Last night, Conan O’Brien began his reign as the host of The Tonight Show. As the NBC promos have reminded us, the red-haired comedian is only the fifth person to hold the position and he’s got some pretty big shoes to fill.
For the first episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, the host seemed very much at ease. Of course, hosting Tonight isn’t a far cry from his previous job. Though he’s moved to the West Coast, much about the new show seemed the same. That may help or hurt him since his old show’s ratings haven’t been as solid as Tonight’s have been.
In terms of number for last night’s show, O’Brien’s debut performed well but it wasn’t extraordinary. It was the highest rated episode of Tonight since January 24, 2005. That was a tribute to Johnny Carson who’d died the day before.
Compared to the usual ratings for Tonight, MediaWeek reports that O’Brien’s first episode attracted 82% more viewers in the overnights than the second quarter average, a 7.1 rating. That’s 154% higher than last night’s Late Show with David Letterman and a much bigger win over Nightline and Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Of course, it’s difficult to judge the show on just one outing. As history has shown, hosting the Tonight Show is much more like a long marathon than a quick sprint. It’ll be interesting to see if O’Brien can sustain the ratings dominance of his predecessor.
What do you think? Did you watch and will you tune in again? Is O’Brien right for the job?
In case you missed it, here’s another chance…
Image courtesy NBC.
Conan, what can you say? He’s just not worth watching. Jay was funny, but his interviews were horrible. Carson on the other hand,
Ahh, now that was genius. In my 34 yr old mind they’ll never replace Carson with these small talent wannabes.
Conan is a Narcissistic Immature talentless Jerk, He laughs at his own jokes, his delivery as a comedian is pathetic, J onthe other hand was tired of the whole scene, acceptable after so many shows. NBC could have spun this farther then they could have imagined with a unique new guest host,a seasoned comedian someone extremely funny on the order of John Stewart but NBC stands for the same as its reality shows N-othing B-ut C-rap maybe Conan should do a skit on” I ‘m a Guest Host of a ILL Faited Talk show..Get me out of here!
Why do people like Jay Leno so much? I personally do not think he is near as funny as Conan O’brien. Leno is boring to watch sometimes, aside from the Jaywalking bit. His jokes weren’t funny plain and simple.
Watched the first night to give him a chance, but Conan’s humor is just NOT FUNNY. The Tonight show WILL NOT be the same without Jay. I will not watch it again; will wait for Jay to return in the fall.
Conan rocks! Give the guy a good chance.
For those that can’t spell his name, it’s right above you. No need to look far for the correct spelling. Durrr…
I have to say I’ve always hated conon–he is not even close to the league Jay is in. I will never again watch the tonight show–Conon is just stupid-have never watched him and never will. This fall I will watch Jay-then the news-and then turn off NBC. How could they have been so stupid as to let Jay go. They will be sorry for that–Conon will never measure up and he will be dumped sooner than later.
I gave it a try but after 2 nights I can’t stand Conan. Bring Jay back!!!! I miss him. I will be DVRing him in the fall and watching at 11:30 after the news without commercials. Conan does too much standing around and jesturing. His skits are not funny. The tweetering was stupid. Jaywalking, headlines, things found on e-bay and bought at 99cent store much better. The economy being bad and just the humor is better with Jay and the way he goes back and forth with Kevin is better. Conan is all into himself. That little dance with his… Read more »
It’s basically “Late Night” an hour earlier and with a different name. It’s still funny.
We tuned in just to give it a try. After the opening, I was hopeful. My hopes were soon dashed. Same old Conan. He should have gone back for his keys and let Andy Richter host. Better yet, Triumph the insult comic dog is the best choice. Will not watch again
Why in the world would you keep the BORING REALITY SHOWS on and cancel some of the funniest shows like “the Riches” Conan Obien is NOT FUNNY. DROP HIM AND FIND SOMEONE LIKE JAY LENO PLEASE. But please keep on the funny show THE RICHES.
THANKS FOR LISTENING….
I adore Conan…Have missed him when he aired at 12:30am. At least at 11:30 I can see most of the show before I drift off. I hope Andy returns to sidekick/couch status. The two of them play off each other so well. Great to have them back together!
Conon only looked good when he was introduced years ago before he took over his first show. He looks freakish now. Sunken cheeks, sprayed hair, and doing things no grown man would do. Can’t believe he’s a Harvard grad. He appeals to the young creeps in the USA. Please give us someone with talent. This is an important time slot.
I don’t like Conan. I don;t know why they gave him the Tonight. The show is now dry just as Light Night was. I thought that Conan would change but there’s nothing as funny as Jay with the newspaper clips and Jay Walking. BTW Late Night is much better with Jimmy Fallon. They should have kept Jay on the Tonight or anybody but Conan.
Conan is the man. He’s great
I love Conan. I’ll be tuning in as long as he is on the air.