Conan O'Brien is saying good-bye to New York City, his 12:30am time slot, and the "Late Night" show he has hosted for the past 16 years.

Friday night is O'Brien's final show before the host packs it all up, gives the keys to incoming host Jimmy Fallon, and moves west to Los Angeles to take over the "Tonight Show" from its departing host, Jay Leno.

O'Brien is scheduled to make his premiere on the "Tonight Show" on June 1.

"For a while, I was in denial -- 'Oh, we'll just stop doing this show and we'll move on to the next one,"' he said. "That's very me, very male. Men don't like to say goodbye. My wife told me about six months ago: 'I think you have to admit that you have mixed feelings about leaving this late-night show, it's very emotionally charged for you. That's OK."'

NBC committed to giving him the "Tonight Show" slot five years ago, although it was only recently that current host Jay Leno decided to stay with the network and do a nightly 10 p.m. show.

That move has caused friction between the two stars and their comedy and production teams, with questions arising over how easily O'Brien will be able to attract A-list guests when they can just appear on Leno's as-yet-unnamed show in prime time, in the same city.

Backstage angling aside, there is also the question of how much of O'Brien's irreverent - and sometimes downright perverted - show can transition to an earlier time slot, where there are more restrictions on language and content.

And while O'Brien says you shouldn't expect him to automatically change when he takes over Leno's chair ("The shows are an extension of the host and, like it or not, this is my sense of humor," O'Brien says), there's no way all of his 12:30am compadres - from Triumph the Insult Comic Dog to the Masturbating Bear - will be able to follow him.

Here then are our favorite "Late Night" characters and bits from seasons past. Hopefully at least a few will pack some sunscreen and make the long trek with O'Brien to his new digs in L.A.

PHOTOS: "Late Night" characters and skits that may - or may not - make it on"The Tonight Show."