TV TimeZ

Tonight's Premieres:
HISTORY: MonsterQuest at 9pm
Discovery Channel: Solving History with Olly Steeds at 10pm
TNT: Leverage at 10pm
TV Land: High School Reunion at 10pm
Comedy Central: Tosh.0 at 1030pm

Conan O'Brien released a statement yesterday denouncing NBC's plans to move The Tonight Show to begin at 1205a following The Jay Leno Show which would switch to 1135p. In his rather long statement addressed to "People of Earth," O'Brien is forthright in saying he will not continue as host of The Tonight Show under these terms and also declares he has no other offers to jump to a different network. O'Brien's full statement is as follows:

"Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

"So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

"There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

"Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it’s always been that way."

Yours,
Conan

Beginning February 4, Comedy Central will air two returning series back-to-back as Important Things with Demetri Martin airs at 10pm with ten new episodes for its second season, followed by The Sarah Silverman Program back for a third season with 10 new episodes at 1030pm.

HBO opens the comedy series How To Make It In America on February 14 at 10pm. Eight half-hour episodes will air on Sundays at 10p about two 20-something Brooklyn hustlers as they try to make it in New York's competitive fashion industry and claim their portion of the American Dream.

National Geographic Channel takes viewers to the universe as the three-day, six-part miniseries A Traveler's Guide To The Planets debuts February 14 at 9pm. Each one-hour episode offers breathtaking images of the planets using modern-day high-tech telescopes.

WHAT SHOULD I WATCH TONIGHT?
ABC: Middle, Modern Family, Cougar Town, Ugly Betty
CBS: New Adv of Old Christine, Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, CSI:NY
FOX: American Idol, The Simpsons
NBC: Mercy, L&O: SVU, Jay Leno Show