It’s time to meet the new Conan

Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Tuesday, January 22. All times are Eastern.

Top pick

Conan (TBS, 11 p.m.): As some guy said once: The times, they are a-changing. Conan O’Brien knows this. He also knows a thing or two about mortality, futility, and the void. Also, he’s got a podcast now. And a color!

Conan O’Brien is changing with the times, though in this case, it’s not because he’s chasing the late-night crown. It’s because he’s doing what he thinks will make him happy. Here’s our own Randall Colburn on the changes ahead:

Conan O’Brien’s been gearing up for the January 22 return of his TBS late-night show with a stand-up tour, a podcast, and a hilarious “Without Borders” trip to Japan. Along with the show’s new half-hour format, these endeavors mark not just a new era for Conan, but also an evolution in what we perceive to be late-night comedy. Conan clearly welcomes the shift, saying in a new interview withThe New York Times’ Dave Itzkoff that the new approach is a “gradual progression toward me making the job fit me more.”

“What if I tried to, in the most selfish way possible, to alter this so that I have a maximum amount of fun?” he added. “I decided to scare myself.”

We’ll miss the band, but we’re excited about Conan being Conan, and Dennis Perkins is, too. Look for his review later tonight.

Regular coverage

The Flash (The CW, 8 p.m.)
This Is Us (NBC, 9 p.m.)

Wild card

Drunk History (Comedy Central, 10 p.m.): In what can only be described as insanely good timing, given what’s going on in the country right now, tonight’s Drunk History will focus on the wonders that are our National Parks. To be specific:“John Muir convinces Teddy Roosevelt to preserve Yosemite, journalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas fights to protect the Everglades, and Native American activists occupy Alcatraz.”

Don’t cut down Joshua trees, you assholes.