The last timeConan O’Brienmade a big change in his career, it was 2010, Barack Obama was President, and the legendary host just been the loser of a behind-the-scenes Hollywood melodrama meatier than a decade of Best Picture winners. Tuesday’s announcement that O’Brien, now going on 28 years of being on the air, would once again be changing networks definitely didn’t come with that same degree of spectacle.Of course, the big factor here is that instead of walking away from the NBC Universal family, O’Brien is staying within the same media conglomerate, shifting from hosting the nightly talk showConanon TBS to taking on a weekly variety series for HBO Max.Conanwill end in June 2021, after the show’s 10th season concludes.
But the news brings with it a reminder of how fascinating O’Brien’s career has been to track over the years, following his ascension to comedy geek fame as the host of NBC’sLate Night With Conan O’Brienin 1993. WhileLate Nightwas supposed to eventually segue to him becoming the permanent host ofThe Tonight Show,that transition ended up going nuclearwhen NBC tried to find a way to keep both him andJay Lenohappy, ultimately choosing to return Leno to hostingThe Tonight Showafter O’Brien walked away. Following a contractually obligated bit of time off the air, O’Brien eventually landed at TBS for a new series.
In today’s release, O’Brien makes a statement saying that “In 1993 Johnny Carson gave me the best advice of my career: ‘As soon as possible, get to a streaming platform.’ I’m thrilled that I get to continue doing whatever the hell it is I do on HBO Max, and I look forward to a free subscription.” “Whatever the hell it is I do” is actually a fair description of his time at TBS, as he’s found there the flexibility to experiment with formats and subject matter, shifting from a nightly hour-long show to a half-hour format, while also delving into podcasting, creating innovative online exclusives like theClueless Gamerdigital series, and traveling the world for theConan Without Bordersspecials (which will continue).
HBO Max’s library of original content is growing slowly but surely, but while fellow newbie streaming service Peacock has launched weekly talk shows featuringLarry WilmoreandAmber Ruffin, the platform currently lacks a tentpole talk show. Unless, of course, you countLast Week Tonight with John Oliver, which streams on HBO Max as well as airing on HBO — and it seems very unlikely that O’Brien’s sketch comedy-driven approach to the late-night format will overlap with Oliver’s weekly monologues about the terribly funny state of the world.
For decades, O’Brien found ways to make his unique comedic sensibility work within the confines of ad-supported broadcast and cable. And while TBS has allowed O’Brien to experiment to a degree, the even looser structure of a weekly streaming platform release should get everyone excited…As long asPaul Ruddcan keep stopping by.
For more, check outthe 50 best shows on HBO Max right now.
