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Video: Conan O’Brien announces TBS show title

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Holy crap, it’s September already! That means that November is just around the corner which, more specifically, means that Team Coco is gearing up for the big man’s triumphant return to television. So far, details on the new venture, aside from its place on TBS at 11 pm EST, have been scarce – until now! Watch the video below, in which a still-bearded Conan reveals the title of his new show in a barren office!


TBS rolls out Sandler, Ellen, Conan comedy specials tonight, Sunday

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TBS knows how to turn around live comedy specials ultra quick. Last night, the network, who just helped host Chicago’s Just For Laughs festival last week premiered Cedric the Entertainer’s Urban Circus, which was filmed during the fest.

And tonight at 10 pm EST, TBS will premiere the special How to Build the Perfect Grown Up, starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James and Rob Schneider, who together star in the movie Grown Ups.

On Sunday at 9 pm EST, the network rolls out the hour-long Ellen’s Somewhat Special Special – musical guest Lady Antebellum as well as acrobats and other performance artists star – followed by Team Coco presents Conan’s Writers Live hosted by Andy Richter, wherein Conan’s writers will perform stand-up comedy. Bonus: Reggie Watts, Conan’s brilliant live opener, will also be featured. Check out tbs.com for more info.


Chris Rock talks food racism, Conan and being poor on Leno

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On a recent Tonight Show with Jay Leno interview punctuated by awkward questions about where the red-haired guy went, Chris Rock talks about his two daughters and what life was like growing up in a shoe. Rock quips that his young daughters recently got out of rehab and elaborates on a recent statement that he wouldn’t want them to get into show business.

Rock also talks about growing up with seven siblings and subsisting on breadless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (and from the way he describes it, trying to eat these should be an Olympic sport). Finally, Rock and Leno bond over their fathers’ food racism. Ever cut the black spots out of a banana? Exactly.

Check out some highlights below!


TBS pokes fun at Emmys in Conan O’Brien ads

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conanThe newly TBS-supported Conan O’Brien isn’t holding anything back. The deposed comedy lord and his new cable comrades are going right for the jugular, telling the world they want Emmys before they’ve even gone on the air.

The image to the right is one of several new ads mocking “for your consideration” award lobbying advertisements you see in trade magazines like Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.

This one features a beardless, Ken Doll-esque rendering of Conan. The last time TBS joked about a show winning Emmys was when it took out an actual Emmy ad for George Lopez. Conan’s new show premieres on Nov. 8


Listen to Conan O’Brien’s 22-minute monologue from Radio City

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Conan O'BrienLast Tuesday, Conan O’Brien’s Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour came to Radio City Music Hall in New York– just steps away from where the man used to host his original late night chat show. Much like his former show, near the start of the production that night, O’Brien addressed the crowd for more than 20 minutes– part stand-up/part monologue style.

He hit on all the topics you’d expect him to. But he also got deeply personal at times. The crowd ate up every second of it. The proof is in the trio of audio tracks below. You can hear the entire, historic show segment below. Enjoy!

Conan O’Brien at Radio City, part 1

Conan O’Brien at Radio City, part 2

Conan O’Brien at Radio City, part 3


Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Hader more join Conan at Radio City

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Tonight, Conan O’Brien will conclude his two-night live engagement in his former hometown of New York City at the famous Radio City Music Hall. Last night, however, marked the first time the late night show host ever performed on stage at the giant venue. And, as expected, Coco giddily paraded out an armful of his famous friends.

When the man, himself, announced the tour weeks ago, he made no promises regarding the quality of his tour shows. And in comedy, especially the self deprecating kind Conan’s fans are accustomed to, it’s easy to play that “we’re not even trying” card. In fact, last night he told the packed house, “I want everyone to leave tonight thinking that was sort of worth it.”

And while last night’s show was by no means a completely thrown-together production, it certainly was partially thrown together. Conan admitted that much to the crowd toward the end of the show addressing a skit wherein he was joined onstage by Stephen Colbert (who re-ignited his fake beef with Conan by challenging Coco to a dance off), Andy Richter (who joined Conan for many sketches throughout the night) and Jon Stewart, dressed like a Mexican bull fighter (or maybe a waiter)?

Before the dance off began. Photo by Tom Chau from his Twitter @TomChau

Before the dance off began. Photo by Tom Chau from his Twitter @TomChau

In one of many references to the Tonight Show/NBC kerfuffle, Conan announced, “I’m standing 200 feet away from NBC headquarters. So ladies and gentlemen, sit back, relax and enjoy an incredibly awkward situation. You can tell there’s a sexual tension between me and that building across the street… If you listen very closely, you can hear the executives adding a ninth hour to the Today show.”

And so began a 20-minute-plus monologue-style address near the start of the show; he peppered light-hearted funnies with what seemed like earnest personal reflections born from his months out of the television spotlight as well as purposely thinly veiled (for legal reasons, of course) attacks against Jay Leno and some quality sight gags (including a photoshopped image of the TBS logo placed on the famous NBC studios marquee).

Read the rest of this entry »


Conan O’Brien writers descend on Chicago’s Just For Laughs to film TBS special

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strike-conan-obrien_lAndy Richter, Reggie Watts, and some of Conan O’Brian’s writers will be performing a live show entitled Team Coco Presents Conan’s Writers Live (a working title) in Chicago on June 17 as part of the TBS Just For Laughs festival.

It seems the idea behind this show is to give the public an idea of what Conan’s new show will be like, while giving Conan a rest (as well as to keep the upcoming show in public view without violating any contracts).

The show, having played to sold out crowds in LA, will be coming to Chicago for one night only as part of festival, going on June 15. So for those of you who can’t wait to see what Conan and TBS have in store for us, you can start buying tickets this Friday after 10 am. For those of you who can wait, Team Coco will also air on TBS, June 27 at 9 pm EST.


Watch the full ‘60 Minutes’ Conan O’Brien interview

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The highly anticipated Conan O’Brien interview with 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft went down last night. It didn’t come with many surprises. Conan was measured and largely polite when talking about Jay Leno, simply saying that he would’ve done things differently, referring to how he would not have taken the Tonight Show back after giving it to him.

Coco admits he’s totally fine and happy and makes it clear that no one should look at him as a victim. Regardless of the lack of revelatory material covered, Kroft did a solid job of giving us what seems to be an accurate portrait of a man who’s profile has only improved due to his apparent ill fortune. Check it out.


Watch CBS News Videos Online


CBS releases first video clip of Conan O’Brien interview on 60 Minutes

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Tomorrow at 7 pm on CBS’ 60 Minutes, Conan O’Brien sits down with correspondent Steve Kroft. It’s the first interview he’s been permitted to give since he left NBC with a huge payout that came with a few restrictions– talking to the press being one of them. Below, check out the first released clip from the interview.


Watch CBS News Videos Online


60 Minutes releases second wave of Conan O’Brien interview excerpts

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Conan O'Brien

CBS’ 60 Minutes just posted some more excerpts of their Conan O’Brien interview, which airs Sunday at 7 pm EST. As you’ve probably surmised, this is Conan’s first interview since he left NBC; he chose to speak to the show’s Steve Kroft. Upon his exit, he signed a contract with the network that gave him a hefty payout but came with restrictions– one of which prevented him from speaking to the press until May 1.

Below are the newest portions of the interview as they appear on the CBS site. Enjoy!

Regrets?

“I don’t regret anything. I don’t regret one decision I made in that week and a half period,” says the late night television comedian. “I wish it had ended differently. But, I’m fine. I do believe, and this might be my Catholic upbringing or Irish magical thinking, but I think things happen for a reason. I really do. And I think that this all happened for a reason,” he tells Kroft.

Was He Screwed?

“The biggest thing people come up and say to me in gas stations and restaurants, I have so many people say this to me. ‘Hey partner, you got screwed.’ I don’t, and I always tell them, ‘No, I didn’t. I didn’t get screwed. I’m fine. It just didn’t work out.’ But I don’t want people thinking, you know, that I got screwed. Because it just didn’t work out.”

Resolved His Issues?

“No, I have not resolved all my issues. I am mostly very happy. I love this tour it’s the most thrilling thing I’ve done in my career. And so I’m in a really great place in a lot of ways. But I’d be lying if I said I don’t have my moments of everything, you know, anger, disappointment, frustration and just confusion.”

Speaking to Kroft about Jay Leno and his exit from the network, O’Brien says he would have left NBC rather than do what Leno did to him.

“He went and took that show back and I think in a similar situation, if roles had been reversed, I know…I know me, I wouldn’t have done that,” O’Brien says. “If I had surrendered The Tonight Show and handed it over to somebody publicly and wished them well and then…six months later. But that’s me, you know. Everyone’s got their own, you know, way of doing things,” he tells Kroft.

Asked by Kroft what he would have done, O’Brien says, “Done something else, go someplace else. I mean, that’s just me.”

O’Brien eventually left NBC, deciding not to play second-fiddle to Leno. He says he didn’t see the point in giving his all in a relationship that seemed to have no future. “I think this relationship is going be toxic and maybe we just need to go our separate ways,” he says. “That’s really how it felt to me…and I started to feel that I’m not sure these- people even really want me here….I can’t do it [anymore].”