Late Night Talk Show Thread

[ixcuincle]

I've seen all but one of the Tonight Show with Conan episodes. It's nice because I don't have to wait until 12:35 when I'm usually asleep to watch Conan. However the new Tonight Show is not as good as the Late Night show...no Joel Goddard, most of the characters such as Frankenstein and FedEx Pope are missing (and I don't know why, the staff moved out to LA with him)

I think the new Tonight Show isn't as fine as the old Late Night show but it is an acceptable show to watch.

[kibaxx7]

I missed the last 2 weeks because of not having internet in my house... I need to get back on track as soon as possible...

[Andrew]

I've seen all but one of the Tonight Show with Conan episodes. It's nice because I don't have to wait until 12:35 when I'm usually asleep to watch Conan. However the new Tonight Show is not as good as the Late Night show...no Joel Goddard, most of the characters such as Frankenstein and FedEx Pope are missing (and I don't know why, the staff moved out to LA with him)

I think the new Tonight Show isn't as fine as the old Late Night show but it is an acceptable show to watch.

I don't entirely agree or disagree that. I think as more of the old bits and characters have come out it's picked up (he does need to stop the "I'm in LA now" bits though, it's well past the first week) but I'm still a bit unsure of Andy Richter as the announcer. With Max Weinberg on tour with Bruce Springsteen at the moment they're also without the back and forth of the "bad chemistry" gimmick he and Conan developed after Andy left Late Night, as well as the various jokes at his expense revolving around his on-screen character being a pervert and sexual deviant. I still think he's doing well and that he will ultimately succeed as he did with Late Night.

However, I do know what you mean. At times I've found myself thinking that the way things were was working out fine and that some of the changes have not been for the better but he's only a couple of months into the role. I think we'll see more characters and bits come back as well as some new or reinvented segments that will work and we'll get used to Andy Richter as the announcer. The thing is, Andy is kind of almost a co-host with the amount of camera time he gets where as Joel was only shown for the purposes of a joke at the expense of his on-screen character. Ideally that's how the announcer for a talk show should be, in the background and unseen for the most part but sometimes brought out for a joke. Andy's stuck somewhere between being the announcer and a fully fledged co-host. Nothing against him, but I think that's probably the one thing I'm not too keen on in the new show because it's a bit awkward at times.

[shadowgrin]

Even if Richter doesn't get camera time, you still hear that annoying laugh of his which seems like more audible than the rest of the audience or Conan himself.

[Andrew]

That too. It reminds me of Paul's "Aaaaahhhh!" on Letterman which I've always found a bit grating.

[Andrew]

Bruce Springsteen's tour is over, so Max is back. Should lead to some fun segments and asides.

[Andrew]

He's not late night anymore, but seeing as though the format's similar I thought I might as well bring up The Jay Leno Show here. I watched the premiere and thought it was a good return for Leno, who I still feel is a little underrated. Everyone's entitled to their own taste and opinion of course but I think it's become fashionable to make fun of him and not give him enough credit as a comedian.

[Al Ka Pwn]

Well, Leno went on wcw to wrestle, when it was the consensus that wrestling screwed the idiots who thought it was real. People will complain about anything. They don't need reason.

[ixcuincle]

The Leno show is pretty nice. Other people may claim "No one under 40 likes Jay Leno", but for me, he was the first late night talk show I grew up watching. I must have seen Leno for about 3 years before someone told me about Conan O'Brien's TV show.

The set is nice too, the whole two chairs facing each other thing is very casual. And the monologues are better than Conan's, who never could write good monologues but depends on hilarious charades to elicit laughter.

[Andrew]

I don't think Conan's monologues are all that bad but they aren't his strong suit...probably because while he has a very respectable background in comedy having written for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons (not to mention the Lookwell pilot with Adam West), he wasn't a standup comedian whereas Leno and Letterman were. What I find sadder is that Fallon has a background in standup as well but you wouldn't know it from his material or delivery. I don't know if I'll ever warm up to him as a Late Night host.

I agree about the set, I think that's a refreshing move for him to come out from behind the desk for the interview as well as the monologue. Ending the show with a comedy bit is good too, I'm all for extra sketches. As I mentioned before, I usually only watch the interviews if I'm a fan of the guests so I like the idea of returning to a sketch/segment to finish things off.

[shadowgrin]

I like Leno as a stand-up comic but not so as a talk show host, or an interviewer specifically.

[Andrew]

To me they're all pretty much on the same level as interviewers. It's not hard-hitting journalism after all, nor should it be.

[shadowgrin]

Yes, but as hosts they should keep the interview segment interesting for the viewer/audience when a 'serious' guest comes along, lest it deteriorates into a snoozefest that makes you want to change the channel.

[J@3]

I prefer Letterman out of all of them when he has a serious guest on. He doesn't seem to have much trouble asking them tough questions, and he's more antagonistic about it than Leno and Conan are.

It does depend on the guest too though. Andrew Denton used to have "normal" every day people on his show as guests as if they were celebrities, and what I learned from that was I genuinely don't give a shit about the life of some every day normal person I've never met or seen before no matter what the interviewer asked.

[Andrew]

I'd agree with that, Letterman does have the edge in "serious" interviews. Other than that, they're all pretty much the same in my book.

[buzzy]

I really like the new Leno Show
Anyone caught the bit with the baby and Conan?

[Andrew]

Was that on last night? I taped Conan last night, haven't watched it yet.

[buzzy]

Nope, it was on the second episode of the Leno show. It was called 'Uninvited Guest' where he just goes from house to house some minutes early before the show aires. He got to a family with a baby and they told Jay the only thing the kid was afraid of was Conan O'Brien. They showed a clip of a 'Noches de Pasion' episode.
The baby totally grimaced and started to cry.

Maybe you'll get the clip on the official site, it didn't work from my location.
http://www.thejaylenoshow.com/video/cli ... t/1157708/

[Andrew]

Ah, I definitely missed that the first time around.

[ixcuincle]

Conan O'Brien hit his head during a stunt for the "Tonight Show," an accident that halted production and brought back memories of a rare absence by his predecessor in the job.

...

"Last thing I remember I was enjoying the play with Mrs. Lincoln, and the next thing I knew I was in bed being served cookies and juice" O'Brien said in the statement.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... QD9AUS6L80

No wonder Friday's episode was a repeat. Hope he's all right

[Al Ka Pwn]

He's trying too hard. He knows he can't keep up.

[Andrew]

He's trying too hard. He knows he can't keep up.

He hasn't been faring too badly in the ratings. He's been doing a better job competing with Letterman than Leno did early in their head-to-head run, at least in terms of ratings which means he must be doing something right.

[Al Ka Pwn]

Beating Letterman these days is like beating up a retard. But all I watch is Stewart and Leno anyway.

[ixcuincle]

Speaking of which Leno's had such poor ratings that affiliates are planning to cancel his show so they can have a stronger lead-in for their nightly news. FX beat out Leno a few days ago. Sons of Anarchy. And I know SoA is a good show but Leno's ratings have been very disappointing.

The shame is the show is actually watchable. Always love the Norton appearances, and Jay will often bring out some celebrities such as DL Hughley or other people to film movies, these movies are usually pretty entertaining. And of course Jay has the best monologues out there.

Hopefully NBC sticks with Leno during this time. The ratings are taking a hit, but NBC has said they're all about making cheaper television and they aren't about ratings.

[ixcuincle]

This hasn't been bumped in a while but it will be bumped for good reason.

Word is NBC will give Jay his Tonight Show back, and bump Conan out. Where will Conan go now? Will he stay at NBC? Will he move on to another network?

The ratings for Jay Leno's show after the Tonight Show were abysmal. NBC had to do something. But I don't think this was it. Conan is doing a very good job on the Tonight Show in my opinion. You can't keep both of them, and one of them has to go, unfortunately.

New on FOX...The Conan O'Brien Show!