained his Final Four picks, and, responding to a question about being judged after only 59 days in office, said, "We are going through a difficult time. I welcome the challenge. You know, I ran for President because I thought we needed big changes. I do think in Washington it's a little bit like 'American Idol,' except everybody is Simon Cowell." more ›

While Conan may be leaving us for the sunny skies of Los Angeles, we still all have televisions, so it's not like he's going anywhere, really. On that note, there are some more details that have just been released about his new Tonight Show gig, NBC says his old pal Andy Richter will be the announcer! It's been nearly 9 years since the two paired up, and Richter will get some on-screen time, too, as the network notes he'll also participate in comedic pieces. O'Brien said this of his old right arm: "Andy is one of the funniest people I know and we've maintained a close friendship since he left Late Night. We have a proven chemistry that will be an incredible asset to The Tonight Show. I'm looking forward to working with Andy on a daily basis again, particularly since he owes me $300." Look for the two of them on a small screen near you starting June 1st! more ›

As the world readies for a new Late Night talk show host, here's a little history lesson on Jimmy Fallon's new set, which also housed Jack Paar's (and Johnny Carson's) Tonight Show. In the video below, circa 1984, Paar gives David Letterman a tour of his old studio, where Letterman's Late Night desk also sat. One door inside of a dressing room that remained locked for 20 years is opened to reveal some masterfully adorned pipes, a tribute from Jim Henson and the Muppets to Paar. Fallon confirms that the pipes are still there, and says "We're preserving it and putting it behind plexi." more ›

All you Tonight Show Headlines and Jaywalking fanatics, stop your worrying: Deadline Hollywood Daily reports that Jay Leno will be staying at NBC when his Tonight Show contract is up--and will be moving into primetime with a Monday-to-Friday weekday at 10 p.m. talk show. more ›

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain visited The Tonight Show last night and chortled over his age with Jay Leno. McCain, who turns 72 on Friday, had jokes like, "My social security number is eight" and "You forgot to mention that I warned the people about the British coming." When Leno asked, "For $1 million, how many houses do you have?" McCain brought up his five years as a POW in Vietnam, "I didn't have a house. I didn't have a kitchen table. I didn't have a table," and said of his wealthy wife, "I’m very proud of Cindy’s father. ... He made the American dream." more ›

Rudy Giuliani may have exited the presidential campaign, but that doesn't mean he's disappeared. For starters, we hope those Rudy Giuliani campaign staffers who gave up their paychecks feel good about this: According to the Washington Post, Giuliani's campaign paid his firm Giuliani Partners $60,000 in rent and paid Giuliani Security & Safety $300,000 for security. We don't understand why he stopped running - it's a perfect way to convert donations into revenue! Well, his lawyer told the WaPo that Giuliani "recused himself from taking profits. His portion would be donated to charity." more ›

Members of the Writers Guild of America have been striking in Los Angeles and New York this past week over details of a basic contract between writers and producers - one of the biggest sticking points is the amount of residuals writers get from DVD and new media distribution. The NY Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd asked Seth Meyers (who we spoke to on Tuesday) to give her a weekend update about the strike:... more ›

Last week we mentioned that Brendan Keefe, late of WCBS, is now and anchor at the ABC affiliate in Cincinnati, WCPO. He started this week and he revealed to the Cincinnati Post some of his reasons for leaving New York for Ohio. He told the paper, "We wanted a place to raise a family that we could call home for a long time." more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an armed robbery on East 91st St. in Brooklyn, a confined space rescue at JFK Airport in Queens, and a pedestrian was struck at East 23rd St. and Lexington Ave. in Manhattan.
• A dump truck jack-knifed and rolled over, crushing the car next to it and killing the car's two occupants in Brooklyn.
• Jay Leno is auctioning off the set of The Tonight Show and donating the proceeds to fund an after-school program at Brooklyn's Paul Robeson High.
• Streetsblog notes dueling Google ad placements for and against congestion pricing in New York.
• One of the men who was shot by police with Sean Bell was arrested last night and arraigned on charges of assaulting his girlfriend, driving without a license, and harassment.
• A NJ town that enacted strict ordinances against hiring or renting to illegal immigrants three years ago has repealed them after discovering that the negative impact on the town's economy was significant.
• Maybe the Yanks or Mets should look into whoever is having sex with BushwickBK's neighbor, because he or she has quite an arm, as evidenced by the steady stream of panties landing in his yard.
• The sections of the Brooklyn Bridge rated "poor" during recent inspections will be refurbished over the next few years.

Fred Thompson was never an actual Manhattan District Attorney, he just played one TV. He used the same medium to announce that he was running for President by pursuing the Republican nomination Wednesday night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Unlike California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who announced his gubernatorial candidacy by appearing on The Tonight Show in person, Thompson made his announcement via a taped message that Leno aired. Speculation about the possibility of Thompson's imminent announcement has been growing recently. more ›

In February rumors started to fly about Jimmy Fallon becoming the next Late Night host when Conan O'Brien leaves his current spot to take Jay Leno's spot. It's an after-hours game of musical chairs! (Though no one knows where Leno will end up, it is said he'll likely stay in the late night game.) NBC chief Rick Ludwin says that Fallon is now at the top of the short list for possible Late Night hosts. more ›

Last night Beverly Sills lost her battle with lung cancer, she died at her home in Manhattan at the age of 78. While she was a lifelong non-smoker and only found out about the cancer a few weeks ago, this wasn't her first experience with it - she underwent a successful surgery for cancer in 1974. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a large snake was reported on West 118th St. in Manhattan, an assault in transit on the Brighton Line in Brooklyn, and an armed robbery on Whittier St. and Lafayette Ave. in the Bronx.
• The Splasher's identity is revealed! Scroll down to the bottom of our post on the anti-street art vandal for his name and picture.
• Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro wants security cameras installed at a World Trade Center memorial after it was damaged by one or more vandals.
• PETA released the results of its poll ranking the hottest vegetarians. Musicians swept the top spots this year, with Tonight Show band leader Kevin Eubanks and country musician Carrie Underwood claiming the sexiest male and female designations, respectively. Gothamist on New York's sexiest vegetarians.
• With its return to a rock format, radio station K-Rock is evaluating on-air talent and looking for deejays.
• Licensed NYC tour guide Adrienne Onofri has published a guide to seeing Kings County on foot called Walking Brooklyn.
• Anti-gun activist Rosie O'Donnell still likes to dress up her daughter as a pint-sized commando.
• More swimming and wading pools in NYC for those looking to cool off.