In case you have been hiding under a rock lately, I'll let you in on a little secret. Conan O'Brien has a new show.
I'll let you in on another secret. I went to the last of four test screenings on Thursday, November 4 out in beautiful Burbank, CA and experienced "Conan" firsthand.
If you're expecting something different than you saw on Conan's NBC programs, you're going to be pretty disappointed. Conan is really more of the same, give or take a beard or two. Same lanky host, same Andy Richter, same band, same head writer, yet it lacks something - the stuffy, corporate element that NBC's Tonight provided is pleasantly absent from the TBS show, which will no doubt leave long time fans of the man not only pleased to see Conan's triumphant return to television, but also his triumphant return to himself.
Late Night with Conan O'Brien was wonderful for many reasons, the first and foremost being that it was fairly low-budget. Props were shamelessly assembled from foam rubber and duct tape, Popsicle sticks and fishing line. There are few things funnier than crappily made props - or whole characters and comedy pieces focused around an uncooked potato with stick-on google eyes. Truly, it was not just the nonsense, but the low-budget nonsense that made Late Night so lovable.
When Conan was awarded The Tonight Show, something changed. O'Brien felt the need to grow up and be true to the franchise he grew up loving and respecting, and honor the memory of the beloved Johnny Carson. "You can't have a masturbating bear at 11:30" sticks in my head. Additionally, the show's budget grew, and although the level of comedic brilliance never altered, the screwball element deadened, the nonsense dwindled, and so Conan's audience felt shafted - after all, if Conan grows up, that means we all have to.
But not on TBS. Here, O'Brien is free to be himself, and return to the low-budget, self deprecation that we've grown to love, then crave, then miss.
The three guests Thursday evening were Elijah Wood, Charlie Day and Lisa Loeb, and although their appearances were entertaining, it was the comedy pieces that stood out - there were three of them, plus a monologue (or Conologue, for you hardcore Conan fans out there). We also saw the triumphant return of the "middle bit," a brief comedy piece between the first and second guests, something that was sorely missed at Tonight. In the first comedy piece, O'Brien showed off his new studio, which looks almost exactly like the third and final Late Night set, an art deco bachelor pad that overlooks the Pacific ocean rather than the Manhattan skyline, complete with a remote controlled moon that he proceeded to use to "crush" Andy, who has happily returned to the chair next to Conan's desk for comedy pieces. The bit continued with a little bit of nonsense no doubt penned by writer Brian McCann, who appeared in the piece wearing a white, spandex body suit and performed a "Moondance" as he wore the moon like a head.
Conan comes to you from Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, another pleasant departure from the stuffy NBC way. The Warner lot is a perfect fit for Conan, as it is easily the most easy-going and historical of all the studios in Los Angeles. Being at Warner Brothers instead of NBC means many things - you can sit down while you wait in line, unlike at 30 Rock, but you can also visit the bathroom, which is unheard of for any readers who had the privilege to see a taping of Late Night. Additionally, their check-in system for guests is much more reasonable and efficient - they allow you to check in, then leave and come back if you so wish.
There will be challenges for Conan - not only are they up against a ludicrously outdated Jay Leno and another of Conan's personal role models David Letterman, he's also competing with other basic cable giants Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, both of whom provide nearly the entire 18-49 demographic with their daily news. But this isn't about competition, and it's not about ratings, it's about the welcome return to television for a man who has always made us laugh, and it's nice to have him back. On Conan's final Tonight episode on January 22, 2010, he had these words to offer: "Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen." We all look forward to more amazing things from Conan O'Brien.
On Monday (and beyond) when you tune in to Conan, it'll be almost as if the Tonight debacle never happened. As Elijah Wood said to Conan on Thursday, "all is right with the world now that you're back." I couldn't agree more.
And there's more where that came from.
Meljo
Conan premieres on Monday, November 4 at 11pm on TBS.
