In a surprising turn of events, Conan O’Brien is set to make his grand return to “The Tonight Show” on April 9, nearly 14 years after his controversial exit from the iconic late-night program. O’Brien, who will be appearing as a guest to promote his new travel series “Conan O’Brien Must Go” on Max, will sit down with current host Jimmy Fallon for what promises to be a memorable conversation.
O’Brien’s history with “The Tonight Show” is a tumultuous one. After successfully hosting “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” on NBC for over 15 years, he was promoted to take over “The Tonight Show” in 2009. However, when Jay Leno’s new prime-time show on NBC struggled in the ratings, the network made the controversial decision to move Leno back to his old 11:35 p.m. timeslot, bumping “The Tonight Show” to a later time.
Refusing to accept the change, O’Brien and his staff left NBC with a hefty payout in early 2010. In his final monologue, O’Brien famously quipped, “And I just want to say to the kids out there watching: You can do anything you want in life. Unless Jay Leno wants to do it, too.”
O’Brien quickly bounced back, launching a new show, “Conan,” on TBS in November 2010. The show ran for nearly 11 years, proving that O’Brien’s comedic talent and loyal fanbase could thrive even outside of the traditional network late-night landscape.
Now, with his upcoming appearance on “The Tonight Show,” O’Brien seems to be burying the hatchet and embracing his past with NBC. This isn’t the first time host Jimmy Fallon has extended an olive branch to former “Tonight Show” personalities; on his first night as host, he invited Joan Rivers, who had been banned from the show by Johnny Carson, to make a surprise appearance.
The late-night television landscape has undergone a significant shift in recent years, with hosts moving away from the intense competition of the past and towards a more congenial and collaborative atmosphere. Last summer, during the writers’ strike, Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, and Jimmy Kimmel even teamed up for a podcast called “Strike Force Five” to support their staff. At the same time, these late-night shows have seen their ratings decline during the age of YouTube.
As O’Brien prepares for his “Tonight Show” return, fans eagerly await what promises to be a nostalgic reunion.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.