The Return of Conan O’Brien

Ever since the fiasco with ABC, people are wondering if and when Conan O’Brien will return to TV. It seems Fox has the answer as the network is currently in talks to get O’Brien back on late-night. However, things are slow going.

The L.A. Times reports that a deal is being negotiated and will be finalized in the coming weeks so that they can announce the fall lineup on May 17. However, there are still several issues that need to be worked out, not the least of which is money.

Fox is still considering the cost-to-profit ratio of putting O’Brien on a new late-night show against keeping things as they currently are. It’s been reported that Fox wants to spend $60 million a year to produce the new show. In comparison, NBC spent $90 million just for O’Brien’s short time on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.

Another issue is that network associates tend to profit from things remaining as they are with syndicated reruns in the late-night slots. It is very likely that they will have a say in this, just as they did with Jay Leno being moved to 10pm. Regardless of where O’Brien ends up, he’s sure to bring quite a few loyal fans if the Facebook page, I’m With Coco, is any indication.