Conan O'Brien left late-night television with huge ratings back in January, and he returned with another bang. According to Deadline, 4.2 million viewers (more specifically: 3.3 million adults 18-49; 2.5 million 18-34) tuned in last night to catch the premiere of his new TBS show, Conan, making it the number one late-night talk show telecast of all time on basic cable. To put that number in perspective, it's more than two-thirds the audience that tuned in to his Tonight Show premiere. Not too shabby.
Here's a quick look at the numbers:
Conan - 4.2 million viewers
Leno - 3.5 million
Letterman - 3.4 million
The Daily Show - 1.3 million
The Colbert Report - 1 million
While it was great to see Conan back on television, nothing about his first episode really stuck out. That's not necessarily a bad thing, however; there's still no one else in late night I'd rather watch and I'm glad he's back. Time will tell if other viewers feel the same way.
Conan seemed comfortable in his new surroundings. The cold open featured Conan looking for a job. His first stop was Don Draper's office (featuring Jon Hamm appearing as his Mad Men character) but he was turned down for having no advertising experience and because “it's 1965, you're two years old.” Next up, he gets a job at Burger King but can't stop talking about his old show, which makes a customer angry. He then tries and fails as a clown at a children's birthday party. After all that, he's about to throw himself off a bridge when Larry King appears with two words for Conan: “basic cable.” Conan meets with TBS, and that's that. Great stuff. You can watch it here.
His monologue was fresh and funny, but I really enjoyed what came after: Andy Richter and Conan's banter. The two of them are great together and I really missed hearing them chat and joke. Guests Seth Rogen and Lea Michele were engaging and fun, and Conan even strapped on a guitar to perform with musical guest Jack White.
The numbers look great after one night, but the real question is whether or not he will be able to retain this kind of viewership night to night and week to week. What did you think of Conan last night, and if you watched, will you keep tuning in to TBS at 11 PM for more Coco?
