“In tribute to Dave on my last night I’m going to show an episode of Kimmel,” Conan O’Brien tells Charlie Rose tonight on Rose’s PBS program, about his plans for David Letterman’s final night as host of CBS’ Late Show.



“I will try and take some of the spotlight away from Dave,” Conan joked. “This is what comics do. I’m going to come out, on the air. I’ll be naked that night.”

While Kimmel announced last week his show will be a repeat that night, because he does not want to distract anyone from watching Letterman’s finale, Conan told Rose “I assume no one’s going to be watching any of us anyway.” Conan also pointed out that, unlike Kimmel, his show airs before Letterman’s airs. “What I’d like to do is say something nice about David Letterman that comes from the heart and, we come on a little before he does, and tell people to turn the channel. If there’s nine people watching and I get eight of them [to change the channel] then I’ve been successful.”

Conan noted with Dave’s depature, he’s now the senior citizen of late night TV. “For everyone in my generation, David Letterman was, and is, the gold standard.”