Conan O'Brien's TBS Premiere LIVE Blog

Tonight's the night! At exactly 11:00 p.m. EST on TBS, Conan O'Brien will make his long-awaited return to television after being banned from doing so following his departure from NBC. Tonight's premiere of "Conan" is set to be a special one, featuring Seth Rogan, Lea Michele of "Glee" and musical guest Jack White as well as the winner of Conan's online poll for his first guest (it's looking like Jack Nicholson).

HuffPost Comedy doesn't plan to miss a second of CoCo's big night, so we'll be live blogging the premiere right here! We'll also be live tweeting from @HuffPostComedy, so why not follow us on Twitter? Keep checking back here for updates as the show approaches and see live commentary while the show is happening. We can't wait to see what Team CoCo's been working on all these months!

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12:13 AM ET And That's A Wrap! WATCH: Conan's Cold Opening!

So, for now we again say goodbye to Conan. Only this time it won't be so long until we see him again.

We have to get used to hearing Conan ask us to stay tuned for George Lopez - The realization that he's on cable has officially sunk in. And was that really Antoined Dodson in the promo for "Lopez Tonight" immediately following Conan? Ridiculous.

What did you guys think of the show? Did it live up to the hype or leave you wanting more? We'd say it was good mix of the new and the old: we got a little string dance and a little Masturbating Bear. We also got an amazing cold opening and and a moving moon. Speaking of the cold opening, here it is!

WATCH:

12:03 AM ET Conan Plays With Jack White!

Just like Conan's last "Tonight Show," Conan is jamming!

Jack White, Conan and the band sound great! It's good to see Conan playing something more upbeat than "Freebird."

Now White is sitting down at Conan's desk before they sign off. Speaking of Conan's desk, here's a funny tweet from @MichaelIanBlack

11:55 PM ET Conan Charms Lea Michele With His Moon

Coco's first female guest was pretty impressed with the moving moon and was the first to compliment Conan on his hair. But how about that thud backstage that interrupted them? We were worried that the moon was about to have a gravity malfunction, but Conan brushed it off as another side effect of cable television. Phew!

11:48 PM ET Seth Rogen Cursing Reminds Conan He's On Cable (Again)

Seth Rogen's interview was pretty solid, but the best part was when he got bleeped.

Conan's second "first" guest didn't waste any time testing TBS's censors. After talking about getting engaged, Rogen thew out an "I could honestly give a s**t" and was bleeped. Conan said:

"Thank God We're On TBS!"

But when Rogen said it again, Andy Richter panicked:

"We only get three a night!"

11:37 PM ET FIRST GUEST REVEALED!

It turns out the first guest was...

Curator of the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, Arlene Wagner!

Conan welcomed his first guest to the show with pleasure despite teasing us for weeks that it could have been someone like Jack Nicholson or The Pope. Did you catch that song? "You're the first guest on Conan! The most important person in historyyyy!"

PopWatch and other blogs had a hunch it would be her. Now on to the REAL first guest: Seth Rogen!

11:28 PM ET Andy Richter & Conan Move The Moon And A Special Message From Ricky Gervais!

Wow - Great special effects on the set. That moon is pretty impressive! Team CoCo doesn't mess around:

And how great of Ricky Gervais to send those wishes via satellite? He even stockpiled for Conan's future cancellations. How thoughtful!

11:23 PM ET Great Point!

From @RachelSklar

11:18 PM ET And We're Off! A "Godfather" Cold Opening And The Return Of CoCo Classics

Holy John Hamm! That was an amazing cold opening.

The story of Conan's arrival at TBS was hilarious. It was definitely different from the way he kicked off "The Tonight Show" - A spirited gallivant from coast to coast. Filled with "Godfather" references, a downtrodden post-"Tonight Show" Conan and a severe pay cut, it was a bit jaded but ended on the bright side with Coco's return to late night on cable.

When the man of the hour came out it felt like he had never left. The jump, and the string dance, were immediately resurrected. What a sight for sore eyes!

The monologue was what we expected after Variety's post, but then: Masturbating Bear. He's back! NBC may have taken "The Tonight Show" but M.B. has migrated to TBS.

What an awesome start!

10:52 PM ET Spoiler Alert: Conan's First Monologue Leaked!

Spoiler alert! Conan's first monologue has been posted on Variety. It was tweeted by Michael Schneider (@FranklinAvenue) and contains CoCo's introduction to the new show:

"Welcome to my new show, 'Conan.' People ask me why I named the show 'Conan.' I did it so I’d be harder to replace."

He also gives a brief explanation for his NBC departure:

"But the weird thing is this: I put myself and my staff through a lot because I refused to go on at midnight. So I get this job at eleven. Then, yesterday, Daylight Savings Time ended --- so right now it’s basically midnight. In fact, it’s 12:05."

Read the rest on Variety - or wait until 11:00!

10:34 PM ET '10 Reasons To Love Conan O'Brien Besides his Show' By Nerve.com

As we wait another 15 minutes for the big premiere, why not take a minute to remember all the reasons we love CoCo besides his show? As Nerve.com puts it, "The creator of Masturbating Bear has other talents." They put this list together of all his accomplishments, from being a role model to making a woman famous via Twitter.

10:22 PM ET Did We Mention People Were Excited?

With fan art like this pouring into TeamCoco.com, we can only imagine the kind of viewing parties going on right now. Who's having one?

10:14 PM ET One Hour Left!

It's almost time folks. Conan will be making his long-overdue comeback to late night television in just under an hour. Twitter has been flooded with chatter about the show and people are getting excited. We have so many questions: Who will his secret first guest be? Will we see the Masturbating Bear? Will he do the string dance? We just have to wait and see.

One of the most interesting tweets in the last few hours came from @Adam_Stabelli and contained a photo of the night's script with a Conan doodle!

6:20 PM ET Conan's Set & 7 Things You Didn't Know About 'Conan' From The Hollywood Reporter

Woah! Check this out: TMZ got their hands on a picture of Conan's studio!

And bonus: THR got exclusive info from Team CoCo members about the show. Out of the "7 Things You Didn't Know About 'Conan,'" our favorite has to be:

2. Stage 15 has been the home to 52 motion pictures, including The Music Man, Ghostbusters, Oceans 11 and The Lost Boys.

"Ghostbusters?" Awesome!

5:45 PM ET Conan's American Express Commercial

Just in time for his TBS debut, Conan stars in this hilarious extended commercial for American Express where he goes to Mumbai, India. Did you see it?

4:21 PM ET Conan's Latest Tweet

Let's hope someone reminds him...

3:27 PM ET Conan's Return To Television Animated By NMA News!

Even Taiwan is getting excited for the "Conan" premiere tonight. CGI animation gurus NMA News made this video detailing Conan's departure from NBC and return to TBS, especially focusing on Conan's Masturbating Bear, which is still under copyright by NBC. Will the self-pleasuring bear make it to TBS with Conan?

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Comments

[lackofoversight]

10:15 AM on 11/10/2010

Conan really isn't my type of humor .... He reminds me somewhat of Jerry Lewis -- a little bit slapstick. However, after what NBC did to him .... how they scr3wed him over .... I wish him all the very best .... I hope he keeps on kicking those other late night ratings in their rear ends.

[suemj]

09:51 PM on 11/09/2010

Karma's a b---h, ain"t it! That wasn't a very nice thing done to Conan, and again slapped in the face by Leno's return. I was never a great Conan follower, but began to pay closer attention to him after the turmoil. He's 45 million richer, even more known than before, and kicking "arse" with his return. Life has a way of paying you back by righting the wrongs unjustly done and Conan deserves a second shot. Unfortunately, cause and effect for Leno too, and although not horrible, he's receiving the effects of a move he never should've made after deciding to leave on his own. Good luck Conan!

[JimR]

08:09 AM on 11/10/2010

Oh, grow up. It's a business. And it was Conan's demands that got Leno booted out of the Tonight Show in the first place.

[LonosCurse]

10:24 PM on 11/10/2010

Conan's demands that got Leno booted out of the Tonight Show?

They placed Conan the Tonight Show 5 years ago..

[dating Kiwi]

08:01 PM on 11/09/2010

I think Jay Leno has become worse since he took back Conan's space. Letterman is a shame as always. Hope Conan helps improve Late Night Shows.

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[slaxx]

08:00 PM on 11/09/2010

The laughter in the background of the opening skit was distracting and annoying.

[larmar]

07:11 PM on 11/09/2010

ok, the jokes at NBC's expense is getting a little dated. He played that card all during his tour and last night. Hopefully he will have some new material tonight.

[asta1968]

06:14 PM on 11/09/2010

The MASTER!

[Brautigan]

04:45 PM on 11/09/2010

I enjoyed the show, but really hoped that he would have shaved that beard for the opening. Would have been good, I think.

Also, I love Andy Richter, but something about having him there seems...maudlin? I don't know, it just feels a little like someone pining for his glory days, and not quite hitting the old notes. I'll keep watching, but there's a bit of a jaded feel about it, and I definitely miss Max.

[openthedoor]

04:27 PM on 11/09/2010

Wow!
Another comic to be revered!
Does it get any better than this? Does it? Does it?

[MurrayAbraham]

04:16 PM on 11/09/2010

Methinks these late night show hosts need some reality checks. They are not the center of the universe.

[blukazoo]

04:08 PM on 11/09/2010

I wish him luck. Although, if he was actually funny, they wouldn't have replaced him because of his low ratings on NBC in the first place.

[truthisneeded]

03:36 PM on 11/09/2010

O'Brien should get over it. NBC paid him millions of dollars to leave and i can see why

[buzzprovider]

01:58 PM on 11/09/2010

Conan was OK. I actually tuned out a bit during the show it felt so much like any other late night talk show. It was kind of like how it used to be -- if i miss a Conan or Dave episode, no biggie. But Conan has proven himself to have character and integrity, and this has elevated him in my book. Still, maybe he should have figured out a different type of show altogether. He acquired a new kind of status online and shouldn't let it go as interactive and social media synergies take hold. In any case, nice to see him back on TV, albeit scarred. And whats the deal with starting at 11 -- the local news is on at that time, duh? It seems Lopez has the better time slot.

[KeepNIt2Real]

01:51 PM on 11/09/2010

I liked the show. I love Conan...but Seth Rogan is such a geek. Conan could have done better for his first guest...anywho, look forward to seeing Tom Hanks tonight! =D

[dennishastings]

01:51 PM on 11/09/2010

And suddenly, as we see below, the crank fest begins again.

This guy, along with all of the others, is a multimillionaire. Boy, do I feel sorry for him. At the very least he should know how to interview a guest (last nights big failing) because, lest we forget, the show is supposed to be about the guests... the host is supposed to fill in the rest of the time by being witty and glib. But with Conan it's the other way around. If he started giving his 'hard earned' money away, like Oprah, I'd love the guy. He is the nicest dressed, however.

[dennishastings]

01:34 PM on 11/09/2010

What a great show! I am so glad he's back on. Not because I like Conan, but because it will end this incredibly polarized conversation about which multimillionaire jokester is better than the other.

I've seen rude commentaries by the bucketload on the internet, but the comments by people who love this guy really take the cake. I wish him the best, but hopefully all the screaming is over. Now I'll probably get lambasted by someone who doesn't quite have it out of their system yet. OW!!