Coco Returns!

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In the summer of 2009, Conan O’Brien took over The Tonight Show.  I’ve never thought Leno was funny and was glad to see Conan move from late night.  This also meant I could watch Craig Ferguson at late night instead; a great lineup of late night talk shows all around.

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Most people I know don’t care for late night talk show hosts, but once I watched The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, I couldn’t stop watching.  Perhaps his humor isn’t meant for a larger demographic such as Letterman or Leno, as his joke are a little dirtier and of the moment (although he doesn’t have the technology prowess of Fallon).  With his Scottish accent, witty humor, yet intellectual musings, Ferguson makes for funny, sometimes laugh out loud moments that Leno and Letterman can barely solicit.  Ferguson doesn’t always get the most popular stars and sometimes they’re relatively little known or just an unknown author or comedian.  His guests are not always the most well known, but he knows how to get a laugh out of them and make the show entertaining.  There’s also his regular use of puppets, the letters from viewers he responds to, the way he throws his speaking cards or rips them up after he’s done reading them, funny facial expressions, and the censorship of curses with various flags covering his mouth and an expression from that country’s language (for example: it’ll be a Spanish flag and the viewer will hear “ay caramba.”

Talk show hosts like these will never be of the same tone as Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert but nonetheless, Conan, with his gingery floppy hair and gangly awkwardness will finally be bringing back his brand of self-deprecating humor.  TBS may not be the best platform for Conan, but it’ll be great to have him back on television.  Perhaps on cable he’ll be able to bring what Ferguson brings to late night: little humorous actions and the ability to make a regular interview and experience more interesting.  I feel like Conan is more modern and basic cable will serve him better any way.  On a bit of a side note, hopefully there will be more “wars” between Colbert, Stewart, and O’Brien which sometimes is left to dance-offs and brawls.

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As I type this, the season premiere is starting, Conan still has his facial hair, and has done his trademark jig.

The words going through my head right now are the ones Craig Ferguson always starts his show with: “It’s a great day for America, everybody!”