LOS ANGELES - "Conan" and "Lopez Tonight" have something more valuable than A-list guests: Late-night TV's youngest audiences.
The average age for both TBS shows is 32, an achievement that Conan O'Brien attributes to his affinity for childish behavior. "There's an innate silliness in me," he said Wednesday from the intimate set of his new show on the Warner Bros. lot. "I always liked comedy that amused me even when the sound was off."
He confirmed that one of his older fans, David Letterman, phoned him over the holidays. He described the conversation as quick, friendly and not terribly in-depth. "He's not a blabbermouth," O'Brien said.
He doesn't think he'll ever want a similar call from Jay Leno: "Life is short. Besides, I'm sure he's busy."
O'Brien can afford to be cocky. While NBC's "Tonight Show" has a big lead in the ratings since Leno replaced him, the picture is different when you focus only on 18- to 49-year-olds -- the demographic advertisers want most -- and factor in people who record the show to watch later. By those measures, O'Brien is No. 1 in late night, averaging 1.4 million compared with 1.3 million for Leno, 1.1 million for Letterman and 1 million for Jon Stewart's "Daily Show."
Others who addressed TV critics Wednesday included George Lopez, Jane Lynch, Forest Whitaker, Jimmy Kimmel and the casts of "Cougartown" and "Parks & Recreation."
NEAL JUSTIN
