Conan O'Brien.
Conan debuted on September 13, 1993, as host of the Late show when Jay Leno took over The Tonight Show from Johnny Carson.
Tom Shales, wrote in the Washington Post: "O'Brien is a living collage of annoying nervous habits. He giggles and titters, jiggles about and fiddles with his cuffs. He had dark, beady little eyes like a rabbit. He's one of the whitest white men ever. O'Brien is a switch on the guest who won't leave: he's the host who should never have come. Let the Late show with Conan O'Brien become the late, Late Show and may the host return to Conan O'Blivion whence he came."
But, Conan didn't come from oblivion, he had toiled for years writing comedy for television. In January 1988, Saturday Night Live's executive producer Lorne Micheals hired O'Brien as a writer where he stayed for three years. From 1991 – 1993, O'Brien was a writer and producer for The Simpsons ( he wrote such memorable episodes as "Marge Vs. the Monorail" and "Whacking Day."), and was an active producer and consultant during seasons 4 and 5 when the show really hit its comedic stride.
His first years on the Late Show were critically attacked, and NBC often left his show on the chopping block with week and week of "maybes" and "we'll sees". But, before long, Conan, his trusty side kick Andy Richter and the show had found their groove and left the bumpy beginnings behind them.
As an insomniac, one of the worst traits is the boredom. Late night TV isn't kind to our species. For years, we'd sit though anything, just because it was on. Night Court, Mash, Fast Lane reruns... (Ok, I dug Fast Lane. Shuttup.) ect, ect ect.
But, it was Conan and crew who were heads above not only the earlier Tonight Show with his active and spontaneous comedy, but anything else any network was airing.
His show stretched into a wider demographic bringing in a younger crowd, which he seemed to enjoy. With the internet, personally ,came the joys of sending clips from previous nights Conan episodes to friends. I recall racing through red lights after a horrible day of work at Wal-Mart when I was younger, eager to race into my folks basement and catch his opening monologues. My mother would open the basement door, and toss laundry down at me with a muffled, "Your watching that weirdo, aren't you? Quit laughing, some of us are sleeping !!"
It'd be impossible to collect his funniest moments in a 4 - 5 minute video. Triumph the Insult comic dog and the Star Wars geeks? The Pale Force cartoons? The masturbating bear? The Chuck Norris lever? Coked-up Were Wolf? Conan teasing Max Wienburg about his hundred of illegitimate children? Joel Godard the announcer and his soul-crushing skits? Conan in Finland? Conan / Andy stare-downs? Pimp-Bot 5000 ? The immortal Abe Vigoda? The Civil-War era Baseball reenactment? Theres simply too many.
If his guest was shy, tame, or boring he simply picked up the slack and spun anything awkward into sheer hilarity.
When the writers strike came, he defended his writers, paid the salaries of more than 80 non-writers to keep the show going, and still entertained fans with "Script-less" episodes were he carried the show himself with hours of impromptu geeky mayhem. Thats just class.
For years, he would honesty state how he would love to inherit the tonight show that his hero Johnny Carson had once hosted. Than he got the chance.
You could see how proud he was when he took over The Tonight Show, even from his very first sketch in which he runs across the U.S. from New York to L.A., right up to the Tonight Show door and realizes he forgot the keys. Than promptly drives a bulldozer though a wall to get in.
For Conan fans, it was great to see him achieve his life long dream eight months ago. In those short months, he amassed some extremely classic moments you can find online.
This past week, as he was exiting the show he worked so hard to host, he remained classy and did what he does best.
Milk the situation for the biggest laughs.
Wherever he ends up, he'll surely conquer. Because that is what talent does, and that is what Conan is.
Now, it seems he'll be off the air for a bit.
Seven months without Conan is going to suck, but when he comes back, rest assured, I'll be watching, and laughing.
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