After the debacle at The Tonight Show, Conan O'Brien gets a new late night show on basic cable TBS. He gets to return more towards his irreverent show of the past and travel around the globe. In Tonight Show, he was restrained to appeal to middle America. It's not until the last few months when Conan vs Leno turns it into must-see TV. I most appreciate about his new show is a return to happy childishness. There is no need for the false dignity and reverence for the Tonight Show. The new show never got to the level of must-see or social importance but it is still good work. After 11 years, the TV landscape has changed significantly and it's the end of another chapter.
27 Reviews
It needs to be an hour long again!
aplusnplus23 October 2019
CoCo - The one and only
sanarg14 December 2010
What is a guy from Argentina doing, reviewing this red haired freak talk show? Good question. I got to know Conan in 1996, thanks to an overseas life I was living, somewhere in Europe. I didn't speak that land's language but I did understand somehow a little English. So, I had no option. Gotta watch cable. MTV, NBC... Then one night I saw this weird guy (it came right after the funny looking guy with the big chin). I think his hair hypnotized me. I spent one year living there, and, seriously, I didn't have the best of times, I was only 17, far away from my family and culture, without the ability to speak or understand well, but every night Conan got me laughing. And every night it worked. Conan was actually important for me and when I came back to Argentina I missed the show. Internet wasn't such a useful tool those days (almost 15 years ago). Years later, a cable channel here started to show some Late Night with Conan O Brien and I was the happiest man on earth but then, like just one or two months after it started, BAM, Late Night was over because Conan was going to replace Leno. What the! I was so angry. Late Night was perfect and I didn't think Conan needed to do that. He is different to the other "important" talk show hosts and that is what we all like about him. I lost track of his new show and a couple of weeks ago I saw this funny image of Conan and an Owl and the TBS logo... Now, thanks to the internet, I'm watching his new show. I'm aware of what happened and I think it's sad that NBC did what it did and I have to say Leno I don't like your chin anymore and I'm so glad Conan's hair is still red and moves like a salsa dancer. I also watched his goodbye speech on youtube and I think Conan was a gentleman and I loved that. I've seen all the shows, with the moving moon and Tom Hanks getting wet and stuff and it all makes me feel so good, like when I was 17 (I'm 31 now) and I needed company and a good laugh. Thanks Conan. I'm also amazed with the quality of guests he's having. TBS, take care of him (and off course of his sidekick Andy... and the band... and I do miss Max Weinberg). Please excuse my poor English... no wonder, I learned it with TV and CoCo.
EDIT: I just want to add that's been 2 years since I did this review. I watch now the show every day on my Ipod, while doing a 1 hour bus ride to work... And I get there smiling. Thanks again Conan!
EDIT: I just want to add that's been 2 years since I did this review. I watch now the show every day on my Ipod, while doing a 1 hour bus ride to work... And I get there smiling. Thanks again Conan!
Best talk show ever
doruksesli22 March 2021
Conan the Resurrected.
briangcb11 October 2011
I have been a huge Conan fan going on ten years now. Ever since I was in high school and I started watching Late Night. He pretty much had me in stitches every night. The only time I'd check out the competition was if Conan was a repeat, yet I never felt the others really matched up to him.
When Leno announced that he would be giving the Tonight Show to Conan to avoid any confusion as to who was going to succeed Leno, I had a lot of respect for him doing that. (and I could never stand Leno) So then Conan gets the Tonight show and Leno precedes him with a poorly thought out prime time show. We all know what happened next so I won't bore you with the details. I like most people, completely sided with Conan and felt awful that my favourite TV personality was getting a raw deal.
But now Conan is back and it has been close to a year since his new show started airing. I have to admit the first two weeks seemed a bit shaky. Almost like all that was going through Conan's mind was "I don't feel like I should be back on the air. What's going to happen this time?" and I'd say a good chunk of the monologue jokes for the first two weeks were taking jabs at NBC and so on. It was expected of course but it got very tedious and sounded much more like bitterness and complaining and by the end of the first week I was getting sick of hearing it. I kept watching however, remaining hopeful and sure enough, once they got over the initial jitters things started improving greatly, Conan seemed comfortable in his new digs and was back to his old self, almost with a new found confidence that he doesn't have to worry about pleasing anybody but without the arrogance that would lead to laziness. Andy is also much funnier too. I have to admit that I didn't really like him on The Tonight Show (I started watching Conan after Andy had been gone for a while) so my only impressions of him were from Tonight Show and he wasn't really allowed to do much except pipe in with a stupid joke from his podium. Just seemed forced and annoying. Yet now that he's back to his co-hosting duties, I can see why Conan and him are best friends. They have great chemistry and Andy is just as funny as Conan.
While it sucks that Conan had to get screwed over, and that the two-faced, giant-jawed Leno is still allowed to keep the Tonight Show; I must say I like Conan's new show much better than the Tonight Show. While Conan vowed he would not change his style of gags and skits on Tonight show, it was clear he was forced to tone it down and now on TBS Conan seems to have free reign to do the show how he wants and I will continue to watch!
When Leno announced that he would be giving the Tonight Show to Conan to avoid any confusion as to who was going to succeed Leno, I had a lot of respect for him doing that. (and I could never stand Leno) So then Conan gets the Tonight show and Leno precedes him with a poorly thought out prime time show. We all know what happened next so I won't bore you with the details. I like most people, completely sided with Conan and felt awful that my favourite TV personality was getting a raw deal.
But now Conan is back and it has been close to a year since his new show started airing. I have to admit the first two weeks seemed a bit shaky. Almost like all that was going through Conan's mind was "I don't feel like I should be back on the air. What's going to happen this time?" and I'd say a good chunk of the monologue jokes for the first two weeks were taking jabs at NBC and so on. It was expected of course but it got very tedious and sounded much more like bitterness and complaining and by the end of the first week I was getting sick of hearing it. I kept watching however, remaining hopeful and sure enough, once they got over the initial jitters things started improving greatly, Conan seemed comfortable in his new digs and was back to his old self, almost with a new found confidence that he doesn't have to worry about pleasing anybody but without the arrogance that would lead to laziness. Andy is also much funnier too. I have to admit that I didn't really like him on The Tonight Show (I started watching Conan after Andy had been gone for a while) so my only impressions of him were from Tonight Show and he wasn't really allowed to do much except pipe in with a stupid joke from his podium. Just seemed forced and annoying. Yet now that he's back to his co-hosting duties, I can see why Conan and him are best friends. They have great chemistry and Andy is just as funny as Conan.
While it sucks that Conan had to get screwed over, and that the two-faced, giant-jawed Leno is still allowed to keep the Tonight Show; I must say I like Conan's new show much better than the Tonight Show. While Conan vowed he would not change his style of gags and skits on Tonight show, it was clear he was forced to tone it down and now on TBS Conan seems to have free reign to do the show how he wants and I will continue to watch!
All Hail The King of Late Night
FinnHudsonFromElsewhere29 July 2020
I've been watching Conan O'Brien for a very long time. I've seen his Late Night show on NBC and even seen a bit of his tenure on The Tonight Show. However, it's his show on TBS where the bulk of my fandom comes from. Conan, even after all these years and during quarantine, still continues to bring the laughs, the heart, and the energy that Late Night should have. At first, I was skeptical when the show moved to a half hour, but it really works.
Conan has that special spark that very few Late Night show hosts have. James Cordon isn't really my thing, Jimmy Fallon is fine, Stephen Colbert is entertaining enough, and I adore John Oliver and Seth Meyers. But it's Conan who keeps me entertained for hours on end. Even in small snippets on YouTube, it's always a guaranteed good time. When it comes to famous talk show hosts, Conan sits comfortably next to David Letterman, Jon Stewart, Johnny Carson, and Regis Philbin as one of the all time greats.
If you haven't seen his show, go to the Team Coco YouTube Channel and check it out next time you flip through the channels.
All hail Conan O'Brien, the king of Late Night.
Conan has that special spark that very few Late Night show hosts have. James Cordon isn't really my thing, Jimmy Fallon is fine, Stephen Colbert is entertaining enough, and I adore John Oliver and Seth Meyers. But it's Conan who keeps me entertained for hours on end. Even in small snippets on YouTube, it's always a guaranteed good time. When it comes to famous talk show hosts, Conan sits comfortably next to David Letterman, Jon Stewart, Johnny Carson, and Regis Philbin as one of the all time greats.
If you haven't seen his show, go to the Team Coco YouTube Channel and check it out next time you flip through the channels.
All hail Conan O'Brien, the king of Late Night.
Absolutely Outstanding
brandongarza-4096210 September 2016
Being a young male; you would think that most Live Television productions would easily bore me. Normally this is the case, but for this exact instance it's not. This show has caused all of your notions to become untrue. Never, in my opinion, has a host been as witty, intellectual, and hilarious as Conan Christopher O'Brien. This show features hilarious bits that have been purposefully made stupid and/or amusing all at once. The interviews are rock-solid, and you as a viewer, never feel displeased or uncomfortable during a single conversation. Plus, if worse comes to worse, Conan just uses his comedic, slapstick improv to shoot down any hint of awkwardness. The greatest component of his show by far, is the series of remotes. Whether it's visiting corporations, or chatting with employees, or even just strolling casually around a city; Conan and his improv are unstoppable when it comes to his comedic effect. Conan, Andy, and the rest of the staff create an amazing environment for viewers alike and that is why this is the most amazing show on television...besides New Girl (because I love Zooey Deschanel as much as Conan, if not more).
Conan King of Late Night
beatlesrock695 April 2016
I'll have to open with a simple statement, Conan is the King of Late Night. This is a man who's been on the air for more than two decades, with a career spanning from writing for The Simpsons to hosting the Emmys, twice. The show follows of course the historical talk show format, but that's about the only conventional thing about it.
On TBS I feel Conan's much more free to experiment and to express himself, not always to critical acclaim, but certainly to great amusement, showcasing ridiculous gags and segments that often involve cheap costumes, fake infomercials, and props.
Guests are varied, and unlike The Tonight Show, it's not the usual A-listers with boring stories about their dog or diet. While Conan's historical reputation still attracts movie stars to TBS, guests are usually the more interesting middle tier of actors with stronger followings but less popularity.
While on most talk shows people tune in for the guest, Conan is one of the few programs where I tune in for the host. Many times I won't even know who the person being interviewed is, but Conan's effortless humor makes it worth my while to stick around.
His signature style is foolish and self deprecating, but no part of it is dumb. Conan is silly comedy for non silly people, fighting the American standard of Roasts and fake laughter (Cough, Jimmy) with original, heartfelt jokes that aren't shy of hitting back at the jokester.
One overarching reason I'd give to watch this show, beyond the host's intelligence and humor, is that Conan is a class act. Throughout the years I've seen him pay tribute and homage to many comedians, actors and celebrities, and every single time I believed him. If he mourned the death of a colleague, it was because he cared about it, not because it would bring ratings to the network, and that's especially clear in many instances where he paid tribute to comedy greats who the major talk show hosts couldn't care less about like Sid Caesar or Garry Shandling. When Letterman played his last show, Conan told his viewers to switch to his channel and record his slot for later. He's a man of character, which is very hard to come by in Hollywood.
If I could boil down three reasons to watch this show they'd be its wit, its humor and the lovable Andy Richter.
On TBS I feel Conan's much more free to experiment and to express himself, not always to critical acclaim, but certainly to great amusement, showcasing ridiculous gags and segments that often involve cheap costumes, fake infomercials, and props.
Guests are varied, and unlike The Tonight Show, it's not the usual A-listers with boring stories about their dog or diet. While Conan's historical reputation still attracts movie stars to TBS, guests are usually the more interesting middle tier of actors with stronger followings but less popularity.
While on most talk shows people tune in for the guest, Conan is one of the few programs where I tune in for the host. Many times I won't even know who the person being interviewed is, but Conan's effortless humor makes it worth my while to stick around.
His signature style is foolish and self deprecating, but no part of it is dumb. Conan is silly comedy for non silly people, fighting the American standard of Roasts and fake laughter (Cough, Jimmy) with original, heartfelt jokes that aren't shy of hitting back at the jokester.
One overarching reason I'd give to watch this show, beyond the host's intelligence and humor, is that Conan is a class act. Throughout the years I've seen him pay tribute and homage to many comedians, actors and celebrities, and every single time I believed him. If he mourned the death of a colleague, it was because he cared about it, not because it would bring ratings to the network, and that's especially clear in many instances where he paid tribute to comedy greats who the major talk show hosts couldn't care less about like Sid Caesar or Garry Shandling. When Letterman played his last show, Conan told his viewers to switch to his channel and record his slot for later. He's a man of character, which is very hard to come by in Hollywood.
If I could boil down three reasons to watch this show they'd be its wit, its humor and the lovable Andy Richter.
Best late night. PERIOD.
michael100031 March 2018
The best talk show host, and by far the funniest.
MituKashyap2310 January 2021
Even worse than before.
13Funbags15 February 2019
The new show is half as long and twice as bad. The monologue has no comedy and the guests are terrible. The "comedians" are the only joke. How is it possible to never have a funny comedian on a comedy show? It's always an extremely unfunny, overweight woman who just talks about dating and it's lame as hell.
The best tv talk show host of all time!
guam-7394229 July 2021
Conan was the funniest, most creative, best interviewer and all around greatest late night host in the history of television. An endearingly self deprecating nice guy of nice guys. His humor was groundbreaking and outrageous and far more creative than all the others combined. Yet, network tv drove him into the no mans land of basic cable. A horrible tragedy and one of the stupidest moves the networks did in a long history of stupid moves.
There was nothing bad about Conan - unlike the others. Conan was not revengeful like Johnny Carson who gleefully destroyed Joan Rivers career. Conan was not amoral like David Letterman who, as he admitted, had sex with his employees. And unlike Jay Leno - Conan actually had talent!
I pray he comes back soon in some form. We need him!
There was nothing bad about Conan - unlike the others. Conan was not revengeful like Johnny Carson who gleefully destroyed Joan Rivers career. Conan was not amoral like David Letterman who, as he admitted, had sex with his employees. And unlike Jay Leno - Conan actually had talent!
I pray he comes back soon in some form. We need him!
It's Still Good
fovabodesu8 March 2019
I've been watching this show for years now, and despite the change to the half hour format, it's still funny to watch. For over 25 years, Conan has been hosting late night shows and despite all the changes he's seen, he still manages to be the funniest host on TV.
A good, but not great, successor to "Late Night"
kubrickfan9328 July 2011
"Conan" has been on the air now for almost nine months and 100+ shows, so I think a relatively accurate picture can be painted of the future of Conan O'Brien's new venture. As a fan, that picture is regrettably not the masterpiece I was hoping for.
When it was announced that he would be moving to TBS, I had hopes that Conan would do something radically different; re-invent the genre as it were. I was, therefore, sadly disappointed when the first few episodes felt not just like retreads of his "Tonight Show" (which I felt had been lackluster), but lacked the freshness and spontaneity one might expect from being freed of the shackles of broadcast TV. I watched fairly religiously as time progressed, in large part because any Conan is better than no Conan at all. But after a while my viewing tapered off and now I watch it irregularly.
The fundamental problem is that the once wholly original beast of Conan has become the well-oiled machine of Conan. While creativity is still apparent, the surreal nature of his early years where guests would perform in regular skits and odd, strange things happened throughout the entire show have been replaced by "sanctioned" times of zaniness. The show follows such a rigid structure that it feels like a conveyor belt of hilarity where pieces are assembled according to order and design.
And that design is what, in my opinion, inhibits this show from reaching the heights of genius that the old "Late Night" program had. There is a lack of energy and commitment to the sketches that are detrimental to the fun. Add to that that the sketches and characters have become half-baked retreads of old gems (Minty the Candy-cane and Ted Turner excluded) and a seeming desire NOT to break new ground and what you have is a third-generation copy of a once great show.
The technical elements are decent but obviously cheaper. The new theme is catchy but unremarkable. Honestly, the two best ideas have been to make Andy more active and put the desk in the center of the stage. Aside from that, this Conan fan is disappointed. It's not a train wreck of network mandated mainstream mush like his "Tonight Show" was, but it simply cannot reach the heights of it's original predecessor.
The sad reality is that after almost 20 years of this, I doubt Conan would want to change his well-oiled (but less original) machine. And given that he's now on TBS and capable of doing basically whatever he wants, the desire not to embrace change is the most disappointing fact of his new show.
When it was announced that he would be moving to TBS, I had hopes that Conan would do something radically different; re-invent the genre as it were. I was, therefore, sadly disappointed when the first few episodes felt not just like retreads of his "Tonight Show" (which I felt had been lackluster), but lacked the freshness and spontaneity one might expect from being freed of the shackles of broadcast TV. I watched fairly religiously as time progressed, in large part because any Conan is better than no Conan at all. But after a while my viewing tapered off and now I watch it irregularly.
The fundamental problem is that the once wholly original beast of Conan has become the well-oiled machine of Conan. While creativity is still apparent, the surreal nature of his early years where guests would perform in regular skits and odd, strange things happened throughout the entire show have been replaced by "sanctioned" times of zaniness. The show follows such a rigid structure that it feels like a conveyor belt of hilarity where pieces are assembled according to order and design.
And that design is what, in my opinion, inhibits this show from reaching the heights of genius that the old "Late Night" program had. There is a lack of energy and commitment to the sketches that are detrimental to the fun. Add to that that the sketches and characters have become half-baked retreads of old gems (Minty the Candy-cane and Ted Turner excluded) and a seeming desire NOT to break new ground and what you have is a third-generation copy of a once great show.
The technical elements are decent but obviously cheaper. The new theme is catchy but unremarkable. Honestly, the two best ideas have been to make Andy more active and put the desk in the center of the stage. Aside from that, this Conan fan is disappointed. It's not a train wreck of network mandated mainstream mush like his "Tonight Show" was, but it simply cannot reach the heights of it's original predecessor.
The sad reality is that after almost 20 years of this, I doubt Conan would want to change his well-oiled (but less original) machine. And given that he's now on TBS and capable of doing basically whatever he wants, the desire not to embrace change is the most disappointing fact of his new show.
The Only Talk Show Worth A Damn
NathanLy6 September 2021
The best tv show
saifchader16 March 2021
last of the real late night comedians
jerrytubb1 December 2021
Best host of all time
dannygrant-6163212 June 2022
Not sure why there is a character minimum but I'll ramble on anyway, conan is the last late night host that will ever exist and blew his own competition at the time ten years younger, writing for snl and the Simpsons beforehand.. Leno is a hack obviously but even lettermen gave Conan the tip of the hat.. also check out conan O'Brien needs a friend podcast if you're a fan.. thank you for joining my Ted talk.
Douche with Coco
Johnny_West22 July 2019
I thought Conan La Coco had passed away. Then I saw some of his annoying Coco commercials, and I realized that he was still lurking on TV, like Joan Rivers or Buddy Hackett. Sam Kinnison used to say: "Know when to retire."
Sadly, Coco's humor is more dated than ever. He does not seem to notice that he is an old man, nearly 60, and that his young boy humor does not cut it anymore. His attempts at dry humor, and lack of comedy skills make this show the unfunny mutant step-son of David Letterman.
Coco always wanted to be Letterman, and he never was. The network saw his skills fading and kicked him to the curb. Now he is a has been on a 3rd rate cable network. Somebody cancel this thing, and let Coco fade away...
Sadly, Coco's humor is more dated than ever. He does not seem to notice that he is an old man, nearly 60, and that his young boy humor does not cut it anymore. His attempts at dry humor, and lack of comedy skills make this show the unfunny mutant step-son of David Letterman.
Coco always wanted to be Letterman, and he never was. The network saw his skills fading and kicked him to the curb. Now he is a has been on a 3rd rate cable network. Somebody cancel this thing, and let Coco fade away...
Prior to 2015, a solid alternative to tired Network Latenight shows, not it's abysmal
chrislgorman23 August 2020
I used to LOVE Conan O'Brien and Andy Richter in all 3 shows they did together. He definitely got the shaft by NBC and Leno, lots of ya were pulling for TBS show success. For the first few years it seemed like they had recaptured the spirit of Late Night ( NBC) show, with skits, La Bambi, in the year 2000 , and some of the funniest celebrity interviews. Then the 2016 election season heated up and Conan seemed to sign over his soul to the mainstream agenda for good. He stopped being funny and just became the same unfunny loser as the other 3 new late night non-comedian. ( Funny Falon tried to be fair and got beat down , then got in line.). After being a loyal Conan viewer for more than 2 decades, I've moved on.
PS the whole Cuban episode was a smack in the face of Cuban- Americans and Mr. O'Brien became a puppet of the Castro family , Yuck, what a loser.
PS the whole Cuban episode was a smack in the face of Cuban- Americans and Mr. O'Brien became a puppet of the Castro family , Yuck, what a loser.
Just Stop
rstang-7082020 February 2020
Conan was my favorite late night comedian in the 90s and early 2000s, but he's really fallen off over the years. I just tuned in for the first time in years and the show is horrendous. I couldn't get past the bias monologue and lack of humor.
You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks-Or Jokes!
TheyCallMeMrGibbs7 November 2011
I'll admit-I love watching late night talk shows. My average bedtime last year was 2 AM just because I wanted to stay up and watch them all. Personally, my favorite is Craig Ferguson, who just seems so spontaneous and genuine. I like Leno because I'm a traditionalist. I can't stand Letterman, or Paul Shaffer (who knew you could shave a parrot and teach it to be your bandleader). Kimmel is OK, but does he have to keep looking at Cleto to get a laugh?
And now we get to Conan.
In my opinion, this tonight show conflict is total bulls**t. Don't blame Jay Leno, don't blame Conan, blame the executives at NBC. Plus people, is it really a stab in the back if you're given $45 million to walk away? All business aside, I'll admit I watch Conan out of sympathy. I always hope that one night Conan will have jokes flying this way and that...to this day I'm still hoping. True, Conan does occasionally tell a good joke or two, but that's it. Now I'm not saying Conan O'Brien isn't funny. Indeed, when I saw him on Inside the Actor's Studio he was hilarious. He was being himself! Conan the show does not equal the wit and humanity of Conan the man. When I watch Conan, I always get this feeling that Conan would rather be anywhere but there. He always appears nervous, and his self-deprecation and weird bumpkin dances do more to enhance his stick-bug physique than his comedic talent. His mad scientist voices are just, well, weird. His interviews are awkward, mainly because of this nervousness. Any transition to another question is a very sad-sounding "um." To add evidence to this assumption of Conan's anxiety, I'll recount to you an episode where Conan had a martial arts expert as a guest. When the stunts required Conan to take his jacket off, he revealed his underarms, which were drenched in sweat. I'm no comedian (professionally), but I always learned that one of the top 10 rules of a comedian is that they should never laugh at their own jokes more than the audience. Evidently Conan left the rulebook back in New York, because he does it all the time. My mother stated, and I would have to agree, that Conan looked better with bangs. Now it looks like the Lorax is living on his head. Andy Richter doesn't help either. Again, probably a very decent, humble man, but not fit for the comedic podium. Still, a sight better than Paul "I'll just repeat what Dave said so it's funny" Shaffer. I rate Conan a 7 out of 10. Truth be told, it should be a 6, but I really feel bad for Conan. The show's format and expectations of the audience don't allow him to be himself, a genuinely funny man. He is a better man than a talk-show host, but unfortunately, you don't get paid to be a decent man. It's not my favorite late-night show. Still, I'll watch it just to hope. Hang in there Conan.
And now we get to Conan.
In my opinion, this tonight show conflict is total bulls**t. Don't blame Jay Leno, don't blame Conan, blame the executives at NBC. Plus people, is it really a stab in the back if you're given $45 million to walk away? All business aside, I'll admit I watch Conan out of sympathy. I always hope that one night Conan will have jokes flying this way and that...to this day I'm still hoping. True, Conan does occasionally tell a good joke or two, but that's it. Now I'm not saying Conan O'Brien isn't funny. Indeed, when I saw him on Inside the Actor's Studio he was hilarious. He was being himself! Conan the show does not equal the wit and humanity of Conan the man. When I watch Conan, I always get this feeling that Conan would rather be anywhere but there. He always appears nervous, and his self-deprecation and weird bumpkin dances do more to enhance his stick-bug physique than his comedic talent. His mad scientist voices are just, well, weird. His interviews are awkward, mainly because of this nervousness. Any transition to another question is a very sad-sounding "um." To add evidence to this assumption of Conan's anxiety, I'll recount to you an episode where Conan had a martial arts expert as a guest. When the stunts required Conan to take his jacket off, he revealed his underarms, which were drenched in sweat. I'm no comedian (professionally), but I always learned that one of the top 10 rules of a comedian is that they should never laugh at their own jokes more than the audience. Evidently Conan left the rulebook back in New York, because he does it all the time. My mother stated, and I would have to agree, that Conan looked better with bangs. Now it looks like the Lorax is living on his head. Andy Richter doesn't help either. Again, probably a very decent, humble man, but not fit for the comedic podium. Still, a sight better than Paul "I'll just repeat what Dave said so it's funny" Shaffer. I rate Conan a 7 out of 10. Truth be told, it should be a 6, but I really feel bad for Conan. The show's format and expectations of the audience don't allow him to be himself, a genuinely funny man. He is a better man than a talk-show host, but unfortunately, you don't get paid to be a decent man. It's not my favorite late-night show. Still, I'll watch it just to hope. Hang in there Conan.
Unfunny and intelligence insulting.
13Funbags13 May 2017
Considering that Late Night with Conan O'Brien was the greatest talk show ever, it's very disappointing that this may be the worst talk show ever.Late Night always had a funny monologue and great skits featuring Jon Glaser and Amy Poehler.On top of that, the interviews and bands were always great.On this show the monologue is extremely unfunny.Ninety percent of the jokes are about Donald Trump and contain zero comedy, just a lame political opinion.To make things worse, the interviews have become entirely scripted bull crap.He stole Jay Leno's interview style of only asking leading questions that have not only already been approved by the guest, but Conan already knows the answer.It's intelligence insulting and just not entertaining.If that's not bad enough, every show ends with some crappy band that you have never heard of(only if he can't find an unfunny comedian you never heard of).If you like to be bored and a bit irritated, this show is for you.If you have a brain, never watch this.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Timothynorris3 July 2020
Conan on TBS: A Look at the Future, All the Way to the Year
Legendary_Badass8 November 2010
I suppose you can call this a review of Conan O'Brien's new series, the audaciously titled Conan. I mean, I watched the first episode and here are some thoughts on it—but how am I supposed to review a talk show based on one episode? To me it's only seems feasible to review a series after it has finished its run, so without further ado here are my thoughts and observations on the new Conan in this
not really a review, but you can think of it that way if it's easier for you.
Right off the bat we are treated to a prologue that's intended to setup the show by giving a comical account of O'Brien's fall from grace at NBC. Everything about the production of the sequence looks and sounds like a show on its last leg on Comedy Central (think, Important Things with Demetri Martin, or its replacement, the god-awful Nick Swardson's Pretend Time). It's not the production we have come accustom to seeing with Conan, and by contrast makes me yearn for the value found on something as technically precise as Conan's last gig. What caps it off is the absurdly amped up studio audience. I get that it's not a huge crowd, but it's no good to crank up the crowd volume to enhance the jokes.
Once the show gets underway in the traditional sense we can expect to see on a regular basis, we are greeted with what looks like a rushed animation sequence for the titles. It's a simple style with silhouettes against bright colors, slowly v/o'd by our old pal Andy Richter. When all is over we are finally revealed the set, a budget conscious interpretation of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The overhead is filled with lights meant to be unseen by the TV audience, making for a low and intimate set. The stage is flat, no stairs or steps leading from one section to the other. The guest entering current is an off-brown champagne color and unfortunately doesn't have the impact or complexity of his Nintendo inspired design from Universal. The band is off to their usual side, Conan's right, and their region of stage space again reflects their pre-Tonight Show landscape. When attention turns to the musical guests, we see a very Tonight Show style presentation with blue and red lights illuminating concave cube. The last point I want to get to on stage design is Conan's backdrop. It's a vast, blue, moonlight view of the ocean. For years talk shows have shown cityscapes in the same way, and the change here isn't unwelcome. If it were a city, it would bring to mind Conan's original gig just a little too much. The remote controlled moon is a nice touch, but I doubt its on-air functionality can keep audiences tuning in. Another unfortunate change is the lack or Pierre Bernard graphic art to serve as a placeholder for the TV audience after the commercial breaks. Instead of listening to the Basic Cable Band wrap up their song while scoping out a pasta Conan, we get some thrown together backstage footage.
So what does the show offer? Well, if you've seen Conan's prior work, then you can only hope for an encore of his trademark creativity. For the time being many of his signature sketches are being held captive by NBC and the only to reach bond are the String Dance and a bear whom shall go nameless. The formula on his past shows contained a lot of re-used material. It seemed that Monday or Tuesday would start out with a hit sketch, and Conan would have to milk it throughout the week. For example, he would start the week off with the Walker, Texas Ranger Lever and ultimately turn to it throughout the week. I would attribute this to lazy writers. For this new show to conquer, the next hit sketch or character needs to be right behind the corner, and this time he can't allow anything to catch moss.
At the moment we don't yet know what's in store. I for one hope to see plenty of man-on- the-street segments. Jay Leno's, Jaywalking is predictable and Jimmy Fallon doesn't even attempt them. The comparative efforts of the interview packages on The Daily Show are becoming short in number, and though they are good, no one has ever been as consistent in engaging a crowd on the street as the man with the red pompadour. They are always something new and exciting, and they break up the monotony of choreographed sketches.
The first guests are not really household names, but young stars. This is surely an attempt to please the Twitter and Facebook crowd. I guess the thought of a man in his late '40s is more appealing than the men on the network programs in their '60s. This is supposed to be the young show, and yet the talent will be aging with the audience. I can't see an early '20s crowd ditching Late Night with Jimmy Fallon for something that just isn't as good as of this moment.
I see a lot of cut corners that make Conan look like the red-headed stepchild of Lopez Tonight. By contrast Lopez's set looks like the Bellagio and his format more innovative with less calls to a former program, and this coming from the show following Conan on the same network. If Conan is to be a flagship for a reshaping of TBS, then the station needs to make some immediate changes. Chances are that the low ratings expected of a cable late-night talk show will keep Conan on air for a number of years, likely enough to assume that the show is a success. But smart viewers will have the old shows to look back at as reference points, and when they do the difference may be substantial.
Right off the bat we are treated to a prologue that's intended to setup the show by giving a comical account of O'Brien's fall from grace at NBC. Everything about the production of the sequence looks and sounds like a show on its last leg on Comedy Central (think, Important Things with Demetri Martin, or its replacement, the god-awful Nick Swardson's Pretend Time). It's not the production we have come accustom to seeing with Conan, and by contrast makes me yearn for the value found on something as technically precise as Conan's last gig. What caps it off is the absurdly amped up studio audience. I get that it's not a huge crowd, but it's no good to crank up the crowd volume to enhance the jokes.
Once the show gets underway in the traditional sense we can expect to see on a regular basis, we are greeted with what looks like a rushed animation sequence for the titles. It's a simple style with silhouettes against bright colors, slowly v/o'd by our old pal Andy Richter. When all is over we are finally revealed the set, a budget conscious interpretation of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The overhead is filled with lights meant to be unseen by the TV audience, making for a low and intimate set. The stage is flat, no stairs or steps leading from one section to the other. The guest entering current is an off-brown champagne color and unfortunately doesn't have the impact or complexity of his Nintendo inspired design from Universal. The band is off to their usual side, Conan's right, and their region of stage space again reflects their pre-Tonight Show landscape. When attention turns to the musical guests, we see a very Tonight Show style presentation with blue and red lights illuminating concave cube. The last point I want to get to on stage design is Conan's backdrop. It's a vast, blue, moonlight view of the ocean. For years talk shows have shown cityscapes in the same way, and the change here isn't unwelcome. If it were a city, it would bring to mind Conan's original gig just a little too much. The remote controlled moon is a nice touch, but I doubt its on-air functionality can keep audiences tuning in. Another unfortunate change is the lack or Pierre Bernard graphic art to serve as a placeholder for the TV audience after the commercial breaks. Instead of listening to the Basic Cable Band wrap up their song while scoping out a pasta Conan, we get some thrown together backstage footage.
So what does the show offer? Well, if you've seen Conan's prior work, then you can only hope for an encore of his trademark creativity. For the time being many of his signature sketches are being held captive by NBC and the only to reach bond are the String Dance and a bear whom shall go nameless. The formula on his past shows contained a lot of re-used material. It seemed that Monday or Tuesday would start out with a hit sketch, and Conan would have to milk it throughout the week. For example, he would start the week off with the Walker, Texas Ranger Lever and ultimately turn to it throughout the week. I would attribute this to lazy writers. For this new show to conquer, the next hit sketch or character needs to be right behind the corner, and this time he can't allow anything to catch moss.
At the moment we don't yet know what's in store. I for one hope to see plenty of man-on- the-street segments. Jay Leno's, Jaywalking is predictable and Jimmy Fallon doesn't even attempt them. The comparative efforts of the interview packages on The Daily Show are becoming short in number, and though they are good, no one has ever been as consistent in engaging a crowd on the street as the man with the red pompadour. They are always something new and exciting, and they break up the monotony of choreographed sketches.
The first guests are not really household names, but young stars. This is surely an attempt to please the Twitter and Facebook crowd. I guess the thought of a man in his late '40s is more appealing than the men on the network programs in their '60s. This is supposed to be the young show, and yet the talent will be aging with the audience. I can't see an early '20s crowd ditching Late Night with Jimmy Fallon for something that just isn't as good as of this moment.
I see a lot of cut corners that make Conan look like the red-headed stepchild of Lopez Tonight. By contrast Lopez's set looks like the Bellagio and his format more innovative with less calls to a former program, and this coming from the show following Conan on the same network. If Conan is to be a flagship for a reshaping of TBS, then the station needs to make some immediate changes. Chances are that the low ratings expected of a cable late-night talk show will keep Conan on air for a number of years, likely enough to assume that the show is a success. But smart viewers will have the old shows to look back at as reference points, and when they do the difference may be substantial.
See also
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