On watching the last Conan O’Brien Tonight Show last night, after seeing one of the highlight montages of various stunts Conan had done in his seven-month run, including bits of the cross-country run through various landmarks that opened his first episode, it occurred to me that Conan had racked up more classic, truly funny highlights in seven months than Jay Leno probably has to show for 17 years.
Some of Conan’s stunts in this run -- being “bowled” down a lane and smashing into giant pins, tipping over rows of people in domino formation, and the like, definitely came from the line of Steve Allen and David Letterman stunts. Still others had Conan’s own personality to them.
20 years from now, or when Conan and Leno are both long gone, I’ll bet Conan’s work is going to be much more well-remembered and cited as innovative than Leno’s. And, in keeping with my takes on SNL, especially in this most recent review, I hope -- nay, predict -- Letterman and Conan should individually and collectively both trounce Leno in the ratings on his return.
As in the commentary linked to in my previous entry, sure, it could be said that all Leno ever wanted was the Tonight Show, and so one should understand his machinations now to take it back from Conan, but what was or is the point of having this show when Leno puts so little of his skills as a stand-up into making it a good program, rather than a middle-of-the-road accessible one. At least Conan pulled no punches.
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