The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien

[WyldeMan45]

I was a very big fan of Late Night Conan O'Brien and have watched for many many years. The past few months that he's been off the air with Late Night, have pretty much sucked, cause well I absolutely hate Leno and refuse to watch. But this Monday is FINALLY the premiere of 'The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien' and I am stoked, any other fans out there?

[Jellybeans]

I am, Conan Rocks!

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Dark Elf

I am, Conan Rocks!

I am also very very excited and long long time Late Night fans will be as well to know that the always great Andy Richter is joining Conan once again as the announcer replacing Joel Goddard!! Most of you will remember Andy Richter was O'Brien's sidekick when the show first premiered back in '93 so it's only fitting he will be joining Conan now that he has taken over the Tonight Show. Max and Labamba are of course coming along to, so this show has excellent written all over it. Just 3 more days!

[Jellybeans]

Who will be his guests on his 1st show on monday ?

[rlj1010]

Originally Posted by Dark Elf

Who will be his guests on his 1st show on monday ?

Will Ferrell and Pearl Jam.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by rlj1010

Will Ferrell and Pearl Jam.

Haha yup, so this should be interesting. Will can pretty much be counted on to do something spectacle to kick of the Tonight Show is style, after all he did end Late Night in style

[WyldeMan45]

Check out this early review someone got of a test run for the premiere with different guests. Sounds like we are getting exactly what we've been hoping for

Early Review Of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien Let me preface this semi-review by saying that it’s impossible to assess a show like The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien by watching one episode. People did this with Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and I felt that it was completely unfair (although word is that he never really improved). Late night shows, that is, shows that air five days a week, are more suited to judge as a whole rather than by examining a single hour-long episode. That said, it was easy to see from the hour I was able to spend at a test show for Late Night that Conan will be just as funny, odd, and irreverent as ever.

I think it’s best to start with the set (you can check out pictures of the new set at NBC.com). Conan’s new set is a gorgeous array of shades of blue with a diorama-like background of the city of Los Angeles right behind the big man’s desk. What I noticed first was that Conan’s desk was no longer on the right side of the stage (if viewing from the audience); instead, Conan’s desk now sits on the left side of the stage with Max Weinberg and the “Tonight Show Band” playing their hearts out on the right side. In the middle, you have the inevitable curtain.

As for the show, it’s exactly what you’d expect from Conan on a bigger, more mainstream show. It’s a little more refined, a little less out there, but in no way is it pandering to the senior citizen crowd that infamously comes with the 11:30 timeslot (which comes into play a little later in the show).

A big theme that will certainly come with the show are Conan’s efforts to find his own niche in Los Angeles. His monologue was filled to the brim with jokes about his new home city, including a crack about the Manny Ramirez incident, how everyone, even homeless people are beautiful, and a quick scene of the deadly LA traffic that included a dachshund dressed in traditional Jewish attire taking over a fake freeway full of toy cars as he ate a cake that said “Mazel Tov” on it. Conan also showed the audience a hilarious segment with the premise of him wanting to take a shopping spree on NBC’s dime on the popular Rodeo Dr. Yet, NBC could not afford the trip and instead, sent him to Rodeo Rd. in the Crenshaw District. Suffice to say, it’s a bit less classy.

The show continued with Conan stating that he had installed artificial intelligence into his stage like on Knight Rider. Lights above the curtain flashed different colors and the stage began to talk just like KITT from the popular show. Conan and the stage exchanged banter, with the stage often throwing low shots at Conan.

The first desk segment was titled “Celebrity Misquotes” and had Conan reading off real quotes from philosophers and scientists, only to show how celebrities have ruined them (fictionally, of course). Conan’s victims included Ryan Seacrest, George W. Bush, and several others.

I won’t talk too much about the guests, as they were what you’d expect from a talk show interview. The first guest was Weeds co-star Kevin Nealon. Conan and Kevin chatted, with Kevin coming off as kind of an oddball with really random stories to tell. The second guest was Paget Brewster, whom I was completely unaware of, but apparently she’s a star on Criminal Minds. She was quite the entertaining guest, though, as she went on a long diatribe about the manner in which she deals with her paranoia (by buying a bunch of ridiculous security contraptions for her house like a trap door behind a large painting).

A couple other elements of the show that people may be wondering about are Andy Richter and Max Weinberg and The Tonight Show Band. As far as Andy Richter goes, Conan was very smart about incorporating Andy back into the show without having to share the spotlight with him. With Richter in the announcer’s seat, Conan is able to have full control of the show and its comedy, while still being able to go back and forth with Richter whenever he pleases. Richter stands behind a pedestal right in front of the audience with a camera on him throughout the show, making it easy for Conan to ask Richter’s opinion on something but not making him feel obligated to constantly work him into the show.

The Max Weinberg 7 has been transported to Los Angeles with Conan completely intact but with a new name: The Tonight Show Band. They are as tight as ever, with Labamba returning on the brass and Jimmy Vivino on guitar. Whether or not the band will remain an integral part of the comedy is yet to be seen, but I imagine they will. Max and Conan’s awkward relationship is one of the best parts of the show, especially in contrast to the ridiculous and uninteresting chitchat that goes on between other hosts and their bandleaders.

After all was said and done, Conan showed us one more segment that he said would likely be shown the first week of his tenure. In the segment, Conan hired an award-winning makeup artist to transform his look to allow him to proctor a focus group. The group would bring together seniors citizens to get their opinions on The Late Show with Conan O’Brien. The segment is classic self-deprecating Conan and has to be seen to be believed. I would hate to ruin it for you. All I’ll say is that it’s hilarious, eye opening and makes one understand why NBC decided to keep Leno around in the 10:00 spot.

There is little to worry about, Conan hasn’t lost his sense of humor in the move to The Tonight Show. Even if he did have to lose over-the-top gags like The Masterbating Bear, from what I saw Conan is still at the top of his game. I’ve always seen Conan’s show as a satire of late night, not necessarily a slap in the face but more of an ironic ode (much like the relationship that Edgar Wright’s movies have with their respective genres). Conan is deeply in love with his job but has the smarts and talent to mock it. As far as I can tell, that will follow him to his new time slot. Will he lose seniors? Yes. But will his cult of twenty-somethings (which are like gold to networks) follow him and continue to grow? It’d be impossible to suggest otherwise.

Early Review

[FIDDYPOP]

I cant wait. Conan O'Brien is hilarious. I hope that the show doesnt have to change much due to the time slot. Well either way its going to better then Jay Leno.

[WyldeMan45]

Want to know who's on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien every night of our first week? Look no further...

Monday, June 1 - The first episode of "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" with guests Will Ferrell and musical guest Pearl Jam

Tuesday, June 2: Tom Hanks and musical guest Green Day

Wednesday, June 3: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bradley Cooper and musical guest Sheryl Crow

Thursday, June 4: Gwyneth Paltrow and musical guest John Mayer Trio

Friday, June 5: Ryan Seacrest and musical guest Chickenfoot

How awesome is THAT lineup?! I'll tell you: MUCHO AWESOME. June 1st is right around the corner, folks...

Tonight Show

[cdblu]

Conan and Andy? Awesome. I've always been a fan of conan. I'm gonna miss Joel though. Good thing we still have max and the max Weinberg 7. La bamba cracks me up.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by cdblu

Conan and Andy? Awesome. I've always been a fan of conan. I'm gonna miss Joel though. Good thing we still have max and the max Weinberg 7. La bamba cracks me up.

Yeah Conan and Andy that's a great team. Also, The Max Weinberg 7 has a new name: The Tonight Show Band.

[JasonR]

Anything is better than Jay Leno. I am a huge Dave Letterman fan, Conan is an easy second. ( Besides Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert)

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

Friday, June 5: Ryan Seacrest and musical guest Chickenfoot

How awesome is THAT lineup?! I'll tell you: MUCHO AWESOME. June 1st is right around the corner, folks...

Tonight Show

HAHA!

You think Seacrest is awesome!

Not only awesome... but Mucho Awesome!

Logan out!

[toef]

Originally Posted by WyldeMan45

Want to know who's on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien every night of our first week? Look no further...

Monday, June 1 - The first episode of "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" with guests Will Ferrell and musical guest Pearl Jam

Tuesday, June 2: Tom Hanks and musical guest Green Day

Wednesday, June 3: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bradley Cooper and musical guest Sheryl Crow

Thursday, June 4: Gwyneth Paltrow and musical guest John Mayer Trio

Friday, June 5: Ryan Seacrest and musical guest Chickenfoot

How awesome is THAT lineup?! I'll tell you: MUCHO AWESOME. June 1st is right around the corner, folks...

Tonight Show

I wouldn't call Friday's show awesome.

Jimmy Fallon probably pulled bigger guests on his first Friday show, and Wednesday's is pretty lackluster (except for Sheryl Crow).

And I hate Will Ferrell, so day 1 is pretty bad for me too (at least the part between the monologue and the musical guest).

His musical guests are quite good though.

[Pondosinatra]

I love Conan, but I just can't see him being the same in LA.

That said, here's my take on the talk show hosts:

Best Interviewer - Letterman
Best Monologue - Ferguson
Best 'characters' - Conan
Best 'street bits' - Kimmel
Best bands - Leno

[Rantlers]

Love Conan, actually got to go to one of the last few tapings for the Late Night Show.

Speaking of the Late Night, does anyone else think the new one is absolutely horrible and Jimmy Fallon isn't funny at all?

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Rantlers

Love Conan, actually got to go to one of the last few tapings for the Late Night Show.

Speaking of the Late Night, does anyone else think the new one is absolutely horrible and Jimmy Fallon isn't funny at all?

Fallon and the Roots are truly ackward. The band isn't funny and they usually look bored or pissed. Everybody else incorporates them into the show and they are fun, but these guys need to smoke way less weed and stop being dicks. And Fallon has never been funny, he is always way to nervous and fast talking. I think maybe the Roots should invite him to their circle cause I can't stand his show, he has ruined Late Night.

[Lucky Luc]

Conan is a bad ass.

My ex-gf used to call me during shows and ask, ?Did you see that!? That was great!? I would hear her boyfriend in the back asking who she was talking to.

Conan broke up a relationship... and kept ours together. We can't wait till Monday.

So tomorrow, the Red Wings are going to dominate Capt CryBaby and the Pens.
Same on Sunday.
Than Conan Monday.

[Pondosinatra]

Ha! Did anyone see the opening to Craig Ferguson tonight? Holy crap that was some funny sh*t!!

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Lucky Luc

Conan is a bad ass.

My ex-gf used to call me during shows and ask, ?Did you see that!? That was great!? I would hear her boyfriend in the back asking who she was talking to.

Conan broke up a relationship... and kept ours together. We can't wait till Monday.

So tomorrow, the Red Wings are going to dominate Capt CryBaby and the Pens.
Same on Sunday.
Than Conan Monday.

After Breaking Bad has it's season finale Sunday my tv watching with the exception of sports is done till September, so I am very happy to have conan back in the line-up. Though My DVR will keep him very lonely for the next several months lol.