Late Night Talkshows: Conan O'Brien, the "Jesse" episode of Dec. 1

Of all the shows that air late at night or in the early morning, I have watched Conan's the longest. I didn't watch it in the 90's when it was god-awful (or so they say, and by 'they' I mean Fallon apologists) and I don't know if it ever was. The show was always a great change of pace from Letterman or Leno. The writing was hit-or-miss but Conan knew how to wring a laugh out of the most execrable joke his hack writers could throw at him.

His format isn't as inventive as Jimmy Fallon his replacement. Conan does all the things that other talk-shows do. His house band is not stupendous (though LaBamba has become legendary) and he does all the same things as other hosts. If anything, Ferguson is the only inventive host from the start, but he no longer competes with Conan for viewers, and I discussed him a bit in the post about Fallon.

There's still some originality about Conan O'Brien that people either love or hate. Most people I know either don't watch Conan because they don't care, or outright hate him. I don't know why people feel this way, since lots of funny things go on in his show. Like this Wednesday's episode (which I watched last night on the internet) where he took an audience member's hat, wore it, and made a long-running joke out of what happened afterward. Hat-sniffing, hair-fetishes: these are things you don't find on any other show, no matter how wacky it may be. The episode might as well be referred to as "The Jesse Episode", as even the later guests got into the action.

Joel McHale was one of the guests and he was merciless with poor Jesse, throwing out a series of insults about how he was dressed or who dressed him. It was a strange and disheartening scene to see an actor who plays everyone's favourite character berate a spectator for dressing casually. If a man doesn't want to dress well, it's not really anyone's business, and certainly not talk-show material. Community wasn't mentioned overmuch, but what was plugged was the Christmas episode which sounds outstanding even at the distance of a week. All in all, though, McHale's curmugeonliness was probably just an act by an otherwise great man who no doubt impersonates beggars in his spare time to help afford his suit habit.

The recurring bit about Dion parking in the studio was funny – another stunt you don't find on any other show. Ferguson has Secretariat and techno music and a fair bit of swearing, but he doesn't have Andy Richter as a parking valet. Speaking of Andy Richter, he still delivers solid laughs every night and I am glad to see him return. LaBamba is there too, so what I'm really waiting for is a new iteration of "In the Year 2000...", which NBC has probably copyrighted just to spite Conan.

That was just Monday, and the guests were good (I say this because I am in support of Community alumni making awkward scenes and half-heartedly plugging the show) even the fashion guy stood up for Jesse, making McHale the perfect villain. He stayed for the whole show, so he's obviously a gentleman into the bargain, and let's face it, he probably either apologized to Jesse or explained the nervous disorder that made him launch that triptych of personal insults.