List of Late Night with Conan O'Brien sketches
The sketch was invented prior to the actual year 2000, but the show's writers decided to keep the named year the same even after the passing of the titular year, in a sort of ironic twist. However, when the sketch was revived on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien", Richter heaped ridicule upon O'Brien for failing to update the name of the skit nine years after the year 2000 had passed. The sketch is renamed "In the Year 3000", with the black robe (referred to as a 'ratty smock' by Richter) being replaced with a more futuristic-looking outfit consisting of a large metallic collar with a series of blinking lights, which Conan said were very expensive to make and Andy said smelled bad. Appearing on "Tonight" June 3, 2009, it was the first "Late Night" sketch to be carried over to Conan's "Tonight Show". The open to the sketch included narration by William Shatner and, on one occasion, George Takei.
2010 Tonight Show conflict
"The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" pulled in over nine million viewers to its June 1, 2009 premiere, doing extremely well in the coveted young demographics. Critics were generally very favorable; Tom Shales of "The Washington Post", once a Conan detractor, wrote that "There's every indication that O'Brien will be up to the job of his illustrious predecessors." Older audiences, however, gradually checked out of the program night by night; seven episodes later, the "Late Show with David Letterman" had edged above O'Brien for the first time. While Zucker called O'Brien to reiterate that the generational change was expected, other executives were not as pleased. O'Brien and his team were not happy with the lack of promotion in the show's early weeks. Against the wishes of several PR executives, Zucker authorized a press release proclaiming O'Brien "the New King of Late Night", a move that attracted ridicule. Zucker later regretted the decision, and many at O'Brien's "Tonight Show" offices were displeased.