Holiday Viewing: Conan

But perhaps I should take a step back.  While it’s important for Conan’s new show to succeed to validate the web and our platforms, it’s not all about us.  It also needs to succeed because Conan is, you know, good.  And funny.  (Important note: His promos may be the first time reasonably intelligent people didn’t snicker at TBS’s “Very Funny” slogan.)  The more funny people there are on TV, the better.  I know I’m ecstatic to have another option at 11pm.  “Sportscenter” is often rendered unwatchable by its rotating Favre/Lebron/ZOMG/YanksSawx fixations, there aren’t any great reruns in syndication anymore, and I’m about twenty years too young to be allowed to watch the news.  And while I love “The Daily Show,” there are plenty of days I just don’t have the stomach for politics, even if it is served with a heaping spoonful of dick jokes.  Compared to these depressing and occasionally infuriating options, having Conan and his cast of glorious nonsense characters bounce around my screen for an hour before tucking me in will be a welcome alternative.

So watch.  At least for the first month or so.  Give Conan the chance to get his feet under him he never got at “The Tonight Show.”  Maybe that means you stay up a half hour later, or DVR “The Daily Show.”  Fine, just suck it up.  We owe it to him, ourselves, and the state of American comedy as a whole.  And so help me God, if you choose to watch Leno instead, Andy Richter and I will come to your house and murder you with chainsaws.