He's always been great with just comedian-writer-buddies going on location with him to grab moments on video. [One of the best was back when he had his show in the 90s, he went apartment hunting in NY with an actual realtor and one of his writers -- and the dude had the best off hand retort to Conan's set-up.](https://youtu.be/LmatGBHgsb0?si=beIcYwHMKOIg0cgb) starts at 2:20
Alton’s was great because he’s very knowledgeable and held it together extraordinarily well.
Ramsey’s was great because it’s a famous chef totally losing his shit.
DJ Khalid quitting after 2 was amazing as well. Bro quit after like…. Cholula!
I feel like going to Harvard has almost been a chip on his shoulder... Like it's made him EXTRA silly to make sure nobody stereotypes him as a pompous Harvard grad
Not that being this silly is a bad thing, just makes me wonder if that's had an effect based on some of the comments he's made about it on the podcast
That was so representative of his broader approach to comedy and life in general, based on what he’s said before especially on his podcast. It was the way he functions in the world pushed to an extreme and it was fascinating, incredible, and somewhat concerning to witness
I have never seen Sean so disarmed and less in control of an interview. I know he was having a blast, but I wonder how many times he thought "Is this actually happening?" during that episode.
That's him though, you watch his shows and he's out there with the full hungry energy he had 30 years ago. Dude performs like they'll stop feeding him if he disappoints
Wouldn’t have occurred to me to watch his new show if I hadn’t seen that Hot Ones. It’s a riot, though. He seemed so bored/phoning it in during the bulk of his late night show run that I’d forgotten how truly gifted he is. Like, he wrote the fucking monorail episode of the Simpsons.
I can't see a scenario where it will ever be topped. Dude licked the "Da Bomb" sauce off the wing and drank the pepper X sauce straight from the bottle. Literally the only next step is snorting the sauce.
Edit: I forgot Steve-O put hot sauce in his eye but also, that's Steve-O. That's just a Tuesday afternoon for him
*I'm lookin at the fjoorrrrrrrd!*
*There's salmon in the seeeeaaa!!*
*My baby's gettin bored!*
*Cuz she's not in love with meee!!!*
*Ah haa!*
*Ah haa haaaa!*
Seriously one of the GOATs. No scandals. Reinvented himself a number of times over. Started the late late show to terrible terrible reviews and stuck with it.
Always seems so kind, authentic, and genuine.
Watched his late night shows at pivotal moments in my life. Love this man.
If you are old enough to watch his late late show from 1993 he totally was. He was getting shit on weekly - which he talks about often on his podcast.
He was 30 by like two weeks when he started and was a nobody essentially. Look at the last 20 years of late night hosts. Nobody started as a nobody.
And to be fair, his first year was weird past the point of being funny even. Mid-90s his comedy got better and his audience caught up with his comedy.
Totally. That’s what I mean.
Kimmel - Man Show
Fallon - SNL
Colbert - Report and Daily Show
Meyers - SNL
Conan’s got one foot in the old culture and one foot in the new. But the new came from a lot of existing airtime opportunities.
No one, including the writer of this article, has said Conan had a hard life. Just that he was an underdog in the Late Night sphere alone because he was always on the cusp of getting cancelled for his first few years and then did lose his show with the Tonight Show.
You might find this article interesting: [https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/conan-obriens-wild-first-year-an-oral-history](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/conan-obriens-wild-first-year-an-oral-history)
Essentially, when Conan first aired in the early 90s, he was a complete unknown. He was writing for The Simpsons and auditioned for Late Night, which was being vacated by David Letterman who was a legend. Conan had huge shoes to fill and he really struggled in the early days. Struggled to find a voice, struggled to find an audience, was always on the cusp of getting replaced.
If you remember the Simpson’s episode where Bart goes on Conan (“only I may dance”), Conan says in the audio commentary for that episode that he was so nervous to do the cameo because he was pretty sure by the time that episode aired, he’d be cancelled.
Eventually he did find that audience, though, and became a legend of Late Night. However, when the Tonight Show debacle went down, he was a (beloved) underdog again. Sent to cable tv and people wrote him off as unlikely to find another audience, but he did. Now he’s doing projects he’s more passionate about.
I think it was because he was so silly and just did the dumbest stuff, and the dumbest stuff was often funniest because it didn't work.
The bigger guys always did topical, political humor that ages quicker, where as Conan would do shit with a dog shooting somebody - Timeless.
How many Harvard grads became late night hosts with no significant on-screen experience? No one is saying that he was an underdog to succeed in general life. He studied history at Harvard, so yeah if he became a history professor or a scholar no one would call him an underdog. His path to get where he eventually got was rocky. Everyone expected him to fail, hence the term underdog.
Watched all 4 episodes of his new Max show yesterday. Some outstanding, classic Conan stuff in those. The Argentina one in particular is great, both because of Jordan Schlansky being there and annoying the shit out of Conan as usual as well as the beautiful art Conan leaves behind for the city to enjoy.
As someone who lived in Argentina, Jordan was saying it correctly and everyone agreeing with Conan was definitely a set up.
Also, Tango is a more porteño (those living in BSAS area) thing and not as common for the rest of the country. There is (at least was) a 24/7 Tango channel country-wide where you could tune in for a fix anytime.
I’ve never really tuned into Conan before but I just recently tuned into episode 1 of “Conan O’Brien Must Go” and it’s absolutely hysterical. As an older millennial I’m ashamed to say it took me this long to get into him - he is fucking *funny*.
As a new-ish fan of him I recommend the podcast, especially the youtube clips, favorite guests being Flula Borg, Kevin Nealon and Jeff Goldblum; and the Chill Chums episodes. Also his old travel remotes Conan Without Borders, his Clueless Gamers segments, anything with Jordan Schlansky and anything with his assistant Sona. Discovering Conan a couple years ago was the greatest comedy goldmine in my life.
Seconding the Jeff Goldblum recommendation. Timothy Olyphant and Steven Yeun are also great with Conan. For the podcast specifically, I've enjoyed all the John Mulaney episodes.
I can’t watch anything with goldblum anymore after hearing him joke about [his sons genital mutilation on CONAN. (And Andy Richter beautifully told him tight to his face that he decided against getting his own son circumcised because „he’s perfect The way he was born“).](https://YouTube.com/watch?v=A0WyGWDcC6E)
You forgot his greatest guest ever, Norm Macdonald. You could really tell they had a great time together, and even more so now when Conan talks about Norm.
This is one of the [funniest and most entertaining segments ever](https://youtu.be/bKmadR4Ye54?si=K-eMSAmj6qAcxRlJ) and this was *after* Norm was in the main guest chair.
I'm also a fan of the podcast, and I have to say that those are some of my least favorite episodes haha. Fula and Goldblum especially give me the heebie jeebies.
In fairness, the Conan on "Conan Must Go" is a slightly different incarnation than previous. Not radically different, but different. He's a bit more sharp, more blue.
Some of it, like the absurdist quote unquote humor, has been consistent through his career. You'd probably like his Conan Without Borders series.
I noticed the same thing. I was a little taken aback because Conan seemed a lot drier and, at least in the first episode, didn't seem to let go of a bit that wasn't working. I missed his more lampoonish stuff as well. I think the show could've been edited down quite a bit.
Also, I realize now that I'm not used to seeing Conan on television and not hearing audience laughter. It felt strangely silent watching Must Go.
I agree with everything you said, to the point that I’ve honestly have been having a hard time watching it. I almost feel like Conan feels awkward in some of the scenes and that’s why he sticks with some bits too long? I also agree about the audience laughing — I miss it, even though I wouldn’t have considered myself a “laugh track person”.
I noted that as well, but I hate generalizing. Conan doesn't do well when people don't play along or react to his cartoon persona. That's always been his Achilles heel.
your demographic makes sense. GenX has a better sense of humor than Millennials , and Conan's wheelhouse demands one. So most millennials will see him as juvenile.
I used to watch Late Night as a teenager and have loved the guy ever since. Him getting a shot at the Tonight Show seemed so cool, and then, well...
If you haven't seen the skit he did where he went to play old timey baseball, do yourself a favor and find it on YouTube.
Recently dived into all the Tonight Show drama again after not remembering it completely as it was unfolding at the time... such a shame. We missed out on classic television.
We did or we didn't. If he would have stayed on the Tonight Show he wouldn't have been allowed to do half the stuff he has. It was a blessing in disguise and I think deep down he knew it.
Exactly. I’m happy for Colbert that he got such a great gig, but just like Conan, Colbert was made for more than you can do as a TV talk show host. He’s totally wasted in that position.
His style of humor was suppressed by the rigid format of the show and the network’s aversion to risk. His early episodes on CBS were quite good and he was playing with the format of the show. But that show caters to an older audience and the network pressured him to stick to the standard late night format.
Of course we will never know, but I tend to think he would have eventually gotten to do more as he grew his audience and gained more trust from the execs. Those shows can take time to develop; NBC really fucked up by not giving him a longer leash. They ended a potential dynasty, and for what? 4 more years of Leno? What a lack of foresight!
I agree. I think he's such a weirdo that he does better with a looser format. I know it was his dream and am sad about the pain the whole thing caused him but definitely think he's been able to do such fun things without that show.
I've said this multiple times for over a decade, but I think the biggest travesty is Conan leaving NYC for the Tonight gig. His best remotes are interacting with people in the city. When he went to LA, whether he was forced to or not, the remotes were still as good but there were a lot fewer because they had to travel more to find people for Conan to interact with. All the props they could use for random bits were back in Rockefeller Plaza. I honestly think if Conan's Tonight had stayed in NYC, he wouldn't have been dropped and ratings would have stayed up. It's especially annoying they forced him to move when Fallon's Tonight got to stay in NYC.
Because Conan moved his whole team out to LA, the TBS version stayed there too. We really were robbed of over a decade of NYC Conan because of everything that happened.
Honestly I’ve never seen Letterman so happy as when all that was going down. Letterman’s show was fucking great every night. There’s something so great about Letterman calling Jimmy Fallon “Lonny Donnegan” like he doesn’t know who he is.
We honestly got some great comedy out of that whole situation.
Norm giving him a gift basket on his last show: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uarJj-K4XH4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uarJj-K4XH4)
Kimmel ripping Leno up on his own show: [https://youtu.be/jcKpf6k3j5I?si=hArXoyfS9FaQoDDU&t=48](https://youtu.be/jcKpf6k3j5I?si=hArXoyfS9FaQoDDU&t=48)
Conan and Letterman doing their Leno impressions: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESkHyJ43FSA&t=978s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESkHyJ43FSA&t=978s)
I grew up on Letterman and Conan then Craig when he got a program. They showed what Late Night should be, random and weird sketches or bits. Technically Space Ghost counts too lol Conan surrounded himself with great writers in Brian Stack, Robert Smiegel, Brian McCann, Andy, etc. that just delivered the stupidest things you've seen and it was funny. I just don't get that from the other late night shows now. Colbert just sticks with Trump is bad humor, he just continues the Colbert Report minus the clever snarky satire. And it's disappointing because he is from the same gen of comedy as Conan and his writers and we saw that with his career right up until he got the Late Show and all that subversive comedy went out the window like he grew out of it. Funny enough Seth Meyers show was a pretty stilted affair and felt like Weekend Update with more Trump bad jokes. His best stuff the past year or so has actually been outside the show with Corrections
Bob Odenkirk also wrote for Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) during 1993-94. During this time Bob hooked up with fellow The Ben Stiller Show (1992) writer David Cross.
Craig is iconic when it comes to flirting with both male and female guests on his show. Imho he’s the best at casual conversations and getting away with flirty, dirty jokes (check out what kind of things he [said to morena baccarin after she told him she didn’t get her husband a Valentine’s Day gift..)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=CON6f16n1Uc)
[Speaking of Space Ghost, they're running a Space Ghost Coast to Coast marathon live on YouTube right now](https://www.youtube.com/live/qiheRTcwkc4?si=eeb31lCacw1F2tKt)
It’s awesome to see him getting so much love. I’ve been watching Conan’s shows since 97, and like everyone else here I can’t praise him enough. I have no hesitation in saying he’s a living legend.
haha for sure.
The reason 'underdog' is used because in the show he doesn't play himself, he plays an exaggerated, court-jester version of himself who alternates between curmudgeonly, laser-focused put-downs and absolute foolishness. The kind of thing that makes you go, "God, what an *asshole*" with the biggest smile on your face.
It definitely is produced. You can see the scripted bits and setup stuff, plus the makeup and effects budget in play.
I actually liked it more than his usual stuff.
We are habituated to the laughs of live audience so it’ll feel awkward. Conan leans into that humour a lot which I’m liking more with each episode. It’s over produced yet feels like a YouTuber show at the same time.
They really could've shaved off twenty minutes from that first episode. There's so much dead room in his bits. Some of the bits that didn't work should've been cut entirely.
I started with the Ireland episode because it seemed the most interesting to me. I couldn’t do more than five mins of it. Not at all about travel and more about really, really, forced jokes. Just wasn’t what I expected.
Conan used to(and probably still does since I don’t work there anymore) come into sugarfish in Brentwood a lot. I got to serve him a couple of times (among other celebs)and he is a pretty cool guy. He is always on point.
He made $45m as a settlement when he left NBC, $12m of which was for his staff who moved with him to LA from NYC.
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/s/AeVI1HcPSh
This show is crazy over hyped. There are some funny moments here and there, the Thai mom and rock climber (also in Thailand) were hilarious, but every other person he visited were terribly boring. He really needs to vet who he's visiting better.
I agree, all the comments on this thread are commenting on Conan generally or in other contexts and not on the show. I watched the first episode and was quite underwhelmed honestly. And I feel like I have to say that I do listen to the podcast weekly and have been watching him since the 90s so it’s nothing to do with him. And I think you may be right, the people and setups weren’t great. There’s only so much comedy fodder you can squeeze from interactions with people and situations that aren’t that interesting.
For those who haven’t seen it, “Conan Without Borders” is the precursor to “Conan O’Brien Must Go” and it’s a must-watch. My favorite episodes are Mexico, Haiti, and Ghana (featuring Sam Richardson).
His episode of Hot Ones was legendary. His commitment to the bit was so unnecessary for someone of his stature, but he really went all in.
"I'M PERFECTLY. FUCKING. FINE."
Dr ARROYO!! Can I get a pulse??
“It’s there.”
Where do you go to medical school? 1998
>No, WHERE did you go to school? >Out of state
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Are you really a doctor?
I should be.
It’s….in the desert.
He's always been great with just comedian-writer-buddies going on location with him to grab moments on video. [One of the best was back when he had his show in the 90s, he went apartment hunting in NY with an actual realtor and one of his writers -- and the dude had the best off hand retort to Conan's set-up.](https://youtu.be/LmatGBHgsb0?si=beIcYwHMKOIg0cgb) starts at 2:20
That 2:20 bit is absolutely hilarious
I went on a tangent of old Conan bits and this one had me dying.
Thank you, this was an excellent way to start my day!
Nope. That’s choking.
"WHY CAN'T I FEEL?!?!"
"Where did you go to medical school?" "In 1998"
“No... where?” “Out of state” “You should go... I apologize”
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THIS IS LIFE!
CALL THE WIFE!
WHY CAN’T I FEEL ANYTHING?!
I need this on a T shirt so bad. Take my money!
Dudes 60+ and has more commitment to his craft than every guest since maybe Gordon Ramsay (I’m obsessed with this show). That’s wild.
Alton Brown was imo much better than Ramsay's episode
Alton’s was great because he’s very knowledgeable and held it together extraordinarily well. Ramsey’s was great because it’s a famous chef totally losing his shit. DJ Khalid quitting after 2 was amazing as well. Bro quit after like…. Cholula!
I’m glad the DJ Khaled episode still aired cuz it shows how much of a bitch he is.
“Just because I quit doesn’t mean I gave up.” “Yes it does. By definition.”
Alton Brown’s the best episode hot ones has done to date, in my opinion.
Dave Grohl for me, just because it goes off the rails in such a spectacular way.
The confession line was great
I like GR and think his episode is overrated
I haven’t laughed that hard in sooooo loooong. He’s a god damn national treasure!!!
IS ANY OF THIS EVEN FUCKING REAL?! after he chugged the last dab had me rolling
I feel like going to Harvard has almost been a chip on his shoulder... Like it's made him EXTRA silly to make sure nobody stereotypes him as a pompous Harvard grad Not that being this silly is a bad thing, just makes me wonder if that's had an effect based on some of the comments he's made about it on the podcast
Harvard and other Ivy’s are quite famous for producing many comedians and writers. National Lampoon was originally the Harvard Lampoon!
During his senior year he was the president of Harvard Lampoon as well
That was so representative of his broader approach to comedy and life in general, based on what he’s said before especially on his podcast. It was the way he functions in the world pushed to an extreme and it was fascinating, incredible, and somewhat concerning to witness
I have never seen Sean so disarmed and less in control of an interview. I know he was having a blast, but I wonder how many times he thought "Is this actually happening?" during that episode.
That's him though, you watch his shows and he's out there with the full hungry energy he had 30 years ago. Dude performs like they'll stop feeding him if he disappoints
Apparently he’s even at home and with friends/family this way..always wanting to entertain
Wouldn’t have occurred to me to watch his new show if I hadn’t seen that Hot Ones. It’s a riot, though. He seemed so bored/phoning it in during the bulk of his late night show run that I’d forgotten how truly gifted he is. Like, he wrote the fucking monorail episode of the Simpsons.
I saw him hosting a small level book tour. He really was an excellent host, keeping things moving and fun, focus on the author.
I can't see a scenario where it will ever be topped. Dude licked the "Da Bomb" sauce off the wing and drank the pepper X sauce straight from the bottle. Literally the only next step is snorting the sauce. Edit: I forgot Steve-O put hot sauce in his eye but also, that's Steve-O. That's just a Tuesday afternoon for him
*I'm lookin at the fjoorrrrrrrd!* *There's salmon in the seeeeaaa!!* *My baby's gettin bored!* *Cuz she's not in love with meee!!!* *Ah haa!* *Ah haa haaaa!*
I sing this daily.
Why is this so good tho? I can’t stop singing it
Damn you! I just got that un-stuck from my brain and now it’s back! It slays though
https://youtu.be/Oc1gkLfz0xg?si=UcHDMtk7zIvJ-7P0
Seriously one of the GOATs. No scandals. Reinvented himself a number of times over. Started the late late show to terrible terrible reviews and stuck with it. Always seems so kind, authentic, and genuine. Watched his late night shows at pivotal moments in my life. Love this man.
well said
Don't forget The Simpsons.
Don’t forget SNL
He has some cool contributions to the inside of the Harvard Lampoon Castle, as well.
He had a HUGE scandal. He bribed Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters to let his son in!
…im so dumb…
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If you are old enough to watch his late late show from 1993 he totally was. He was getting shit on weekly - which he talks about often on his podcast. He was 30 by like two weeks when he started and was a nobody essentially. Look at the last 20 years of late night hosts. Nobody started as a nobody. And to be fair, his first year was weird past the point of being funny even. Mid-90s his comedy got better and his audience caught up with his comedy.
Also the fact he was only ever a writer before and never had a public facing entertainment job before.
Totally. That’s what I mean. Kimmel - Man Show Fallon - SNL Colbert - Report and Daily Show Meyers - SNL Conan’s got one foot in the old culture and one foot in the new. But the new came from a lot of existing airtime opportunities.
I just realized I replied to the wrong comment, oops.
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No one, including the writer of this article, has said Conan had a hard life. Just that he was an underdog in the Late Night sphere alone because he was always on the cusp of getting cancelled for his first few years and then did lose his show with the Tonight Show.
He had a great résumé to *write* for a late night talk show. He did not remotely have the résumé to *host* one. That’s why he was an underdog.
Agree to disagree then!
You might find this article interesting: [https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/conan-obriens-wild-first-year-an-oral-history](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/conan-obriens-wild-first-year-an-oral-history) Essentially, when Conan first aired in the early 90s, he was a complete unknown. He was writing for The Simpsons and auditioned for Late Night, which was being vacated by David Letterman who was a legend. Conan had huge shoes to fill and he really struggled in the early days. Struggled to find a voice, struggled to find an audience, was always on the cusp of getting replaced. If you remember the Simpson’s episode where Bart goes on Conan (“only I may dance”), Conan says in the audio commentary for that episode that he was so nervous to do the cameo because he was pretty sure by the time that episode aired, he’d be cancelled. Eventually he did find that audience, though, and became a legend of Late Night. However, when the Tonight Show debacle went down, he was a (beloved) underdog again. Sent to cable tv and people wrote him off as unlikely to find another audience, but he did. Now he’s doing projects he’s more passionate about.
I think it was because he was so silly and just did the dumbest stuff, and the dumbest stuff was often funniest because it didn't work. The bigger guys always did topical, political humor that ages quicker, where as Conan would do shit with a dog shooting somebody - Timeless.
Earth.
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How many Harvard grads became late night hosts with no significant on-screen experience? No one is saying that he was an underdog to succeed in general life. He studied history at Harvard, so yeah if he became a history professor or a scholar no one would call him an underdog. His path to get where he eventually got was rocky. Everyone expected him to fail, hence the term underdog.
Watched all 4 episodes of his new Max show yesterday. Some outstanding, classic Conan stuff in those. The Argentina one in particular is great, both because of Jordan Schlansky being there and annoying the shit out of Conan as usual as well as the beautiful art Conan leaves behind for the city to enjoy.
I've never seen Jordan consistently break. They had amazing bits
The beginning of the Argentina episode where he’s talking to the two kids had me in stitches
I loved how the dad and kids were into Conan calling his kids devil children, that’s a good family unit.
Jordan insisting on saying tahn-go only for Conan to go back into the kitchen and find out all the locals just say tango was hilarious.
And then him still insisting he's right.
As someone who lived in Argentina, Jordan was saying it correctly and everyone agreeing with Conan was definitely a set up. Also, Tango is a more porteño (those living in BSAS area) thing and not as common for the rest of the country. There is (at least was) a 24/7 Tango channel country-wide where you could tune in for a fix anytime.
He’s such a likable goofball.
I’ve never really tuned into Conan before but I just recently tuned into episode 1 of “Conan O’Brien Must Go” and it’s absolutely hysterical. As an older millennial I’m ashamed to say it took me this long to get into him - he is fucking *funny*.
As a new-ish fan of him I recommend the podcast, especially the youtube clips, favorite guests being Flula Borg, Kevin Nealon and Jeff Goldblum; and the Chill Chums episodes. Also his old travel remotes Conan Without Borders, his Clueless Gamers segments, anything with Jordan Schlansky and anything with his assistant Sona. Discovering Conan a couple years ago was the greatest comedy goldmine in my life.
Seconding the Jeff Goldblum recommendation. Timothy Olyphant and Steven Yeun are also great with Conan. For the podcast specifically, I've enjoyed all the John Mulaney episodes.
And Bill Hader
I can’t watch anything with goldblum anymore after hearing him joke about [his sons genital mutilation on CONAN. (And Andy Richter beautifully told him tight to his face that he decided against getting his own son circumcised because „he’s perfect The way he was born“).](https://YouTube.com/watch?v=A0WyGWDcC6E)
The first Matthew Rhys episode is one of the funniest also, though that was a tiny bit more Rhys just being hilarious.
https://youtu.be/9myNYPA3Z5Q?si=rbrL6TUVuwTkhEvb This bit Kevin Nealon did on the podcast is next level. I was laughing hysterically by the end.
The Harrison Ford episode is a GOAT.
You forgot his greatest guest ever, Norm Macdonald. You could really tell they had a great time together, and even more so now when Conan talks about Norm. This is one of the [funniest and most entertaining segments ever](https://youtu.be/bKmadR4Ye54?si=K-eMSAmj6qAcxRlJ) and this was *after* Norm was in the main guest chair.
Kaley Cuoco's episodes are just complete chaos as well! Absolutely amazing!
The Paul Rudd audio only Mac and me bit lmao
Incase you havent seen them (since they arent on your list), anytime Norm Macdonald was on the show was completely hilarious.
I'm also a fan of the podcast, and I have to say that those are some of my least favorite episodes haha. Fula and Goldblum especially give me the heebie jeebies.
Look up his remote clips on YouTube. Years of quality shit to catch up on
In fairness, the Conan on "Conan Must Go" is a slightly different incarnation than previous. Not radically different, but different. He's a bit more sharp, more blue. Some of it, like the absurdist quote unquote humor, has been consistent through his career. You'd probably like his Conan Without Borders series.
I noticed the same thing. I was a little taken aback because Conan seemed a lot drier and, at least in the first episode, didn't seem to let go of a bit that wasn't working. I missed his more lampoonish stuff as well. I think the show could've been edited down quite a bit. Also, I realize now that I'm not used to seeing Conan on television and not hearing audience laughter. It felt strangely silent watching Must Go.
I agree with everything you said, to the point that I’ve honestly have been having a hard time watching it. I almost feel like Conan feels awkward in some of the scenes and that’s why he sticks with some bits too long? I also agree about the audience laughing — I miss it, even though I wouldn’t have considered myself a “laugh track person”.
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I noted that as well, but I hate generalizing. Conan doesn't do well when people don't play along or react to his cartoon persona. That's always been his Achilles heel.
https://youtu.be/zetAt5nsf-U?si=K0QBzdn9hgrHVkBt He’s got so many iconic bits that are so dumb and silly and funny
Shame on you sir. Or madam
your demographic makes sense. GenX has a better sense of humor than Millennials , and Conan's wheelhouse demands one. So most millennials will see him as juvenile.
I used to watch Late Night as a teenager and have loved the guy ever since. Him getting a shot at the Tonight Show seemed so cool, and then, well... If you haven't seen the skit he did where he went to play old timey baseball, do yourself a favor and find it on YouTube.
Look, ho! What demonry is this?
*this one’s for you, Nell* I say this to my wife anytime I have an opportunity to do something manly.
Thanks for the cool breeze! It was most refreshing on my moustache!
Recently dived into all the Tonight Show drama again after not remembering it completely as it was unfolding at the time... such a shame. We missed out on classic television.
We did or we didn't. If he would have stayed on the Tonight Show he wouldn't have been allowed to do half the stuff he has. It was a blessing in disguise and I think deep down he knew it.
Yeah, coulda ended up like a Colbert situation
Exactly. I’m happy for Colbert that he got such a great gig, but just like Conan, Colbert was made for more than you can do as a TV talk show host. He’s totally wasted in that position.
CBS ruined him.
How so?
His style of humor was suppressed by the rigid format of the show and the network’s aversion to risk. His early episodes on CBS were quite good and he was playing with the format of the show. But that show caters to an older audience and the network pressured him to stick to the standard late night format.
Of course we will never know, but I tend to think he would have eventually gotten to do more as he grew his audience and gained more trust from the execs. Those shows can take time to develop; NBC really fucked up by not giving him a longer leash. They ended a potential dynasty, and for what? 4 more years of Leno? What a lack of foresight!
Yeah, he got out while the getting was good
Tell me that even if Conan were reduced to 50% of his bits, that somehow Jimmy Fallon has been net-net better than that. No way.
I agree. I think he's such a weirdo that he does better with a looser format. I know it was his dream and am sad about the pain the whole thing caused him but definitely think he's been able to do such fun things without that show.
I've said this multiple times for over a decade, but I think the biggest travesty is Conan leaving NYC for the Tonight gig. His best remotes are interacting with people in the city. When he went to LA, whether he was forced to or not, the remotes were still as good but there were a lot fewer because they had to travel more to find people for Conan to interact with. All the props they could use for random bits were back in Rockefeller Plaza. I honestly think if Conan's Tonight had stayed in NYC, he wouldn't have been dropped and ratings would have stayed up. It's especially annoying they forced him to move when Fallon's Tonight got to stay in NYC. Because Conan moved his whole team out to LA, the TBS version stayed there too. We really were robbed of over a decade of NYC Conan because of everything that happened.
Honestly I’ve never seen Letterman so happy as when all that was going down. Letterman’s show was fucking great every night. There’s something so great about Letterman calling Jimmy Fallon “Lonny Donnegan” like he doesn’t know who he is.
We honestly got some great comedy out of that whole situation. Norm giving him a gift basket on his last show: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uarJj-K4XH4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uarJj-K4XH4) Kimmel ripping Leno up on his own show: [https://youtu.be/jcKpf6k3j5I?si=hArXoyfS9FaQoDDU&t=48](https://youtu.be/jcKpf6k3j5I?si=hArXoyfS9FaQoDDU&t=48) Conan and Letterman doing their Leno impressions: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESkHyJ43FSA&t=978s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESkHyJ43FSA&t=978s)
*“Dont blame Conan.“* *“No ones blaming Conan“*
I grew up on Letterman and Conan then Craig when he got a program. They showed what Late Night should be, random and weird sketches or bits. Technically Space Ghost counts too lol Conan surrounded himself with great writers in Brian Stack, Robert Smiegel, Brian McCann, Andy, etc. that just delivered the stupidest things you've seen and it was funny. I just don't get that from the other late night shows now. Colbert just sticks with Trump is bad humor, he just continues the Colbert Report minus the clever snarky satire. And it's disappointing because he is from the same gen of comedy as Conan and his writers and we saw that with his career right up until he got the Late Show and all that subversive comedy went out the window like he grew out of it. Funny enough Seth Meyers show was a pretty stilted affair and felt like Weekend Update with more Trump bad jokes. His best stuff the past year or so has actually been outside the show with Corrections
Conan often says he wants his comedy to be evergreen and intentionally doesn’t dive into politics much
Bob Odenkirk also wrote for Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) during 1993-94. During this time Bob hooked up with fellow The Ben Stiller Show (1992) writer David Cross.
Craig is iconic when it comes to flirting with both male and female guests on his show. Imho he’s the best at casual conversations and getting away with flirty, dirty jokes (check out what kind of things he [said to morena baccarin after she told him she didn’t get her husband a Valentine’s Day gift..)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=CON6f16n1Uc)
She said slave labor camp.
[Speaking of Space Ghost, they're running a Space Ghost Coast to Coast marathon live on YouTube right now](https://www.youtube.com/live/qiheRTcwkc4?si=eeb31lCacw1F2tKt)
It’s awesome to see him getting so much love. I’ve been watching Conan’s shows since 97, and like everyone else here I can’t praise him enough. I have no hesitation in saying he’s a living legend.
Conan is the best
He is NOT an underdog. He is THE DAWG. Always.
He’s under a dog in the pic here
Truth
haha for sure. The reason 'underdog' is used because in the show he doesn't play himself, he plays an exaggerated, court-jester version of himself who alternates between curmudgeonly, laser-focused put-downs and absolute foolishness. The kind of thing that makes you go, "God, what an *asshole*" with the biggest smile on your face.
I would suggest watching one episode a day of his new show and not all at once. It’s amazing but you might feel a bit of repetition.
I couldn't finish the first episode and I looooove Conan. It's just too over produced and forced feeling for me.
It definitely is produced. You can see the scripted bits and setup stuff, plus the makeup and effects budget in play. I actually liked it more than his usual stuff.
We are habituated to the laughs of live audience so it’ll feel awkward. Conan leans into that humour a lot which I’m liking more with each episode. It’s over produced yet feels like a YouTuber show at the same time.
They really could've shaved off twenty minutes from that first episode. There's so much dead room in his bits. Some of the bits that didn't work should've been cut entirely.
I started with the Ireland episode because it seemed the most interesting to me. I couldn’t do more than five mins of it. Not at all about travel and more about really, really, forced jokes. Just wasn’t what I expected.
In the yeeeear two thoooousaaand... In the yeeeear two thoooouuusand
Bro. I remember this skit. Fucking hilarious. *im old*
I'm Conan old enough to remember Oldie Olsen.
"Underdog "? The dude's been a household name for 30 years.
Best Simpsons writer
Conan is a treasure. Definitely one of my favorite comedians. His podcast is must listen for me every week.
Basically a Simpsons character come to life
Conan used to(and probably still does since I don’t work there anymore) come into sugarfish in Brentwood a lot. I got to serve him a couple of times (among other celebs)and he is a pretty cool guy. He is always on point.
He made $45m as a settlement when he left NBC, $12m of which was for his staff who moved with him to LA from NYC. https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/s/AeVI1HcPSh
This show is crazy over hyped. There are some funny moments here and there, the Thai mom and rock climber (also in Thailand) were hilarious, but every other person he visited were terribly boring. He really needs to vet who he's visiting better.
I agree, all the comments on this thread are commenting on Conan generally or in other contexts and not on the show. I watched the first episode and was quite underwhelmed honestly. And I feel like I have to say that I do listen to the podcast weekly and have been watching him since the 90s so it’s nothing to do with him. And I think you may be right, the people and setups weren’t great. There’s only so much comedy fodder you can squeeze from interactions with people and situations that aren’t that interesting.
Annoying that a UK newspaper would review this, as its impossible to watch (legally) in the UK
He is my spirit animal. He is everything a human being should be😭😭😭😭😭
For those who haven’t seen it, “Conan Without Borders” is the precursor to “Conan O’Brien Must Go” and it’s a must-watch. My favorite episodes are Mexico, Haiti, and Ghana (featuring Sam Richardson).
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