The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien

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.

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.

All in all, a large-scale, impressive debut.

All in all, O'Brien got his Tonight off to a decent start, though you still got the sense you were watching an introduction more than a settled production.

Conan made it subtly clear that the new kid in town will be a little naughtier and that for better or worse, Tonight is now his ride.

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.

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

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.

Moving up to the big time, and relocating to the earlier time slot, seems to have robbed Conan of much of his charm. Much--but not all.

In its first week, the show has acquired a more expansive, scattershot tone. It feels less rehearsed than Leno's regime, but at times, out of control.