Conan O'Brien fans will need to brace themselves for the changes afoot at his aptly titled late night talk show, Conan. Fans should prepare to see a lot less of O'Brien on TBS, although it's not all bad news. Fans need not despair! Here's what's happening.
TBS has announced that starting in 2019, Conan will be cutting back its runtime by half. That's right, Conan fans; the late night chatfest will go from being one-hour in length to 30 minutes. The good news is that the show will still air four nights per week and with a new format described as being "less structured." The rebooted version of Conan will continue to feature guests, along with a slew of segments brought from Team Coco's freshly extended collection.
Conan O'Brien has assured fans that the move is part of him evolving with the times, citing how much television has changed since he joined the late night fray in 1993. A trend-setter, O'Brien's choice to reduce the runtime of his show may be the start of something new for late night in general. All told, other networks will probably be watching to see how the change works out for Conan. It is a bold move; late night has needed bold moves before and will undoubtedly continue to in the future.
The "less structured" aspect of the Conan announcement is perhaps the most curious aspect to spring forth. What exactly does it mean? Will there be a more ad-libbed approach to what transpires? Will Conan engage in segments of improvisational comedy akin to Whose Line Is It Anyway? Only time will tell the tale for certain. For now, we are even more curious to see how all of this works out.
While you will be seeing less of Conan O'Brien on television, that does not mean you won't see him elsewhere. Maybe even in the flesh! In conjunction with the announcement of Conan's format change, O'Brien and TBS have simultaneously declared that O'Brien and his choice of stand-up comics will be hitting the road for a multi-city tour set begin later this year.
Conan itself will also be going on a tour of sorts as part of the hour-long specials, Conan Without Borders. Unfortunately, TBS did not announce the locations for the upcoming installments of the series. Previous show locations have included Cuba, Mexico, Haiti, and Israel. Where will Conan O'Brien end up next? It is anyone's guess at this point. Something tells us the wait will be worthwhile.
New episodes of Conan air Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m. ET on TBS. For more of what's coming up on TBS and beyond, check out our guide to this summer's premiere schedule. Our 2018 Netflix premiere guide can help you narrow down your streaming options, and our rundown of big TV season finale dates can help you plan out your season finale lineup.
