Conan O'Brien Hosts Tonight Show, Adjusts To L.A.

Last night, Conan O'Brien officially took over hosting duties for The Tonight Show and opened the show with a taped bit that showed him running across the country from NYC to LA (with scenic stops at the Wrigley Field in Chicago, St. Louis Arch, and a Victorian Doll Museum somewhere else).

The NY Times' Bill Carter noticed this was an "homage to the debut that introduced him to the national television audience in 1993. Sixteen years ago, Mr. O’Brien started his first day energetically walking through the streets of Manhattan to his studio at 30 Rockefeller Plaza...Sixteen years ago he wound up getting a rope to hang himself; this time he forgot his keys to the studio and bulldozed his way in."

O'Brien joked with the audience, "I have to admit, I think I’ve timed this moment perfectly. I’m on the last place network, I’ve moved to a state that’s bankrupt and tonight’s show is sponsored by General Motors." He dropped jokes about the LA Clippers, announced he would go to Lakers games, made fun of Joe Biden, and paid tribute to Jay Leno—"He took very good care of this franchise. He’s been a very good friend to me, I’m looking forward to him being our lead-in once again... He’s going to be coming back on the air in, I think, two days, three days tops."

There were also other taped segments—O'Brien commandeering a Universal Studios tour and him driving his 1992 Ford Taurus around car-crazy LA. The Daily News' David Hinckley declares, "Conan O'Brien didn't frighten small children, livestock or longtime Johnny Carson and Jay Leno fans when he took the stage for the first time last night...What may have been most noticeable, in fact, were the things that didn't change...Conan made it subtly clear that the new kid in town will be a little naughtier and that for better or worse, 'Tonight' is now his ride." The Post's Linda Stasi hated the first show: "His decision to do sketch upon sketch instead of a tight monologue with smart topical humor was, at times, painfully unfunny," and by the end of his interview with Will Ferrell, "So far, all I'm feeling is Leno deprivation."

Our disappointment: That Will Ferrell didn't strip down to leprechaun gear.

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By Jen Chung in Arts and Events on June 2, 2009 9:05 AM

Comments [rss]

Potty Boy

Does anyone else out there feel the same way I do, that Conan is just a dork, and was never funny to begin with, with maybe 1 exception, when he and Andy Richter used to do the In the Year 2000 bit?

mellow_fellow

The car Conan drove wasn't a run-of-the-mill Ford Taurus, it was a Ford Taurus SHO. It's not as good as anything in Leno's garage, but still.

robingee

>> The Post's Linda Stasi hated the first show... "So far, all I'm feeling is Leno deprivation >>

The Post's Linda Stasi is an idiot.

ecce

also lol @ anyone who dares utter the words "leno deprivation" with sincerity

Steven

Some people just hate change. Give it a few months (until the fall) and people will get used to Conan hosting the tonight show

bklynbagel

Since when is the post opinion about anything meaningful? Their political spin is at times entertaining but thats about it. First days on a job are tough but conans agenda is comedy and he painted a pretty clear picture that hes not going to be sticking to the old fashioned routine of boring monologues followed by boring celebrity guests. Sketches can be hit or miss but atleast he's trying.

hotstepper

what, no follicle update?

i know all that sun, fresh air, and exercise can dry out one's doo and no one has a more iconic kitschy doo than conan. (apologies to trump)

whitecastlerock

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

babyhitler

To get a NY post criticism is to get a ringing endorsement in real life. You are defined by your enemies.

neckbeard

am I the only one that didn't understand the bid deal about his move to LA? I was concerned the show would change due to its new time slot and mainstream demo, but why does it matter where its filmed? It seems the whole episode last night was about that...

ecce

i felt like his show in the past was always pretty ny-centric. he's been there for so long, it makes sense that it would feel like a big jump.

longacre

He's an east coast guy. Moving to L.A. is like moving to the Moon.

neckbeard

He lived in LA when he wrote for the Simpsons...also, I grew up in LA - 95% of the people I knew were either born on the East Coast or their parents were.

longacre

I know, but his show used a lot of NY elements. And he was a single, 30 year old man back then.

GoToHell

He's already lived in L.A. before. This is not new for him.

r1b2

Isn't Leno that guy that your grandparents watch in bed at night?

Mr Mel

No we watched Johnny Carson.

etypical

I'm also glad Leno is gone. He was hokey and just awful. I'm glad he's off the air until September. Hopefully he does something really weird this summer and we're done with him.

ohgoodgolly

Seriously. Leno has never said anything that made me laugh. It's like listening to your corny uncle tell jokes.

GoToHell

Leno deprivation? I'm glad Leno is finally GONE!

Toby von Meistersinger

Actually, he is going to be back in the fall at 10 PM for NBC's next big failure.

GoToHell

No shit, Sherlock.

He's gone from the TONIGHT SHOW.

Global Wombat

At times, I feel that the deprivation that many of the writers from the Post experience can easily be remedied by way of a good cocking every once in a while.