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

Since it happens in a few months and news is already pouring out, thought i'd start a thread.

Just announced: Andy Richter returns as side kick.

Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily Andy Richter Joining Conan O’Brien, Again

sweetness!

I would have preferred the masturbating bear. But he escaped!

Agree with the article:

I admit, I watched all the way through the Andy Richter years and the show somewhere along the way lost some of the over-zaniness for me. I thought the first year of Conan was wickedly funny.. every time Robert Ulrich would stand up in the audience with an "audience question" that stuff was great.

Everytime he'd ask "Deep down inside, does it hurt? Hurt to know you're a failure" God, I loved that bit.

Nice! I'm looking forward to seeing him & Andy together on late night again! I feel like he was a little lost w/o Andy after he left (obviously he did just fine without him, but there was a little something missing).

I guess I'm in the minority, but I really thought Conan came into his own after Andy left and it was his show completely. Regardless, he's good enough at the job now that having Andy back certainly won't hurt anything. I can't wait for June 1st.

isn't Richter just going to be the announcer and not sidekick.

That's what was reported. Announce and participate in comedy skits.

I guess Joel Goddard won't be going to LA for the show then. That's too bad. :frowning:

I kind of got that sense from the last week of shows. O'Brien made it clear the band would be coming along but seemed to be saying goodbye to Joel.

The return of Richter seems promising. I think the show has been fine without him, but some of the early stuff involving him was pretty hilarious.

Maybe Joel decided to retire. He's had a decent run.

Did anyone watch the premiere tonight? I loved the opening with Conan literally running across America. It took on the biggest criticism of Conan -- that he only appeals to the sophisticated audiences on the coasts with his college boy humor and would lose Jay's flyover country viewers -- head on by championing the Tonight Show brand as a national fixture, in a typically goofy Conan way.

His set may be my favorite in the history of late night sets. Big and bright like Jay's old set, but far more snazzy and sophisticated like Rockefeller Center; I absolutely love the art deco style. The returned prominence of the opening curtain is an added bonus that makes it really feel like the Tonight Show; I never understood why Jay did away with it.

Max Weinberg's role got scaled back since Conan's got Andy Richter back to spar off of during his monologue again. I don't think Max's microphone was even turned on at Late Night, though, so I'm not sure that's such a loss. Love that his drum set gets a platform with its own spotlight.

If anything, Andy was funnier tonight than Conan was. If Conan had a problem tonight, it was that he was TOO comfortable with the show. He lapsed right back into his Late Night schtick without giving the larger Tonight Show audience an introduction to his persona. There were a few concessions to Jay's style in the monologue, the Joe Biden gag for instance, but those who went into tonight's show weary about Conan probably weren't reassured.

However, he's always done remotes better than Jay and the two in tonight's monologue proved it. His 1992 Ford Taurus never gets old, and seeing him cruising around L.A. soaking up the admiration was hilarious. The tram tour was almost obligatory and started rough, but I loved the finale with him buying cart loads of crap from the 99 cent store.

Once the show got to the interviews, it settled into the Tonight Show formula and Conan did great. He actually listens to his guests and gives them the breathing room to speak in depth. I never feel like Letterman's sincere in his interest, and Jay asks too many short, obvious questions for his guests to actually say anything.

Pearl Jam was rather terrible, even though I love the way they utilize the space behind the curtain as a stage that reaches out into the main set. I was shocked how quickly the hour went, though; the show feels faster than both Jay's Tonight Show and Conan's Late Night. Maybe it'll settle down once they get back to a normal monologue.

For me, the best part is not having to choose between Conan and Craig Ferguson now. I can watch the Tonight Show, flip over to Craig for his monologue, and then go to bed.

I think as a whole the debut was very good - Andy needs to give Conan a bit of breathing room as he settles back in with his old partner after so many years, and try not to walk over Conan's lines. Will Farrell's entrance was excellent, typical self-important, yet self-depricrating. I hope Conan doesn't change too much, and we'll see what takes hold.

Pearl Jam...are they really relevant anymore? They certainly don't sound like they did at the height of their popularity.

"Circle! Circle! Circle! Circle! Circle!" Universal are great sports for allowing that bit! There hasn't been as train/trolley running loose in the LA area since Hal Roach did it in Culver City in with Our Gang "Sundown Limited" back in 1924.

I can't stay up late enough to watch - anyone know if I can watch online? Conan is my hero.

On nbc.com it says that full episodes are 'Coming Soon'.

I agree with Keith that Andy seemed a little too eager during the monologue. He just needs to sit back and let their chemistry come naturally. Also, I always enjoyed Conan and Max's awkward banter on Late Night so I hope that's not totally gone for good now that Andy's back. The opening was great and Conan cruising around in his Taurus was absolute gold, but the bit on the Universal tram wasn't very funny which was actually surprising. I figured with all the potential material for a sketch like that it would be a sure thing. On the whole, I thought it was a very solid debut and it seemed like Conan hasn't changed much at all for the new show which is a good thing. I know the raunchiness of the old show will be toned down at first, but I have a feeling that once he settles in we'll see a lot more of the stuff that made Late Night so great.

Thanks, TravisR...I also just checked Hulu and it says the opener is available, and the full episode is also coming soon. But I want it now!

Didn't make it through the monologue but I was tired so I'll watch it later today. What I saw of the monologue was not good enough to engage me to the point where I wanted to fight my tiredness to watch. I'll caulk it up to opening night jitters.

The starting bit of running across America was funny but far too long. It could have been cut in half and it would have been better.

The set does look great and I'm really looking forward to Conan and Andy being back together.

I was really sleepy too, but I wanted to see what Letterman had up his sleeve. I prefer Letterman over Leno. But I don't know Conan's style much. I'd be curious to see his debut too.

I only managed to stay awake long enough to see Letterman mention how he bumped off another competitor. Nice to see his joking about Conan. Liked his joke about his mother calling and saying how he didn't get the Tonight Show gig again.

It's too bad they are direct competitors now, as I might be up late enough to see Conan after Letterman if I can't sleep.