Did NBC Just Pencil in Conan's Final Tonight?

Network reps aren't talking, but reports are rampant that O'Brien's late-night tenure will come to a close next Friday—but not before a who's who of Hollywood graces his couch

And then there was one. Week, that is.

While NBC refuses to go on the record about when Conan O'Brien may be saying his final good-night to The Tonight Show, evidence is mounting to suggest Coco's last stand will take place Jan. 22.

"FYI: Next week is Conan's final week hosting the Tonight Show," ESPN's Los Angeles-based Sports Guy Bill Simmons tweeted this morning, and setting off the countdown clock. "His staff is trying to book big guests so he goes out with a bang. It's true."

Network sources and O'Brien insiders confirm to E! News that he and his Tonight crew will be on hiatus the last week of January, but claimed that the break had been planned for months and that the show would continue to book guests as usual.

Meanwhile, the Peacock peeps are also denying a TMZ report that the backstabbing and backlashed Jay Leno has signed a new contract with NBC reinstating him as the host of The Tonight Show at his old time slot of 11:35 p.m.

But if next week turns out to be O'Brien's swan song, he apparently wants to make it memorable...

While Jeff Bridges, Rob Lowe, Jane Krakowski and Mary Lynn Rajskub are all scheduled to appear this week, next week the wattage will be much, much higher.

According to The New York Times, talk-show guest extraordinaire Tom Hanks will join O'Brien on Tuesday, while historic ratings-grabber Howard Stern—whose both outspokenness and openly public hatred of Leno cannot be overstated—is said to be on top of Conan's wish list.

We can't imagine why. We also can't blame him.

(Originally published Jan. 14, 2009, at 2:19 p.m. PT)