NEW YORK -- NBC says it has reached an exit agreement with "Tonight" show host Conan O'Brien.
The deal will allow Jay Leno return to the late-night program he hosted for 17 years. Conan's last show will be Friday night.
Under Leno, "Tonight" was the ratings champ in the 11:35 p.m. Eastern slot, but his brief experiment in prime time proved to be a flop.
Conan O'Brien all but posted a farewell banner on this week's "Tonight" shows as his exit negotiations with NBC neared their conclusion Wednesday.
In the late-night tradition of a star-studded goodbye, O'Brien's guests Thursday include such big names as Robin Williams and Barry Manilow. Tom Hanks was scheduled for Friday, as was Will Ferrell -- the first guest O'Brien welcomed when he started last June as "Tonight" host.
And then there was this joke from his monologue Tuesday: "Hi, I'm Conan O'Brien, and I'm just three days away from the biggest drinking binge in history."
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