Back From Comic-Con: Pretty Good Visit To Sauna Diego

This was the view from my hotel room at Comic-Con, and I still wonder why those two towers weren't forced to be a billboard for something, while the Marriott Marquis wasn't so lucky.

Actually, it was a pretty good Comic-Con aside from the heat. I was able to snag some bargains and won a couple of prizes, too. I was also able to actually provide some good video for Whedonopolis through covering a couple of panels on MST3K and Agents of SHIELD. I also was able to get inside Hall H and saw the Preacher Read-Through of last Sunday's episode.
Thing is, I got inside because Joss Whedon didn't sell out Hall H. There were actually many empty seats. That is almost as tragic as whatever happened at the Republican Convention that same week. Whatever project he has cooking, I sure hope it gets him back on top again.

My favorite moment was the MST3K panel where Joel revealed the new era will be at Netflix, also home to Marvel and House of Cards. That could be enough for me to dump my Amazon Prime subscription. It also inspired this..

Dr. Erhardt is so upset he's now the Brian Dunkleman of MST3K

If I'm disappointed about anything it's not getting into the premiere of Star Trek Beyond. I always wanted to know if an IMAX drive-in was possible. Since it turned out to be a hit, they're bound to try it again next year. The other bummer was not getting a ticket to a taping for Conan. I did manage to get one of his POP figures, so it worked out. I prefer to get one by being at the show, though. What surprised me is this..

Since Conan will be back next year, expect people to try to trade the 2015 Conan POPs for what's coming next year (like maybe a Conan Star-Lord maybe?).

Here's some of my other photos:

The last picture is the picture of irony, isn't it?

To be honest, I really wish Reno had a Wizard World even this year because it's not so crowded, and I can hammer out stories faster with better wi-fi from my house. I'll have to wait another year for that.
Still, I am pumped for next year. 2017 will be the year of the Slayer, and the 40th anniversary of Star Wars, among other things. D23 or not, Disney should show up for Comic-Con next year because that movie is the reason why San Diego's covered in Times Square-sized ads for a week.

Life After Letterman: What Do We Do Now?

First it was Don Draper who left us, but at least he sort of left us the "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" Coke ad.
Now, Dave Letterman has left TV, and he has left us three successors who might not pick up where he left off, but they get close. That doesn't include Stephen Colbert because he hasn't started yet.

What will CBS do now that Letterman has gone? It has the "perfect solution":  reruns of The Mentalist at 11:35, followed by The Late Late Show With James Cordon.
With a combo like that, James will get less viewers than what Conan said he'd have last night at 11:35. I mean, why not "Best of Dave"? Bringing back the notorious Madonna or Joaquin Phoenix interviews, or Drew Barrymore's dance, could outdraw Fallon. That's a better idea than trying to revive "Crimetime After Primetime", which never worked anyway.

So, is Conan O'Brien the new Elder of Late Night? Well, because of seniority, yes. He learned a lot from Letterman since he took the Late Night gig, but he admits it was his decision to appear on Conan that really made the difference:



It's led to some really odd ideas like Puppy Conan, mascots who can't slam dunk but somehow do, Minty, The Flaming C and jeggings. It also led to a fine website, that trip to Cuba, and an upcoming trip to Comic-Con that he thinks will break his show. Conan's style will keep the Letterman tradition going, at least for now. After all, Conan's been at this for more than 20 years. He might be good for another decade or so.

As far as copying the Letterman structure, Jimmy Kimmel is closest to that. He's got a good relationship with his bandleader. He also has a family of co-conspirators, including his real family, that keep the laughs going. Aside from that, he's come up with great bits like Liewitness News, This Week In Unecessary Censorship, and really goofy man-on-the-street bits. He also had that great show honoring his Uncle Frank, the first breakout star of the show, and the time he taped his show with his laptop because of a power outage. This, however, will make Jimmy my choice:





Never forget!

Jimmy Fallon will be the front-runner because he inherited Jay Leno's chair. His bits aren't as edgy as his time at 12:35 (anyone miss Wheel of Carpet Samples?), but his skills as a comic, musician and mimic are impressive. He's actually more talented than Leno and Johnny Carson put together, and those two guys never had a bit that wound up as a cable TV show and another one that became a best seller. Also, he can play off his announcer and his band for laughs, just like Johnny and Conan. I'm watching last night's show, and it looks like he knew how many people would tune in against Letterman's last show. He did have a tribute during the May 18th show:



Stephen Colbert, your move.
It'll be tough switching from a Bill O'Reilly wanna-be to being the new host of The Late Show. Fox news is already predicting his failure, but it doesn't like his act. In any case, he'll have all summer to get his plan underway. I'd suggest interrupting Mentalist reruns, saying, "Network reruns at 11:30 is so '90s. This fall, I'm the next big thing."
If James Corden is really lucky, he'll still have his show, especially if he interrupts Fallon or Kimmel, saying, "Hey, I didn't leave CBS. My show's still on at 12:35. Please tune in to my show. Really, I need the viewers!"

Unusual State Fair Souvenirs, Thanks To Team Coco

Usually people who go to a state fair take home a stuffed animal from the carnival, a blue ribbon thanks to real know-how in raising cattle or baking a pie, or just some trinket from a souvenir stand or the local utility company.

Thanks to Team Coco, I got something different at the California State Fair in Sacramento: a photo button with my face superimposed on Conan's head, plus one of the most rare rubber ducks ever made...probably.

This is how the photo buttons were made...



This was located near the Cal Expo fountain, next to the Xfinity (Comcast) booth. People got a choice of three poses, the best gets chosen, and it's made into a button. The picture is also supposed to be e-mailed to you, but it wasn't in my case. Looking below, that may be just as well, but what's next to it is really unusual...



Remember when TBS aired promos for Conan in the fall of 2010, and one of the despondent fans had a rubber duck with Conan's bearded head? Here's a reminder...



Apparently, Celebriducks made 2000 of them for the first show, to give to the audience. I was in town then, but getting inside was out of the question. I still got into the second show, but lookng back they should have given ducks for everyone in the first week. Well, I don't know how many Conan ducks they had that day, but I'd say a dozen. Others gor shirts, like this one...



Getting back to the duck, here's some other angles...







Now, that either means it was made in January 2011, or it was the first of the 2011 model that they gave away to advertisers, family, friends or by accident.

I didn't know about the photo booth until they had ads on TV just before the final day of the fair. Actually, they should have had it for the whole run. Who wouldn't want to have weird photo buttons, then find out about how they can save on their cable bill. I was also told that Team Coco only had the photo booth at Cal Expo. I'm surprised it's not a traveling Team Coco photo booth. They can tour along with the massive Conan bobblehead around the country, then set up show across the street from the Tonight Show...and see the fireworks.

So, if I do snag a ticket for the Monday after the Emmys, I'll be wearing that photo button. Maybe I'll take along the duck...in case Conan lost his.

My Talk Show Double-Header

Usually, a person has to make a choice when heading to Warner Brothers: either attend a taping for Ellen DeGeneres at 4 PM or Conan at 4:30.
Tough choice. Not today, I got to see both. Thanks, Ellen.

For the first time in six years, she decided to do a live show at 11 AM to talk about the Emmys, and basically hang out with Harry Connick Jr. Makes sense. She was concerned about the temptation to swear...and fell into it a couple of times. So did Harry, basically because he objected to a couple of things she wrote about him in her new book coming next month. They had a guy with a delay button, but he may not have made it on time. Of course, if Ellen did this on cable, she wouldn't need a delay button. Just ask Conan.

Aside from that, it was a great show. They threw in a live interview with Emmy Prom Winner Melissa McCarthy, coming soon to SNL. Ellen liked doing a live show, and may do it again...and she should. Now that Oprah has retired, someone has to do a post-Oscar show at the Kodak or El Capitan. Why not Ellen? Do that for the Grammys and Golden Globes, too.

After that, I walked down Forest Lawn Drive to head to gate 8 to get my Conan ticket. I had so much time left I walked to get a Subway sandwich.The show was unusual. First, I got a FRONT ROW SEAT! I got a great view of Conan in the monologue, but got blocked by cameras once we got to the guests.

No matter. This was pretty unusual because it revealed a deep, dark secret: they tape guests out of sequence, just like other talk shows. That's why I had to see tonight's show to see how Ryan Gosling really did when they taped the interview a few days ago. I am ticked off I wasn't there, because he was weird...in a good way. Especially when he accused Disney of breeding a new species of cats. He also gave Conan a replica of the jacket he wore in Drive. It was too small for Conan. Gosling will get Oscar buzz by interviews alone, especially how he did with Conan.

So who did we see instead of Ryan? Taylor Lautner, who taped his interview for Abduction a week early. He was OK, but what really made the interview was a clip from a movie he made when he was 8. Imagine Tayor as a male version of Hanna, eight years old, taking down a nasty bald guy twice his size..and yet he smiles like an eight year old. Funny! It airs next Monday.
This was also the second time I saw him with Conan. The first time was at the Tonight Show two years ago.

Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls was actually pretty good, especially when she chided Conan for staring at her breasts, and delivered a killer Britney Spears impersonation.

So, after three days, I have seen celebrities, a very good movie and two talk shows. Not bad. Tuesday is Universal Studios, Kimmel with Simon Cowell, and a social media mixer. Wednesday is the last day when anything I want, including buying new Guild stuff, and maybe being at a red carpet.

So What Kind Of Old Year Did I Have?

There's nothing more depressing that January 2nd.
The excitement of a New Year is over, even though there are still a few football games to be seen, the biggest one coming in a week. You have to either put away those holiday decorations, and toss those dried out trees that looked so festive a week before.
Then you look back to see if you really accomplished anything in the previous year. Either you star into space, thinking about all the things you could have done, or you adopt Felicia Day's style of reviewing the year. I suggest the latter. It reminded me that while I failed to get published in a book of essays on Dollhouse, I wrote a much shorter sketch on what should have happened to the MST3K crew at the end of the series...and got a free ticket to a Cinematic Titanic show. It showed me that small victories can actually be pretty big after a while.

I also realized that many of my stories for Whedonopolis could be considered world exclusives...only because I just happened to be the only guy who thought to show up. Thus, my interview with Juliet Landau in San Francisco, coverage of Jewel Staite and Amber Benson's appearances in Sacramento, and recap of the Whedonverse CreationCon at LAX could be considered world exclusives. Technically. Because I was there. Just me.
Well, it's SOMETHING!
I can also claim to be one of the first people to take a picture of someone buying an iPad, since its debut happened the same day as Wondercon in San Francisco.

However, I have to claim two events that were the highlight of 2010 for me:

Attending a World Series Game....sort of:





This happened as a fluke. I had October 27th off for a Rifftrax event, but then the Giants suddenly found itself in a World Series. I found out I could be at AT&T Park on that date, and maybe get to see the game in the "Knothole" section for three innings. I made it in the middle of the game, then went to see Rifftrax. It got even better when we finally won the Series.
The trophy is coming to Sacramento this week. Of course, I plan to be there, and maybe for the FanFest, too. It should have even more people than usual. Winning a World Series will do that.

Getting Into Conan O'Brien's 2nd TBS Show:



The last time I tried to get tickets before dawn was to see Inglorious Basterds at Comic-Con. That paid off.
So did this. After my request for a ticket to see Ellen DeGeneres didn't work out (as in they didn't even tell me they already had enough people and try again next time), I gambled on getting a standby ticket for the second show. For one thing, it had Tom Hanks.
I just barely made it, and I have a souvenir to the real start of Conan's cable days. The first show was basically a hero's return. With the second show, you have to get back to work..and Conan certainly did.

So, my goals for 2011?
Well, I will try again to ask the Emmys if I could be a seat-filler again, or go back to the bleachers. I skipped 2010 only because it happened in late August. I prefer to come to September, so I can combine it with other events.
I may go back to the Paley Festival, although there's a lack of shows I'd like to see honored. It wasn't like the old days when there was Dr. Horrible, Pushing Daisies, How I Met Your Mother or Dollhouse. I would hope V gets to be part of the PaleyFest...if it's still on the air. Ditto for The Cape.
Yes, I'm mainly interested in shows that have Whedon Alumni. I might even see a Castle panel, if there is one.
As for wild wishes, the one right on top would be to go to London. I have a passport, and I'd like to use it before it expires in six and a half years. Second place would be Canada, tied with New York.
I also hope that somehow, my Whedonopolis stories will eventually lead to new opportunities. Even though I am 51, and write as if I'm 20 years younger (maybe 15), I would like to think I can write stories that would appeal to fans out there. I know my blogs won't inspire movies, much less webisodes. I would just hope someone would have me do something special. Until then, of course, these blogs will keep coming.

Already, 2011 will start with a bang: the new old Governor, Jerry Brown, will host a free lunch at the State Capitol, and the Giants World Series trophy is coming to town.
Then, Drones will be On Demand well before it comes to theaters. Gotta review that. What's interesting is that Amber Benson fans in New York and L-A will be upset this sneak preview won't be available. Other major markets, like San Francisco, Philly and Chicago, will be luckier.

Is It Too Soon To Judge Conan?

It didn't take long for people to decide if Conan O'Brien's new show on TBS would be a hit or a miss.
After big ratings Monday, they have dropped, as expected. It happened when he took over The Tonight Show. In the long run, he did pull in a bigger audience than Jay Leno, but NBC wanted that "comfort midnight snack" that carried the show since 1992.
After three days, USA Today is saying the show is just like the one he had on NBC, which is both good and bad. Entertainment Weekly, for some reason, is upset he makes fun of TBS a lot. Yeah, and why shouldn't he? The other hosts mock their networks,. It's kind of like federal law.

I think I know the problem: everyone wants Conan to be the TV version of the Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on TV Tour. They expect that because they think cable can allow it.
You know, they may be right. I'd like to see Conan go free-form a bit more, and maybe involve his guests in comedy bits, make it more of a variety show with interviews. Tuesday's whale-watching bit with Tom Hanks proves that. Imagine what they could do with Jon Hamm, the most handsome SNL host in years, and damn funny to boot.
Maybe Conan isn't sure what he can do or get away with right now. He's starting the new era with what he knows best, which is the show he's been doing since 1992. Then, he can decide what walls he can remove.
Here's another idea: bring back the characters he had in the NBC days, and say, "OK, NBC, I expect your gun-toting lawyers tomorrow. Come and get me!"
That would be worth it, to see Triumph, the Masturbating Bear. the Preparation H guy, S&M Lincoln, and the like. Heck, bring back Amy Poehler as Andy's little sister Stacy. This time, since she's grown up since then, we can see if she still has a crush on Conan or is dating a Jay Leno clone.
Also, with the Conan Blimp being grounded by winds, why not do a bit about that? Conan can say the Blimp is grounded because those assassins who shot him in the first show now want to blast the blimp out of the sky. However, you get the pilot armed with a "say hello to my little friend" rocket launcher, and he blasts the assassins away. Then, the blimp flies again, and finally starts its West Coast swing.

The point is this: we shouldn't say if Conan has succeeded or failed after a week. We shouldn't complain about his choice of jokes. Let him spit out the last of the NBC-caused venom. Let him mock his new surroundings, even if they're nicer than the old set. Let him admit his new situation. he'll know that after a week or two, he'll tell the crowd that he's gone through the Seven Stages of Grief, and from now on, it's gonna be Conan time every night.
If there is a time to make any judgement, it should be during the holiday break. Then we can decide what works, what doesn't and what changes can be made.
Heck, he had a hard enough time trying to keep his job at NBC during his first year. Let's not be hasty. That's too prime-time. It's also too much like pro sports.

Nice Little Vacation

Well, that was five days that went fast.
Much of it was spent hammering out stories about the "Weekend of Whedon", which apparently is giving Whedonopolis a lot more visitors these days. I was sure someone else would recap what happened at several other websites. Apparently, I have been thanked for going the extra mile getting all the big stories.

Aside from that, I did something I hadn't done since Comic-Con two years ago when I wanted to see the premiere of Inglorious Basterds: I woke up at the crack of dawn to get a standby ticket for Conan O'Brien's second show for TBS. As you can see....



I made it, but barely. I was number 11 on the standby line, and the magic number was 14. Still, it was worth sacrificing some sleep to get to see the real beginning of Conan's career on basic cable. I got there about seven a-m, and wondered how many people would be there. There were seven people in front of me, including five that had been here since 2 AM. It was cold but at least it was dry. I had a book about Dollhouse to keep me occupied. Couldn't have brought the iPod, since I could also prove it doesn't record anything.
The best part, of course, was Tom Hanks very happy to get the new show on a good start, since his next movie is more than eight months away. The best part was when he got drenched by the CGI whale. You can bet the backdrop will be the scene of many a strange situation. That's one-up on most late-night shows, except for Letterman. At least his backdrop can feature some trains, planes, and orange blimps.

Because of the usual prohibition of cameras, I decided to take a picture of some of the first fans from Monday's show.



A food truck called the Patty Wagon dropped by, to sell sliders to hungry Conan fans. It didn't show up for Tuesday's show, for some reason.

I also got a chance to see a taping of Jeopardy. The shows won't air for four months, but they have one guy who just make take the show for a lot of cash.
It was a lot better than the Catch 21 taping I saw last year. The seats at the Sony studios are much more comfortable. The set looks high-tech, but it's the contestants we're supposed to look at. Alex Trebek is also a very sharp wit. If Dancing With the Stars started ten years ago, he'd host it..or should.

So, that's my last visit to SoCal of 2010. I'll make another trip in late January. I hope this time the people who run The Ellen DeGeneres Show will accept my request to get a ticket. I lost out last year because they changed the schedule, and still got my "guaranteed" ticket three weeks after the episode aired. If my request for the November 9th show was accepted, I never would have gone to see Conan. I'll ask for tix for both, and maybe I'll be lucky this time. Getting a ticket to Kimmel is never a problem.

San Francisco's Cuckoo for Coco...again!

When I was at Anaheim Wizard World, I called this picture, "What do Serenity and Conan have in Common?"



First Fox threw Firefly away, then Universal decided not to give us a Serenity sequel....yet. Maybe adapting the Dark Horse comics could help?

You may say Conan O'Brien is in the same boat, but in reverse. NBC tossed him aside in favor of Jay Leno and his old yet reliable viewers, then Fox decided not to choose him because the affiliates believe endless sitcom reruns at 11 PM are the highest form of TV.

Oh yeah? You think Charlie Sheen or Jay Leno can do THIS??



Conan wowed his fans at the Masonic Auditorium last night with songs, stories, illegal-ish appearances by some of his favorite characters, and overall unleashed fun.
My seat was a little farther away from the 10th row chair I had when he had his Late Night show at the Orpheum in 2007. Still, a balcony seat is not too bad.



Now, there's a ton of YouTube clips of Conan in action, and it's possible you could save 70 bucks by getting the experience that way.
Forget it. You have to see this live for at least one absolute reason:
there is not a chance in HELL Jay Leno could ever do what Conan is doing, and selling out as quickly as he has. NEVER! NEVER!!!!
David Letterman and Stephen Colbert....maybe, but in nightclubs somewhere.

If you have fished for Conan clips on YouTube, you know the line-up: Conan as a complete mess, then getting into fighting weight for the tour, the "Polk Salad" song,



Triumph, the Masturbating Bear and his new "disguise",



the Chuck Norris lever, and the band rocking out to kick things off. There's also the inflatable bat he bought from Meat Loaf. It's almost guaranteed that's going to be outside Conan's new home studio in November.



However, there's nothing better than local touches to each stop. While Seattle enjoyed Eddie Vedder and Vancouver had Seth Rogan, the 4/22 show had Chris Isaak (quite the oddball himself) and Conan doing Elvis quite well.



Andy Richter even explained what he learned during his hiatus, while riding a Muppet horse, and also gave the most unusual live commercials you ever heard. Let's say they involve a Fisherman's Wharf tradition and something you'd never expect to see on Geary Street.

I wonder what Conan will have planned for Sacramento on May 6th. Mocking Governor Schwartzengger's Jingle All the Way seems likely....along with him showing up. I certainly hope they get a good musical guest, too.

My next wish...hoping to combine a CreationCon Whedon Weekend with getting tickets to Conan's second show for TBS. Hey, hoping to see the first show live would be nuts!

This Week In Cable: The Future Is Conan...and Wrestling?

It's been a very interesting week in TV, and it's only Tuesday.

Then again, having Conan O'Brien return to TV in an unexpected place would be the biggest TV story of the year. Nearly everyone was certain he'd return to late-night TV on Fox. After all, it has everything except late-night success during the week. The network itself started with a late-night show with Joan Rivers in 1986, then went on to prime-time slowly. With the prestige of 24, The Simpsons, American Idol and House, plus sports, having Conan would be the final piece of the puzzle.
Sure, the affiliates weren't sold on having Conan at 11 PM, because he wouldn't be as lucrative as endless repeats of Seinfeld, Two and a Half Men and Family Guy. Still, Conan almost had to go to Fox, because it's his only chance to make NBC regret the day it dumped him for Jay Leno. Maybe, if Conan's lucky, all of Fox's stations will air him at 11 PM by 2013. He'll understand. He has no choice.
At least, that's according to entertainment "experts".

Then we find out he has found a new home....on cable....TBS.
Wha? Who? TBS? Didn't they have wrestling at one time? They say they're "very funny", but it's just cable...not Fox, where he's supposed to be.
To be honest, I didn't believe it either, when Conan mentioned it on his Twitter feed. I thought it was a joke.
It wasn't.
So, what does this mean? Has Conan failed? Does this mean he'll never defeat Jay Leno, and make Jeff Zucker weep? Have we, as a nation, failed?
Or maybe we should look at it another way....Fox blew it!!
Or, its stations did.

I can't help but think Fox was too confident Conan would make a deal with them, and get used to the idea that only 70 percent of the nation would want him at 11 PM. This was based on one belief: we are Fox, and Conan going to cable would be a further humiliation that a wildly successful live tour could never erase. Thus, Conan will call us any....
Then, in the words of Homey the Clown, "I don't think so. Homey...or Coco..don't play that"

TBS has a lot to offer: a salary about the same as NBC, 100 percent coverage at the flip of a switch, he owns the show, web presence, anything he likes.
As for the guy who's already at 11 PM, George Lopez, he's all for it, because Conan's fans may stay for his show, too.
Also, West Coast viewers can see Conan at 8 PM, if they have the HD feed.
We sometimes forget cable is beating regular TV in many ways, especially creatively. Mad Men, True Blood, The Tudors and Rescue Me, anyone? While it's also doing well with late-night comedy, especially Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, having someone as big as Conan O'Brien would be...all together now...the final piece of the puzzle.
Conan's tour now serves as the prelude to his new show on cable, while the network prepares to promote the heck out of it. Maybe TBS will even sell ads for the show to Fox affiliates...around 11 PM, during a repeat of Seinfeld.
Now, if only I can get an "I'm With Coco" button and a TBS hat. I do have a homemade t-shirt that will serve the same purpose, though.

Now, the inexplicable....

Syfy will be ending its "reality" wrestling show WWE NXT this fall, which hopefully means SyFy will imagine greater by sticking to sci-fi.
Nope. It will be the new home for Friday Night Smackdown starting October 1st. Thus, Friday nights, the home of Battlestar Galactica, the Stargate shows and Sanctuary, now give way to Jack Swagger, Edge and Beth Phoenix.
Unless you can introduce some wrestlers that look like minotaurs, aliens or N'avi, this is a terrible idea for the network. Wrestling has pulled in a lot of viewers for SyFy, but it shouldn't end its traditional Friday fare for the WWE. Thursdays with a Sunday repeat would make more sense.
Also, what happens to MyNetwork TV now? The only original shows it has are Smackdown, Deal or No Deal, which may be on its way out, and Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader. Aside from that, it was reruns and movies. The affiliates would go back to being independents, and no one would notice.
Remember when the channel figured to be something new with tele-novelas in English and reality shows? So much for those days.
The Smackdown move is really a setback for a a network that no longer exists, and cable channel that should be living up to its name.

No Conan, No Peace...But A Sold-Out Tour Will Do

From time to time, we are told the real reason why "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" exists: it was cheaper to fire Conan than let Jay Leno go. There are reports he could have pocketed 120 million if the Peacock kept Conan. Thus, Conan isn't worth 120 million, but is worth 45 million....reluctantly.

Well, geniuses, considering how quickly seats for this "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On TV" tour are selling, Conan is worth 45 million...and more.
It's been revealed slowly he'd do a 30-city tour to meet with fans, and maybe try out some ideas when he comes back to TV, preferably at Fox so it can prove to itself it doesn't need 24 and American Idol to exist (but should have admitted having a Dollhouse or a Firefly would have been great).
Anywho, when I woke up to discover the news, I immediately got a $57 dollar ticket to the show on April 22nd at the Masonic. Sure, with convenience fees, it's 74 bucks, but at least I am getting a decent seat at a 3200 seat facility. I was hoping the Orpheum was available, because that's where he had his show three years ago. Well, it should be some night.

Now, I didn't know there was a list of the 30 cities on the tour. Still, it wouldn't include Sacramento....but it did. He's coming two weeks after the SF show. I blew at least 50 bucks because I thought Conan would consider Sacramento too shoddy to be considered...just like the guys who decide where the NCAA Final Four regionals should be held. Not only that, I could have gone for a 40 dollar ticket if I could.
Sure, I jumped the gun, but looking back, it's better to be quick. I'm already hearing of Conan tickets being scalped big time. Does that ever happen to Jay Leno when he does a stand-up comedy show in Vegas or Thunder Valley Casino? Nope.

So, the point is, I'm going. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll see him wandering around the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, discovering that the most gourmet thing he'll get near that place is Wolfgang Puck Pizza. Actually, he'll have better luck at the Hyatt or Sheraton nearby. Maybe he'll be seen at either place. I'd be stunned if he stopped by KFBK, since his Sacramento stop is immediately after a show in San Jose the night before. He does have two days to rest before the next stop in Colorado. We'll hope for the best.

With the popularity of the "Prohibited" tour after just one day, you have to wonder if NBC could ever make 125 mil from Leno is just one day. The network certainly will as long as he's there, likely after ten years. It might take even longer, once Conan returns to TV. If people can pay between 50 and 75 bucks to see him for one night, after seeing him for free, what does that say about Jay Leno?

Conan O'Brien? Who's He?

This week, NBC will be showing more reruns of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, but it's not showing the final episodes. In fact, you can't even find full episodes of the show anywhere. Hulu has some bits and pieces, and interviews, but not the show.
That's why it's a great idea to get a DVD recorder. That way, you can record the final episodes, and have proof it really happened. Kind of like Super Bowl XLIV.

Not only that, the NBC Universal store website has a "Getting Rid of Conan" sale. All Conan stuff 20 percent off, then they dump it all at local Goodwill stores or maybe It's a Wrap in Burbank. I got a cap and two shot glasses. Hopefully, if I am lucky to see the new Conan show in Los Angeles, I'll go, wearing the cap. I'm sure they'd encourage that sort of thing. I'm still kind of torn whether to see Leno again when I got to Anaheim and L-A in April. It depends of who's there. Otherwise, it's Kimmel for me.

So, no matter if NBC is taking the George Orwell approach by denying it ever had a Cnan O'Brien on the payroll, we'll always have the proof.

By the way, I had planned to go to Anaheim for three days for the Wizard World event, but then I wanted to see Bonnie Hunt one more time before her show ends (barring an epiphany by Warner Brothers that daytime TV will really suck without her...and that Tyra and Martha Stewart are leaving broadcast TV). I also want to shop at the usual places where the unused swag shows up, like Goodwill, It's a Wrap and Out of the Closet. Maybe some leftovers from Dollhouse will come my way. So, why not take care of both, especially when I learned you can get to Anaheim to the Burbank airport at a reasonable price?

Finally, a post for the New Year

I know I have been paying attention to the other blog because of the Dollhouse thing. So, I think I'll start 2010 here with a few remarks.
First, NBC and its late-night screwups: there must be a few old-time executives who think this would be a much different world if NBC gave The Tonight Show to David Letterman the second Johnny Carson retired in 1992. The other two major networks would not have jumped into the late-night talk scene so quickly. I mean, could anyone think of an ideal late-night talk show host aside from Johnny and Dave back then. Sure, Merv Griffin was tried until he decided to stick to game show producing, and Joey Bishop's viability was long gone. We only accept people like Arsenio Hall, Jimmy Kimmel and Craig Ferguson as our late night thing because people had to look for them, and given them their shot.
Maybe Leno would have been on late night anyway, but either syndicated or after Letterman. What a different world it would have been, if NBC treated Letterman right.
So how about the world we have now?
After Jimmy Kimmel's killer smackdown the other night with his classic impression of Leno on his show, I wonder if ABC should watch its back as the other networks start coveting him, like Fox? Well, ABC has Kimmel for keeps, now more than ever. It's also a cinch bigger stars will be coming in more often after this. He's the top guy in Los Angeles if only for a day or two, but that will last as more people see what he does.
My guess: NBC has to pay $50 million to Conan and his staff because of the big move they had to do. Let him start on Fox in June, and but I am sure he won't keep his current spot at Universal. NBC give Leno Conan's current theater and complete the humiliation. However, if the Peacock paid attention to the public's response, Leno would go. However, NBC would have to pay $80 mil to do that. As Letterman said on his show, it's all about money. It's why NBC thought it had to keep Leno, and still thinks that way because dumping Conan would be a less expensive mistake...at least for now. The real price tag comes a year from now, if you add the additional money the network would lose, and I don't mean from the Olympics.
I just wonder....if NBC decides after two years Leno's time really is over, and they want Conan back, how much MORE will they have to pay to get him? Yeesh!
Well, we'll all see the slow death of the peacock starting next Friday if Conan really does leave on the same night Fox forecloses on Dollhouse. Man, will it be a depressing night.

I'm just thankful I can recover from this with good news: after maybe nine months of trying to get on GSN Live, I succeeded. I won 225 bucks by answering two incredibly easy music questions. The cash will go towards my four-day trip to Anaheim to see Eliza Dushku, and this time hopefully getting an autograph from her, at Wizard World. The extra day will be used to say goodbye to Bonnie Hunt, who also is taking risks as she's reading towards her show's final days. With so many people quitting, from Tyra Banks to Simon Cowell (or being tossed out like Conan), maybe Warner brothers may think twice about keeping Bonnie around.

A Tale of Two Talk Shows

Before we start, here's what the opening credits for Dollhouse look like...



The last time Eliza Dushku was on a talk show was last August, firing a bow and arrow while plugging a new movie and TV show on Jimmy Kimmel Live. It was said some people found Eliza very attractive while firing a few arrows at a target.

Six months later, Eliza was busy again, promoting her new show, Dollhouse, on the talk show circuit. It was hoped she'd appear on David Letterman, but that was postponed. So, she spent Lincoln's birthday visiting Regis and Kelly in the morning, and Conan O'Brien at night.

It's not unusual for an actor to appear on several shows throughout the week, plugging a new movie. Eliza, however, did two shows, and also Howard Stern. I thought it would be interesting to compare her two TV appearances. What they did have in common is that she looked great, talked about how she used to be a tomboy, gave the classic "lunch with Joss" story and explained what Dollhouse was all about.

Before she appeared on Regis and Kelly, Regis Philbin said that Eliza's role was working in "an illegal Secret Service group." She later explained the true premise of the show. She wore a modest but attractive red dress to the show. She revealed she finished third among all celebrity entrants in the Malibu Triathlon. Eliza admitted she was surprised to find out how well she did while digging into some post-race waffles. She also said that training for Dollhouse may have helped her performance in the race. That was followed by a clip from the pilot, where Echo enters a room that she should not be in.

Her appearance on Conan O'Brien was more free-wheeling. Here, she wore a sexy blue spangly dress that excited Conan and the crowd. She even referred to the dress as "she". Then she went on about how busy she was with Dollhouse and how she's been able to relax by learning chess with her godfather. She apparently plays at a nightclub he owns at Hollywood and Vine. She also bought some Verbal Advntage tapes, which she uses to ease her road rage. However, it's taught her some new phrases to yell out at bad drivers, such as "Cretin, remove yourself from my trajectory." Seems like she's turned into an Ivy League NASCAR driver.

She also urged the crowd to watch Dollhouse, and keep watching it. "Joss is really like a novelist," she says. "He needs chapters to go, and we have 13 shows, and it gets better and better. The party gets so good, you guys." She also estimates she's played 38 personalities through the 13 shows they've made.

It's not quite the same as shooting arrows, but Eliza is doing her best to get people to visit the Dollhouse every Friday. Now, it's up to the episodes themselves.
Still, you have to wonder how Joss would do at a talk show. He'd have fun with Craig Ferguson, and would really be great on Real Time with Bill Maher. So would Eliza...or Sarah Michelle Gellar. She ought to drop by Jimmy Fallon's new show to help him settle in. Just saying.