[Calderyon]

Conan O'Brien leaving TBS late-night show for new HBO Max variety series

"I’m thrilled that I get to continue doing whatever the hell it is I do on HBO Max, and I look forward to a free subscription," the comedian said.

Nov. 17, 2020, 10:22 PM EET
By Daniel Arkin

Conan O'Brien is heading to HBO Max.

"Conan," the TBS late-night show that O'Brien has hosted for 10 years, will go off the air in June, and the comedian will move to the streaming service HBO Max, where he will anchor an untitled weekly variety series, WarnerMedia announced Tuesday.

"In 1993 Johnny Carson gave me the best advice of my career: 'As soon as possible, get to a streaming platform.' I'm thrilled that I get to continue doing whatever the hell it is I do on HBO Max, and I look forward to a free subscription," O'Brien said in a statement.

TBS and HBO Max are both units of WarnerMedia, the media giant owned by AT&T.

O'Brien, 57, has been a mainstay of late-night television for 28 years, first with NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and then with his brief run as host of "The Tonight Show." He launched "Conan" on TBS in November 2010.

"Conan" was a showcase for the host's distinctive brand of absurdist (and mostly non-political) humor: surreal sight gags, silly physical comedy, off-kilter interviews. The show's format was tweaked last year, shrinking from an hour to 30 minutes.

O'Brien, who got his start as a writer for "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons," has lately branched out into other platforms, including "Conan Without Borders," a travel-themed series for TBS, and "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend," a well-regarded interview podcast.

"28 years is a monumental achievement in late-night television," said Brett Weitz, general manager for the WarnerMedia-owned basic cable channels TNT, TBS and truTV. "We're incredibly proud of the groundbreaking work that Conan and his team have accomplished during the 10 years at TBS and are so glad that we will continue to have his presence on our air with the 'Conan Without Borders' specials."

"We celebrate his success and are glad to see it grow across our WarnerMedia family," Weitz added.

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/...w-hbo-n1248034