After ten years on the air, any show can and will show signs of age. "Late Night", however, has been exhibiting such signs since 1998. While one would not expect much variety from a late night talk show, a medium renowned for "traditions" (Carson's lists, Jay's "Headlines", Letterman's Top 10, etc.), "Late Night" seems to think it can succeed on doing the exact same things every night. Example: Conan comes out, dances, tells bad joke, acts surprised the audience doesn't laugh, pauses for what seems like five minutes, then dances some more. That may be humorous to some, but most people want a little more substance in their comedy. What was once tolerable is now cringe-inducing, and Conan doesn't seem to notice (or care about) his redundancy.
Another inexcusable tactic of the "writing" staff is their reliance on people dancing in whacky costumes. "Oh look", says one unfortunate viewer "that person is flopping about on the floor in a whale costume. I'm not laughing, but this is a comedy show so it must be funny." Sorry little Jimmy, but you're right. It's not funny anymore.
Another inexcusable tactic of the "writing" staff is their reliance on people dancing in whacky costumes. "Oh look", says one unfortunate viewer "that person is flopping about on the floor in a whale costume. I'm not laughing, but this is a comedy show so it must be funny." Sorry little Jimmy, but you're right. It's not funny anymore.