Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien

I just read that Conan is getting the Tonight Show in 2009 when Leno's contract expires. Pretty cool, but what will become of Howie Mandel and Gilbert Gottfried?

Conan O'Brien, in my book, is an incredible & hilarious man. I'm excited for this news, but also interested in what to expect in the new show. Especially with five years left to plan it.

As I'm not a Leno watcher at all, I'm afraid I can't hash about the show...though fans luckilly still have plenty of time with him to get their fix.

I think I liked Leno much better as the official guest host when Johnny Carson was out. He always comes off to me as much too desperate for laughs. I bet CBS will try to gently push Letterman off in favor of Jon Stewart, though I'd be happy if he stayed on the Daily Show forever.

Heh, NBC scrambles to take Conan off of the list of potential Late Show hosts. Good for him, he's finally got a promise for the big gig.

So, who'll take over for Craig Kilborne now?

I think I heard Bob Sagat, I was watching the show too, and Craig said he was pretty sure that Bob Sagat was going to replace him, but that it wasn't set in stone.

Eeeeecchhhhh! And the decline of intelligence in american comedy continues. And i am american. Sad, really.

I just don't see the sparkle that johnny had in his heyday with anyone. Can't speak to stewart, i don't have cable. But the smarmy, snarky, smart-assed college humor that letterman is famous for got old to me before many others.

Even when he was old, Johnny had a certain cool factor. On the rare occasions when his aplomb was shaken, it still worked. Leno cant seem to grasp the fact that a good host actually listens to his guest. Letterman and his sidekick paul are just to smarmy for me, and i don't see the rest in a good light either.

Heck, maybe i am just getting old. But i have felt this way for many years now.

Gotta give a big... "Huh, what?" to this one. Conan is just not funny... at all. I can't go any farther without saying bad things, so I won't.

rickshaw1 couldn't have said it better, although I get Letterman's humor given that my hometown is about 45 minutes away from Muncie, Indiana (Dave's hometown). I don't see it as smarmy, just really dry.

I don't know who they should "tap" for the slot, but I'd take Stewart over Conan anytime. Heck I'd take Dan Rather over Conan at this point.

I will agree that nobody will ever top Johnny Carson in my book. I realize that absense makes the heart grow fonder, but he really had the right touch. I think one of the things that I appreciate about Johnny was that he always seemed to see the humor in things including his own life. He used to make light of his divorces an so forth, which makes me respect his privacy in retirment all the more. You never really feel like you know Leno or Letterman very well.

I miss STEVE ALLEN...

I've seen a few retrospectives of Jack Paar's era. I miss him too, and I wasn't even alive then. He once quit the show right in the middle of a broadcast. I can't remember if the show was live or not back then, but Hugh Downs was his sidekick and had to kill the rest of the show.

"Turn that off. I can't watch that guy. I miss Johnny. [...] I felt for Johnny, married to all those
JoAnnes. I think of him all alone on some God-forsaken Malibu beach ... no guests."
-- Patty Chase (Bess Armstrong) in "My So-Called Life," episode 4

There aren't too many candidates out there now. I'd throw Howard Stern in there for a possibility, depending on how long his satellite radio contract runs.

Or maybe someone new will come along in the meantime - who knows what kind of celeb will be born in the next five years?

Minesurfer and Rick, it sounds like you guys would like John Stewart. To me, he is *THE* premier talk show host now. Smart, witty and really, really funny. And he makes sure *everyone* is made fun of.

I think Conan is actually pretty hysterical though. Definately the smart-assed college humor that you guys are talking about, but I like that. I'd rather have him replace Leno right now than anyone else I've heard considered, discounting Stewart.

All I can say to those of you that liked Conan is...

"ouch".

Not making fun of you. But it hadda be a shock.

There's little that celebrities could do these days that would shock me. Also, as a purely business decision, it does not suprise me, either.

But, yes, I like Conan and I thought he got the shaft. It took guts to walk away from the proposed idea of bumping him back to the after midnight slot. (Of course, getting a multi-million dollar settlement out of the deal my have softened that risk somewhat.) He's banking on the idea that the public won't have lost interest during the months he's off the air.