With the first two weeks of the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien wrapped up, I wanted to take a look back at some of my favorite moments from CoCo's new gig (more on that soon):

• Twitter Tracker (Week 1 & Week 2) - Brilliant the first time out of the gate. I'm not sure which is more ridiculous: the announcer's voiceover or Conan's reactions to the lame Tweets.  Either way, the combo of the two players in this bit easily makes it one of the break-out stars of the new "Tonight Show Library of Skits" (totally Trademarked by me now!).
• CoCo is the new Conan - In response to the first Twitter Tracker segment (June 2 - for those of you who haven't seen it yet), Conan O'Brien gets his first new Tonight Show nickname: CoCo.  This one appears to be sticking around for a while, as the next guest on June 2, Tom Hanks (and subsequent guests), made sure to include it in their interviews. Plus, a group of audience members showed up spelling out CoCo on their t-shirts. Classic.
• The Cold Open - Taped over a single weekend, Conan makes his way from New York to Hollywood for his first show in a coast-to-coast run.  Conan knew he had to have something big for his first bit on his first Tonight Show, and this easily fit the bill.  Having Conan's classic humor, mixed with the larger budget that comes with the Tonight Show, made for a Cold Open that rivaled the opening scene of the first episode of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (SIDE NOTE: The second episode was interestingly named "The Cold Open").
• The Guests - Sure, it's easy to pick on the guests, but it's not always easy to find the right guests to fill in the spots on a new(ish) show.  OK, so maybe taking over the Tonight Show has some benefits (like getting big stars to help out with the first week), but watching Conan pick up Tom Hanks, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Gwyneth Paltrow in the first two weeks was amazing.
• Super Mario Set - Having seen the set in person (at a test taping in May), it didn't hit me that Conan's monologue backdrop has more then a passing resemblance to the Super Mario Bros.  That was until I came upon a posting on Gizmodo that mentioned the similarities of the two greats.  When Conan referenced the resemblance, it was fantastic to see him pay attention to his fans.  Having just mentioned the story earlier in the day, his ability to turn it into a segment so quickly was impressive.
• The Ratings - Ok, so maybe this doesn't qualify as one of the best moments in Conan's first two weeks, but nobody has burst out of the gate with amazing ratings during their first days, weeks (or months) on a new show.  His up-and-down roller coaster of ratings (look at the story regarding his first week as Tonight Show host) shows that he has the ability to build his audience over time, as he did with his Late Night show.

These are just a few of my favorite moments from CoCo's first few weeks.  He had me in tears at some moments, worried that I'd be making too much noise in the house for an 11:35p time slot.  His physical comedy puts him in a league on his own.  There are just too many moments to mention in one post, but I'll keep an eye on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and bring you the Best O' the Best!

Well, that's it.  Analog is leaving us forever.

Hope you're ready for the transition.  Of course, most of us in the 21st Century have cable, and we're good for the switch to Digital, but for that 0.0001% that's still working off of the good ol' rabbit ears (and they will be "good ol" now!), you're VERY QUICKLY running out of time to make the change.

For those of you who have waited until the last minute, Best Buy is giving away free converter boxes.  Just give them a call at 1-877-BBY-DTV9.  Don't wait any longer!!!  Call Best Buy now and pick up your free box while supplies last!!!  

Oh, and speaking of television, for those of you who have been following Conan on the Tonight Show, I'll be throwing up my own take on his first two weeks on air.  Make sure you stop back by here tomorrow to check out my review on the Best (and some questionable) moments of the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.  It'll be the talk of the internet!!!  I'm 43% positive of this!!!

For anyone who wants to check out the "man behind the curtain" from 1960s television, click on the cut below.

Granted, you click at your own risk, and I won't be held responsible for ruining your childhood memories. I officially wash my hands of all legal and emotional responsibility you may incur.

If you have a wall in your house that is just itching to be covered with an entire television, you're in luck.

Just unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Panasonic has broken the mold on what should be allowed in television production. Why anyone would need a 150-inch television is beyond me, unless you need to see every detail of Paula Abdul's breakdown on the next season of American Idol from the other end of your indoor pool. That would be my reason for buying one...

Although, considering their previous 103-inch version cost $70,000, it's not something I'd just jump into purchasing without a second thought.  Also, the 103-inch version was equivalent to a queen-sized bed, and sold over 3,000 units. 

The 150-inch television?  Just imagine hanging a 12-1/2 foot piece of art on your walls.  Plus, there's no price point on the 150-inch unit just yet, but it will be available in 2009 - mostly for billboard advertising (to begin with).

Gizmodo got the first shots of the 150-inch Panasonic Lifescreen Plasma. It's not just a 1080p TV, it's BEYOND HDTV, at 2k x 4k resolution. It makes the Panasonic president look tiny.

read more | digg story

As we ring in 2008, I think it's only fair to take a look at what's coming up in the next 12+ months.  February 2008 will have me celebrating my 5th anniversary with Jarrod.  In March 2008, my son will turn 3.  Coming in February 2009: Obsolete analog televisions!  Woo-hoo!!!

For those of you unfamiliar with the government-required conversion, let me give you a quick run down: At midnight on February 17, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to 100% digital broadcasting. Digital broadcasting promises to provide a clearer picture and more programming options and will free up airwaves for use by emergency responders.

What does this mean for the normal television consumer?  If you own a television with a digital tuner or subscribe to a pay TV service, you will likely continue to receive TV programming as usual after the transition.  If you don't fall into those categories, you'll need to purchase a TV converter box (pictured to the right).  They'll set you back from $50-$70, but don't worry.  The government will throw in up to $80 for the purchase of said box.  Without it, your analog television set will stop receiving station signals at midnight on February 17, 2009.  You can pick up your $40 coupons by visiting www.dtv2009.gov.

Originally, the transition was granted $1.5 billion to process the conversion, but only $5 million of this amount was used for expanding consumer knowledge regarding this historic event.  In a recent poll, over 50% of those questioned knew of this upcoming deadline.  Why is the government being so mum about the transition?  Wouldn't you assume that they'd want to make sure people know about this, so they don't have an angry mob on their hands when television sets stop working on 2/17/09?  Then again, when has the government ever been about efficiency?

Also, for those of you with handheld or battery-powered televisions, you're most likely out of luck with the conversion process.  The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, who is operating the TV Converter Box Coupon Program at the direction of Congress, said in their "FAQ" section of their website that generally handheld and battery-powered televisions will not work after February 17, 2009.

The $40 coupons for the TV converter boxes are available now through March 31, 2009, but I wouldn't wait until the last minute to request yours.  I was able to request two of them (two is the limit per household) within a matter of minutes, and I was told they would begin arriving around February or March 2008, when the converter boxes will begin arriving in stores.  The longer you wait to request yours, the tougher it will be to ensure you won't be left paying full price for the conversion box.

I've also added a link to a countdown timer on the list of important dates to the right side of this blog.  You don't want to get stuck without television stations in 2009.  For more information about the digital conversion, you can visit www.dtvtransition.org.