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Conan’s NBC Settlement Expected Soon, but the Battle of the Jokes Rages On

Laughing through the pain.

The New York Times is reporting that both sides of Conan O’Brien’s dispute with NBC are meeting again today to hammer out the details of his settlement, which the Times estimates will be around $30 million. But that didn’t stop Conan from devoting the majority of his show again last night to cracks and skits about the conflict and his impending departure from the network:


“Even Dave Letterman is taking shots at me, which surprised me. Usually he’s just taking shots at the interns.â€

Jay Leno also got in a few toothless barbs at NBC:


“Even Dave Letterman is taking shots at me, which surprised me. Usually he’s just taking shots at the interns.â€

The closest Leno came to approaching anything humorous was a jab at David Letterman’s sex scandal:


“Even Dave Letterman is taking shots at me, which surprised me. Usually he’s just taking shots at the interns.â€

The funniest of Conan’s sketches, in which he and Andy try to auction off Tonight Show swag Home Shopping Network-style, devolved into the maniacal laughter of the bitter and overtired. You have to kind of wonder what Andy, famously the victim of so many wrong-headed and unjust cancellations himself, is thinking about the whole thing. That clip, and another funny sketch from last night’s Conan, after the jump.

Conan and Andy’s NBC parking lot shootout:

The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien [NBC]
Agreement Expected in NBC’s Talks With O’Brien [NYT]

Conan’s NBC Settlement Expected Soon, but the Battle of the Jokes Rages On