
The Oscars marked a return to broadcast television for Conan O’Brien, who hosted Late Night from 1993 to 2009 and was given The Tonight Show when Jay Leno retired as promised. However, the initial viewership was low, and speculation about Leno’s comeback stirred. In response, fans of Conan launched a viral “I’m With Coco” campaign. Instead of allowing him to adjust to his new time slot, as he had with Late Night, NBC negotiated for his departure with O’Brien’s team. True to form, Leno came out of retirement, eventually passing the show to Jimmy Fallon in 2014. Despite a $32 million exit agreement that required him to stay off the air for six months, Conan found ways to express his bitterness.