Conan O’Brien’s debut as Tonight Show host may have gotten mixed reviews, but the episode did get the highest ratings for a Monday night Tonight installment in four years. Some people were down on the fact that much of the episode seemed like an introduction to Conan, but, hello, a lot of the regular Tonight Show audience doesn’t stay up for the post-Tonight hour.

I thought it was totally appropriate, particularly the clever cold opening, which had Conan running across the country, from his old New York City home to his new Hollywood studio.  It was a nice nod to the fact that Conan and crew realize they’re playing to a broader audience on Tonight than they were in their 12:30 timeslot.

What did you think? Is Conan Tonight Show-worthy? Will the new Tonight Show be a nightly appointment for you?

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• Filed in Late Night, TV News
• Tags: Conan, Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show, Tonight Show, Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien

As if you could forget , Conan O’Brien takes over The Tonight Show, uh, tonight (NBC, 11:30PM ET), and this preview, in which he pokes fun at his pale-ness, is still cracking me up …

- Meanwhile, though there’s been no lack of press for the big guy, the LATimes.com has an interview with Conan sidekick Andy Richter about his return to late night.

- The New York Post has some words of wisdom, sorta, from various celebs to Conan.

- O’Brien himself assures fans that his trademark quirkiness will continue, including, eventually, the Masturbating Bear.

- A video collection of Conan’s greatest hits from his old gig.

- And New York Times late-night TV expert Bill Carter has a preview of Conan’s first Tonight night, which will include guests Will Ferrell and Pearl Jam.

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• Tags: Andy Richter, Conan, Conan O'Brien, Masturbating Bear, Pearl Jam, The Tonight Show, Will Ferrell

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

- The Sunday New York Times magazine has a great profile of Conan O’Brien, as he prepares to begin his stint as the new host of The Tonight Show. And yes, he too was surprised that Leno’s getting that nightly 10PM timeslot.

- The next edition of The Real World, The Real World: Cancun, debuts on MTV on June 24. It’s the show’s 22nd season.

- Even reality TV stars are haggling for more money. The New York Post reports that the Real Housewives of New York City want more than the $50,000 per episode they received for season two (up from $5,000 per ep for season one). Whaddaya think? Are they worth it?

- Wanna keep up with all those celebrities are Tweeting about? E! will begin running a crawl of celebrities’ Twitter postings at the bottom of the screen during its programming.

- Just what every desk needs: a Jeff Probst bobblehead.

- TBS might save My Name Is Earl.

- Chuck creator Josh Schwartz says not to worry about those rumored cast cuts; he thinks we won’t even be able to tell where the budget cuts are being made when we watch the show next season.

- MacGruber, the movie, is an idea whose time should definitely come.

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• Filed in Boob Tube to Big Screen, Chuck, Comedy, Drama, Late Night, Reality, TV News
• Tags: bobblehead, Cancun, Chuck, Conan O'Brien, E!, Jay Leno, Jeff Probst, Josh Schwartz, MacGruber, MTV, My Name Is Earl, Real Housewives of New York City, Real World, Real World: Cancun, TBS, Tonight Show, Twitter

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

- Law & Order will go for a 20th season on NBC, tying it with classic CBS western Gunsmoke as the longest-running primetime drama.

- Here’s a sneak peek at Fox’s new fall shows, including the awesome Human Target and The Cleveland Show.

- The View co-host Sherri Shepherd will have to split her time between her daytime gig and her new Lifetime sitcom, Sherri, which was picked up by Lifetime today. The autobiographical-ish comedy revolves around Shepherd’s character dealing with her husband’s infidelity by inviting his babymama and her baby to move in with her.

- Send good thoughts to Survivor champ Ethan Zohn, who’s battling a rare form of Hodgkin’s disease.

- Conan O’Brien’s first Tonight Show guests on June 1: Will Ferrell and Pearl Jam.

- 24 season eight will premiere on Fox with a two-night, four-hour event that kicks off on Jan. 17. Only eight more months to go! Season seven, BTW, even though it just ended last night, is already on DVD today.

- It’s a buzzkill that ABC cancelled Samantha Who?. Here’s hoping Christina Applegate is back on the tube ASAP.

- G4’s summer line-up will include series about wannabe poker champs in 2 Months, $2 Million, and comedians commenting on “outrageous clips from women around the world participating in unusual activities” in The International Sexy Ladies Show.

- Ricky Gervais will create an animated series for HBO, based on his popular and hilarious podcasts with pals Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington.

- Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice creator Shonda Rhimes‘ new series Inside the Box, about a Washington DC newsroom, didn’t make the cut for ABC’s fall schedule, and has, according to Deadline Hollywood Daily, been sent back for “redevelopment.” Maybe execs just realized that both of her existing series were so lame this season that they require her attention more?

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• Tags: 24, Christine Applegate, Conan O'Brien, DVD, Ethan Zohn, Grey's Anatomy, Gunsmoke, HBO, Human Target, Inside the Box, Law & Order, Lifetime, Pearl Jam, Private Practice, Ricky Gervais, Samantha Who?, Sherri, Sherri Shepherd, Shonda Rhimes, Survivor, The Cleveland Show, The View, Tonight Show, Will Ferrell

Here’s the official line-up from Fox, followed by the network’s description of its new series:

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: FALL 2009
(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8PM – House
9PM – Lie to Me

TUESDAY
8PM – So You Think You Can Dance performance show

WEDNESDAY
8PM – So You Think You Can Dance results show
9PM – Glee

THURSDAY
8PM – Bones
9PM – Fringe

FRIDAY
8PM – Brothers
8:30PM – ‘Til Death
9PM – Dollhouse

SATURDAY
8PM – Cops
8:30PM – Cops
9PM – America’s Most Wanted
11PM – The Wanda Sykes Show (working title)
Midnight – “Animation Domination” encores

SUNDAY
7PM – The OT (NFL post-game show)
8PM – The Simpsons
8:30PM – The Cleveland Show
9PM – Family Guy
9:30PM – American Dad

…Read more

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• Filed in 24, American Idol, Comedy, Drama, Late Night, Reality, TV News
• Tags: 'Til Death, 24, America's Most Wanted, American Dad, American Idol, Bones, Brothers, Cops, Dollhouse, Family Guy, Fringe, Glee, House, Human Target, Lie to Me, NFL, Past Life, So You Think You Can Dance, Sons of Tucson, The Cleveland Show, The OT, The Simpsons, The Wanda Sykes Show