Conan Makes The Transition To The Tonight Show Work

It’s done. Conan O’Brien has left NYC for the sunny climate of LA to take up the mantle of host of The Tonight Show. You’ve probably already read our sneak peak at Conan’s new show, but now that this thing is finally out there let’s talk about the switch. Before getting into Conan I’ll just say that this is the best episode of The Tonight Show in recent memory, so no matter the changes or concessions O’Brien and his team have to make for the earlier timeslot they’re certainly bringing the funny.

What I found the most interesting from a pure production standpoint is how polished and sleek this show is in comparison to O’Brien’s old home. There’s a little sense that his style of humor doesn’t quite mesh well with the shiny new stage and seemingly operatic scope of the studio in comparison to 30 Rock. That’s not to say things aren’t just as funny, only that when Conan was on stage there was a bit of the Leno ghost there. Almost as if he should have been doing a high pitched giggle at some of the more duds in his premiere joke repertoire. But that’s OK because the cutaways to clips have kept a lot of what we loved about O’Brien. I do have to admit that Andy Richter laughing at the bad jokes may end up becoming the equivalent of the Leno giggle, and maybe the writers should work with that. Wait! Andy Richter? Yup, for the first time since 2000 Andy and Conan are back together on a daily basis. Hopefully they’ll utilize Richter better in the future though.

The cold opening, which we have for you below, was pretty much fantastic in every way. First you have the heart break of realizing Conan has to move from NYC, a place that holds a special spot in my heart and that I’ll always miss when not there, and then you immediately go into the ridiculous Gump run across country. The highlight is O’Brien stopping at a doll museum and discussing the corn silk hair on one of the dolls. For me it was a great way to get in the typical humor Conan has while not overloading the new viewers with a masturbating bear. Speaking of which…how will they translate that particular bit to LA? And can they?

The studio lot tour was even better, giving fans a new catchphrase in the very first episode. “Circle! Circle! Circle!” And while things are slicker, and yes the tone is indeed different than the old show, this still feels like a Conan O’Brien helmed talk show. No one was worried that Conan could be just as good at an earlier timeslot (or at least they shouldn’t have been). He mentioned during the opening that people had asked him if things would change. But that question was, and should be, really directed at the executives behind the scenes. Would they let Conan O’Brien do the things that made him so great in years past? The answer would seem to be yes. Now it’s up to O’Brien to work his magic and make the translations he must for the prime late night spot and still produce some of the funniest bits in the talk show game.