Conan O'Brien to take over Jay Leno in "The Tonight Show" in 2009

Monday night, NBC's ''The Tonight Show'' celebrated its 50th anniversary, but the popular show already is looking to the future. NBC announced that Jay Leno will stay with the late-night stalwart until 2009, when he will be replaced by Conan O'Brien.
Accompanying the announcement is news that O'Brien has signed a long-term deal with NBC which will keep him on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' for the next five years, leading up to the transition.
''It is a great accomplishment and testament to both Jay and Conan that we were able to all work together on a long-term plan for this important institution,'' says NBC Universal Television Group President Jeff Zucker. ''We look forward to more years of laughs from Jay and are thrilled to have Conan's future be as part of the NBC family.''
Leno took over ''The Tonight Show'' on May 25, 1992, as Johnny Carson stepped down after nearly 30 years on the show.

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