‘Conan': TBS Sets Premiere Date for New Half-Hour Format

Tim Baysinger

TBS has a set a premiere date for the new 30-minute format of its late-night series with Conan O’Brien.

“Conan,” which has been off the air since October, has O’Brien and Turner retool the show into its new format, will make its half-hour debut on Monday, Jan. 22, where it will now air from 11 to 11:30 p.m. ET/PT. The show’s new format will continue to feature celebrity guests and Conan’s “signature brand of comedy,” per TBS.

“My three-month absence can only mean one thing – radical cosmetic surgery. Tune in January 22nd for a true freak show,” O’Brien said.

Also Read: Conan Chokes up as He Bids Farewell to the One-Hour Format and His Basic Cable Band (Video)

TBS decided earlier this year to scale back “Conan” just a year after the longest-tenured late-night host signed a four-year deal to remain with the Turner network. At the time, O’Brien even mentioned that the show would undergo changes to be “leaner, more agile.” TBS contemplated tinkering with the format for more than a year, as the late-night space has become more crowded.

“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. 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. “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.”

In the past few months, O’Brien has launched a podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” went to Japan as part of “Conan: Without Borders” travel series, which will continue. O’Brien and a curated team of stand-up comics just wrapped a multi-city tour, “Conan & Friends: An Evening of Stand-Up and Investment Tips.”

Read original story ‘Conan': TBS Sets Premiere Date for New Half-Hour Format At TheWrap