VIDEO: Conan’s ‘Tonight Show’ Debut

COMMENTS (72)

• 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.

  Comment by Bill — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 7:15am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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

  Comment by Brett Meisner — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 7:23am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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.

  Comment by Jeff — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 8:03am PDT  Reply to this post

• I loved it!! It was fun, fast and cool.
  Ill be watching.
  Good luck!

  (circle! circle! circle! hahaha)

  Comment by Marisa — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 8:18am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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.

  Comment by RDOnly — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 9:01am PDT  Reply to this post

• Poorly shot. Devoid of jokes.

  Comment by Steve K. — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 9:06am PDT  Reply to this post

• Cheap Trick is not a Boomer band.

  Shout out to my friend Ali in the Dollhouse bit.

  Comment by Paloma Pigeon — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 9:20am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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.

  Comment by tf — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 9:23am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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!

  Comment by LindaTNo1 — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 9:32am PDT  Reply to this post

• that was prety lame and I feel it reflects the lack of talent in the WGA today.

  Comment by P Black — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 9:35am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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.

  Comment by Shotgun Ed — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 9:57am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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.

  Comment by P.J. — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 10:03am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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

  Comment by jugdish — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 10:35am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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.

  Comment by theo — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 10:54am PDT  Reply to this post

• PBlack – “reflects the lack of talent in the WGA today”?

  Wow. Fuck you.

  Comment by Mike Martineau — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 10:59am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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″.

  Comment by MKA — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 10:59am PDT  Reply to this post

• G.R.E.A.T.!!!!!!

  BEST TO YOU, CONAN!

  Comment by ed — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 11:23am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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.

  Comment by Oy, The Band — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 11:38am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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.

  Comment by udu — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 11:44am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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.

  Comment by booby — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 11:53am PDT  Reply to this post

• 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.

  Comment by jdls08 — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 12:31pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Doesn’t bode well that the idiots that put this together have St Louis and its Arch on the wrong side of the Mississippi.

  Comment by from Chicago with connections to St. Louis — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 12:33pm PDT  Reply to this post

• 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.

  Comment by sharkie9000 — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 12:41pm PDT  Reply to this post

• 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.

  Comment by LWR — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 12:48pm PDT  Reply to this post

• 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!

  Comment by Jugdish — Tuesday June 2, 2009 @ 1:11pm PDT  Reply to this post