Conan O'Brien's talk show on Atlanta-based TBS has been extended through 2018.
He came to TBS in 2010 after NBC let him go following his short-lived "Tonight Show" stint.
Although his viewership numbers haven't been as big as many had anticipated, TBS is happy with him for several reasons. He remains the face of TBS, the one person most identifiable with the network. His audience remains much younger than any other talk show with Conan beating most of his rivals in the 18-34 demographic. His 862,000 nightly viewers (counting DVR usage) is respectable given the competition. And he had a solid first quarter, up from the fourth quarter of 2013.
He also has more Twitter followers than any other cable talk show host at 10.6 million (though not as many as NBC's Jimmy Fallon, who has 12.7 million)
"Over the past four years, we have built a terrific relationship with Conan O'Brien and are thrilled to be extending his series for another three years," said Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies (TCM), in a press release.
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TNT has reconfigured it's slogan from "We Know Drama" to "TNT Drama. Boom."
Here's how the PR folks spin the new slogan:
This new tagline is designed to represent that moment in all great dramas when the story takes an unexpected turn. It's the "aha" moment, the surprise, the climax. The moment when the drama goes "boom" can be a trail of blood with no body to be found, a mistress discovered, the realization that the world's survival is in the hands of one man, or the last-second buzzer-beater in a crucial game.
TNT is also continuing to expand beyond its core crime dramas with more action-adventure, sci-fi/fantasy and mystery/suspense.
The network currently has 14 original series on deck for the rest of 2014, including five new scripted and two new unscripted series.
Major Crimes – Season 3 Premiere: Monday, June 9, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Murder in the First – Series Premiere: Monday, June 9, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Rizzoli & Isles – Season 5 Premiere: Tuesday, June 17, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Perception – Season 3 Premiere: Tuesday, June 17, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Cold Justice – Season 2.1 Premiere: Friday, June 20, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
The Last Ship – Series Premiere: Sunday, June 22, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Falling Skies – Season 4 Premiere: Sunday, June 22, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Legends – New Series Premiere: Wednesday, Aug. 13, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Franklin & Bash – Season 4 Premiere: Wednesday, Aug. 13, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Dallas – Season 3.1 Premiere: Monday, Aug. 18, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
On the Menu – New Series: Fall 2014
Wake Up Call – New Series: Fall 2014
Transporter The Series – New Series: Fall 2014
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Over at sister station TBS, "Men at Work" has been cancelled after three seasons and "Cougar Town" will wrap one final sixth season. "Ground Floor" and "Sullivan & Son" return while "American Dad" moves from Fox to TBS.
Overall, its slate is more modest than that of TNT:
Funniest Wins – Series Premiere: Tuesday, June 19, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
CeeLo Green's The Good Life – Series Premiere: Monday, June 23, at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT)
Sullivan & Son – Season 3 Premiere (back-to-back episodes): Tuesday, June 24, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
American Dad! – Season 11: Fall 2014
Ground Floor – Season 2: Winter 2014
Cougar Town – Season 6: Early 2015
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