Conan's "Tonight" starts with a bang

Conan O'Brien took "The Tonight Show" stage for the first time Monday night, making his long awaited debut as Jay Leno's replacement.

The red-headed comedian delivered his usual brand of goofy humor through clips showing him running across the country, cruising Los Angeles in his Ford Taurus, and delivering a Universal Studios tour that takes a few unexpected turns.

In an interview with the New York Times, O'Brien admitted to being nervous as well as excited. In the same interview O'Brien's executive producer, Jeff Ross, described entering the premiere episode as "feeling that thing where you're confident, but you never really know."

O'Brien and staff at least know that people are tuning in. The Associated Press reports that last nights show gained a Nielsen Rating of 7.1, a full three points higher than a typical "Tonight Show" gained this season.

O'Brien's first guest was actor Will Ferrell, who was promoting his upcoming film "Land of the Lost," and musical guest Pearl Jam, who unveiled the first song off their new album "Backspacer," a ChicagoTribune.com article reports.

O'Brien became the fifth "Tonight Show" host, following Leno, Johnny Carson, Jack Parr, and Steve Allen. O'Brien began his hosting gig by infusing the show with the type of humor fans had gotten to love from his 17 years hosting of NBC's "Late Night." He did his string dance, danced a jig, and gave plenty of awkward stairs to the camera. He was even joined by long time accomplice Andy Richter, who left "Late Night" in 2000.

O'Brien will host his second show tonight, with guest Tom Hanks and musical act Green Day.