Yeah, good points. Seems like after the heart surgery he started taking himself seriously. That or he realized he was getting skunked by Leno and had to pick a new tact. He just comes across as old and bitter now.
I found a few clips from the early 80’s show on youtube, and it’s an amazingly different show.
However, I did have the distinct pleasure of dining at the Hello Deli last summer, and Rupert G. is still a nice guy. Food was surprisingly good too, and about half the price of nearby places.
They made a conscious choice to change the show, because of the earlier time slot. I watched it when it debuted, but couldn’t roll with it. The great vibe was gone. Conan basically became the old Letterman show (although I didn’t watch his show either.) Basically, I quit watching those shows after Carson-Letterman left NBC.
It’s probably a whole different crew of writers also. It’s been 20 yrs or so since the old Late Night w/ Dave show. The newer crop of writers are most likely younger, and hence, more devolved. In my view, our culture is on a steady, consistent path of de-evolution.