Conan Heads to Cable TV

NEW YORK: Conan O’Brien has inked a deal to host a late-night talk show on cable, with his new TBS series expected to launch in November.

The former NBC late-night host will precede Lopez Tonight, which is set to shift to a midnight time slot. The deal follows just a few days of negotiations—according to TBS, "talks in earnest" began just last week, after George Lopez asked O’Brien to consider joining the network. “I can’t think of anything better than doing my show with Conan as my lead-in,” Lopez said. “It’s the beginning of a new era in late-night comedy.”

Said O’Brien: “In three months I’ve gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I’m headed to basic cable. My plan is working perfectly.”

TBS says it expects O’Brien to be a "long-term addition" to the network’s late-night slate. The hour-long, as-yet-untitled show will air Mondays to Thursdays, 11 p.m.

“Conan has been the comedic voice for a generation," said Steve Koonin, the president of Turner Entertainment Networks. "TBS already has a huge audience of young comedy lovers, and Conan’s show will give these fans even more reasons to watch our network,”

He added: “For decades, late-night TV has been dominated by broadcast television. Now, with a young audience and a growing late-night lineup, TBS is set to be the choice of comedy fans for years to come.”