The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien

It’s probably safe to say that last night Jimmy Fallon enjoyed his biggest audience since taking over Late Night three months ago.

The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien drew more viewers Monday night than The Late Show with David Letterman and Nightline, combined.

O’Brien proudly took the reins of the half-century-old franchise after Jay Leno admirably bowed out Friday.

The transition had been planned since 2004, and as part of the deal, Leno will get a nightly 10 p.m. show on NBC where he will continue dispensing his topical monologues.

The change also brings some logistical changes for the show.

No longer is the Tonight Show taped at NBC’s Burbank, Ca. studio where Leno worked for 17 years.

And O’Brien is no longer confined to his smaller New York City studio at Rockefeller Plaza. He now sits on an immaculate stage on the Universal Studios Hollywood lot.

When the curtain opened

The change in the venue and in the host was apparent during the first show. A more reserved, less gutsy version of Conan O’Brien appeared on stage.

He chose not to fly in from the audience on a zip line or hang from the rafters, stunts he has been known to do on his former Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

The audience was treated only to a portion of his famed “string dance” before be began his monologue.

But the audience applauded and cheered as if they were welcoming back an old friend - and as they did on his old show - yelled out phrases like “Conan rocks” and “We love you Conan.”

Then, for Leno’s loyal viewers, it was time to get to know Conan O’Brien. The first thing they learned: Conan is no stand up comedian, but rather a smart and witty writer.

Sure O’Brien has nightly zingers the usual pop culture jabs about current events, but O’Brien lacks the comedy club appeal Leno has enjoyed most of his career.

In addition to telling jokes on television, Leno also travels the country touring both small clubs and large venues. He recently held a free two-night show for people who had recently lost their jobs. Those shows, and his blue-collar appeal, make Leno a favorite of the middle American viewer.

Where O’Brien lacked in jokes during his debut night he made up with a series of videos designed sell himself to the 11:30 p.m. crowd.

The show opened with him running across the county, bound for Los Angeles. Another, in an attempt to show O’Brien is never afraid to make himself the butt of the joke, he took a ride in his green 1992 Ford Taurus and toured LA. The same car was used during a sketch on Late Night in 2004.

Then to show that he still had the knack for annoying unsuspecting people and getting tons of laughs in the process, he boarded a Universal Studios tourist tram and took the passengers to a 99-cent store, where he bought small and randomly ridiculous items for them.

The guests came to play

Will Farrell made a grand entrance to the show riding a sedan chariot. The moment and will most likely go down into the annals of late night talk moments – like Bill Murray spray painting David Letterman’s desk with “Dave” and Hugh Grant making a 1995 appearance on The Tonight Show hours after being caught with a prostitute.

Grant’s outlandish appearance, and a redesign of Leno’s set, helped him for the first time reach the number one spot in late night television. He held the spot until he left the show last week.

O’Brien’s musical guest, Pearl Jam, gave the weak performance anyone would expect from a band who’s latest hit is song they wrote during the last decade.

Network execs and show producers are are now learning that musical guests can bring the show down, and even worse, force viewers to tune out. Leno’s new show, which premiers in Sept., will reportedly have musical acts perform during the middle of the show to avoid loosing viewers.

The Tonight Show also beacons a higher caliber of musical guest to the show. Gone are the days when O’Brien could pluck obscure musical groups, like the “Naked Trucker and T-Bones” and “And They Will Know Us From the Trail of the Dead,” and put them on stage expect them to resonate.

The band played on

The Max Weinberg Seven, which has long been considered the best band in late night television, has now been renamed Tonight Show Band.

While drummer Weinberg still serves as the front man, missing Monday night was any interaction between Weinberg and O’Brien. The long stares or awkward silences between the two worked as funny bits on Late Night, but anything other than a quick acknowledgement from O’Brien to the band was missing during the debut.

The return of the sidekick
The relationship forged between O’Brien and his band happened after Late Night’s long time sidekick Andy Richter left the show in 2000. Richter made his return to the show and made his presence known immediately.

His laughter could be heard prominently during many of O’Brien’s jokes; especially the ones Richter seemed to think didn’t get enough response from the crowd.

Richter also stood at a podium for the show, where he now serves as the show’s announcer. He no longer has a place on the couch like he did on Late Night, or like Ed McMahon did when Johnny Carson hosted the Tonight Show.

Ready on the set

O’Brien’s new set is reminiscent of the set Leno debuted on in 1992. It’s stylish, large, colorful, and cold. Watching from home the crowd no longer seems as if they are part of the show, as they were on Leno’s set.

In 1995 Leno redesigned his set to resemble more of a comedy club, where he would come shake hands with audience at the start of each show.

Viewers may never see O’Brien canvass his audience and shake hands with everyone in the front row, but that doesn’t mean he is a bad guy.

From his college days as President of the Harvard Lampoon and later working as a writer on The Simpsons, O’Brien has long showed that his brand of humor is a smart-witted, absurdly funny and that he is likeable kind of guy.

Now he must sell the caring side of Conan to a new batch of viewers – the ones who fell asleep before Late Night comes on at 12:30 p.m., and those who are learning for the first time who the man with the big red hair is.

It’s a mounting task and will not be completed overnight.

The only question: will the masturbating bear make an appearance?

Making mistakes

If you really want something all you have to do is ask.

I was just thinking to myself on my way into work today that it’s been a while since someone called to complain about something in one of my stories.

And where I don’t get those calls everyday, I do get them.

I make it a point to call the person back, and if need be, write a correction.

I did just that today for a story about a burglary that happened this week in Lake Ridge.

I misinterpreted some information on the press release and then offered to correct my story for tomorrow’s paper.

I wrote the correction and then sent it to her to make sure that I had gotten the story right the second time around.

She read it, and then after everything, she told me not to bother and to leave the correction out of the paper.

So I did.

But now I ask myself: Was I correct in doing what she wanted?

And then: If the source doesn’t want a correction, was the information in my story so inaccurate in the first place?

This is one of those questions that journalists face on a daily basis.

At least until they get good enough not to make mistakes.

Epic Star Trek trailer music

There are at least 100 other things I should be doing right now other than sitting here listening to the trailer music from the new Star Trek movie.

But since I am generating excitement in my head about the Friday’s release of the new film, I thought I would share the music with you.

The third trailer for the film, which can be found on www.startrekmovie.com, is one of the best I have ever seen.

It is the most epic since Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

My old roommate would remember my love for that trailer as I watched it over and over again.

And this one is no different.

The music for the trailer was commissioned by Two Steps from Hell – a company that specializes in motion picture marketing.

It’s worth a listen. And listen fast before they pull it down from the Web!

Joss and I had a good time this weekend attending my old friend’s wedding on Saturday and catching a bite to eat over a football game Sunday night.

Abbi Williams, the girl who my brother considers was my first girlfriend, was married at the Montclair Country Club to some guy named Trevor. He seemed like a nice enough guy even though we didn’t speak at all.

The food was good and the dancing was nice. I pulled Joss onto the dance floor when Elivs’ “Can’t help falling in love…” came on. I think that is a classic song.

I didn’t speak to my parents much, who sat at the table across the room from Joss, Aaron, Ashley and baby Daniel. I haven’t spoken with my father since he told me to get out of his house on Christmas.

I heard he cheered when Ashley caught the bouquet, though.

Watching Mark and Shelia dance was a misty-eyed moment. Knowing that she is fighting what could be terminal cancer, and was brave enough to dawn a doo-rag and dance at her daughter’s wedding was enough to jerk at anyone’s heart strings.

Mark was proud to give his daughter away. When I walked into the country club I didn’t even recognize him, his hair now so short and gray.

Sunday night Joss and I went out to Hard Times for dinner, something we haven’t done in many months.

The Vikings were playing the Eagles in the playoffs and I was rooting hard against them. They won, so I ordered a hot dog.

Fred came up and bought us a pitcher of beer and we sat and chatted while the table behind us smoked cigars.

He made it clear he wanted to move out of his house and in with us, providing she and I move in together soon. Joss pointed out that Fred seemed bummed about his roommate situation, and noted it was unusual to see Fred complain.

He likes his new job, after being fired from Media General back in Nov. The man is resilient when it comes to finding work. I guess a good personality will do that for you.

Tomorrow is the real beginning of the New Year. Now there are no holidays coming up, no half days and no closing the office early. Everything will go back to normal.

But seeing that I worked over 10 hours on Friday and filed at least three stories this weekend during “my days off,” everything already seems back to normal.

After 85 deaths, Rappahannock is not safe

What started out as a simple news conference about the installation of new safety signs along the banks of the Rappahannock turned into a big story, as we learned Stafford County could have prevented the drowning death of a 17-year-old Maryland teenager.

The teen was swimming with his church group June 8 at the Falmouth Waterfront Park, in Stafford County, when he went under the water and never resurfaced. Fredericksburg Fire and

Rescue officials discovered his body in the river the next morning.

Stafford provides lifeguards for its other riverfront park, Aquia Landing, at a cost of nearly $9000 per year. They do not provide it at the Falmouth park; a park that is regularly advertised as a destination spot to tourists, and has seen more than 75 drowning deaths at the park since 1972.

The new signs have large pictures on them warning river swimmers of the possible dangers in the water.

Stafford officials said strong currents, deep holes in the river bottom, and floating debris like large trees, may have contributed to the teens death.

Lunchtime graduates

I have no idea what part high school graduates are going to at noon on a weekday, but I’m sure they will find one.

It seems more and more area high schools, including all five in Stafford County, are holding their graduation ceremonies in the early hours of the day. Most of the ceremonies have been scheduled at 9 a.m.

When I was in high school the graduation ceremony was held at the high school football stadium in the late afternoon. It was a giant party with a football game-like atmosphere.

Everyone was celebrating sitting through 12-years of the public education system, and now we we’re actually getting out!

Immediately following the ceremony my friends and I went to a celebration called Grad Night. This was where we gathered to play games, hang out and sign the last few yearbooks, and see all of our friends for one last big hurrah.

We didn’t know at the time, but this was going to be one of the last times we would ever see so many familiar faces in the same room again.

For many, it was also the first time high school students turned official adults showed their teachers they smoked cigarettes. They were adults now. Who was going to stop them?

I look back on that challenging, but fun time in my life 8-years ago and remember having so many questions as to what I was going to do next? Who was I going to be? Where was I going to go? For the most part none of them have been answered yet. But I am working on them.

So weather you go home and watch soap operas immediately following the graduation ceremony, or you gear up the beach cruiser for a week in the sun, remember these times because they will never come again.

Congratulations Class of2008!

Weg-mania

Relationship experts say the produce section is one of the best places to meet your next date. If the saying is true hundreds of potential singles hooked up today as the Wegman’s grocery store opened in Woodbridge, Va.

Thousands in all turned out for the 7 a.m. store opening, snarling traffic on congested roads leading into the shopping center. Prince William County Police braved the nearly 100-degree heat and directed traffic throughout the parking lot.

In addition to its many eateries that offer freshly cooked seafood, sandwiches, pizza and Asian delicacies such as a fresh sushi bar to dine at; the 140,000-sqaure-foot store offers a full grocery store shopping experience.

The company is hoping to make the store a destination experience for local grocery shoppers throughout the area, offering the slogan “Food shopping will never be the same” on many of the printed materials handed out at the supermarket.

This is the company’s third store to open in Virginia, with another store planned to be built in Fredericksburg, and could open as early as 2009. In all the company operates 70 stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.

I had some pizza that was not bad. My girlfriend had some Indian food – she loved it.