andy richter is joining conan

I always thought Andy Richter was funnier than Conan O'Brien, so for me the show took a step back when Andy left to do great but unappreciated stuff like "Andy Richter Controls the Universe" (on DVD March 24) and "Andy Barker P.I.".  But now, hey, good news.  MSNBC says…

Conan O’Brien will have a familiar face when he begins his new “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” run on NBC: Andy Richter.Richter will be the announcer for the “Tonight Show” when Conan O’Brien takes over on June 1.Richter previously served as a sidekick to O’Brien on “Late Night” between 1993 and 2000. According to a release sent out by NBC, Richter’s new role will not be as a sidekick, but he will be involved in live and prerecorded comedy bits.“Andy is one of the funniest people I know, and we’ve maintained a close friendship since he left ‘Late Night,’” O’Brien said. “We have a proven chemistry that will be an incredible asset to ‘The Tonight Show.’”

This is good news for Andy, who is ridiculously funny.  And good news for the rest of us too, because I hear he gets a little stir crazy when he isn’t working a lot.  For example, he’s the guy who shot those abortion doctors a few years ago.  His agent framed someone else but everyone in town knows it was Andy.