The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on NBC is the latest generation of The Tonight Show brand. The show premiered in 1954 with Steve Allen, and over the years featured legends Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and Jay Leno. The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien continues the long legacy of late night laughs. The Emmy Award winning O’Brien of “Late Night” fame moved up in the NBC schedule in June 2009 to replace Jay Leno, who has moved to prime time.

The talk show typically launches with a topical opening monologue, followed by a variety feature of some kind (animals, dancers, spoofs on the news). The show continues with two celebrity interviews. Interview guests on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien are usually A-list types in the entertainment world, politics or sports. Top name musical acts like Third Eye Blind, Cheap Trick and Ziggy Marley, to name a few, complete each episode. Max Weinberg and the Tonight Show Band, along with announcer Andy Richter, round out the nightly regular cast.

Conan O’Brien’s brand of self-deprecating humor seems to overcome insecurity with sharp wit and sarcasm. It’s hard to imagine that the actual delivery of jokes and commentary really ever matches what actually happened in the writers’ room. That said, the professionalism and production quality is unmistakable. The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on NBC is the next great Emmy hope for the brand. Jay Leno won only one Emmy for Best Variety, Comedy or Music Series in 1995 for nine nominations.