Posted in: NBC, Peacock, TV, YouTube | Tagged: conan o'brien, jimmy fallon, nbc, peacock, Tonight Show

Conan O'Brien: "It's Weird to Come Back" to The Tonight Show (VIDEO)

Conan O'Brien made his return to NBC's The Tonight Show after 14 years, sharing with Jimmy Fallon how "weird" the experience has been.

We love Conan O'Brien. That's why we're willing to carry all of his late-night bitterness for him. In case you forgot, O'Brien hosted NBC's righteously popular Late Night with Conan O'Brien from 1993 to 2009. Having proven himself in that timeslot in much the same way that his idol & mentor David Letterman did, O'Brien would finally be given the hosting gig that he had earned – The Tonight Show. For seven months. At that point, NBC proved to be every bit the broadcast network we assumed it was by bringing back the painfully bland Jay Leno – only for Leno to eventually be replaced by Jimmy Fallon. Now, 14 years after departing NBC's late-night world, O'Brien returned to The Tonight Show to check in with Fallon (and promote his upcoming Max travelogue series, Conan O'Brien Must Go).

"It's weird to come back. I haven't been in this building for such a long time, and I haven't been on this floor in forever," O'Brien shared with Fallon, visibly still taking it all on even as he was being interviewed. I was here for 16 years doing the 'Late Night' show before we went out to L.A., and right across the hall… all these memories came flooding back to me. The first thing that will hit you — and it will hit you, too, because one day you'll have this show as long as you want it. But when you're 98, you'll move on, and someone else will be in this studio. When someone else is in your studio, it feels weird," O'Brien added, offering some reflective words of wisdom for Fallon.

So, who is holding court over in what used to be O'Brien's old stomping grounds? Daytime talk show powerhouse Kelly Clarkson – but even as great as Clarkson is, that still doesn't make the whole thing less weird for him. "I love Kelly Clarkson. Who doesn't love Kelly Clarkson? But still, I felt like, 'It's not right! Blasphemy! They should've burned it to the ground," O'Brien jokingly added. But for now – with Fallon not looking to leave late-night anytime soon – O'Brien had some kind words to pass along before the two wrapped the interview. "I'm very happy for you; I've had the honor of meeting every 'Tonight Show' host going back to Steve Allen, and I think what you've done with the show is beautiful, and you made it your own; you've done so much great quality work, and I couldn't be happier for you," he shared.

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