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NBC hype was what an "ambitious and expensive" cold open this was. You judge:
VIDEO: Conan's 'Tonight Show' Debut
By Nikki Finke | Category: Late Night | Monday June 1, 2009 @ 10:26pm PST
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Title Studio Gross 1 Alice In Wonderland Disney $62.7 M 2 Green Zone Universal $14.3 M 3 Shes Out Of My Leag Paramount $9.8 M 4 Shutter Island Paramount $8.1 M 5 Remember Me Summit $8.1 M 6 Our Family Wedding Fox $7.6 M 7 Avatar Fox $6.5 M 8 Brooklyns Finest Overture $4.5 M 9 Cop Out Warner $4.3 M 10 The Crazies Overture $3.7 M 11 Percy Jackson Fox $3.1 M 12 Crazy Heart Fox $3.0 M 13 The Blind Side Warner $1.6 M 14 Valentines Day Warner $1.4 M 15 Ghost Writer Summit $1.2 M 16 Dear John Sony $1.0 M 17 Tooth Fairy Fox $0.7 M 18 Alvin And Chipmunks Fox $0.5 M 19 Last Station SPC $0.4 M 20 The Wolfman Universal $0.4M SOURCE: RENTRAKBox Office Poll
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Loved it. Funny, sweeping, and with just the right gag at the end. Of course, I’m a big Conan fan…but I feel like it was a suitably broad, accessible opening. Couldn’t have asked for more.
Like Kimmel, Conan is not a funny comedian unfortunately. The show might do okay though b/c Letterman has not been good since he was off the bottles.
he met with affiliates all over the country, it probably wasn’t that expensive if they shot this at the same time.
I would watch Conan run anywhere.
I love how casually these sorts of comments get tossed about. “Oh, so-and-so just isn’t funny.” Right. Sure you don’t mean that you don’t find him particularly funny? How much have you seen? I find it unlikely you’d find absolutely nothing to laugh at.
If a certain brand of comedy isn’t your cup of tea most of the time, hey, whatever, but let’s drop the exaggerations, or the silly notion that any of these people are ever simply “not funny.” Even the ones I don’t care to watch are reasonably funny.
Remember, kids: just because you CAN be snarky doesn’t mean you HAVE to be. Sheesh.
Funnier than anything Leno did during his entire tenure. Hilarious. The entire show was spot on. It was nice to see a Tonight host who actually listened to his guest’s response after asking a question. And I am NOT a huge Conan fan, per se. Well, I am now. The old show as on too late, when you have a 6 year old.
I liked it; it was amusing. It also brought to mind that the host from Amazing Race, Phil Koghan (sp?) did this journey for real–in reverse CA to NY–on a bike just this past summer.
Now I don’t have to waste my time staying up late. That was not even in the least bit amusing….and 5 minutes of that?
It’s amazing how he’s really grown from verge of cancellation to the perfect choice.
It’s sad to see Leno go, but O’Brien really is the only deserving person for the job
Great Opening.
Good Luck Conan.
Conan is just silly. He has that unbridled zest that is contagious. He’ll do great with The Tonight Show.
ugh.
maybe i’ll watch again -in another 17 years.
They forgot to add “long” and “not funny” to describe the opening.
I like Conan though. So I will keep watching tonight’s episode to check it out.
Already more laughs than Leno’s entire tenure.
Personally, I found it entertaining and humorous. It was a great way to convey the enthusiasm and style which Conan O’Brian is approaching this show, which is what long-time Tonight Show viewers want to see.
It was a good show, even though I found Pearl Jam to be disappointing. Really looking forward to Tom Hanks tomorrow night, that should be fantastic.
On a subsequent note, Jimmy Fallon is really coming into his own as the host of Late Night. Tonight’s episode and last week’s were quality television, by nearly any standard.
The opening was really funny. And a little odd and charming as all hell. Conan.
The show itself was strong. The only complaint is that they don’t seem to know what to do with Andy yet. Max already covers the spot of “guy Conan can make fun of” (as does the band) or just chat with about how the show is going. Andy just seemed to get in the way in that spot, and seemed a barrier between Conan and the audience (one that subtracted more than added to the show.) They’re a smart bunch, though, and Andy is talented, so I’m sure they’ll find a better way to use him soon enough (maybe send him out to do remote stuff? Sketches?)
Otherwise I thought it was a great start (one other tiny quibble — could they have done the mix on Pearl Jam so we could hear Eddie’s voice over the roar of the band? His voice is still their biggest selling point.)
Welcome to L.A., Conan. We’re glad as hell to have you.
A great debut that really showcased Conan’s dynamic, free-form, improve style. He’s retained his irreverence while appropriately maturing his brand of comedy for the new time-slot and audience. Its a welcome change from Leno’s staid punchlines, and in very stark contrast to the angry, grumpy old man over on CBS.
Meh. Bring back Alan Thicke.
I saw a few minutes of it, Conan is usually funny and this show was no different but I didn’t see a difference between his old show and the tonight show. Same stuff.
Andy was never funny. Conan was so much better after him. Why they brought him back I’ll never know.
Unlike Carson or Letterman or Steve Allen he could have made a couple of decent movies. There’s a lot of Danny Kaye there. (Meaning zero sex appeal.) These are human Looney Tunes and he’s been doing them for years. The expense is justified I suppose by the cinematic values applied to the Inter-net…but again this is Zucker building the deniable cart while comically spurring on the broken down nag. As for success…I see a drop in the ratings…and, as with Leno, it’s all about access to the guests. Will it get recorded by the Baby Boomers which is the new 11:35 audience? Maybe. As always though it’s the material that’s funniest. Great comedy writer, great comedy editor…in a way it’s a shame he ever went down the hosting path. Still stuck in that Baby Boomer Pop Culture Seventies (Cheap Trick; and this is not a good sign.)He doesn’t have the accessibility that Leno has; I’m not sure he ever had any likeability per se to begin with; close-ups make him look like the Joker’s Ivy League cousin; not the broadcaster that Letterman is; misses the Stewart/Colbert “relevancy” boat. Will he take down Kimmel like a Maxim back-issue? What’s to take down? Will people be all “talked out” by 11:35? That’s my guess but that it will not be a disaster. But he’s always been competitive so you can never count him out. And again the material has always been priceless fun – the “found humor;” the sketches – all the written stuff. I’ve always found Conan improvising in any way has always been cringe inducing and makes me wanna change the channel in order to spare him the embarrassment. (A decent ad-libber I suppose but too smug about it.) The problem is, and has always been, either the sensibility is your cup of tea…or it just isn’t. ABC should counter-program with a Dick Cavett – an opportunity to make news; just as Inter-net applicable in terms of torquing up the cash value of buzz; less expensive and therefore practical. Would be a natural follow-up to Stewart and Colbert for viewers who watch those shows rather than any of this which I think is the real untapped audience. You push Kimmel back to “compete” with Carson Daly which is where Kimmel belongs – chasing down college students with the “munchies” just back from the library combined with lunch bucket “night shifters” sitting their fat asses down to watch a little original TV before the sun comes up. Like me every now and then.
No winners here though. Just an ever-widening “Winners’ Circle” with the idea of a “favorite” horse having been put down long before the start of this race. In theory hype is all. But I’m not sure there’s anything worthwhile on TV to even hype anymore. Merely “hair of the dog.” That’s what all hype feels like to me these days.
it reminds me of how Jeff Probst in Survivor used to travel from a tropical island to New York City in a matter of minutes
Not funny at all… Letterman must be happy. He will be leading the ratings again shortly.
Does anyone know the music used in the piece?
I didn’t see the show last night, but I loved this clip of the opening. Conan came on way to late for me to stay up and watch. But I may try to tune in for future installments. I laughed all the way through this. Good job!
It was a cute opening. Like the doll house. The crash at the end was predictable.
Overall … how long has it been since anyone has really cared about the Tonight Show?
I’ll be shocked if going through my day anyone mentions it or I hear anyone talking about it. The opening is really only interesting to people whose livelihood revolves around this sort of thing. To everyone else, the Tonight Show is just what it’s been since Carson left: mediocre entertainment that tries to get a chuckle while bothering no one.
Thought the first show was great. I look forward to many years of Conan in L.A.
Was in the audience during his first show in NY. He’s a badass and will bring a lot to the table.
Set looked cool as well — glad to see Andy back.
Go Conan!
Brett
With a 4-month layoff, I expected the first show to be a knockout. It was very disappointing. Cute opening, but pretty much downhill after that. Andy Richter’s forced off-stage laughter at Conan’s jokes is truly annoying. Conan seemed nervous and over-caffeinated. Little drips of flopsweat. The Universal Studios tram piece fell a bit flat and went on way too long. I am cringing if he continues to do more of these N.Y. fish-out-water segments to constantly remind the audience he’s new to L.A. While he and his staff might be new to life in L.A., the viewing audience does not care.
David Letterman has to be salivating. With NBC’s “if it ain’t broke, then break it” strategy, he should return to ratings dominance. Conan will do okay, but I thing “The Tonight Show” will no longer be the dominant franchise in late night.
I loved it!! It was fun, fast and cool.
Ill be watching.
Good luck!
(circle! circle! circle! hahaha)
The first show was OK, but Conan wasn’t as funny as he usually was. Perhaps nerves got the best of him. I think it will take a few weeks for him to settle into the new slot. His biggest problem is appeal. He just doesn’t have a broad range. Sometimes he’s a little too smart for his own good, but NBC had to see that.
In the long run, Letterman will dominate late night until he retires. Frankly, if I were Dave & CBS, I’d move his show to LA and take Conan on Hollywood-style.
Poorly shot. Devoid of jokes.
Cheap Trick is not a Boomer band.
Shout out to my friend Ali in the Dollhouse bit.
That “is this corn silk?” was great. but i agree with jeff — lose the fish out of water from here on in. don’t care and it’s too much about him personally.
ar: more laughs than Jay Leno’s entire tenure – NOT. What is wrong with you?
I already miss Jay Leno! I DVR’ed the show and watched it later. It is OK but I still am going to shop around for my late night viewing pleasure, to include George Lopez and Wanda Sykes upcoming new talk shows too.
Late night viewing is going to be more even and level for all hosts of late night!
that was prety lame and I feel it reflects the lack of talent in the WGA today.
Loved this! Seems true to Conan but appropriate for the Tonight Show audience. I admit I don’t watch the Tonight Show due to early beddie-bye, but loved watching this.
Conan has an indescribable smarminess that I find grating. He reminds me of high school theater geeks who are so enamored with their own shtick.
Ultimately, the ratings will prove that Conan has peaked and has no upside. During some periods, Craig Ferguson was defeating him at 12:30 despite the fact that Conan’s lead-in was routing Craig’s.
Really, who’s the ultimate dumbass that forced Jay out of the 11:30 slot? Was it that chrome-domed Lilliputian, Zucker? I’m going to predict that once the dust settles, Conan will average about 3 million viewers a night, down from the 5 million Jay was consistently getting.
Wow – All you Letterman fanatics can finally breathe a sigh of relief..he just may have a chance to be #1 in latenight- @ age 62!!!!
Personally – I prefer Kimmel
Whether you loved last night’s opener or not, it was great to have a big event to enjoy in the late night realm again.
What I’m hoping for is that Conan and Letterman (and yeah, even Ferguson because he’s unique), stay on the air and the irrelevant talk shows like Kimmel go away.
It was a good try with Kimmel ABC, but sometimes “regular schmucks” are just regular schmucks.
Let the big boys battle it out now.
PBlack – “reflects the lack of talent in the WGA today”?
Wow. Fuck you.
As a HUGE Craig Ferguson Fan, (Go Craig, Go Craig, Go Craig!!!) who never watched NBC during Craig, I taped the “new guy” on NBC last night to see the green flag drop. For all of the folks lamenting that he’s no Leno,(and Jay was my guy) be realistic, it’s his show now, and there are many forms of comedy. I laughed more than I thought I would. Yeah, some of the stuff was longer than needed (the Universal tram tour…) The sprint across the country was funny, especially the flashback to the keys to the set sitting on the windowsill in New York. I’ll watch for a bit and see how it goes. Let’s chime in again in a year or so… Dang, I never realized he’s 6′4″.
G.R.E.A.T.!!!!!!
BEST TO YOU, CONAN!
Max… Can’t you take the time to write a new opening and closing theme for Conan’s Tonight Show instead of using the identical music from Late Night? Thanks.
Jugdish, what exactly about Kimmel do you “prefer”? Is it the fact he COMPLETELY stole his act 1 format from Talk Soup and Not Necessarily the News? Or the fact that the ONLY memorable moment of the show’s history was provided by his ex girlfriend Sarah Silverman’s Matt Damon video, which she alone wrote and produced?
The guy just isn’t worthy of a multi-million dollar production and a place at the late night table. Never, ever, ever, has been, or will be.
Did it seem like he was flustered with Will Ferrell? It seemed when Will was on late night the last time I saw he seemed to upstage Conan so I wondered why he was the first guest?
For the band they should of had the Chili Peppers or a band representing LA.. and the sound sucked!! IT was muffled. The song they played was like a filler song you’d usually skip.
Conan, What a Dork. Probably the worst outing I have seen of his. This was his moment, his debut as a tonight show legend and what does he do..he blows it. Of course there are many more show to come, but the big question remains…. will anyone be watching after this pathetic display at trying to be funny. I won’t be.
Doesn’t bode well that the idiots that put this together have St Louis and its Arch on the wrong side of the Mississippi.
I think the open is very funny. I didn’t tune in the show until it was half over (watched the opening on the web). Where was Andy? Is he going to sit on the sofa ala Ed McMahon? He and Conan had great chemistry. Conan – please don’t dumb down the show for broader appeal.
I will never understand how the idiot who thought Conan was a good fit for the Tonight Show still has a job.
Seriously, he appeals to stoners and the mentally ill… but what about the other 95% of America?
3 yrs, NBC will be buying out his contract.
Udu- Kimmel may have stolen his gig from Talk soup- but hey- at least it works for him! He realized he’s not a comedian- so do what works…meanwhile Fallon is trying something that just does not work at all. As for Letterman- he’s old and useless….IT would have been something for him to win his time slot in his prime- truth is its taking him 17 years and now he has a chance…..a chance!!! At this point even Rick Dees may have had a chance people!
He reminds me of high school theater geeks who are so enamored with their own shtick.
Seeing as how his “shtick” consists almost entirely of self-deprecation, this doesn’t make a whole hell of a lot of sense.
Seriously, people, get a clue: if you don’t like him, fnie, but stop trying to offer poorly thought-out rationalizations for it, as if there’s some sort of logical, objective basis for it.
THAT was so lame… not funny at all. Even for a Forrest Gump copy, it was pathetic.
If this is the kind of creative genius that Conan’s writers bring to the west coast, then it’s the end of the Tonight Show as an institution, and the beginning of a lousy SNL skit 5 times a week.
It’s an easy prediction to make: People will turn off their TVs after Leno & the 11 o’clock news.
Jugdish, It actually doesn’t work for Kimmel. He’s last in the ratings 97% of the time, unless you include that zombie Carson Daly. And in fact, Kimmel’s show has been slipping enough where his numbers aren’t that much higher those of the skeletal remains of Carson Daly. Kimmel had a nice run and 3 years ago I honestly thought this guy was gonna be the next thing, but cmon, it never happened and it never will. He’s a goner.
I agree with you about Fallon, though. He’s pointless. Letterman is a legend, so he should get a pass for accidentally growing too old for your liking.
Udu is correct. The only memorable bit on Kimmel was created by Silverman. Just as the peak of Letterman was when his then girlfriend was running things.
God forbid there be some female energy injected into this late night wall of tired male stupidness. There’s not even a female announcer or band or writer.
Late night has become a suffocating dull frat house. The execs assume (offensively) that women will just “go along.”
They assume incorrectly. Many women checked out of late night long ago. Snooze fest, unfunny, often offensive.
Sorry, Chris, that I didn’t channel Aristotle when I made the observation that Conan reminds me of high school theater geeks. He actually reminds me of smug improv dolts who think every utterance and histrionic for comedy purposes is so damn worthy of bellowing laughter, but are oblivious to how f-ing annoying they are.
As for your observation that his shtick consists almost entirely of self-deprecation, you just offered the primary reason why he’ll fail. You may enjoy and identify with self-pitying losers, but a significant segment of the viewing public doesn’t. Again, he’ll ultimately get about 3 million viewers a night and that’s it.
And LWR, stoners left Conan eons ago. They all watch Adult Swim now.
Soooooooooooooo lame. Sooooooooooooooo not funny. Seems like it took 4 minutes to write when they had quite a while to come up with something good (& actually funny). Running, running, running – Doll shop. Running, running, running – I left my keys. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh… these writers need to go back on strike!
Andy Richter is now more “Hank Kingsley” than “Ed McMahon.” Not sure that works.
“Rescue Me” (2 episodes, 2005-2007)
… aka “Rescue Me: FDNY” (USA: complete title)
– Black (2007) TV episode (writer)
– Brains (2005) TV episode (writer)
“Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)” (1 episode, 2002)
… aka “My Adventures in Television” (USA: new title)
– Fired (2002) TV episode (written by)
“The Job” (4 episodes, 2001-2002)
– Barbecue (2002) TV episode (writer)
– Parents (2002) TV episode (writer)
– Boss (2002) TV episode (writer)
– Anger (2001) TV episode (writer)
“State of Grace” (2 episodes, 2001)
– Time in a Bottle (2001) TV episode (written by)
– Perfect Day (2001) TV episode (written by)
“Mad About You” (1 episode, 1997)
– The Magic Pants (1997) TV episode (writer)
“Love and Marriage” (1 episode, 1996)
… aka “Come Fly with Me”
– Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady (1996) TV episode (writer)
“The Larry Sanders Show” (2 episodes, 1994)
– Like No Business I Know (1994) TV episode (written by)
– You’re Having My Baby (1994) TV episode (written by)
Hey Mike Martineau,
Now I see why you’re pissed off, yet all I see is crap.
Touche Disposable Income…Chelsea Handler is pretty decent. She does herself a disservice by being as crude as Sarah Silverman, because she’s not on the same level of cleverness. SS is beyond brilliant. (except for dating that droning lump of nothingness Kimmel)
Wanda Sykes will kick ass on Fox, you watch.
And plus, I’m not entirely sure Jimmy Fallon doesn’t have a vagina.
Good night Tonight Show…
This ain’t your dad’s Tonight Show because your dad doesn’t watch The Tonight Show anymore. Welcome, Conan.
P Black is a douche.
Most writers would kill to have those credits.
I watched his debute Monday night and I loved the opening. I thought it was creatively funny on Conan’s part. I never could get into his show after the night show. But I’m giving him chance.
Watching this show is like driving in a rattling old pick up truck on a potholed highway. It’s loud, grating and exhausting. It’s unwatchable, especially before you’re trying to get a good night’s sleep.
Letterman, and other shows, for all its problems, is like blissfully getting into a luxury vehicle on a smooth road in comparison.
NBC either draws the biggest bunch of drunken rednecks for audience members, or has issued an edict that the audience must raucously whoop whoop whoop and scream at every utterance from Conan’s mouth. It’s distracting. Whooping at things that just aren’t funny, or whooping at any old thing. It was the same with Leno, and now seems it wasn’t Leno’s doing. How desperate, as if NBC is so worried about the show tanking that it has to manipulate and over blow audience reaction. It’s worse than a “laugh track.” On bad sitcoms, the worse the humor the louder and more frequent the laugh track.
Also, is Conan contractually bound to mention “the brand” every night. He seems to keep saying “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” like no one would know what they’re watching.
The whole thing is a forced spectacle. Sad what’s become of the Tonight Show, and of NBC. Thankfully, CBS doesn’t do this.
Ditto to what “Disposable Income” said!!!!!!!!!
Wow…Leno’s writers and family are out in droves.
Let me add my voice to the choir of positive reviews.
As the classic “The following program is brought to you in living color on NBC” opening began, I was giddy.
The show was excellent, the studio is gorgeous, the taped bits hilarious, and Ferrell was his usual witty self. Drive onto the tarmac at LAX, indeed.
Conan to Norman Bates: “It’s too hot for corduroy! Don’t commit murders in the daytime! That’s just bad planning!”
Pearl Jam rocked the house, though the sound mix wasn’t balanced properly. I can’t wait to pick up their new album, [i]Backspacer[/i], in September.
And finally…
CIRCLE! CIRCLE! CIRCLE!
After seventeen years, [i]The Tonight Show[/i] is watchable once again, and I will be viewing it regularly.
(And I hope that Conan and the writers break out some classic bits this week.)
F’r'Chrissake, everybody, lighten up, the show’s still wrapped in its placenta. Personally, I’ve always found Conan to be more clever than funny but, unlike Leno, he shares, with Letterman, a healthy cynicism about the television medium as well as an aesthetic sense of how to use it for more than chat. Don’t get me wrong; he’s not Ernie Kovacs; but as long as the suits don’t emasculate him and his writers, he has a real shot at bringing The Tonight Show into the 21st century — if there’s an audience left after Leno kills 10-11. As for a Conan vs. Dave smack-down, that’s just hype; their core audience knows how to watch one show while recording another.
Udu,
Agreed Sykes will do well, albeit tucked away in the hinterland of Fox @Sat. late night. True about Handler, though she took on Leno one night and it was fun to watch.
Must say though that Jimmy Fallon is really likeable and the only one of those late night guys that doesn’t make the skin crawl. Hopefully, he won’t start to imitate and join the frat house.
They should have hired Arsenio.
Fair enough on Fallon, Disposable Income.
And folks, that’s the way to have a nice, productive blog convo!
Now back to hating that steaming pile of talentless camel turds, Jimmy Kimmel.
I will throw a party at Studio 54 when his show is finally killed.
Sorry, Chris, that I didn’t channel Aristotle when I made the observation that Conan reminds me of high school theater geeks. He actually reminds me of smug improv dolts who think every utterance and histrionic for comedy purposes is so damn worthy of bellowing laughter, but are oblivious to how f-ing annoying they are.
Uh, I’m not asking you to channel Artistotle; just not to accuse the dude of something that is completely contrary to his usual comedic persona would be good enough for me.
Anyway, you can go on forever about who he “reminds” you of, but the persona you suggest is based entirely on what you think Conan might be thinking when he tells his jokes. That’s so so many layers removed from an actual point that it might as well be gibberish.
You don’t like Conan. We get it. You don’t have to struggle to produce some pseudo-rationale for it.
As for your observation that his shtick consists almost entirely of self-deprecation, you just offered the primary reason why he’ll fail. You may enjoy and identify with self-pitying losers, but a significant segment of the viewing public doesn’t. Again, he’ll ultimately get about 3 million viewers a night and that’s it.
And I’m sure you’d have said the same sort of thing when he first came on the air, but you’d have been wrong.
Maybe he’ll fail, maybe he won’t. I don’t know. And guess what? Neither do you. What irks me is people confidently declaring one or the other based on completely random, irrelevant things like which of their high school cliques they think he maybe-kinda-probably would’ve fit into.
Remember, people: just because you can leave a comment doesn’t mean you have something to contribute to the discussion.
Each succeeding host, past Steve Allen, was just different enough to carry the Tonight Show brand for decades. They were all funny and/or entertaining.
I guess that I just don’t see the humor of Conan. The monologue was nowhere near as good as any of his predecessors. Conan’s writers must have been plucked from the stables of Letterman’s.
So, for you Conan-ites, good luck, but I just can’t spend time watching a monologue where the big guy is just goofing off and using juvenile humor.