After seemingly endless public fighting and controversy, Conan O’Brien has departed NBC’s “The Tonight Show.”

First hosted by comedian Steve Allen in 1954, “The Tonight Show” has seen many lead the talk show. From Allen and Jack Paar to the venerable Johnny Carson and now O’Brien, the program is full of comic history. Jay Leno reigned as king of “The Tonight Show” from 1992-2009 after nabbing, some would argue “stealing,” the show from David Letterman upon Carson’s retirement.

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the show, with ratings dropping and that ill-fated format switch in 1957 to a news-type program. However, there has been a sense of dignity about hosting the legendary broadcast, until now. Who wants a washed up comedian, Leno, to return to late-night with his tail between his legs, besides Jeff Zucker?

With O’Brien departing and Leno set to return as host March 1, NBC is certain to face an uphill climb as it tries wooing back viewers and re-building the dignity of its storied program. Any TV viewer that ditched “Tonight” once O’Brien took over shouldn’t be that hard to get back, pending they haven’t died of old age. No, NBC shouldn’t be concerned about that demographic. It should, however, be nervous about the 18-to-49 demographic — a group O’Brien plays well to.

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Looking at the current Broadway season, both at shows that have already closed and upcoming productions, the most prevalent trend is star power. And by star, I don’t mean theatrical heavyweights like Ethel Merman, George M. Cohan or Bert Lahr — these names certainly mean little to nothing when it comes to the current theatregoing masses. Stars on Broadway this season mean Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Scarlett Johansson.

All of these actors have names that transcend the stage — something producers surely hope will fill seats as tourists roll into town. While some of these recognizable names won over even the toughest of Broadway critics, and proved more than capable of handling a live production, it was name alone that won them the role.

The trend of casting Hollywood celebrities in Broadway shows is nothing new, and has been griped about by many a theatre columnist, however, with news of Ragtime, a completely star-less musical closing after a brief revival, the subject should once again be analyzed.

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There’s a scene in the 1960 film Spartacus that captures the mindset of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo — a man that had just suffered years of persecution after being listed as one of the Hollywood Ten. Defeated by the Romans, Spartacus and his rebel army’s lives are threatened unless they give up their fearless leader.

With not a moment of hesitation the entire slave army leaps to their feet and bellows “I’m Spartacus.” Kirk Douglas’ character slowly bows his head, seemingly overwhelmed with emotion. His brotherhood would risk torture and ultimately death just so that Spartacus isn’t singled out. Sadly, such solidarity was a mere Hollywood construct. This ideal was something that Trumbo would never find in real life.

In 1947 Trumbo was one of ten Hollywood writers and directors jailed for refusing to give information to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). The government agency was on a mission to expose communists in America. Hollywood became a clear target. Rather than stand as one, some in the creative community decided to single their comrades out when asked to name names.

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If you ask Alexis Bledel whether college was a worthwhile experience, you’d discover that without her time at school she might not have become an actress. Now 27, she started out with a focus on writing and directing. “I figured out that I was interested in acting while at NYU,” she told me while discussing her new film, Post Grad.

Unlike many recent college graduates fighting unemployment Bledel has had a fairly easy go of things when it comes to work. She landed the lead role in Girlmore Girls opposite Lauren Graham in 2000. Since then she has gone on to star in the popular Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies.

In Post Grad Bledel plays Ryden, a young lady just entering the work force and hoping to make a career in book publishing. Ryden lands an interview at her dream company Happerman & Browning, a Los Angeles based publisher — think Random House. But she fails to land the job and is forced to move back in with her family, played by a star cast including Michael Keaton, Carol Burnett and Jane Lynch.

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To live in a world in which anything could be bluntly said is almost unthinkable. Imagine if Hollywood’s creative community simply told producers that they refused to work on a runaway production. Perhaps the number of local film shoots wouldn’t be so dismal. Unfortunately, social norms and self-preservation tell those without industry power to bite their tongue.

Enter Max Mayer. As the writer and director of Fox Searchlight’s Adam, he has created a story that puts such unfiltered speech in the spotlight. Focusing this touching film on a character afflicted with Asperger’s Syndrome, Mayer allows for a brief look into the life of someone that says what he means, despite the awkwardness that inevitably follows. And perhaps more delightful than the story itself is Adam’s setting.

Billing the film as a romantic comedy is unfair, as Adam deals with the human condition much more than typical summer fare. Adam Raki is a thirtysomething New Yorker — touchingly portrayed by Hugh Dancy — with a beautiful mind, albeit a problematic one. Asperger’s is a form of autism often causing a hard time understanding what other people are thinking. When Adam falls in love with his new neighbor Beth — a charming Rose Byrne — an emotional rollercoaster ensues.

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