There has been a changing of the guard at one of televison's most iconic shows.

Last night, Conan O'Brien debuted as the new host of NBC's The Tonight Show in Los Angeles.

"I think I've timed this move perfectly," O'Brien told his studio and national television audience. "I'm on a last-place network. I moved to a state that's bankrupt and The Tonight Show is sponsored by General Motors."

Following in the footsteps of Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, O'Brien is now at the helm of TV's most historic late night franchise.

During his opening monologue, Conan said he remembered watching Johnny Carson as a kid, thinking "That's what I want to be when I grow up".

He joked that somewhere in America there is a child watching him, thinking "What is wrong with that man's hair?"