Things that didn’t suck this week – Conan, Frangela, and The Listener

by Kona Gallagher

This week’s column is all about new shows. Well, kind of. The Tonight Show certainly isn’t new, but Conan O’Brien hosting it sure is. I take a look at that, examine jungle morality with Frangela, and decide if The Listener is worth watching.

Conan’s first day on the job

I’ve been super-excited about the prospect of Conan taking over for Jay Leno on The Tonight Show, though I have been worried that Conan’s antics may not mesh well with Jay’s established audience. After his first night, I have no idea whether or not he’s going to be successful in this new job, but I do know this: His opening was amazing.

Frangela talking some sense in the jungle

Angela getting kicked off of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! in the first week is the worst thing that could have happened to this already dismal show. Between Lou Diamond Phillips trying to prove his manliness, Janice Dickinson hocking up loogies, and Heidi and Spencer acting their butts off in an effort to become the news-making “villains” of the show, Frangela was the sole voice of reason in the jungle. They were funny and wise, and provided a necessary counter to Speidi’s antics.

The Listener premiere

Look, in order to get included in this column, I don’t have to love something, it just has to not suck. I watched three new shows this week: I’m a Celebrity, Mental, and The Listener. We’ve already talked about Celebrity, Mental was the most boring piece of crap I’ve seen since 11th Hour, so even though The Listener is a bit too close to Medium for my liking, it wasn’t bad. It does irk me that Medium was canceled for this low-rent EMT version, but I’d be a lot more bothered if it hadn’t landed on CBS. Given my other options so far this summer, I’ll give The Listener a shot.