Exclusive: Conan O'Brien On Taking His Show to Atlanta
Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien is bringing the laughs to March Madness. The TBS late-night host will head to Atlanta to host a week of shows leading up to the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament. Conan will be taped April 1-4 at Atlanta's Tabernacle concert hall, an old Baptist church not far from the Georgia Dome, the site of this year's Final Four and championship game.
According to TBS, Conan is the first late-night show to ever take a road trip to Atlanta. (BET's The Mo'Nique Show was based in Atlanta, but according to Conan, no show has visited from out of town.) The L.A.-based chatfest previously traveled to New York in 2011 and Chicago last year.
Turner's TBS, TNT and truTV will telecast the NCAA Men's Division I Championship along with CBS. The visit not only coincides with the sporting event, but it is also a treat for the hometown crowd, as Turner Broadcasting is based in Atlanta. (AT&T will help sponsor the Conan visit.)
"Conan's fans are so passionate about seeing him in person," says Michael Wright, president and head of programming at TBS, TNT and TCM. "I know Conan is excited, and we think it's a great way to make the Final Four an even bigger event for Atlanta."
Guests have not been announced yet, but fans can visit TeamCoco.com/Atlanta to enter an online lottery for tickets.
"I've traveled my show to many cities over the years, but I'm particularly excited to be celebrating our third season with TBS by taking our show to the great city of Atlanta," O'Brien tells TV Guide Magazine. "When people think of Big Ten basketball and the American South, they think 'Conan O'Brien,' especially if they're on a lot of medication."
Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!