The Tonight Show w/Conan O'Brien (1 Viewer)

[Brandon Conway]

I'm with the majority and I'll say it straight - that article was just plain shit.

Conan will be hosting The Tonight Show for a looooong time. He's only, what, 46-47? He's got 20 years, easy, maybe even 30.

 

[David Norman]

Possibly, but remember Leno was only 42yo when he took over the job while Carson was only 37yo. Carson certainly had a rather liberal vacation schedule and only worked 3-4 night a week even when he was taping for much of his last dozen years.

Conan is 46yo and already has nearly 17years full time hosting late night shows.

Letterman was 35yo when he began his Late Night on NBC in 1982, so Letterman is only a couple years short of Carson's 30 year total tenure.

What is the endurance for a show like this? How many years can you do essentially the same job before breaking literally or figuratively.

 

[ThomasC]

Leno is known to be a workaholic. If the 10pm show turns out to be a success, I don't see him leaving for at least another 15-20 years, unless health issues arise.

 

[David Norman]

Interesting question. I'd always assumed The Tonight Show had an overall older demographic since all the TV Articles over the last several years were written that way. That's usually the kind of statement I bristle at and routinely question, but honestly never dug the numbers out to confirm it.

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/21...the-week/19256

This site has a lot of articles in the archives with what I assume are accurate Nielson numbers.

2009 To Date:

Average Total Viewers: Leno leads +30%
Leno 5.1M
Letterman 3.9M


18-49 Demographic (%Total Viewers) -- not a huge difference Leno at +27%
Leno 1.87M (36.7%)
Letterman 1.47M (37.7%)

I don't have YTD numbers, but randomly checking some of the older articles I took several of the weekly 18-34yo Adult Numbers, the numbers are roughly the same (though the article seems to indicate a bigger difference) with Leno right about +30%

 

[Diallo B]

makes sense. but dumb move on nbc's part.

 

[ThomasC]

What were they supposed to do? Let Conan go to another network and compete with Leno? I think Leno at 10pm and Conan with the Tonight Show works out fine. We'll see if it works out.

 

[Diallo B]

i don't like leno at 10 either. lesser of two evils since nbc can't seem to make the proper choices when it comes to choosing original programming. i know nbc was hurting for original content but i am sure that leno at 10 won't be a mainstay.

sometimes you have to make a choice. you cant always have your cake and eat it too.

 

[Diallo B]

i hope conan really believes this....

What Makes Conan O'Brien Laugh?

 

[Francois Caron]

So definitely no more S&M Lincoln, eh?

I'm not sure how Leno's 10 PM time slot will go. Talk shows are normally played after the late evening news. Now NBC is asking its talk show audience to tune in earlier in the night closer to the time you'd normally watch a seventies weekly variety show.

I'm currently working at launching my own TV channel here in Canada, and I've included a talk show format which if it works out will air at 10:30 PM, allowing me to potentially grab viewers that finished watching the 10:00 PM CBC newscast, and before they start watching the 11:00 PM CTV newscast / Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the 11:35 PM talk shows.

My personal talk show preferences however depend on what I can find online the next day. I don't have cable.

Yeah. I know. I'm launching my own cable channel, and I don't have cable. Try to figure that one out!

 

[Brent M]

Loved S&M Lincoln.....and gorilla on an old-fashioned exercise machine listening to Juice Newton.

 

[Hanson]

Gosh, what a font of flailing and contrarian opinions. Lots and lots of grasping, including the need to brainlessly elevate Jay to bolster his own argument.

Sounds like the dumb kind of overthought, navel gazing counter argument you'd expect from the Village Voice.

 

[Brandon Conway]

I loved cactus chef playing “we didn't start the fire” on the flute, lol. One of the funniest things he they ever did, IMO. But I can see what he's saying. The good news is that he's funny without the more arbitrary nonsensical stuff.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Leno's a more disciplined comedian. He packed a much longer routine into the opening monologue than Conan does, because for him it was about the content of what was being said and not the delivery. I know quite a few long time Tonight Show viewers that are turned off by Conan's flailing about in the beginning. They think he's nervous and uncomfortable, which in turn makes them feel uncomfortable.

The dynamics are different at 11:35, and we haven't yet seen what the new status quo with Conan is going to be yet. I do know that Leno's appearances on Late Night when Letterman hosted it were funnier than anything I've seen Conan come up with. I also know that bits like "Rodeo Rd" were funnier than anything I can remember seeing on Leno's Tonight Show.

I do know that I can't stand Jimmy Fallon, and flip right over to CBS for the 12:30 hour.

 

[Hanson]

I agree with you about Conan's delivery -- as big a fan as I am, I usually skip the monologue because the frequent pauses and diversions were distracting and annoying. I am a bit baffled by your first comment about Jay's monologues. The content was pretty weak and, as snobbish as it sounds, it was really dumbed down. Not my cup of tea. Needless to say, I stopped them monologues a long time ago.

But when it comes to pre-taped material, Conan's stuff is so far and beyond stuff like Jay-walking (so bad it makes me angry) it's not even close. The in studio stuff from Conan is also light years ahead of the shit Jay would spew forth. My Conan viewing (via DVR, natch) is skip monologue, watch first bit, and then skip around to see if there are any other bits, and stay for the occasional guest I'm interested in. Typically, it's a 20 minute viewing.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Conan does take his sweet time in the monologue, which is a fair criticism. He seems to relish in the idea of contemplating a joke, or under/over selling it after the fact, as well as enjoying general banter with Max, Andy and the crowd. I like it, but I can see why others would pass on the style. I never get the idea that he's nervous, though.

The one thing I do wish Conan would retire are the Kirstie Alley fat jokes. They simply cross the line for me. Larry King old jokes? No big deal. Making fun of people's behavior, such as Paris Hilton's promiscuity? Tolerable, mainly because Hilton uses it herself to a certain degree to sell her image. But the Alley stuff is just too mean spirited.

 

[EricW]

Conan's biggest targets (he must have these listed in the writer's room):
1-Kirstie Alley (weight)
2-OJ (murdering)
3-Larry King (age)
4-Paris Hilton (skankiness)
5-Ben Affleck (box office poison)
6-Bush (bufoon)

honourable mentions:
-Amy Winehouse
-MC Hammer


who am i leaving out?

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

In a nod to Leno's Tonight Show, he's taken on the campaign against Joe Biden and the L.A. Clippers.

 

[IshantNidhi]

Since it happens in a few months and news is already pouring out,

 

[Joe_H]

That telenovella bit is definitely the first one on the Tonight Show that has fallen completely flat for me. But with how funny it's been until then, that's okay.

 

[Diallo B]

excellent chess move by the show tonight.

the skit where the conan screened his show to the senior citizens was a great way to paint those who don't like the show as 'old' and not cool.

smart.

the monologue is getting better.

the twitter tracker is already lame.