CO-CO'S MESSAGE TO NBC: "GO TO HELL!" AND HE MAY HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN HIS WISH.

From The wrap.com

Ratings are the best revenge. And if these numbers hold, "Conan" had a very sweet debut for TBS, served cold.

In his first night back on the air in over nine months, Conan O’Brien bested David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel and -- most importantly for O'Brien and his followers -- Jay Leno.

Conan’s new TBS show scored a 2.8 rating among Nielsen’s 56 metered markets. In contrast, Leno earned a 2.7 rating, Letterman drew 2.5, and Kimmel received a 1.7.

ALSO READ THEWRAP'S REVIEW: Conan Returns to Late Night With a Message for NBC: 'Go to Hell'

Against his Comedy Central competition, the ginger-haired comic also fared well. "The Daily Show" earned a 1.5 rating, while "The Colbert Report" nabbed a 1.1 rating.

The real challenge will be maintaining the lead over the next few weeks and months. An executive from a rival show said that he expects O'Brien's numbers will dip once the curiosity factor wanes.


Conan's Real Late-Night Foe Isn't Jay or Dave -- It's Jon Stewart
Conan Returns to Late Night With a Message for NBC: 'Go to Hell'However, those numbers are subject to change once national figures come in later today.

Moreover, with the exception of Stewart, they do not represent head-to-head matchups, as Leno and Letterman both kick off their show at 11:30 p.m., while O'Brien begins his 30 minutes earlier.