After all that, NBC is back to where it was two years ago
TMZ.com, which broke the story that NBC wanted to replace Conan O’Brien with Jay Leno, reports that Leno has struck a deal to go back to hosting the show. Leno’s contract for his failed 10 p.m. show said he was “guaranteed” the 10 o’clock hour, meaning NBC had to give him a new contract to re-locate him to the show he gave up hosting in 2009. Tonight will go on hiatus after Conan O’Brien’s final show on January 22; when it returns, it will feature Leno again, and NBC will have a bunch of reality shows and Law and Order shows at 10 o’clock. So after a lot of money, rancour and strange scheduling moves, NBC is right back where they started two years ago.