"We're going on to this next gig, and sometimes I read that it's time for Conan to grow up because he's going to 11:30. And I assure you ... that's just not going to happen."
And with that CONAN O'BRIEN said exactly what all of us wanted to hear, with heartfelt sentiment and defiant honesty, and with that one of the greatest comic geniuses of our time took LATE NIGHT out with a bang.
Any fan of great comedy had to get a little choked up along with Conan throughout this past week and tonight in particular. Because, yeah, Conan is off to do big things in taking over the hosting gig of The Tonight Show, but the end of Late Night With Conan O'Brien marks the end of an era in television, and the culmination of one of the absolute best stories in showbiz. Because Conan is not some Hollywood posterboy who coasted along on easy charisma and charm. Conan is one of us, he's the geek who made it, who hit it big, and who went out there each and every night and fought the good fight. Late Night With Conan O'Brien has never been afraid to be awkward, weird, crazy, random, and just plain off-the-wall. It's never been afraid to be SMART. And through it all, Conan's pretty much been the same awkward yet hilarious guy - and even though he can be one of the craziest dudes on TV, I think most people realize that beneath it all he is one of the most humble, talented, and genuine people in the world of entertainment. Even though his success story is one of Hollywood's least likely, few people are more deserving of it than Conan.
And tonight's final episode of Late Night has some special meaning to me, as not only have I been a longtime fan, but I also had the honor and great privilege to work on the show as an intern and production assistant in 2004. I still remember the feeling of amazment I got when I walked into the Late Night offices for the first time. It was my first real gig in the world of entertainment, and ever since I've basically been working to recapture the sense of fun and creative energy that was flowing through those halls at 30 Rock.
As an intern at Conan, I had all kinds of crazy encounters with the various guests on the show, but the main attraction was really just the chance to watch Conan and his outstanding team of writers and producers at work. Each and every day, I was really just in awe of how much creative and hilarious material was being churned out. And then, watching Conan and team rehearse before each show was like attending a free comedy clinic. I've never seen someone so focused on getting all of the details of a joke or gag just right. Conan is truly a student of the game, and just one of the most prolific and creative minds I've ever seen at work. Same goes for the writing staff, who never had a shortage of great material, and the regular troupe of great character actors who could seemingly play any crazy character on a moment's notice. I feel incredibly lucky that I got to see a genius like Robert Smigel at work, or that I got to hear Joel Goddard tell old showbiz stories, or that I got to hang out with a young writer / comedian named Demitri Martin, who is now enjoying a ton of success in his own right. There was a great group of interns at that time, and I think the majority of us went into work each day just sort of giddy that we were actually there working for Conan O'Brien.
I also think back and realize that I was lucky to have been at Late Night during what has to be regarded as one of its creative high-points. I got to see firsthand the introduction of the now-classic Walker Texas Ranger Lever. I saw Will Ferrell do the Leprauchan Dance. I saw the birth of Pierre Bernard's Recliner of Rage. I saw Conan spontaneously destroy his old offices with a hammer in one of the all-time hilarious segments. I even saw Conan interview a then-obscure oddball by the name of Borat, in what at the time was one of the funniest segments I have ever seen on TV. On tonight's final episode, I couldn't help but smile ear-to-ear when Conan introduced a clip that he called his all-time favorite bit on the show - Old Tyme Baseball. Not only is the bit completely hilarious and quintissential Conan, but I clearly remember being assigned to run out to FYE and select a couple of CD's of banjo-music for use in the sketch. I remember running into Conan in the hall and proudly telling him that I had just picked up a bunch of music that he could use in the bit. I think it's safe to say that in most cases when working on a show you'd eventually just sort of get used to being around a particular celeb. But on Late Night, I think us interns has so much pent-up hero-worship for Conan that anytime we saw him or got a chance to actually talk to him, we'd basically be reduced to quivering masses of jelly. I mean - this was the guy who wrote the Monorail episode of The Simpsons!
So it was with a great mixture of pride and sadness that I watched the last-ever episode of Late Night With Conan O'Brien. Proud to see the hometown hero graduate to the big leagues, but sad at the thought that the show that got him to the big dance was coming to an end. Will Conan be able to be Conan as host of The Tonight Show? Who can say, exactly ... But tonight was a happy reminder that Conan likely is incapable of being anyone or anything else. And while that might make some people cringe, for most of us, well, we couldn't be more excited. So be cool my babies, something tells me that Conan will be giving us plenty of memorable and hilarious moments in the months and years ahead. But for sixteen seasons of one of the all-time great television comedy showcases, all I can say is: thank you, Conan!
See you in LA!
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