Just how well do you know your Conan?

When you consider that Conan O'Brien has been part of the late-night scene since 1993, he really hasn't made headlines that much. But when he does make them, he does it up big.

The first headlines, when he was announced as David Letterman's replacement to host NBC's Late Night, were along the lines of "Who the heck is this guy?" Then came the reviews, with headlines that read like "Wow, this guy is nervous; he'll never last." (I'm paraphrasing, but still ...) Then came the fifth- and 10th-anniversary headlines, evoking "Hey, once this guy got over his nerves, he turned into a pretty good late-night host." Then came "Conan to take over as host of The Tonight Show in 2009," and later, "Conan gets raw end of deal in NBC-Leno prime-time fiasco."

After O'Brien left NBC last winter, there was much speculation about where he would go next. Most observers thought he'd wind up at Fox, which did pursue him, but TBS ultimately got him, and his new show, Conan, debuts at 10 p.m. Monday on the cable network. (Seth Rogen, Glee's Lea Michele and musician Jack White will be the first guests.)

Judging from the way TBS has nurtured Lopez Tonight, which will follow Conan beginning Monday, the network is a good place for O'Brien, but he'd be the first to tell you that launching a talk show in a new home isn't easy (despite all the support he received during the NBC-Leno debacle, O'Brien's Tonight Show run was not a ratings winner for most of its run).

On O'Brien's last Tonight Show broadcast, he said he hates cynicism, and although a few initial jabs at NBC are probably inevitable on his TBS show, he'd be wise to drop that tack quickly and concentrate on his strengths, which include a quick wit, a willingness to be unbelievably silly and a knack for connecting with younger audiences.

But let's get back to "Who the heck is this guy?" In honor of O'Brien's return to television, we've put together this quiz, which gives you an idea of who he is, even if you might not be able to answer all the questions.

1Before O'Brien became host of NBC's Late Night in 1993, how long had David Letterman been the show's host?

a. 11 years

b. Nine years

c. 10 years

d. 12 years

2Who else was under strong consideration for the Late Night gig in 1993?

a. Arsenio Hall

b. Dennis Miller

c. Joan Rivers

d. Garry Shandling

3It's fairly well-known that O'Brien wrote for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons before becoming a talk-show host. What other long-running show did he write for?

a. King of the Hill

b. The Larry Sanders Show

c. Not Necessarily the News

d. Seinfeld

4The 1993 S impsons episode M arge vs. the Monorail, written by O'Brien, is considered to be one of the best Sim psons episodes ever. What classic musical is spoofed in T he Monorail Song?

a . Evita

b. The Music Man

c. Oklahoma!

d. The Sound of Music

5What did David Letterman say about O'Brien after he was announced as Letterman's replacement?

a. "I don't know him. I hear he's a nice boy. The only thing I've heard about him is that dogs hide from him when he walks down the street."

b. "I don't know him. I hear he's a nice boy. The only thing I've heard about him is he killed a guy once."

c. "I don't know him. I hear he's a nice boy. The only thing I've heard about him is he does a silly string-puppet dance."

d. "I don't know him. I hear he's a nice boy. Apparently never heard of deodorant, though."

6Who were O'Brien's first guests on Late Night?

a. Roseanne Barr, Dave Barry and Drew Barrymore

b. John Goodman, Tony Randall and Drew Barrymore

c. John Goodman, Jack Klugman and Bill Murray

d. Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell and Oliver Hudson

7Between Andy Richter's departure as Late Night sidekick in 2000 and his return as Tonight Show announcer in 2009, how many TV series did Richter have a lead role in? (Note: Animated series don't count.)

a. 1

b. 3

c. 4

d. 9

8In 2005, an entire episode of Late Night was dedicated to one musical act, of which O'Brien is a big fan. Who was it?

a. Madonna

b. The Rolling Stones

c. Bruce Springsteen

d. U2

9In 2006, O'Brien met with a European country's female president, who was almost a dead ringer for him. Which country did she lead?

a. Finland

b. Iceland

c. Ireland

d. Lichtenstein

10What TV legend did O'Brien threaten to "kill" if the 2006 Emmy broadcast, which O'Brien hosted, ran long?

a. Carol Burnett

b. Andy Griffith

c. Mary Tyler Moore

d. Bob Newhart

Answers: 1-a; 2-d; 3-c (ran 1983-90 on HBO; yes, we were surprised it lasted that long, too); 4-b; 5-b; 6-b; 7-b ( Andy Richter Controls the Universe, Quintuplets and Andy Barker, P.I.); 8-d; 9-a; 10-d.

Scoring:

10 correct: You are the Conan conqueror.

8-9 correct: Not bad. We don't think even Andy Richter would get everything.

5-7 correct: Pretty good guessing.

1-4 correct: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog is coming for you, and it isn't going to be pretty.

Zero correct: Either you don't care, you go to bed earlier than we do, or you have a night job and can't watch. And we're OK with all that, even if network executives aren't.

Sources: The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh; Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com); YouTube; Star-Telegram archives and wire services.

Robert Philpot, 817-390-7872