2/1 Odds Set Conan Splits "Tonight Show" by June

By Matt Coker Wed., Jan. 13 2010 at 11:31 AM

Categories: A Clockwork Orange, TV

An Irish bookmaker is offering short odds of 2/1 that Conan O'Brien quits as The Tonight Show host before June 2010.

Paddy Power, which is know for setting odds on unconventional matters, is also offering odds on which network O'Brien moves to should he leave NBC. The Dublin-based company laid down odds of 11/8 that the 46-year-old funnyman will move to Fox. After Rupert Murdoch's network, odds are:

* 2/1 Conan will go to ABC;
* 3/1 he'll join Letterman over at CBS;
* 5/1 he'll start something new at MyNetworkTV;
* 12/1 he'll end up at the equally syndicalicious The CW;
* 66/1 he'll take a stiff upper lift to the BBC.

For those who have been in a cave or simply don't care, O'Brien, who took over the flagship Tonight Show from Jay Leno last year, is unhappy with NBC's decision to move the program a half hour after the Jay Leno Show, which will move into the 11:35 p.m. slot.

"From Conan's point of view it must be a real kick where the sun don't shine to have the show moved past midnight," says Paddy Power. "I wouldn't be surprised if pride gets the better of him and its adiós to NBC."

He's already exposing his fangs. Besides the long statement O'Brien issued saying he has no intentions of giving up the 11:35 slot, the host has been knocking his current network in his show every night. Leno, Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel and Craig Ferguson have been piling on as well. Gawker has compiled clips from each broadcast. You should really watch them if you're into the late-night trainwreck, but, as an appetizer, here are some select bits, in order of appearance on your TV screen: