Critic Reviews
| 80 |
Boston Globe Joanna Weiss
It was vintage Conan stuff, proof that his absurdist sense of humor won't change much on the West Coast. And yet last night also contained some grand nods to O'Brien's fancy new home. |
| 75 |
Chicago Sun-Times Paige Wiser
Admit it. Seeing O'Brien under direct sunlight in various bits was a jolt. But he looked giddily at home on the Tonight Show stage. |
| 75 |
Chicago Tribune Maureen Ryan
Though he seemed a little nervous and the humor seemed a bit broader, generally speaking, than it was on "Late Night," Conan on The Tonight Show worked just fine. |
| 75 |
Entertainment Weekly Ken Tucker
All in all, a large-scale, impressive debut. |
| 75 |
USA Today Robert Bianco
All in all, O'Brien got his Tonight off to a decent start, though you still got the sense you were watching an introduction more than a settled production. |
| 70 |
New York Daily News David Hinckley
Conan made it subtly clear that the new kid in town will be a little naughtier and that for better or worse, Tonight is now his ride. |
| 63 |
San Francisco Chronicle Tim Goodman
O'Brien's debut was pretty much what one would expect from these kind of pre-hyped events. It was both funny and forced and the expectations of - what, exactly?--never seemed to materialize, even though Will Ferrell as the sole guest tried to drum something up and Pearl Jam, as the musical guest, at least kick-started an aural ruckus. |
| 60 |
Newark Star-Ledger Alan Sepinwall
Conan was simultaneously reassuring his fans that he wasn't going to change too much in the new gig, and telling the traditional Tonight audience what they might expect from the new landlord. This was the smart, and really only, play Conan could make on night one of such a high-profile job. I just wish the execution had been a little better. |
| 60 |
Hollywood Reporter Randee Dawn
After one show, let's say he's a work in progress. |
| 60 |
Washington Post Tom Shales
Moving up to the big time, and relocating to the earlier time slot, seems to have robbed Conan of much of his charm. Much--but not all. |
| 60 |
Philadelphia Inquirer David Hiltbrand
In its first week, the show has acquired a more expansive, scattershot tone. It feels less rehearsed than Leno's regime, but at times, out of control. |
| 50 |
Baltimore Sun David Zurawik
Conan O'Brien's first Tonight Show was a good one--if you like canned video clips rather than topical humor. Otherwise, there wasn't much to get excited about. |
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