TV’s longest-serving late-night host will soon find himself with a slightly reduced workload.
TBS on Thursday announced that Conan — which has already been renewed through 2022 — will shift to a half-hour format in 2019. The show will continue to air Mondays-Thursdays at 11 pm ET, and feature celebrity guests and a variety of segments both shot in and out of the studio.
“Since I inherited my Late Night show in 1993, TV has changed exponentially. I’d like to think I have evolved with many of these changes, but now it’s time to take the next leap,” O’Brien said in a statement. “A half-hour show will give me the time to do a higher percentage of the comedy in, and out, of the studio that I love and that seems to resonate in this new digital world. It’s still going to be me hosting a very silly show, but I want segments on my half-hour program to link to digital content, deepening the experience for my younger fans, and confusing my older ones.”
A Conan format change was first rumored back in 2017, when reports suggested that O’Brien would forgo a nightly show and transition to a weekly broadcast. Said reports were immediately struck down by TBS president Kevin Reilly.
In addition to the late-night show, O’Brien will continue to host his popular Conan Without Borders travel specials. What’s more, TBS will be making his entire Late Night catalog available digitally.
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