According to multiple news reports, NBC claims that it did not breach of Conan O’Brien‘s contract when the network tried to pushed the Tonight Show to 12:05 a.m. to accommodate Jay Leno at 11:35 p.m. — the traditional start of the Tonight Show. Conan said no way, that breaks our deal. Problem is, there’s reportedly no timeslot guarantee in Conan’s contract. So who’s right? Conan, I say — because 11:35 was on the table from the start. Explicitly.

Conan O’Brien needs to show that moving the Tonight Show to 12:05 a.m. makes it not the Tonight Show, and hence breaches his contract. The original conception of the show by then-NBC president Pat Weaver — Sigourney’s dad — helps his case.

Numerous new outlets are reporting that Conan O’Brien and NBC are close to a deal confirming his exit from the network — that would leave the way clear for Jay Leno to retake the Tonight Show. It’s been a messy, angry, public late-night battle, and ending it won’t come cheap — reports are that it will cost NBC $30 – $40 million, at least.

Yesterday, I hearkened back to September 2004 when NBC made the announcement that Conan O’Brien would be replacing Jay Leno as the host of the Tonight Show, five years in the future, in 2009. In hindsight, knowing what we know now about the events of the past week and a half, the New York Times article detailing the deal is quite an extraordinary read.

Conan O’Brien is done at NBC. That much seems obvious from the scorched-earth shows he’s delivered over the past week — not to mention from the rumors that Jay Leno has re-upped for that 11:35 p.m. spot and Dick Ebersol trashing him in the New York Times. But for those of us who have watched this late-night drama unfold for just over a week, it’s pretty obvious that he’s gone through the various stages of grief — from anger to denial straight through to just not giving a damn.

Remember 2004? Could it be that it was all so simple then? Or has time rewritten every line? Yes, yes and yes. Back then, it was very simple — Conan O’Brien was taking over the Tonight Show from Jay Leno in 2009. Changing of the guard. Passing of the torch. Handing down a treasure from generation to generation. Ah yes. It made all sorts of sense — then.

This week has been full of memorable late night TV moments, from Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien and more. Here are the highlights — and the backstory.

Check out some of the notable quotes of the week about all the NBC late night troubles, and on the next page, get some context on each of the quotes.

Jimmy Kimmel’s evisceration of Jay Leno last night was incredible – as much of the Internet has noted – but not just for the reasons people are giving.

Bravo, Craig Ferguson — for focusing on Haiti, for putting the late-night wars in perspective — and for calling out Rush Limbaugh in a brilliant, poetic way.

In a surprisingly harsh and candid attack on Conan O’Brien, Chairman of NBCU Sports Dick Ebersol told the New York Times‘ Bill Carter O’Brien was “gutless” to blame Jay Leno, and called him a “failure.”

It’s pure spin, of course, that contradicts the actual reason for these immediate changes. But O’Brien’s almost out the door, so apparently it’s time to kick him on the way.

Well, if they’re gonna push you out, you might as well have fun while you’re going. And Conan O’Brien, if nothing else, is having fun. Last night’s fun: Listing the Tonight Show on Craigslist.

Yes, there were barbs — but tonight, the sign that Conan O’Brien is done with NBC and The Tonight Show was less about twisting the knife in his rivals than hilarious and extremely dirty porn puns. Put it this way: If you were trying to recapture Jay Leno‘s demo, would you do it with “”The Fistahood of the Traveling Timeslots?” I don’t think so.

Jimmy Kimmel absolutely unleashed on Jay Leno earlier this week, and in a display of, well, something, Leno invited Kimmel on his show.

And he roasted Leno mercilessly. It’s unbelievably uncomfortable. Seriously embarrassing. Why did this happen? No idea – but I’m glad it did.

The early days of this week seem like a Disney movie compared with the ugliness that’s broken out in the late-night comedy wars. Before, they were topical jokes blaming one common corporate villain; now, it’s everyone attacking everyone — and Jay Leno is getting in on the action.

Last night’s Tonight Show contained arguably the sharpest jabs by Conan O’Brien at his employer – and Jay Leno.

How long can this last? If reports are true, it may be all over by next week. But what are the implications for O’Brien and NBC?

“All comedians who care about comedy love and respect Conan,” says Matt Besser, co-founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade, a staple of the comedy community. But why?

Wow, it must be awkward to be Jimmy Fallon right now. He’s still the new guy, with his show hanging in the balance between two comedy giants on his network. Probably he doesn’t want to be pushed to 1:05 but it’s not really for him to say, now, is it? (Though everyone else at NBC [...]

As he has all week, David Letterman took obvious delight in ripping NBC and its late night situation on his CBS Late Show.

But last night he went specific – taking aim at NBCU President Jeff Zucker and other “idiot” NBC executives.

It’s official: Conan’s bitter.

Tonight, again, Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien‘s monologue was laced with jokes sticking it to NBC — plus the first salvos that seemed intentionally aimed at Jay Leno. Until tonight, Conan’s mentions of Leno himself were benign, instead focusing on NBC’s plans with respect to both their shows — which Leno has echoed emphatically on his own show. Tonight, that ended.

Conan O’Brien‘s Tonight Show is the craziest place in late night right now — from the host on down through the writers, producers, camerapeople, bookers and assistants, no one knows if they’re going to have a job tomorrow…or where it might be. Mediaite spoke to one of those people about how it feels on the inside of late-night’s big shake-up.

As we pointed out yesterday, Jay Leno would like you to know that this is not his fault. But judging by the reactions of his fellow comedians, there is no love lost between Leno and his late-night peers. But when innocent bystander Jimmy Kimmel gets in the act, and goes out of his way to crap on Leno? It might signal that, in fact, Leno doesn’t really have many pals in Hollywood.

David Letterman didn’t hold back, again, in bashing NBC and its late night woes on his Late Show tonight.

But in a move that combined new media savvy, playful ribbing and the acknowledgment many viewers would be tuning into the potential impending seminal late night moment when Conan O’Brien post-letter Tonight Show airs, CBS released all portions of Letterman’s NBC jabs early on YouTube.

Conan O’Brien’s kiss-off letter to NBC is going to make him a hero, not only to people who started off loving him, but because he’s been cast as the underdog here, unfairly subject to the failings of Jay Leno and fickleness of NBC. But Leno wants a bit of that victim spotlight, too.

NBC’s late night shake-up (that, at this present time still sits mid-shake-up) has provided tremendous fodder for all late night comedians, including those at the peacock network.

But last night David Letterman seemed to relish pounding his former network more than others who had taken on the subject before – complete with a Jay Leno impression and a Top 10 list.

Jerry Seinfeld was in Los Angeles with many other NBC power players for the network’s Television Critics Association event, promoting the upcoming show he is executive producing, The Marriage Ref.

Inevitably, the audience Q&A turned to Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien. And Seinfeld didn’t hold back.