Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | TV | November 17, 2020
After ten years as host of Conan on TBS (really, it’s been 10 years since The Tonight Show already?), and nearly 30 years in late-night television, Conan O’Brien is moving on.
Conan's statement:
— Frank Pallotta (@frankpallotta) November 17, 2020
“In 1993 Johnny Carson gave me the best advice of my career: ‘As soon as possible, get to a streaming platform.’ I’m thrilled that I get to continue doing whatever the hell it is I do on HBO Max, and I look forward to a free subscription."
The move is both a surprise and not. Conan has successfully moved into the podcasting space, and Team Coco even has an expanding podcast network. I rarely watch Conan anymore, but I rarely miss an episode of his podcast. Lately, I’ve felt like the late-night show continued to exist to give him visibility for his podcast. A variety show on HBO will likely give him all the visibility and clout he needs to ensure he can continue to bring in top-tier guests on Conan Needs a Friend, and who knows: Maybe the HBO Max series will be great. Conan’s bits are the best in the business, and once the pandemic is over, it’d be a thrill to see them return.
Conan is not set to conclude until June 2021. HBO Max, like TBS, is owned by WarnerMedia.
