Late Night

I'm not a huge fan of late night talk shows but I'll occasionally catch Letterman or Conan O'Brien if I'm up and thinking about it. I, like virtually everyone else of course, loved watching Johnny Carson but he was in a class by himself. Carson made it look easy.

That's why I found this weekend's New York Times Magazine article about Conan O'Brien, his assumption of the "Tonight Show" mantle and the look at what goes into a successful late night show so fascinating. It's an entertaining look at how he is making the transition, how he got into the late night gig, what it takes to survive in the late night world, and the interplay of the politics and personalities between Carson, Leno, Letterman, etc., since Johnny's retirement. It's definitely a worthwhile read.