Boston TV: Conan, We Hardly Knew Ye

Tonight, after 16 years of invisible string dancing, gargantuan ginger hair, and playing peekboo with the camera, local boy Conan O’Brien takes a final bow before making the westward migration to take over Leno’s “Tonight Show.”

O’Brien, born a stone’s throw away in Brookline, was two-time president of comedy magazine, The Harvard Lampoon. He made his career’s first move to LA, finding a job with HBO’s "Not Necessarily the News." O’Brien went on to write for "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons."

It was Lorne Michaels of "SNL" who got O’Brien his audition for “Late Night.” Years of Emmy nominations and wins later, O’Brien has built a devoted fanbase and created some of the weirdest and funniest material on television. Who can forget the Epic (three-way) Battle between O’Brien, Jon Stewart, and Stephen Colbert?

Jimmy Fallon takes over at the “Late Night” helm on March 2nd, with O’Brien starting “The Tonight Show” on June 1st. The White Stipes reunite tonight for a special performance. Catch Conan O’Brien’s last show on at 12:35 on NBC.

We’ve gathered some of O’Brien’s best work over the years. Good luck in Los Angeles, Conaco! (May we call you that?)