Conan O’Brien’s TBS Late Night Show Shifts To 30-Minute Format In 2019

Conan O’Brien’s TBS Late Night Show Shifts To 30-Minute Format In 2019

Conan O’Brien’s TBS late-night show will change to a less structured, 30-minute format in 2019 in which he plays in, and out, of the studio, the late-night host and network announced.

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And, O’Brien’s going on a multi-city tour that will launch later this year, TBS announced as part of a partnership spanning television, digital, social and live events .

The Team Coco push will be spearheaded by Billy Parks who has been named to the newly created position of Chief Brand Officer for the joint venture.

“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,” Conan explained, very Conan-ily, in today’s news.

TBS’s late night show, hosted by the longest tenured host in late night TV, will continue to airs four nights a week on TBS. But, starting in 2019, a half-hour format will include guests and a variety of segments drawn from a newly expanded Team Coco portfolio, TBS explained.

“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,” Conan said in today’s announcement.

“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,” O’Brien said about the changes.

Kicking-off in late 2018, O’Brien and a curated team of comics will hit the road on a multi-city tour hosted by O’Brien, whose late night show features the most standup comedians on television.

Team Coco will continue to develop branded linear and digital content, strengthening the relationships between O’Brien’s comedic brand and advertising partners. His multi-platform hit franchise Clueless Gamer, which has been home to dozens of integrated partners is the model.

“Conan’s always been a fearless performer and now, at the top of his form, I’m excited he’s taking a gutsy step forward with us into new arenas,” weighed in Kevin Reilly, president of TBS and TNT and chief creative officer of Turner Entertainment.

Parks will work closely with longtime Conan EP Jeff Ross. Parks most recently served as EVP of creative and content strategy at x Otter Media.

And, for fans of Conan’s road-trips, the show will continue to take international trips like his visit to Cuba, Mexico, Haiti and Israel, through his critically acclaimed Conan Without Borders series.

And, in celebration of his 25 years on late night, Team Coco will be making O’Brien’s entire catalogue from Late Night with Conan O’Brien on NBC ,and Conan on TBS, available digitally.

“Starting out on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, through Late Night and my work with TBS, one of the great joys of my life has been collaborating with brilliantly funny people,” O’Brien said.

“My goal is to be ‘Red Lobster,’ only instead of affordable seafood we make comedy, and every customer gets a bib. I wish I had thought this through.”

In an interview with Deadline after last May’s TBS Upfront presentation, Reilly spoke about possible changes to Conan’s late night how from its one-hour, four night a week format.

Conan stole that Upfront presentation a year ago when, for reasons known only to Turner upfront planners, someone decided it would be a good idea to have Anderson Cooper come onstage to interview O’Brien and Shaquille O’Neal. “Why the hell are you here?!” O’Brien shrieked at Cooper, speaking for everyone in the hall or watching via livestream, given the all-hell’s-broken-loose news cycle in Trumpworld that day.

“The republic is hanging by a thread! Wolf Blitzer is backstage eating a scone, and you’re hosting this show?” Conan challenged Cooper. Calling the trio on stage “Black, White and Even Whiter,” O’Brien demanded to be told by Cooper, “How do they contact you if they suddenly need you, like if Trump just took a sh*t on the East Lawn? OK, let’s do this thing – because this needs to happen.”