The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 69 Ratings

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7.8

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7.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 69 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

NBC | Season Premiere Date: June 1, 2009

Starring: Conan O'Brien, Max Weinberg, Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg

Summary: Conan O'Brien takes over the long-running late-night talk show from Jay Leno.

Genre(s): Comedy, Talk & Interview

Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E146. Tom Hanks, Will Ferrell, Neil Young
Air Date: January 22, 2010
tbd
S1:E145. Robin Williams, Barry Manilow
Air Date: January 21, 2010
tbd
S1:E144. Adam Sandler, Joel McHale, Joss Stone
Air Date: January 20, 2010

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

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. Read full review

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. Read full review

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. Read full review

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. Read full review

Randee Dawn

After one show, let's say he's a work in progress. Read full review

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. Read full review

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. Read full review

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User Score

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7.8

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

User Reviews

TimB

Jun 8, 2009

So much more funny than Leno ever was.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

AlexanderV

Jul 2, 2009

Conan moves over the edge and does not take itself so seriously as Leno did. I really love this change.

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shaun8pickles

Jul 1, 2013

Conan O'Brien is such a funny guy and I love his show, especially his "Clueless Gamer" segments. He has great conversations with guests on the show, one of my favorite being the guys from "Duck Dynasty". I also love his travel segments where he will travel to different locales (E3, GuinessConan O'Brien is such a funny guy and I love his show, especially his "Clueless Gamer" segments. He has great conversations with guests on the show, one of my favorite being the guys from "Duck Dynasty". I also love his travel segments where he will travel to different locales (E3, Guiness beer factory etc.) and reports on the spot. I will continue to watch this show for a long time … Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Darnell

Jun 3, 2009

Conan is King. Sorry Dave. Still love you, but unless CoCo's in reruns, I'll be watching him. The show started off a little too grand, but I'm sure it will settle into a comfort zone pretty quickly. Unless LA simply turns vibrant creativity flat, as some people contend. Being Conan is King. Sorry Dave. Still love you, but unless CoCo's in reruns, I'll be watching him. The show started off a little too grand, but I'm sure it will settle into a comfort zone pretty quickly. Unless LA simply turns vibrant creativity flat, as some people contend. Being on the Universal lot, they will have plenty of Hollywood magic at their disposal.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

TinyTim

Jul 6, 2009

Honesty, he's not terrible as some people on here would have you believe. When Leno started the same people who praise him now were almost certainly saying, "Not as good as Carson." Give him a chance and some time, and most importantly watch with an open mind.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

GwennethS

Jun 6, 2009

O'Brien may have moved to La-La Land but he's still a preferred taste...like pickled pig's feet, or poached tripe...and I have no appetitie for either !! I did give him a chance...but he blew it. Still an un-funny dork, who tries too hard. Sure has big shoes to fill...and it O'Brien may have moved to La-La Land but he's still a preferred taste...like pickled pig's feet, or poached tripe...and I have no appetitie for either !! I did give him a chance...but he blew it. Still an un-funny dork, who tries too hard. Sure has big shoes to fill...and it isn't going to happen. Sorry Old Boy, but you are out of your league. Maybe he should take lessons from David Letterman...Funny, comfortable in his skin, with inimitable class... All three always missing in Conan O'Brien from the start of his hosting career. But I will give him an E for effort.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Gary

Jun 2, 2009

If you thought that the debut of the Tonight Show was even remotely funny, you had better cash your sense of humor in for another one.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

SEE ALL 35 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

67

Series Overview
Season 1

67
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: June 1, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E146. Tom Hanks, Will Ferrell, Neil Young
  Air Date: January 22, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E145. Robin Williams, Barry Manilow
  Air Date: January 21, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E144. Adam Sandler, Joel McHale, Joss Stone
  Air Date: January 20, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E143. Quentin Tarantino, Paul Bettany, Spoon
  Air Date: January 19, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E142. Martin Scorsese, Colin Firth, KOOZA from Cirque du Soleil
  Air Date: January 18, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E141. Jeff Bridges, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Lifehouse
  Air Date: January 15, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E140. Rob Lowe, Jane Krakowski, Hilary Hahn
  Air Date: January 14, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E139. Ricky Gervais, Bryce Dallas Howard, Whitney Cummings
  Air Date: January 13, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E138. Tom Brokaw, Zachary Levi, Rosanne Cash
  Air Date: January 12, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E137. Gary Oldman, Dax Shepard, Vampire Weekend
  Air Date: January 11, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E136. Michael Cera, Aziz Ansari, OK Go
  Air Date: January 8, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E135. Jackie Chan, Emily Blunt, Jencarlos
  Air Date: January 7, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E134. Matthew Broderick, Robin Tunney, Ke$ha
  Air Date: January 6, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E133. Queen Latifah, Chris Pratt, Juston McKinney
  Air Date: January 5, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E132. Ethan Hawke, Patton Oswalt, Katharine McPhee
  Air Date: January 4, 2010
- tbd
  S1:E131. Elijah Wood, Derek Fisher, Dwayne Perkins
  Air Date: December 23, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E130. Lance Armstrong, Carson Daly, Kid Cudi
  Air Date: December 22, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E129. Christina Applegate, David Gregory, Silversun Pickups
  Air Date: December 21, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E128. Nigel Marven, Sam Worthington, Foreigner
  Air Date: December 18, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E127. John Krasinski, Claire Smith, Robin Thicke
  Air Date: December 17, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E126. Wanda Sykes, James Cameron, Myq Kaplan
  Air Date: December 16, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E125. Megan Mullally, Mike Sorrentino & Nicole Polizzi, Norah J...
  Air Date: December 15, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E124. Tom Arnold, Cheryl Hines, Adam Lambert
  Air Date: December 14, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E123. Zach Braff, Bear Grylls, Tony Bennett
  Air Date: December 11, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E122. Ben Stiller, Michael Voltaggio, 30 Seconds To Mars
  Air Date: December 10, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E121. Snoop Dogg, Carl Reiner
  Air Date: December 9, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E120. Josh Brolin, Tillie the Dog Artist, Chad Daniels
  Air Date: December 8, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E119. Howie Mandel, Deepak Chopra, Michael McDonald
  Air Date: December 7, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E118. Rachel McAdams, Mindy Kaling, Diane Birch
  Air Date: December 4, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E117. John Travolta, Rod Stewart
  Air Date: December 3, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E116. Jenny McCarthy, Gabriel Iglesias, Switchfoot
  Air Date: December 2, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E115. Tobey Maguire, Chris Colfer, Rickie Lee Jones
  Air Date: December 1, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E114. William Shatner, AnnaLynne McCord, cast of Mary Poppins
  Air Date: November 30, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E113. Pee Wee Herman, Donald Faison, Bon Jovi
  Air Date: November 26, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E112. Norm MacDonald, Gretchen Bleiler, Dan Cummins
  Air Date: November 25, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E111. Jack McBrayer, Marisa Miller, Weezer
  Air Date: November 24, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E110. Taylor Lautner, John Lovitz, Timbaland, Nelly Furtado and...
  Air Date: November 23, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E109. Eva Mendes, Bon Jovi
  Air Date: November 20, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E108. Nicole Kidman, Anderson Cooper, Leona Lewis
  Air Date: November 19, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E107. Seth Green, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, Brian Setzer ...
  Air Date: November 18, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E106. Jane Lynch, 50 Cent
  Air Date: November 17, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E105. Kristen Stewart, Judd Apatow, Carrie Underwood
  Air Date: November 16, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E104. Reese Witherspoon, Gabourey Sidibe, Kris Allen
  Air Date: November 13, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E103. Al Gore, Jim Parsons, Jason Mraz
  Air Date: November 12, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E102. Heather Locklear, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Rodman
  Air Date: November 11, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E101. Jessica Biel, Bob Einstein, John Fogerty
  Air Date: November 10, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E100. Kelsey Grammer, Maj. Brian Dennis, David Gray
  Air Date: November 9, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E99. Cory Monteith, Harland Williams, Pixies
  Air Date: November 6, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E98. Jim Carrey, Olivia Wilde, Zac Brown Band
  Air Date: November 5, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E96. Neil Patrick Harris, Paul Teutul Sr., Creed
  Air Date: November 3, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E95. Ewan McGregor, Shaun White, Tegan and Sara
  Air Date: November 2, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E95. Mon, Nov 2, 2009
  Air Date: November 1, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E94. Susie Essman, Don Young, Dennis Anderson, Alice In Chains
  Air Date: October 30, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E93. Denis Leary, Rob Mies, The Swell Season
  Air Date: October 29, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E92. Chris O'Donnell, Lindsey Vonn, Uncle Kracker
  Air Date: October 28, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E91. Garry Shandling, Paula Deen, Julian Casablancas
  Air Date: October 27, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E90. Kathy Griffin, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, Wolfmother
  Air Date: October 26, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E89. Mayor Cory Booker, Max Records, Dashboard Confessional
  Air Date: October 16, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E88. John C. Reilly, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Matt Braunger
  Air Date: October 15, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E87. Serena Williams, Ken Jeong, Rascal Flatts
  Air Date: October 14, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E86. Ice-T, Eddie Izzard, Flaming Lips
  Air Date: October 13, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E85. Jamie Foxx, Jason Alexander, Grizzly Bear
  Air Date: October 12, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E84. Jeff Garlin, Zack Hample, Lady Antebellum
  Air Date: October 9, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E83. Christian Slater, Jimmie Johnson, Backstreet Boys
  Air Date: October 8, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E82. Jason Bateman, Selena Gomez, Toby Keith
  Air Date: October 7, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E81. Edward Norton, Kristen Bell, Anvil
  Air Date: October 6, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E80. Ellen Page, Kevin Nealon, Dierks Bentley
  Air Date: October 5, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E79. Drew Carey, Joe Buck, Joshua Bell with Tiempo Libre
  Air Date: October 2, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E78. Michael Moore, Seth MacFarlane, Rodrigo Y Gabriela
  Air Date: October 1, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E77. Kate Walsh, Jesse Eisenberg, Brad Paisley
  Air Date: September 30, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E76. John Krasinski, Patton Oswalt, Quinn Dahle
  Air Date: September 29, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E75. Drew Barrymore, Joe Talamo, Paramore
  Air Date: September 28, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E73. Dave Salmoni, Joel McHale, India Arie
  Air Date: September 24, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E72. Martin Short, Tim Gunn, Wynonna
  Air Date: September 23, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E71. Rebecca Romijn, Lisa Lampanelli, Monsters of Folk
  Air Date: September 22, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E70. Ricky Gervais, "Chicken" Charlie Boghosian, Lynyrd Skynyrd
  Air Date: September 21, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E69. Courteney Cox, Ted Danson, Nelly Furtado
  Air Date: September 18, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E68. Megan Fox, Louis C.K., Kevin Skinner
  Air Date: September 17, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E67. Aaron Eckhart, Michael Strahan, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  Air Date: September 16, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E66. Jennifer Aniston, Melanie Oudin, Phoenix
  Air Date: September 15, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E65. Charlize Theron, Steven Ho, Dave Matthews Band
  Air Date: September 14, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E64. Antonio Banderas, Bill Hader, Chris Cornell
  Air Date: September 11, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E63. Dennis Quaid, Crossbow Marksmen, Paolo Nutini
  Air Date: September 10, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E62. Tom Arnold, Tim Meadows, Reba McEntire
  Air Date: September 9, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E61. Kate Beckinsale, Richard Lewis, Dhani Harrison
  Air Date: September 8, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E60. Jennifer Connelly, Zane Lamprey, Ziggy Marley
  Air Date: September 4, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E59. Sandra Bullock, Chula Vista Park View, Gina Yashere
  Air Date: September 3, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E58. Sen. John McCain, Frank Caliendo, Third Eye Blind
  Air Date: September 2, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E57. Elijah Wood, Mila Kunis, Cheap Trick
  Air Date: September 1, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E56. Norm MacDonald, Thomas Haden Church, Pitbull
  Air Date: August 31, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E55. Nigel Marven, DJ Qualls, Colbie Caillat
  Air Date: August 28, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E54. Mike Tyson, Keith Barry, Matisyahu
  Air Date: August 27, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E53. Bradley Cooper, Jon Lovitz, Franz Ferdinand
  Air Date: August 26, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E52. Quentin Tarantino, Mark Feuerstein, Smokey Robinson
  Air Date: August 25, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E51. Bill Maher, Nick Cannon, Kings Of Leon
  Air Date: August 24, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E50. Shaquille O'Neil, Demitri Martin, Jack Ingram
  Air Date: August 14, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E49. Robin Williams, Piers Morgan, All Time Low
  Air Date: August 13, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E48. Gordon Ramsay, BJ Novak, Willard Wigan
  Air Date: August 12, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E47. Jon Hamm, Freestyle Motocross Athletes, Cobra Starship wi...
  Air Date: August 11, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E46. Kyra Sedgwick, Hugh Dancy, Lyle Lovett
  Air Date: August 10, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E45. Eric Bana, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Flo Rida
  Air Date: August 7, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E44. Ed Helms, The Jonas Brothers
  Air Date: August 6, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E43. Sienna Miller, Steve Schirripa, Deon Cole
  Air Date: August 5, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E42. Jeremy Piven, The Human Cannonballs, All-American Rejects
  Air Date: August 4, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E41. Ashton Kutcher, Charlyne Yi, Gomez
  Air Date: August 3, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E40. Hank Azaria, Adam Richman, Ben Harper and the Relentless ...
  Air Date: July 31, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E39. Jack Dagger & Tonya Kay, Paul Giamatti, Regina Spektor
  Air Date: July 30, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E38. Rainn Wilson, Rachel Maddow, Chicago
  Air Date: July 29, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E37. Heidi Klum, Steve Zahn, Jimmy Carr
  Air Date: July 28, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E36. Meryl Streep, Judd Apatow, The Fray
  Air Date: July 27, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E35. Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Eric Hutchinson
  Air Date: July 24, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E34. Zach Galifianakis, Keke Palmer, Jason Aldean
  Air Date: July 23, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E33. James Spader, Jack McBrayer, Mat Kearney
  Air Date: July 22, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E32. Jonah Hill, Cheryl Hines, Dan Naturman
  Air Date: July 21, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E31. Adam Sandler, Peter Sarsgaard, Kate Voegele
  Air Date: July 20, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E30. Seth Green, Steven Ho, Demi Lovato
  Air Date: July 17, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E29. Gerard Butler, Venus Williams, Daughtry
  Air Date: July 16, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E28. Dana Carvey, Anthony Anderson, Allison Iraheta
  Air Date: July 15, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E27. Michael Phelps, Paget Brewster, Sugar Ray
  Air Date: July 14, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E26. Jeff Goldblum, Bill Engvall, Hair
  Air Date: July 13, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E25. Bob Newhart, Cat Deeley, Ray LaMontagne
  Air Date: July 10, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E24. Larry King, Zooey Deschanel, Playing For Change
  Air Date: July 9, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E23. Meredith Vieira, Andy Hillstrand, Al Madrigal
  Air Date: July 8, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E22. Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Connolly, Andrew Bird
  Air Date: July 7, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E21. Howie Mandel, Alanis Morissette, Death Cab for Cutie
  Air Date: July 6, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E20. Snoop Dogg, Jerry Ferrara, Adele
  Air Date: June 26, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E19. Bruno, Stephen Moyer, Cirque du Soleil Zumanity
  Air Date: June 25, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E18. Brandon McMillon, Kerry Washington, Wilco
  Air Date: June 24, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E17. Lisa Kudrow, Billy Mays & Anthony Sullivan, Elvis Costello
  Air Date: June 23, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E16. Cameron Diaz, Johnny Strange, Pete Yorn
  Air Date: June 22, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E15. Shia LaBeouf, Phil Jackson, Holly Williams
  Air Date: June 19, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E14. Eva Mendes, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, The Dead Weather
  Air Date: June 18, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E13. Kobe Bryant, William Shatner, Incubus
  Air Date: June 17, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E12. Larry David, Lauren Conrad, Gavin Rossdale
  Air Date: June 16, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E11. Joe Torre, Will Arnett, Spinal Tap
  Air Date: June 15, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E10. Jamie Foxx, Kevin Nealon
  Air Date: June 12, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E9. Norm MacDonald, Jim Gaffigan, Neko Case
  Air Date: June 11, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E8. Dane Cook, Steven Ho, Rancid
  Air Date: June 10, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E7. Eddie Murphy, Angela Kinsey, Bonnie Raitt & Taj Mahal
  Air Date: June 9, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E6. David Duchovny, Anna Friel, Bill Burr
  Air Date: June 8, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E5. Ryan Seacrest, Patton Oswalt, Chickenfoot
  Air Date: June 5, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E4. Gwyneth Paltrow, Joel McHale, John Mayer Trio
  Air Date: June 4, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E3. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bradley Cooper, Sheryl Crow
  Air Date: June 3, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E2. Tom Hanks, Green Day
  Air Date: June 2, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E1. Will Ferrell, Pearl Jam
  Air Date: June 1, 2009