Rove Fails to get US Chat Show - For Now

It's Official. Jimmy Fallon is taking over for Conan O'brien. Which means Rove McMannus is out for NBC. And while that makes me sad, what actually makes me somewhat angry is how Australian news is covering all of hubbub.

I checked my feed reader this morning to find this article that I've preserved in a screencap (below) in the event that the HeraldSun.com.au should update their page. Jimmy Fallon is NOT Jimmy Kimmel. But apparently reporter Peta Hellard corrected the mistake on this Aussie news site.

Even more frustrating to me is that they're still going on about Rove being on the shortlist for O'brien's replacement. While I don't have any official ties to any hand writ shortlist, the fact remains that Rove was only rumored to be on such a list. Jon Stewart was also said to be on this list and that just wasn't going to happen. Not because Stewart isn't great, but because he's doing something America loves already- The Daily Show.

I understand the need to sensationalize. I understand the need to create publicity and speculation and report on what is in this case the downunderdog. I work in advertising; I get it. However, can't we do a good job when we do it? Shouldn't Peta Hellard know which Jimmy is which? Where is the fact checker? Proofer? Any intelligent person who read the original Variety article would be able to make the distinction between speculation actually being considered. That's not to say that Rove wasn't being considered. He may very well have been, but I believe it was early on in this controversial casting process.

I don't know Rove. Our people have never spoken, but I know this game. As I've said before, all is not lost for Rove. He still has a US talent agent, and other networks are looking to capitalize on late night TeeVee.

Don't forget that Leno is being forced out of NBC. Rumors are suggesting that FOX is looking to pick him up. Funny, when you consider FOX's current line programming, however, it's smart of FOX. Leno is still the number one rated late night show. He would do very decent in an 11pm slot.

And Rove would probably do well in a 12am slot on FOX. In a 12pm slot he'd partially be competing with O'Brien, Fallon, Kimmel, David Letterman and Craig Ferguson who are on NBC, ABC, and CBS respectively. However, Thankfully, he wouldn't compete in ratings with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. So by these standards, it starts to look like over saturation. Or does it?

Neither Leno nor Rove are what I'd consider edgy. In this way, they'll most likely retain a majority of the base -with an earlier jump on the other guys - I think the majority of people who watch TeeVee at this hour are not looking for edgy. While everyone else would more or less be duking it out for the same slices of the ratings pie. In my opinion, Leno and Rove would fair well.



And for those keeping score: NOTHING happens until 2009.




Rove Screencap: