Andy Richter Slams NBC, Leno

(CBS/AP)  Conan O'Brien's "Tonight Show" sidekick Andy Richter voiced his frustrations over the NBC late-night battle while co-hosting "Live with Regis & Kelly" on Tuesday.

Richter, who was filling in for Regis Philbin, was asked by co-host Kelly Ripa if he had any ill feelings toward NBC or Jay Leno.

"Ah, yes, yes I do," he responded. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Everybody said they were going to do something and then they didn't," Richter continued.

O'Brien began hosting the "Tonight Show" in June 2009. In January, he left the show and NBC after the network decided to revamp their struggling late-night lineup, canceling the 10 p.m. "Jay Leno Show" and putting Leno back in his old 11:35 p.m. timeslot.

Leno returned to the "Tonight Show" last week.

"I've got to be careful, I do. I have children. I still need work," Richter said, according to the Daily News. "But it's very frustrating, when somebody says - and especially when they're on videotape - and say, I'm going to take this No. 1 show and hand it over and hope the next guy makes it the No. 1 show, and then doesn't."

Without mentioning Leno by name, Richter, who is still under contract with NBC, continued, "he says 'I didn't have any choice, they wouldn't let me out of my contract.' You know how multimillionaires are always being forced to do things they don't want to do. I've calmed down about it."

He said on the broadcast that no one at the network considered that the local newscast audiences might decrease with no scripted shows in the 10 p.m. timeslot or what impact that would have on the "Tonight Show," claiming, "There was a lot of planning that was done very short sighted."

Richter told Ripa he didn't think he'd be out of work so unexpectedly.

"I thought, oh, I'll have time on the 'Tonight Show,' That's as good as it gets…I guess I'm really good at getting kicked off the air cause that's what I've been doing for the last 10 years," referring to his string of failed TV projects

In February, The Hollywood Reporter reported that O'Brien was considering a live theater tour that would take him directly to his fans. His settlement with NBC bars O'Brien from appearing on television until September, but the agreement does not bar him from doing live performances.

Richter told Ripa that a theater tour was "a distinct possibility."

[rockcutr]

This is what happens when ya get a bunch of sidekicks to be the hero.

[RoboBlogger]

The problem is Andy is that your vocal tone hasn't hit puberty yet. That's why you keep getting booted off the air for the last ten years. You ever listened to yourself?

[daFacts]

This guy is just pissed cause his boss got CANNED! He's NOT funny & walked with 46 MILLION Dollars!!!

[ksmit2]

I'm not a big fan of any late night television, but Jay Leno had a good
run, a life people could only dream of, it would have shown a lot of good
will and showmanship to bow out gracefully. NBC should have taken it on
the chin at least for a while with Conan O'Brian if they had to and respect
his opportunity to develop a revised following. Everything in Hollywood like every where else has to be instant profits, or you're yesterday's news. Ah, the American way. In the meantime we connoisseurs of television
have wife beater/misunderstood adult adolescent Charlie Sheen and others
of similar ilk to idolize.

[pragmatist1]

If Leno's a snake, then what is Conan for being a ratings failure and squandering a number one show by throwing a juvenile conniption because he didn't want his show to start a half hour later, because it wouldn't be the "tonight" show anymore. On top of this, Conan is not a very talented person and neither is his side-kick mouthpiece, Richter. Leno's ratings were also a failure, but when NBC offered him a half hour show to start right before the modified start time for Conan's show, Leno accepted and wasn't demanding nor arbitrary, unlike Conan, who showed his two colors, as in the colors of skunk. Don't blame Leno for any of this. Blame Conan and NBC.

[ewo1977]

You have a very unique take on all of this. The problem that started it all were not Conan's rating but Leno's complete and total bomb. Conan held up his end of his contract. It was NBC who decided that they wanted to reneg on a deal that all parties agreed to. If you signed a contract with your employer and then quickly were told that it had to change because someone else wasn't doing their job (Leno pulling in ratings for the rest of the night's) I'm sure you'd be upset too. I know I'd be.

The local affiliates that lost enourmous amounts of ratings weren't upset with Conan growing into his role as host but were pissed at Jay for not coming through with ratings leading into their newscasts.

This has nothing to do with who you thought was funnier or who you personally would rather watch. This has to do with parties signing contracts and then the big bad network deciding that those contracts weren't valid anymore just because they wanted to. Like I sadi if my employer decided to tell me that my contract was being changed because a co-worker wasn't filling their end of the bargain you can rest assured that I would "throw a juvenile conniption"

[jxknowles]

I would see Conan live if they came to my city. I like their combination of skits and topical humor.

Richter is only expressing what everybody already knows. Jay's a snake and liar. I watched the New Tonight Show. Same old tired jokes and bathromm humor. What a waste of a good timeslot for NBC.

[Fatesrider]

Then you think that the flatulent wiener and the masturbating bear was more mature than Leno's stuff?

NBC told Leno that they only wanted him running the Tonight Show for a certain length of time. Leno said OK. NBC told O'Brien that he'd have the show when Leno left. O'Brien said OK. NBC then cast Leno 4 nights/week in the 10 PM time slot, leaving no room for anything new, different or entertaining as a lead-in for the nightly news, causing lower news viewership ratings for NBC. NBC then heard complaints from the affiliates about lower ratings and told Leno he was going back to 1135 PM while O'Brien was out.

No one in this came out ahead. It's not the host's fault. NBC really screwed up.

[Gershelling]

Oh, no classy humor of Conan's like the Masturbating Bear. Let's not try to make anybody into saints here, these are millionaire comedians whining about money. In my opinion, the Tonight Show made a mistake having Conan take over in the first place. After Johnny Carson the Tonight Show has made it self a launching point for up and coming stand-up comedians which Conan & Letterman are not. I think Leno is the logical choice until another Stand-up grows into that spot. Conan never has and Letterman has just stopped trying (rambling implies that you feel anything that you say will be funny). I like all three, but Conan's doomed being on TBS against Jon Stewart, and Letterman will fizzle out in his time spot. Jay will be Jay and the Tonight Show is better off as it exists now. Anybody thinking that Jay was wheeling and dealing behind the scenes to push Conan from NBC just needs to grow up. If Jay had that much power ..... he's be another Johnny!

[silverfang77]

Are Richter and O'Brien still together?