CONAN O’Brien went out with a “Late Night” bang.
O’Brien’s final “Late Night” telecast Friday snared the show’s best overnight ratings in two years.
O’Brien, who’ll inherit NBC’s “Tonight Show” from Jay Leno June 1, signed off after a 16-year run on “Late Night,” which he inherited from David Letterman in 1993.
Friday’s “Late Night,” which included much reminiscing by O’Brien – and a visit from former sidekick Andy Richter – averaged a 2.6 overnight rating, according to Nielsen data.
Those were the show’s biggest overnight numbers since December 2006 and helped O’Brien easily defeat Craig Ferguson’s “Late Late Show” on CBS.
O’Brien’s “Late Night” bow (12:35 a.m.) also featured a performance by O’Brien’s favorite rockers, The White Stripes, and filmed appearances from John Mayer and “Late Night” fan favorite Abe Vigoda.