Conan O’Brien Returns To Late-Night TV: Find Out Who His First Guests Will Be
While it may seem like late-night television is flooded with talk shows, one amusing program has been missing since early October, Conan. The series, hosted by Conan O’Brien, took a little hiatus to readjust its format, but will be back on TBS starting Tuesday, January 22, with brand-new episodes.
As the Inquisitr reported in mid-December, the revamped show will now be 30 minutes long, instead of 60. It’s also going music-free — the house band has been dismissed and musical guests will not be booked. O’Brien will still be conducting celebrity interviews, though, and plans to “evolve the [late-night talk show] genre by challenging conventions, taking creative risks, and discovering and fostering new comedic talent.”
In an interview with the New York Times published on January 14, O’Brien revealed that the new Conan will be “less traditional.” For example, his all-new set will not include a desk for him to sit behind, and business-attire, such as suits, are no longer required for him or his guests.
“We’re trying to be anarchists, but I’m trying to be a good boy and do a good job for the network,” O’Brien said.
The new Conan will air four nights per week, Mondays through Thursdays, at 11 p.m. By starting at that hour, the 55-year-old’s only competition will be The Daily Show with Trevor Noah on Comedy Central and Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Bravo.
Who will be stopping by to chat with the witty redhead during his first two weeks back on TV? According to a press release from TBS that was published on the Futon Critic website, his guests on Conan will be as follows:
Tuesday, January 22: Tom Hanks
Wednesday, January 23: The cast of The Good Place, including Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, D’Arcy Carden, and Manny Jacinto
Thursday, January 24: Bill Hader
Monday, January 28: Tig Notaro
Tuesday, January 29: Gina Rodriguez
Wednesday, January 30: Pete Holmes
Thursday, January 31: Matt LeBlanc and Gary Gulman
In addition to the talk show, O’Brien is encouraging fans seeking unique, funny content to check out his website, TeamCoco.com, and his highly rated podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, which launched in November.
O’Brien is currently the longest-tenured host with a late-night talk show. The comedian from Brookline, Massachusetts — who began his TV career by writing scripts for shows such as Not Necessarily the News, Saturday Night Live, and The Simpsons — started entertaining home audiences at bedtime 26 years ago when he replaced David Letterman on NBC’s Late Night in 1993. He then moved on to the peacock network’s Tonight Show in 2009, but that only lasted seven months. In November of 2010, Conan debuted on TBS and it has been O’Brien’s home ever since.
Season 9 of Conan premieres on Tuesday, January 22, at 11 p.m. on TBS.
