TBS touts Conan O'Brien for an Emmy -- for his work on NBC
TBS has started an Emmy campaign for Conan O'Brien in Variety magazine. But the ads are stumping for an NBC show 鈥� the defunct 'The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.'
This YouTube screen capture shows a TBS ad for its new Conan O' Brien late-night show, which will debut in November. TBS is also unveiling magazine ads that push for Mr. O'Brien to win an Emmy for his work on NBC's 'Tonight Show.'
YouTube
Has cable network TBS lost its mind, or is it in fact a cunning TV genius?
Neither, probably, but the second might be closer to true. At least when it comes to Conan O鈥橞rien.
TBS is taking what might be an unprecedented step: It is trying to help a show on another network win an Emmy.
There is, of course, a catch.
That show is NBC鈥檚 鈥�The Tonight Show with Conan O鈥橞rien,鈥� which no longer exists, having reverted to its previous host, Jay Leno, in rather acrimonious circumstances. Mr. O鈥橞rien, meanwhile, has made the switch to host a new late-night show on TBS.
And that鈥檚 the genius of TBS鈥檚 new ads in Variety magazine. They ask that Emmy voters consider O鈥橞rien鈥檚 version of 鈥淭he Tonight Show鈥� for an award.
Technically, one of the two TBS ads asks that the pasty O鈥橞rien be considered for 鈥渙utstanding achievement in the use of SPF 50.鈥� The other asks that voters give O鈥橞rien 鈥� a man with 1 million followers on Twitter 鈥� 鈥渙ne more thing to tweet about.鈥�
But the implication is clear. A win for NBC would be a much greater win for TBS 鈥� a critical raspberry lacking only the waving fingers behind the ears and stuck-out tongue: We鈥檝e got Conan and you don鈥檛.
So don鈥檛 be surprised if NBC doesn鈥檛 send a thank you letter to the execs at TBS.
O鈥橞rien鈥檚 new late-night show on TBS will begin in November. He will also host a one-hour comedy special on TBS on June 27.
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