On Tuesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez described how comedian Conan O'Brien could attract viewers to his new late night show on the TBS cable channel: "if he can get this young revolution, you know, a la President Obama, to follow him, that could be huge."
Rodriguez made the comment after guest Dalton Ross, the assistant managing editor for Entertainment Weekly, observed that O'Brien was: "now competing with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, he's not expected to have these mass numbers. As long as he brings his younger audience, his albeit smaller, but passionate audience to TBS, it's going to be successful."
Ross thought Rodriguez's comparison of Obama and O'Brien supporters was "exactly right."
Here is a transcript of the exchange:
8:09AM
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: Because there's no question it's a risk.
DALTON ROSS: Well, you know, I think it's a smart move. I think it's a savvy move. A lot of people were caught off guard by it, but look, it's already been established that Conan, in terms of mass numbers, cannot compete with Jay and Dave. That's why we got into this whole predicament. So even if he went to Fox or another network, that really wasn't going to change. By going to cable, he sort of has taken his game to another field. He is now competing with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, he's not expected to have these mass numbers. As long as he brings his younger audience, his albeit smaller, but passionate audience to TBS, it's going to be successful.
RODRIGUEZ: That's right. Because when you consider 2,500 people, young people, went to see that show last night, he's got 30 or more cities to go, if he can get this young revolution, you know, a la President Obama, to follow him, that could be huge.
ROSS: That's exactly right, Maggie. And people are so behind him because of what he's gone through the past few months. You're finding people that maybe weren't even originally Conan fans but seeing the way he's gone through this whole situation and handled himself, now they relate to him.
