Posted on 06/02/2009 6:06:58 AM PDT by shove_it
An English friend of mine got his first dose of Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien last week, and commented that while Jay seemed friendly and confident, his "Tonight Show" replacement was more of a cipher. He wondered, "Do you think O'Brien will fit in?"
That's the multimillion-dollar question. O'Brien has only taken over shows, and never originated his own. He spent 16 years remaking David Letterman's "Late Night" into his own comedic image, but this time, he's walking into an institution. NBC's "Tonight" is bigger than O'Brien, which means he's got to conform to expectations -- while trying to give it his imprimatur.
After one show, let's say he's a work in progress. O'Brien's debut appearance Monday opened up with a segment in which he ran cross-country from New York ("Late Night's" home) to the brand-new Universal Studios stage in Hollywood -- a more expansive place than his previous digs. The layout fits traditional "Tonight" templates, but the new set is shaped by wavy arcs which, along with the redesigned show logo, call to mind a retro look, as if 30 Rock's art deco design was also transplanted.
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(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
He’s got a good band. ....but that’s about it.
Last night’s show seemed a little forced.
I don’t think Conan can make it work. I say he’s gone in a year.
Jay Leno never really took command of it either imho. Carson was a class act and made it the “institution” it is.
I guess you know you are getting older when you have your third Tonight Show host take over the chair. Carson as a kid, then Leno now O’Brien.
I’ve never been able to tolerate him for more than about 30 seconds. And he’s not funny; he’s just . . . weird.
Conan is annoying, period!
Watching Conan trolling for laughs for 30 minutes is like watching Beavis without Butthead - I don’t think its gonna work, either
Dennis Miller!
Steve Allen was the brilliant original. Ernie Kovacs was way out there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7xLDwzB5Cc
Last night was the first time I watched the Tonight Show in over a decade.
Not even intentionally, just up late and happened to tune in.
It’s got potential.
It sucked.
“I don’t think Conan can make it work. I say he’s gone in a year.”
I remember the Big Cheese at our NBC affiliate 16 years ago saying the exact same thing about Conan when he took over for Letterman. We’ll see...
Try Jack Paar, Carson, Leno then O'Brien...time for the Geritol.
Is that a nice way of saying "epic fail?"
Leno was torture. He was never funny to me and Conan is brilliant! Good for Conan, he deserved the spot.
Here’s the first Tonight Show:
http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show-experience/video/clips/sep-27-1954-first-tonight-show/1015161/
“I’ve never been able to tolerate him for more than about 30 seconds. And he’s not funny; he’s just . . . weird.”
I respectfully disagree, I think Conan is brilliant in physical comedy, and very witty too. Somehow he’s able to use his lanky body, big hair, and facial expressions, combined with lots of self-deprecating humor, to generate laughs, and he makes it look easy; for most people it isn’t easy at all, but for him, I think it actually is.
Steve Allen was better than Johnny. There, I said it.
People forget that for many years the Tonight show went on for 2 hours and usually after the monologue and the first guest, it degenerated into a dull, dull snooze-fest. I imagine that 95% of the TV audience was asleep by the time the third guest arrived. The final guest was typically someone you never heard of promoting a book that could put you to sleep if Johnny couldn’t.
And the show was done live back in those days.
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