Who maintains the rights to PimpBot, Preparation H Raymond, The Masturbating Bear and Triumph The Insult Comic Dog??
While the NBC severance agreement finalized Thursday allows Conan O'Brien to start a new show in September, O'Brien apparently will not be permitted to take with him the characters he and his staff created at NBC.
The press release issued by O'Brien and NBC makes no mention of intellectual property:
STATEMENT FROM NBC AND CONAN O’BRIEN:
NBC and Conan O’Brien have reached a resolution of the issues surrounding O’Brien’s contract to host “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.”
Under terms of an agreement that was signed earlier today, NBC and O’Brien will settle their contractual obligations and the network will release O’Brien from his contract, freeing him to pursue other opportunities after September 1, 2010.
O’Brien will make his final appearance as host of “The Tonight Show” on January 22.
The press release announcing Jay Leno’s return to "Tonight" makes no mention of O’Brien at all:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NBC ANNOUNCES THAT JAY LENO WILL RETURN TO HOST ‘THE TONIGHT SHOW’ FROM 11:35 P.M.-12:35 A.M. (ET) BEGINNING MARCH 1 WHILE ‘LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON’ CONTINUES AT 12:35 A.M. (ET)
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - January 21, 2010 - NBC confirmed today that popular late-night host Jay Leno will return to host “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” from 11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. (ET) beginning March 1, 2010 and that “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” will continue to be broadcast from 12:35-1:35 a.m. (ET). The announcements were made by Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment.
“We’re pleased that Jay is returning to host the franchise that he helmed brilliantly and successfully for many years,” said Gaspin. “He is an enormous talent, a consummate professional and one of the hardest-working performers on television.”
Leno previously hosted “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” from May 1992-May 2009. The program will continue to showcase many of the features that made Leno America’s late-night leader for more than a dozen years.
“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” is from Big Dog Productions in association with Universal Media Studios. Debbie Vickers is the executive producer.
“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” made its broadcast debut on March 2, 2009 with “Saturday Night Live” alum Fallon as the host of the comedy-talk show. The program serves as a platform for comedy, music and A-list talent out of NBC’s Rockefeller Center Studio 6B. Fallon is joined by his house band -- the critically acclaimed, Grammy-winning hip-hop band The Roots. Earlier, Fallon launched his “Late Night” video blog (or “vlog”), giving viewers behind-the-scenes access to his preparation for the show’s official launch at www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com.
Fallon joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1998 and quickly became an audience favorite for his impressions of actors and musicians as well as for creating many memorable recurring characters. In 2000, he became co-anchor of the segment “Weekend Update” alongside Tina Fey. Fallon also appeared in the Emmy Award-winning miniseries “Band of Brothers,” and his feature films include “Almost Famous,” “Taxi” and “Fever Pitch.”
Lorne Michaels, Emmy Award-winning creator of “Saturday Night Live,” is “Late Night’s” executive producer. Michael Shoemaker, also an Emmy Award winner, is the producer, bringing over 20 years of experience at “Saturday Night Live.” Gavin Purcell, from G4’s critically praised “Attack of the Show,” serves as co-producer. “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” is a production of Universal Media Studios in association with Broadway Video Entertainment.
Some NBC-owned concepts we're likely never to see again, shoved asisde to make room for Headlines and Jaywalking:
Gustavo, The Smug European
The Fun Hole Guy
Cloppy The Depressed and Suicidal Horse
Andy's Sister
Triumph The Insult Comic Dog
The Masturbating Bear
PimpBot 5000
In The Year 2000
Preparation H Raymond
The Horny Manatee
No Reason To Live Guy
FedEx Pope
Vomiting Kermit
Twitter Tracker
Quackers
The Walker Texas Ranger Lever
Slip Nuts
Joe's
If They Mated
The Interrupter
Coked Up Werewolf
Conan O'Brien Hates My Homeland
Hanging Out With Jordan Schlansky
Jerry Butters
Coanado
New Coins and Stamps
The World's Fattest Menorah
The Evil Puppy
Late Night Sausage Party
Polly The NBC Peacock
Does NBC own the "Clutch Cargo" moving lips concept as well, I wonder. Will he get to keep the awkward close-ups of LaBamba?
Conan's guests on the final night will be Will Ferrell, Tom Hanks and Neil Young.
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