Now the fun begins.
After a week in the sun of L.A. — and the even harsher glare of the media spotlight — Conan O'Brien has settled in as host of "The Tonight Show." Tom Hanks, Will Ferrell and Pearl Jam have come and gone. NBC's booster rocket has fallen away. The redheaded Elvis is on his own now, with no special advantage over his main rival David Letterman other than the prestige of TV's premier late-night franchise.
Stuck on a fourth-place network, O'Brien will have to convince a generation of viewers that a host who giggles awkwardly at his own jokes (even after 16 years on network TV) is a suitable replacement for the relentless standup fusillade of Jay Leno ... and not just for the four months until Leno's new show begins.
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