In a move that has taken nearly everyone by surprise, former "Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien will make his return to television on cable channel TBS. The as-yet-unnamed show will air at 11 p.m. and debut in November, pushing back "Lopez Tonight," hosted by George Lopez, to midnight. Prior to the announcement, conventional wisdom held that O'Brien would sign with Fox. In a press release, O'Brien joked that, "In three months I’ve gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I’m headed to basic cable. My plan is working perfectly." But what do critics think of the move?
At least he won't be competing with Leno: This move is so "surprising," says James Poniewozik in Time, that "I actually mentally checked that it was not April 1." That said, if Conan had gone to Fox, "the story would [have] immediately become: can he get revenge on Jay? Can he beat Dave?" He wasn't going to do either, so going to TBS at least dispels those unrealistic expectations.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.