# Conan show getting cut to 30 minutes in 2019 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2018, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590 "2018-05-04T17:12:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2018, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/1 "2018-05-04T17:12:07Z")
probably not a good sign for the long term future of the show > **[Conan O'Brien's Show Will Shorten To 'Less Structured' Half Hour In 2019](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/conan-obrien-nbc-show-days-available-in-digital-for-his-25th-anniversary_n_5aec679ee4b0ab5c3d64d7cc)** > > There's also big news for his upcoming 25th on-air anniversary. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/2 "2018-05-04T17:21:40Z")
[This article](https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/05/conan-to-go-half-hour-as-obrien-develops-more-proj.html) has a more positive take on it. > [@](#): > > Don’t think this means there’ll be less O’Brien on your TV (or whatever device you use to watch TV these days). Alongside the change in Conan TBS has announced that O’Brien and his production company will be developing a variety of new projects “spanning television, digital, social and live events.” ---
**Author:** ![Rough\_Draft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rough\_Draft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rough_Draft)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2018, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/3 "2018-05-04T17:47:32Z")
This sucks for me. I like Conan, and in my time zone (Mountain) his show runs from 9-10 pm and is repeated from 10:30-11:30, so I’m guaranteed an hour of entertainment every week night one way or another. When the show goes to a half hour I’m guessing TBS will fill the other 30 minutes with syndicated reruns or one of their many crappy original series (one of which is Final Space, and yeah, I know Conan co-produces it, but I still won’t watch). ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/4 "2018-05-04T17:52:55Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > [This article](https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/05/conan-to-go-half-hour-as-obrien-develops-more-proj.html) has a more positive take on it. Yeah, it could be that they notice 75% of their viewership is through YouTube clips or something so it’s not worth putting together a nightly 60 minute show that everyone’s going to watch in 5-7 minute chunks anyway. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/5 "2018-05-04T18:40:06Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Yeah, it could be that they notice 75% of their viewership is through YouTube clips or something so it’s not worth putting together a nightly 60 minute show that everyone’s going to watch in 5-7 minute chunks anyway. I think that’s basically it. They’re going after nonlinear in a more aggressive way. The legacy broadcast networks don’t really have the ability to do that because of the prestige of their latenight franchises, even though a majority of 18-35s are probably digesting them in chunks on YouTube as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/6 "2018-05-04T20:57:51Z")
I think it is smart. He does not need the celeb. interview portion. His “remotes” are far funnier and more interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2018, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/7 "2018-06-04T14:11:03Z")
Bumping to link to [this interview with Conan](http://www.vulture.com/2018/06/conan-obrien-in-conversation.html), in which he talks about the change to 30 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Rough\_Draft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rough\_Draft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rough_Draft)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2018, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/8 "2018-06-04T18:14:29Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Bumping to link to [this interview with Conan](http://www.vulture.com/2018/06/conan-obrien-in-conversation.html), in which he talks about the change to 30 minutes. Thanks for the link, that’s a very interesting interview. I hope it’s true that the 30 minute cutback was his idea. Also, I’m usually indifferent to gigantic celebrity payoffs, but I think it’s great that NBC had to dish out 45 million dollars in severance pay to Conan. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/9 "2018-06-04T19:28:52Z")
This is “better” than the rumors going around the past couple of years - that it was going to be cut back to doing “specials” only. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/10 "2018-10-13T13:38:56Z")
I was going thru my backlog of _Conan_’s last night and ended up watching the last hour long show from a week ago. Didn’t know that this was happening _now_. And the new show isn’t going to start until January. (With _Conan_ specials in between.) He had on one of his former writers and they reminisced. Then the BCB played a couple numbers at the end. One with Conan playing guitar and singing. The BCB won’t be part of the new show. Farewell LaBamba. Apparently Andy will still be around. Very sad. And apparently not all that newsworthy. It was clear that Conan himself is just tired of the format. Esp. the celebs plugging their projects. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/11 "2018-10-13T14:07:45Z")
did his fans stop getting mad about the 2010 firing from NBC? Seems some Letterman fans still can’t get over him being passed over in 92 for the Tonight show. Some grudges last forever. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/12 "2018-10-15T22:29:55Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > did his fans stop getting mad about the 2010 firing from NBC? > > Seems some Letterman fans still can’t get over him being passed over in 92 for the Tonight show. Some grudges last forever. It wouldn’t be so bad if NBC didn’t keep making one mistake after another after another. The Chinese Cultural Revolution had better talent relations than NBC. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/13 "2018-10-23T17:19:44Z")
> [@](#): > > 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. Just to highlight once again that this is not necessarily bad news. There will still be plenty of Conan, we’ll just to have to look for it online. This seems mildly (or perhaps more so, being that there aren’t, I guess, really _levels_ of revolution) revolutionary to me. ---
**Author:** ![Rough\_Draft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rough\_Draft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rough_Draft)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2018, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/14 "2018-10-23T17:58:10Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > Just to highlight once again that this is not necessarily bad news. There will still be plenty of Conan, we’ll just to have to look for it online. This seems mildly (or perhaps more so, being that there aren’t, I guess, really _levels_ of revolution) revolutionary to me. Yeah, I hope it’s not bad news. But when I listened to Conan’s lengthy explanation about how it was actually a good thing during his last hour-long show (referenced by ftg above), it sounded like he was trying a little too hard to put lipstick on a pig. The fact is, his TV presence was cut in half. That’s just bad no matter how you look at it. Also, I can’t believe the garbage they’re showing in place of his show now. The only good thing about it is the increased number of Brooklyn 99 reruns. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/15 "2018-10-23T18:10:41Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think it is smart. He does not need the celeb. interview portion. His “remotes” are far funnier and more interesting. IMHO, he has the most entertaining and funniest celeb. interviews in the business [(recent example](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gna4EeQkKZ0)). I mean, I’m fine with cutting this down to the monologue and one guest, but I don’t want them cutting out the celeb interviews entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2018, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/16 "2018-10-23T18:36:09Z")
Have his ratings been declining? I love Conan, he’s my favorite late night host, but I cut cable several months ago. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2018, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/17 "2018-10-23T21:15:57Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Have his ratings been declining? I love Conan, he’s my favorite late night host, but I cut cable several months ago. Conan’s ratings are fairly poor overall. But it skews young quite a bit which is a big plus. His contract was [renewed](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/conan-obrien-inks-new-4-year-deal-tbs-conan-remain-nightly-1004522) in 2017 thru 2022. Conan’s online media and such does _very_ well. TBS has hitched itself to the Conan wagon and wants to leverage him into making a bigger play in the online/social media/whatever world. I think the cut to a half hour is mutual. Maintain a “TV” presence but use it to funnel viewers to the online stuff. Frees Conaco up to go bigger into web stuff. With a half hour show, no BCB, and probably not a lot of bands doing performances just for the web site, I think the execs are finally starting to realize that using talk shows to promote bands doesn’t work anymore. That’s what YouTube and streaming sites are for today. Even MTV gave that up a _long_ time ago. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/18 "2019-02-02T18:32:06Z")
Bumping this since Coco is back as of two weeks ago. Watched the first two episodes so far. Um, yeah. Well. It is Conan and it is on TV. Weird. Little stuff like the stupid “focus group approved” clothes and Andy on the wrong side of the stage. Big weird thing: no announcements for cutting away to a commercial during an interview. They’re all talking and and suddenly a commercial starts. I think this is for web flow purposes. People watching online don’t want those “clunks” where commercials would go. The show is a bit too short for what they’re trying to fit in. Add another 10 minutes, time slots be damned. (Remember when TBS started shows at five after?) Streaming a 30+ minute show sans commercials would work well too. I guess Andy doesn’t care if the TV audience sees him with glasses on. Good. Now if they only figured out how to avoid the prolonged applause when Conan comes out. Basically a lot of wasted air time right there. Bad on an hour long show. Horrible on a half hour one. Maybe just edit it out. Show Conan coming out, put up a shot of Andy, then back to Conan as it’s dying out. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/19 "2019-02-02T21:27:15Z")
I’m just glad the ridiculous [desk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enf3zyziKQM&t=1m19s) is gone. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590/20 "2019-02-04T06:11:46Z")
I’ve watched a few of the new episodes. I actually like the format of only one interview better. The little things like losing the desk, doesn’t bother me. But losing the band? Oof… That hurts. Definitely makes it feel like it’s only being held together by duct tape. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conan-show-getting-cut-to-30-minutes-in-2019/813590.md?page=2)