Another reminder we're all old: Conan turns 13

Tonight is the 13th anniversary of the premiere of the Conan O'Brien Show.

Not bad for a guy who lived on 13-week contracts for, what, three years?

I remember watching the premiere during my first week or two away at college. Thought he was endearingly funny, in an awkward way...and that there was no chance he'd survive more than a year. Now he's the funniest man on late-night, an admittedly empty honor. Hopefully he won't suck once he moves to 11:30 in a couple years, though I fear he will indeed blow.

 

I remember driving to work one morning and listening to the AM radio show in Chicago talk about this new guy who was gonna be on late-night TV and how they thought he wouldn't last. Guess they got that one wrong, huh?

 

His 10th anniversary show DVD rocks!

 

Exactly what my feelings were at the time.

13 years?

Damn... this ride of mine is almost over.

 

That's a long time. I can remember doing a feature on O'Brien when I was in college -- show was maybe on the air two years then. There's a great interview in one of the FHM type magazines this month -- read it waiting in an airport newsstand -- and it runs through all the recurring characters he's had. Everybody knows Triumph and Pimpbot, but he's got some great ones, especially from the early years. And of course, I miss Andy Richter.