Whatever the case, a familiar face will aid him in his quest to build on the Allen/Paar/Carson/Leno legacy: That would be former "Late Night" sidekick Andy Richter, who'll serve as announcer (and partaker in comedy bits). First guest/Conan pal Will Ferrell should put our host at ease -- or at least make him appropriately uncomfortable -- before Pearl Jam plug in as the musical guests.
Good luck, Mr. O'Brien: May you have this big gig all the way until the year 2000.
Here are more EW Picks for the week of June 1:
"I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!" season premiere (Monday, NBC, 8 p.m. ET) Stephen Baldwin, Janice Dickinson, Sanjaya Malakar and seven other D-listers abandoned in a remote Costa Rican jungle: dream come true? More like a reboot of the 2003 celebrity reality show. "I love the fact that I'm going to be shooting spitballs at Sanjaya and pushing Janice's buttons," says Baldwin, who's traveling with underwear, socks and a Bible. "I'm praying the American masses will enjoy the antics of Stevie B."
