The Dream is a Reality for Conan O'Brien

Conan O'Brien officially took over "The Tonight Show" Monday to mixed reviews

It's finally official folks. On Monday, June 1, 2009 Conan O'Brien became just the third host of "The Tonight Show" to grace the stage in over 40 years. With Jay Leno announcing the hand off a few short years ago, O'Brien looked nervous yet humbled at becoming the host of televisions most honored late night program.

The show started with classic Conan as he looked over a checklist of things to do before his debut. Last on the list was "Move to L.A." in which he looked at the camera in a panic. Running out to catch a cab, he gave up and decided to run from New York to L.A. stopping off at some hilarious places along the way. When he got to the studio, he realized he forgot something...the key to "The Tonight Show" studio! Frustrated, he leaves the shot then plows through the door with a bulldozer.

What proceeded was a mixture of monologue and skits for about 30 min. The Universal tram was hilarious. Will Ferrell came on around 12:10 am to four men carrying him on a platform as if he were royalty. His interview was OK but not the one you want as your first interview on "The Tonight Show." The evening finished up with a world premiere song by Pearl Jam off their new album. All in all, not a bad night for Conan.

Now a lot of older people are going to shrug off O'Brien for his immense energy and hilarity. But everyone should give him a chance. He got the "Late Night" gig after Letterman bolted for CBS in 1993. At that time, O'Brien was only known for being a great comedy writer with "The Simpsons" and was totally unknown. In those 16 years, he built an audience that followed him and easily won the late night ratings in his time slot. His wackiness and crazy energy made the show original and fresh. From his campaign to put "Dirty Dancing" back into movie theaters for it's anniversary to his "Walker, Texas Ranger" clips, O'Brien is a talented comedian that deserves this shot at his lifelong dream.

A lot of people will need a few shows to get used to O'Brien and company's zany, out-of-this-world humor that made him the king of the 12:30 time slot. Here's to you Conan, hoping you garner a huge audience for years to come!