As the new Tonight Show host prepares to ascend to the big desk tonight at 11:30 p.m., viewers are letting out a resounding hmm… Conan O’Brien has made a lot of promises about what will and won’t be happening — the continuance of his usual style and certain recurring characters with a little classic Tonight Show flair — but he’s facing a lot of hype. (If you’ve managed to avoid being inundated with the show’s line-up Will Ferrell and Pearl Jam then you’re luckier than us.)
While most of the buzz about the change over (and there is plenty — the guy is everywhere) seems optimistic, public consensus is lukewarm at best and and downright flaming at worst. Here’s our argument for why Conan’s stint could be a good thing… and why it could completely implode.
The Good: Did you know that Conan is a former writer for both SNL and The Simpsons? Yeah, maybe we are just way behind in our O’Brien-news, but we had no idea. Also, Late Night was on for 16 years, so clearly the guy is doing something right.
The Bad: When Late Night premiered, it was put on a multi-week renewal basis for three years due to poor ratings and bad critical reviews. Also, he co-wrote for Andy Richter Controls the Universe and Andy Barker, P.I. — two short-lived shows that we wouldn’t wish upon our worst enemy.
The OK: Despite a lot of entertainment-world buzz, it doesn’t seem like anyone outside the actual media seems to care very much about the O’Brien step up. Maybe we’re all too busy watching Comedy Central?
So what do you think? Do you care about the new king of the Tonight Show throne?