Conan attempts a traditional Armenian dance in front of the Garni Temple (Photo by Aaron Bleyaert

Conan in Armenia Doubled Viewership the Show Has been Averaging

LOS ANGELES—The Armenia-centric episode of Conan, which aired Tuesday, scored 1.3 million viewers that night, doubling what the show has been averaging recently.

According to Deadline.com, an average of 1.04 million viewers caught TBS’ unveiling of Conan In Armenia at 11 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, 666,000 of whom fell into the advertiser-coveted 18-49 age bracket. Another 317,000 viewers of all ages watched a replay immediately after the premiere, at 12:30 a.m. Eastern, 226,000 of them in the 18-49 demographic.

The numbers do not reflect viewer numbers after Tuesday, on various online platforms on which the show airs, including the official teamcoco.com. It also does not figure delayed viewing on DVR and other devices. When those numbers of revealed soon, it should register an uptick in viewership.

Conan O’Brien became the first late-night host to take his show to Armenia. He was accompanied by his assistant Sona Movsesian who was making her first trip to the homeland.

Watch the full episode if you’ve missed the initial airing on TBS.

Ahead of Tuesday’s show, in a phone interview Friday with Asbarez Editor Ara Khachatourian, O’Brien discussed his experience in Armenia and producing the episode saying: “I’ve been making television for 22 year and this episode is one thing I am most proud of.”

He explained that the genesis of the show dated back six years when he moved to Los Angeles and hired Sona Movsesian as his assistance. She said she grew up in Montebello, where she attended the Armenian Mesrobian School, learning the language, culture and history of Armenians. She had never traveled to Armenia and said that she was able to experience what she had grown up hearing about from her family, school and community.

Watch behind the scenes takes with Sona’s family.

“I haven’t quite done television like that. I thought it was very real. I am proud of the whole show,” O’Brien told Asbarez. “It’s a very human story.”