Once I see a few more episodes of Conan O'Brien's new show, I'll be able to critically evaluate it, with more coherent language and maybe a little criticism (hopefully, not much). In the meantime, I am giddy knowing that I cracked up many times during his show tonight. Of course, if my brain explodes due to the amazing pairing of Tom Hanks and Jack McBrayer, it'll be a bit difficult to update.
Anyway, it's just so nice to see Conan back on television. I missed his interactions with Andy, I missed his rapport with guests, and I miss him singing! His performance tonight with Jack White had me dancing in my seat like a crazy person (in other words, thank God I was watching it alone in my room, because that would have been too embarrassing for anyone to see). I remember the euphoric high I had in May after seeing Conan at Michigan State University; just being reminded of how amazingly funny and how big of a smile he brought to my face. I have that same high again, and it's nice to know that my exposure to him won't be limited to that one tour date, but now, he'll be on my TV four nights a week.
I think the highlight was, no doubt, the Halloween mask, even if it will likely haunt my dreams:
So, what did everyone else think? Overall, I think his "Tonight Show" opener was more entertaining, but that show was so good, it would be difficult to top it. This was certainly a fun show. List your likes/dislikes in the comments!
The Not-Ready-For-Prime-Time-Players were back last night, with former cast member and current Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler serving as host. Her return allowed for some fun cameos and overall joyful moments, even if the episode itself didn't serve up to its full potential.
After a cold open featuring some chuckle worthy if predictable jokes about Delaware Senate candidate and part-time witch Christine O'Donnell, Amy used her monlogue to express her nervousness about hosting and the stress dreams she had about the show. This segment brought out the who's-who of SNL of the last decade: Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon, Rachel Dratch and Justin Timberlake all taunted Amy during her "dream." It was clear that the cast and guests of the show were incredibly excited for Amy to return to the show, and this helped to create an incredibly supporting atmosphere throughout the episode.
While the episode itself was far from perfect, that supportive nature showed to the home audience, and even if I wasn't laughing at a sketch, I could tell that the cast was having fun just being with everyone. When Maya Rudolph reuninted with Amy for their "Bronx Beat" sketch (featuring Katy Perry's boobs clad in an Elmo T-shirt as a wink and a nod to her recent controversy), you could tell that the women were having great fun bringing them alive.
Seth Meyers seemed to enjoy having Amy at his side during "Weekend Update," and they had fun laughing at the awkward meeting of the real New York Governor David Paterson and Fred Armisen's clueless parody of him. I can't even recall many specific jokes and moments that made me laugh, yet, because of the electricity and chemistry Amy had with the cast and guests and the respect they had for her, it was a joy to watch.
Yet, while these moments were fun, I couldn't help but feel like there were many wasted opportunities in the show. I would have absolutely loved to have seen another installment of "the Barry Gibb Talk Show," the ridiculous and hilarious faux talk show with Jimmy and Justin. How often can you get both of them in the same room ... this should have been the highlight of the evening, but instead, it was woefully missed.
Now, I'm willing to recognize the fact that many, if not all of the special guests last night were last-minute additions, which is why they couldn't participate too much, especially in the pre-recorded Digital Short (which, unfortunately, featured Katy Perry attempting to sing), but it was still a shame they couldn't do more. A lot of talent was wasted.
And then, Katy Perry. I wish I could give her kudos for NOT lip syncing, but she was so terrible, screeching her way through every single note in her overplayed songs that it was unbearable. Listening to her perform truly made me cringe.
So, it wasn't the best SNL premiere, but it wasn't the worst. Let's hope next week's Bryan Cranston-hosted episode can improve on the formula. May I make a suggestion? Could Tracy Morgan make a guest appearance reading tweets from next week's musical guest, Kanye West? I love the SNL writers, but I don't know if they could write anything better than Kanye's genius tweets, and since many of his statements sound like something Tracy (both Morgan and his fictional 30 Rock character) would say, so this would be a wonderful inclusion.
Also, as a side, NBC-related note: in a brilliant act of karma, Jeff Zucker, the man who oversaw the collapse of NBC and played a major part in the Conan O'Brien debacle, has left NBC (before he could be fired by Comcast once they take over NBC ... his words, not mine). He complained how hard of a decision it was to leave the company he has worked for all of his adult life, much like Conan complained how hard it was that he was so mistreated by a company he worked at for much of his adult life. I enjoy schadenfreude.
What was everyone's favorite (or least favorite) moments from SNL? Thrilled about the latest corporate shakeup at NBC?
I love Emmy night. Most people I come into contact with on a regular basis don't understand the fierce passion I have when it comes to Emmy nominations, wins and the broadcast itself. After last year's show was fairly terrible, I was concerned about whether I'd be impressed again, and I certainly was (yes, NBC did something right).
This year's epic opener kind of proves why I love the Emmys so.
Jon Hamm and Betty White shimmying. Perfect song choice. Joel McHale being Joel McHale (side note: I loved that the Emmys used Joel liberally throughout the show, yet never nominated Community for anything). Jimmy and Tina Fey bringing back their adorable chemistry from their Weekend Update days (but, Tina, don't try to sing, please). Lea Michele not making me gag. If that alone doesn't make the Emmys worth watching, I don't understand how you can call yourself a television fan. For God's sake, they made you laugh at Kate Gosselin without hating her. That's quite the feat.
This year really provided a lot of fantastic moments. My second favorite?
Jimmy's dead-on impression of Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, during his tribute to LOST. While I love TV, I'm also a very devoted Green Day fan, so I nearly fell out of my chair in a combination of laughter and giddiness. Just ask anyone at the BG News, who put up with my reactions to the awards all evening long.
I know a lot of people hate Jimmy, but I think he delivered tonight. He played to his strengths but he didn't dominate the show.
Now, to the actual winners.
I was impressed with the comedy wins. I love 30 Rock, but I can handle them losing, especially to a show like Modern Family. I've expressed my feelings about Glee here before, and I just think that they won the awards they deserved, mainly Jane Lynch. I expected vote-splitting for the three Modern Family nominees in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category, but I'm happy Eric Stonestreet took it (actually, I would have been happy with anyone but Jon Cryer). I strongly believe that in terms of consistency, cast excellence and comedic value, Modern Family is a far superior show to Glee. I have no complaints about it winning, even if it isn't 30 Rock. It's time for some new blood. As for one Modern Family complaint? I wasn't wowed by the pilot episode, which earned Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan an Emmy tonight. 30 Rock's Anna Howard Shaw day, written by Matt Hubbard, was a better episode.
Edie Falco won for her wonderful performance on Nurse Jackie, making her the first woman to win for both comedy and drama acting categories. I would have liked to have seen Amy Poehler (who looked amazing so soon after having her baby) win, so it would help the woefully under-viewed Parks and Recreation, but there's no denying that Edie is great. Due to my inherent bias against CBS comedies, I haven't seen the Big Bang Theory, so I don't know about how deserving Jim Parsons win was. Like with the suppporting actor category, I was just happy it wasn't Larry David, Tony Shalhoub or Matthew Morrison.
As for guest actors, I was impressed. As much as I love and adore Will Arnett, Neil Patrick Harris was great on Glee, and Betty White's win for SNL was also well-deserved. John Lithgow for Dexter was a no-brainer, too.
Now, for drama. Mad Men won once again, over Dexter's amazing season four. As I've said before, Mad Men may be a show that's well executed, but it would have been nice to see Dexter rewarded for its stellar season. Likewise, I'm frustrated Michael C. Hall lost for Outstanding Actor. Yet, since he lost to Bryan Cranston, who put forth a great body of work this year on Breaking Bad (even if the season was a little inconsistent), who has deserved his three consecutive awards.
The award that brought me the most joy, though, was seeing Aaron Paul win for Outstanding Supporting Actor for Breaking Bad. He was just astounding to watch this season. I loved hearing the insane amount of applause for him and his speech was so heartfelt. I'd say it's a three-way tie between him, Edie Falco and Eric Stonestreet for favorite speeches tonight.
(I'm ashamed to say that I'm very unfamiliar with the nominees for the dramatic actresses. However, just because I do root for the underdogs, it would have been nice to see Connie Britton take home the award. I have seen a scant few Friday Night Lights episodes, and her work impressed me.)
Lord knows I love the Daily Show and Jon Stewart, but I wish Conan O'Brien or Stephen Colbert and their respective shows could have won instead, if only so we could have actually received an acceptance speech for them. Conan's nomination intro was pretty humorous too, and it was wonderful seeing him in the audience, strike/unemployment beard still in tact.
Another highlight? Ricky Gervais, as always. It was silly for NBC to book him to host this year's Golden Globes, a show where the host does little work. This isn't meant as a dig at Jimmy, because I think he did great, but the Emmys are what Ricky is made to host. A low light, however, was seeing Jason Sudeikis bring January Jones as his date. I don't care too much about celebrities' private lives, but I just find January to be boring and basic (put on display during her awful SNL episode), especially compared to his ex-wife, the hilarious and gorgeous Kay Cannon (who was nominated tonight for 30 Rock). It's just one of those couples that baffles me.
Alright, I've rambled on long enough about the Emmys, but I just love them so. What did everyone else think were highlights and low points? Any red carpet mishaps I missed? Seriously, if there were any awful/hilarious/amazing red carpet moments, please let me know. I had to work, so I was only able to watch the show on a stream online, and it was hard enough to pay attention to them, I didn't have time to watch red carpet shows, either.
I was excited to learn yesterday that Glee star Jane Lynch will host the Oct. 9 episode of Saturday Night Live. It's always a treat when SNL gets hosts who are competent in the world of physical comedy, and I have a feeling that the seemingly fearless Jane will fit in quite well. She's more than proven her worth with films such as the 40 Year-Old-Virgin and Role Models, and so it'll be great to see her be someone other than Sue Sylvester for the evening.
However, even with this announcement, it still leaves the spot open for who will host the season 36 premiere episode. It's rarely the highest-rated episode of SNL, but it's still a pretty big deal, since the season premiere can often set the pace for the tone of the rest of the season. It's quite the honor to host any time, but on such a noteworthy time as the season premiere, that's something.
Unfortunately, lately, SNL has gone for a host of this episode for their notoriety rather than comedic ability. Steve Carell hosted the season 31 premiere in 2005, and he was a perfect fit. Not only was he a high-profile star at the time (the 40-Year-Old Virgin was released a month prior), but he was actually funny on the show. After that, things went downhill.
In 2006, Dane Cook hosted the season 32 premiere. I personally cannot stand Dane, but I think even fans would be hard pressed to disagree that his stand up storytelling just did not translate well onto the SNL stage. It was an awful fit, and his extreme smugness was too much to bear. I am a huge fan of the musical guest that evening, the Killers, so sitting through that show to watch them? It was painful.
Seasons 33 and 34, SNL made the same mistake of tapping sports superstars to host, with Cleveland's Public Enemy #1 in 2007, and Michael Phelps in 2008. LeBron James wasn't too terrible (the image of him from the Solid Gold sketch still makes me laugh), but he wasn't great, either. As for Michael? He was far too awkward and worthless. These episodes proved that you can't just assume people who are charismatic in one field would do well at Studio 8H.
In 2009, Transformers star Megan Fox hosted. I will give her the benefit of the doubt because the writing for the episode was lackluster. However, she did not bring anything to the table, which, as a host like Jon Hamm proves, is very possible.
SNL ends up leaving a negative impression in peoples' minds right from the season's start, and it doesn't have to be that way.
Can I put in a couple of suggestions to Lorne Michaels? Will Arnett, the husband of one of SNL's finest, Amy Poehler, will begin a new show on Fox, Running Wilde, this fall. It's a rival network, sure, but I think he could deliver. (Side note, congratulations to Will and Amy on the birth of their second child, Abel James!) I'd recommend his co-star on the show, Keri Russell, but I don't know how strong she'd be on a format like SNL (we don't want a repeat of the January Jones fiasco). Joel McHale is a network in-house talent as well, and a hosting gig would be great publicity for the ratings-challenged Community. It's always baffled me that Stephen Colbert and John Krasinski haven't hosted, so I would love if Lorne considered them.
One suggestion I find amusing is the one on Facebook, which is to have Conan O'Brien host. This will NEVER happen, but wow, it would be fantastic if it did. To be honest, it would be genius. The ad revenue for that show would be through the roof, so NBC could still profit off of him even after all of the drama. Per his contract with NBC, he could legally host a show as of Sept. 1, and SNL does not premiere until Sept. 25, so it's possible, but not probable. He was funny when he hosted in 2001, and I'm sure the writing staff would work extra hard to make his show great.
Who are some other potential knockout hosts for SNL? Looking to defend any recent hosts? Leave a comment!
Well, TV fans, I have bad news, and I have even worse news.
The bad news? The Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series Emmy award will still not be presented on prime time television, which I wrote about yesterday.
The worse news? NBC cannot be blamed for this (and let me tell you, since I get a real high out of hating the Peacock, this is a real buzzkill for me).
According to Deadline Hollywood, this Emmy category, and other writing nominations were pre-arranged by the Emmys and the Writers Guild of America to only air in prime time every other year. It just so happens that this is the year in which these categories will be presented during the Creative Arts Emmys, or the Schmemmys, as Kathy Griffin refers to them, one week before the prime time show.
When Conan writer Deon Cole Tweeted after finding out that his nominated category would not appear in prime time (the Schmemmys will air on E! one week before the prime time awards), many took it to mean that NBC was cutting the category out of the show as a conspiracy against Conan. It's not like that isn't something that NBC would do, as petty as they are. Unfortunately, NBC cannot be blamed for this oversight. Rather, the union that is working for the writers is downgrading their members' publicity by agreeing to appear only on the Schmemmys.
So, I think the two points I made yesterday still stand: the prime time telecast will lose one of the few highlights of the show (the nomination videos), and it's unfair that the writers are delegated to the Schmemmys. As the Deadline Hollywood article notes, NBC probably isn't too thrilled about losing such a highlight in the telecast (then again, as I said yesterday, they'll just use that extra time to shameless promote their soon-to-be-canceled shows).
Also, I want to note, I don't mean to downplay winning a Schmemmy (to be honest, my ridiculous dream in life is to win ANY Emmy award, Schmemmy or not). It's just that this arrangement seems strange. How unfortunate would it be to be nominated for a writing Emmy in an even-numbered year, when you will only be featured on cable and in industry chatter, but to be shunned in an odd-numbered year, when those nominated people will be shown on prime time? It should be an all-or-nothing setup, not this peculiar arrangement.
It's a shame that Deon and Conan's fellow writers won't be able to be recognized for the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (since it's their only year for that show to be nominated) and that the other nominees won't be recognized on prime time. It's also sad that the audience will lose such a fun moment in the show. But the biggest shame of all is that it can't be blamed on NBC.
^I don't think anyone could have summed up the latest Emmy news better.
Last week, I blogged about how exciting it was that the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien was nominated for Emmys this year, even after all of the controversy with NBC. NBC executives were probably shaking in their boots, because if Conan and/or his writing staff won awards, they would have to suffer the awkward indignation of airing the acceptance speech of someone they so unceremoniously booted off of the network.
So, it doesn't come as too much of a surprise that, according to one of Conan's writers, Deon Cole, the 2010 Emmy broadcast, which will air on NBC this year, will not feature the Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program. Continuing their long-standing reputation of acting like petty 14-year-old girls, the network has decided to eliminate any possible way for Conan or his writing staff to appear on camera to accept an award at the Emmys, in their ongoing mission to pretend as though he never existed. Deon said that it wasn't NBC who made this decision, but I have a feeling that the telecast producers were largely influenced by the network (Jeff Zucker, in particular) to make the cut, and that he was just being polite.
This bothers me a lot, for two main reasons. First, the removal of this category will remove from the Emmy telecast what is typically the best part of the show - the nominee videos for the category.
I always enjoy seeing what the writers of the nominated shows come up with each year, and it bothers me that we will not be able to see the nominee presentations this year. Instead, knowing NBC, they'll use the extra time in the telecast to have Jay Leno on the show, complaining about how he wasn't nominated, or spending time shamelessly previewing the future failure fall shows on NBC. Even if the Tonight Show didn't win the Emmy (typically, the Daily Show wins, but Late Night did win in 2007), NBC apparently couldn't risk Conan and his writers using the nominee portion to take a dig at the network. I'm sad that we won't be able to see the Conan team's videos, as well as videos from the fellow nominees (the Daily Show, the Colbert Report, Saturday Night Live and Real Time with Bill Maher).
The second reason this bothers me is that in NBC's increasingly pathetic attempts to do damage control, they are unfairly hurting the nominees. Outstanding Writing award doesn't just honor the show, but the people who help to put it together, the names that many people don't pay attention to when the credits roll. For that one second, their names, and possibly faces, can be featured on a prime-time show, and they can be publicly honored for their accomplishments. NBC is now taking away that honor for the writers of all of the nominated writers of all of the nominated shows. The writers for the shows should not be punished for NBC's failure to run their network. I like to see writers in the spotlight, and this Emmy category is a great chance for people to recognize their talents.
It's not that I feel sorry for Conan, but his writers, and the writers of all of the nominated shows. I feel sorry for Emmy viewers, who will be robbed of a show highlight. With award show ratings going down the toilet, you would think networks would want to do whatever they can to keep highlights in the show. Then, I remember, this is NBC we're dealing with, and everything makes sense.
I now wonder if Conan and his staff will even be invited to the Emmys this year. If they aren't, I hope some party crashing goes on, not to vindicate Conan, who has constantly reaffirmed that he does not want sympathy, but for the sake of the shunned writers. Plus, it would be a great middle finger to NBC.
This is why we can't have nice things, because the trolls at NBC will find a way to ruin it. It's what they do best.
I hope my American readers enjoyed their Independence Day (and today, if you got the day off for the holiday). Shame it was so hot here in Toledo that it was unbearable to be outside, hopefully the heat didn't ruin the day for everyone.
In the "News that even Helen Keller could have predicted" department (side note, Helen and I share a June 27 birthday. I love that. However, I also share it with Khloe Kardashian, so you win some, lose some.), Jay Leno is kind of failing.
After 4 months back on the Tonight Show, Jay's ratings are even lower than Conan O'Brien's were during his Tonight Show tenure. After starting off strong back in March, viewership has dipped 20 percent, and Nightline now beats both his and David Letterman's numbers.
It's so ridiculous. NBC "punished" Jay by putting him back in his coveted late-night spot, and in the processed, punished Conan for garnering lower ratings than Jay, who is now failing. Now, he's doing even worse, NBC still has to shell out money for 10 p.m. weekday shows and they have yet another fantastic story from a public relations perspective. I bet they're thrilled.
As the above article points out, NBC kept Jay and his team because he would have been more expensive to buy out than Conan. However, Jay's show is much more expensive to maintain than Conan's was and would have been had he stayed at NBC. Now, since decreased ad revenue is likely going to result from this, they're still losing big time, and have foolishly severed all ties with such a strong network icon, all because they impulsively acted out of panic in late 2009 as a result of their own stupid decisions.
Since I love some schadenfreude, especially when NBC is the one experiencing the misfortune, I'm writing this entry with a big grin on my face. I used to be neutral towards Jay and his team, but this whole debacle and his smarmy attitude after it (such as when he claimed that Conan ruined the Tonight Show franchise) has resulted in my reveling in his failure. If there's anyone I feel bad for in this, it's Jimmy Fallon and his show, which has vastly improved since last year. His ratings are suffering as well, and I think Jay is partially to blame.
Is that immature? Yes, probably. Should I feel bad for Conan since he's still a multi-millionaire? Probably not. But that's not the point. This whole incident came from an unfair and illogical decision from a tired network, and it still baffles and annoys me. In television, if your show fails miserably, as Jay's prime time show did, it's canceled, not rewarded with a better spot, that's just the way it should go, and didn't in this case.
I haven't watched the Tonight Show since Conan's last rerun aired in February. It's going to be tough not to watch Thursday, when Steve Carell and Jane Lynch are on the same show, but I won't, out of principle (one that is semi-irrational, considering I'm sadly not a Nielsen household, but still).
Are you the same way, or have you gone back to the Tonight Show?
I think the title of this entry says it all. This 7 1/2 minute video from Conan's June 1 show in New York City is basically one of the most amazing things ever to exist. Remember the epic battle Conan, Jon and Stephen had back in 2008, which was basically the only reason I survived the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America Strike? (I wish I could say I was being super melodramatic with that statement, but that would be a lie. That strike nearly made me go insane!)
Well, multiply the amazing qualities of that times infinity. Add in a near-kiss between Stephen and Colbert, more dancing, a "near-death" scene, and a ridiculous outfit from Jon. Watch and weep tears of joy, folks.
Oh yeah, Paul Rudd was there too.
Oh, and SNL's Bill Hader was there too.
(both images via globochem on Tumblr)
Let's not forget Conan jammed with Vampire Weekend.
I was unable to find photographic evidence of this, but the Huffington Post reported that the Office's John Krasinski was there too.
Again, this sounds melodramatic, but I mean it when I say that if I could have been at that show, I probably would have had a heart attack. That's not to say I didn't love my Conan show at MSU, but, I am extremely jealous of everyone at this show. I can't begin to explain my love for everyone in this post, and this was a truly great show!
Conan O’Brien told the crowd at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center on May 21 that he hoped attendees would walk away thinking, “Wow, that was sort of worth it.”
Judging by the boisterous reactions of the crowd, Conan’s “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour” did not disappoint. For two hours, Conan entertained the crowd with a mix of stand-up, musical performances, familiar features of his former shows and some special guests.
After opener Reggie Watts and the Legally Prohibited Band (featuring familiar faces such as Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg, whose face Conan later licked during the show) started the show, Conan took the stage wearing a MSU jersey underneath his sport coat. It was so crazy to see those long legs walking out on stage, doing the String Dance.
He explained his excitement for being in Michigan, and the warm response from the Spartans. The crowd ate up Conan’s name-checking of local restaurants and businesses (he claimed that his new job will be at the East Lansing “Meijers,” which is a common Midwestern trait: adding an S to a store name, such as Krogers, KMarts, etc.), as well as direct digs at school rivals.
According to Conan, he rejected a bid by the University of Michigan to play on their campus. “I don’t like that school,” he told the crowd. Then, he added the line which got the most applause that evening, “Any school that needs a football stadium that big must have a small penis.” He joked that the school had a major drinking problem, since the students in attendance at the show clearly did not realize that school ended weeks ago. “Your mascot should be a hung-over Spartan vomiting into his helmet.”
Conan was not alone that evening. Longtime sidekick Andy Richter joined in on the fun, as did Triumph the Insult Comic Dog in a pre-taped segment which had local jokes dubbed into the tape. According to Triumph, his excrement made its way onto the restaurant of local eatery Chunky’s. Even though it’s meant as an insult, that bit (as well as the shout-out to the Riv) will likely remain the best possible press for the restaurant.
Deon Cole, a former writer for Conan, also took the stage for standup. Sarah Killen, the Michigan resident who got 15 minutes of fame after Conan chose her Twitter account as the only one he’d follow, hugged Conan onstage.
She pulled the “Walker, Texas Ranger” Lever, rechristened the “Chuck Norris, Rural Policeman Handle” due to Conan’s former employer, NBC, owning the intellectual rights over the original name. For the same reason, “the Self-Pleasuring Panda” visited the crowd, instead of the notorious Masturbating Bear.
Seeing the Masturbating Bear (no, I will not use the new name. Screw NBC.), uh, ‘perform’ live was so much more fulfilling than on the TV, and seeing Andy kick him in the nether region nearly made me lose it. As Conan said, “some men don’t like that!”
Both bits brought familiar elements of Conan’s shows to the audience (including the famous “Walker” clip where Haley Joel Osment’s character bluntly states that “Walker told me I have AIDS”), and reminded people why they paid to see the show live. As Conan said, he was the first time people ever paid to see him, and in return, he attempted to make the show as personal as possible.
I felt kind of geeky for being the only person in the Breslin Center yelling out the infamous “Walker told me I have AIDS” line during the “Walker, Texas Ranger” bit, yet I didn’t care too much, because the bit was so hilarious that it didn’t matter how big of a fool I made of myself.
While Conan is best known for his comedy, another passion of his is music. Throughout much of the show, Conan had a guitar in his hand, singing original and parody songs (such as “My Own Show Again” to the tune of “On the Road Again”), which brought a unique spin to his comedy not often seen on television.
In keeping with the musical theme, Conan’s guest that evening, Michigan native Kid Rock, took the stage to explain, in song, why he would make a good president. “I’d put TV cameras in the Lincoln Bedroom, and the whole nation could watch Rock layin’ it down,” he sang. Even though I’m not a Kid Rock fan, his bit was fun. I support his presidential platform promise of giving mothers who raise the nation’s children a paid vacation. I like that he still lives in Clarkston, Mich., and has a lot of pride for the state.
Reggie Watts and Deon Cole weren’t my favorite parts of the show, but they did make me laugh quite a few times. Reggie’s song about women and their purses with their crumbling eye shadow was pretty dead-on, and I learned via Deon’s bit and audience participation that white people are afraid of black people seeing them play hockey. Luckily, as he said, no black person will watch hockey.
Conan’s show combined the best of his comedy with his personal musical hobbies, his friends in show businesses and local flavor to create a show that kept the audience laughing and cheering all night. At the end of the show, Conan ran through the crowd of the Breslin Center, high-fiving and hugging fans in the audience, all the way up to the upper sections of the arena.
I just can’t begin to describe how much fun the show was. Conan clearly put his all into the show, and even with the long hours and insane schedule (our show was the fourth of a five-day in a row schedule that week, in addition to a trip to New York earlier in the week for TBS upfronts, then back to Chicago to perform), he was still full of an insane amount of energy. I loved that he ran out into the audience with very little restraint, and really tried to make it a great experience for the audience.
He made the show as personal as possible, showing that even though he may have fared well financially in the wake of the NBC controversy, he still cared about the people who made him popular. He will begin his new show on TBS Nov. 8, so it is unlikely that Conan will have the chance to tour again. So, for those lucky people who had the chance to attend the Legally Prohibited Tour, it will be a memorable and unique experience.
Judging by the massive audience applause throughout the show, it seemed fairy unanimous that Conan made the show more than “sort of worth it.” MSU’s representatives of “Team Coco” can sleep well knowing that they were able to be a part of such a riotous experience that showed why Conan has been beloved for nearly 20 years.
I took way too many pictures that night, you can find my pictures by clicking the photo at the top of the page. I just wish I had a better camera!
My videos can be found at my YouTube account. Here are two of my favorites.
This is the Breslin Center at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. It's the home of the Michigan State Spartans basketball team (who appeared in this year's Final Four), but, as someone who cares a minimal amount about sports, that fact is semi-irrelevant. For me, the Breslin Center has a different significance.
In 15 days, on May 21, it will be the venue where I see Conan O'Brien on his "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour."
Crazy, right? Back in March, when dates were announced, they sold out so quickly that I was unable to get a ticket, and it broke my heart that I couldn't witness this event, since it was likely to be Conan's only tour ever. I was filled with jealousy as I saw photos, videos and recaps from his shows throughout April. Then, one day a few weeks ago, I saw on Twitter that the school was going to host his tour on May 21, between his Chicago and Toronto dates, and tickets were a lot cheaper for this show than they were for the other shows.
I figured it was a long shot, since, as someone not enrolled at MSU, I could not participate in the student pre-sale, and they were only selling 4,500 tickets. However, I set my alarm last Monday bright and early to try to buy a ticket. After 15 gut-wrenching minutes of denial by the website, I was finally able to get into the ticketing system, and I got my ticket. The sense of accomplishment was honestly greater than my sense of accomplishment I got from graduating from high school, as pathetic as that sounds.
I won't ramble on about this for too long, since on May 22, I will update this blog with a ridiculously long recap. But, I am so thankful I have the chance to go, because I know how many people were in my original situation. Thank you, MSU, for not making this event only for MSU students, as Ohio State University did for Conan's May 24 show.
I'm not going to get my hopes up for guests, because, after all, who would be in the East Lansing area? The preceding Chicago shows and following Toronto shows will probably have great guests, and we'll get the shaft. I mean, two of my favorite people on the face of the earth, Jack McBrayer and Jason Mraz, have made guest appearances at his shows. I can't be that lucky! But, I'm not complaining too much, because seeing Conan, Andy Richter and the Legally Prohibited Band will be enough for me. Forss Fagerstrom showing up would be nice as well.
In Conan news that is not related to my shameless bragging, he was on 60 Minutes Sunday, discussing his exit with NBC. Personally, I thought he came across as crestfallen but not bitter, and it only made me love him more. You can watch the interview here:
Additionally, CBS' YouTube account has some bonus videos. I'm partial to this one:
Oh, and this video is just for fun. It still cracks me up 2 1/2 years later. A fire alarm interrupts Conan, hilarity ensues.
NOTE: Although I am finished with my Online Journalism class for which this blog was created, I plan on keeping it up. I may be a bit less stringent on AP Style and may use slang/Internet lingo more in my updates. Additionally, my updates may not be as frequent as they were during the semester. Thanks for reading!
It's rare in this day and age for any major business deal to go undiscovered and unannounced. Thanks to the Internet, it seems as though any inside deal, particularly with the media, is leaked days, weeks or months ahead of time. That's why Conan O'Brien created quite the anomaly Monday (you know, other than the anomaly of being a six feet tall, gangly, redheaded pale hero, or, depending on who you ask, sex symbol to an entire generation).
For months, it seemed as though, after defecting from longtime home NBC in January, O'Brien was set to start a show on Fox in the fall. Every day on ONTD, I'd read "insider" post after post about the various stages of O'Brien's contract negotiations with the network, and it seemed as though fans were just playing the waiting game until Fox made the official announcement.
That was until O'Brien Tweeted that he inked a deal with TBS to begin a show in November. Both the general public and media industry workers were stunned; TBS was never considered a serious contender in the quest for O'Brien. Plus, as many were keen to point out, O'Brien's deal to have a show weeknights at 11 p.m. would push George Lopez's "Lopez Tonight" an hour later to 12 a.m.; in other words, he was doing to Lopez what NBC and Jay Leno did to him.
However, the stakes are different for Lopez, I believe. Lopez's show does very well already, and its lead-ins are syndicated television shows and movies, not brand-new comedy content. Imagine the types of ratings he can receive with a boost by O'Brien's high-profile show right before, as his fans will likely stick around to watch "Lopez Tonight." It's not like NBC, where an already failing show ("The Jay Leno Show") would be rewarded with a better time slot, to harm O'Brien's "Tonight Show". Instead of harming the current show, it can help it.
Lopez apparently realized this as well. According to an interview with Turner Entertainment Networks President Steve Koonin, Lopez called O'Brien personally to convince him to make the deal, and has coined the new lineup "LoCo," combining the two names. I'm not a fan of Lopez's comedy, but I have to give him credit for being savvy about his prospects, and for personally trying to make this happen. Plus, TBS deserves a lot of credit for taking such a risk and just making an attempt to court O'Brien. They saw an opportunity and took it, and they did it while blindsiding the media and public, making the story all the more exciting.
Reading Koonin's interview gives me so much hope for O'Brien's show. TBS clearly believes in O'Brien, and realizes that he is a funny man who can bring a lot of attention to the network and its programming. They know what to do with O'Brien and his brand of comedy, something NBC (and, arguably, O'Brien and his staff) lacked when O'Brien made the switch to "the Tonight Show." As Koonin said, "He can do whatever he wants to do here. We think he is an incredibly talented artist and we want him to make his show and if he wants it edgier, we are 100 percent supportive." I always preferred O'Brien's sillier antics on "Late Night" to his watered-down "Tonight Show" bits (which isn't to say that he wasn't funny on "the Tonight Show"), and if he can use this cable platform to regain some of that irreverence, it would be for the better.
This seems like a winning situation for O'Brien, his staff, TBS and their shows, as well as O'Brien's fans. While I'm not thrilled about having to make the painful choice of watching O'Brien's show versus "The Daily Show" and "the Colbert Report" at the same time (thank God for Comedy Central's 1:30 and 2 a.m. reruns of those shows), it's still exciting.
In other O'Brien news, Monday night, he also began his hyped (but too short, Midwest-ignoring) live tour last night in Eugene, Ore. To add insult to injury, and to make me all the more jealous of those people who are seeing him on this tour, Twitter user Robert Kremers has posted pictures of the event, such as this one, featuring O'Brien and one of my favorite actors/people on the face of the Earth, Jack McBrayer of "30 Rock" pulling the "Chuck Norris, rural policeman" lever (similar to O'Brien's "Walker: Texas Ranger" lever, which he likely had to change the name of thanks to his exit deal with NBC to give up certain creative properties):
Plus, guitar playing? I don't mean to sound whiny, but why am I not at this show?
What do you think about O'Brien's new show? Will you watch? Are you crying yourself to sleep tonight knowing you're missing O'Brien's epic tour, like I probably will tonight? Leave a comment!
I apologize if this entry sounds whiny, because, frankly, I'm not in the best of moods. Once again, someone (in this case, formerly) associated with NBC has broken my heart. And this one really stings.
Rumors began swirling a couple of weeks ago that Conan O'Brien was going to be using his time in unemployment to go on the road for a cross-country tour. Well, that rumor was confirmed today. Tour dates for O'Brien's "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour" were not only announced today, but, unfairly, the tickets also went on sale at the same exact time dates were announced. I woke up today, excited about the prospects of buying tickets in the near future, only to go on Ticketmaster to find that any dates I could potentially attend were sold out already. This is because the lucky people who happened to have Internet and credit card access at 10 a.m. this morning got the first and only opportunities for tickets.
So, this has been my feeling all day (image is via TinyPic, although I'm 99 percent positive someone from ONTD made it):
It is not right that those behind this tour did not give fans advanced warning about tickets going on sale, and sprung the sale upon people at the last minute, leaving people to scramble to attempt to get any tickets. Additionally, I have a problem with the dates themselves. As an Ohioan, I'm upset that the two Chicago dates are essentially representing all of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Plus, with the monumental demand for tickets, playing venues that seat less than 5,000 people (such as the Chicago Theatre) just does not allow for the massive amount of O'Brien's fans to see this tour. His main demographic has traditionally been college students, and I feel that it would have been more suitable for O'Brien to play on college campuses and sell more tickets for cheaper prices, so that more students could afford them. The cheapest tickets for the Chicago shows were $39.50, but on eBay, they are currently going for hundreds of dollars.
Reading the tag line for the shows, "A night of music, comedy, hugging, and the occasional awkward silence" just makes me all the sadder to be missing it, because that sounds like heaven. I would love to hear O'Brien perform with his guitar, and I'm very jealous of the lucky souls who will get to see him. I just hope that for the people who were not lucky enough to secure a ticket, there will be other opportunities to see the show (a DVD release would be fantastic).
Were you a lucky person who bought a ticket, or were you left feeling like Pierre Bernard in his Recliner of Rage, ranting like I am about not getting a seat? Let me know, and we can wallow in our sadness together.
