Editing Late Night with Conan O'Brien (section)

==History==
===Replacing David Letterman===
Upon [[Johnny Carson]]'s retirement from ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson|The Tonight Show]]'' in 1992, executives at NBC announced that Carson's frequent guest-host Jay Leno would be Carson's replacement, not David Letterman. NBC later said that Letterman's high ratings for ''Late Night'' were the reason they kept him where he was. Letterman was bitterly disappointed and angry at not having been given ''The Tonight Show'' job; and, at Carson's advice, he left [[NBC]] after eleven years on ''Late Night''. [[CBS]] signed Letterman to host his own show opposite ''The Tonight Show''. Letterman moved his show to CBS virtually unchanged, taking most of the staff, skits, and comedy formats with him. However, NBC owned the rights to the ''Late Night'' name, forcing Letterman to rename his show ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]''.

Keeping the ''Late Night'' name, NBC set about building a whole new show in the 12:30 a.m. time slot, from which the network had been making some $20 million to $30 million a year towards the end of Letterman's tenure.<ref name="battle"/><ref name="new-york-times-feb-1993">{{Cite web |last=Kolbert |first=Elizabeth |date=23 February 1993 |title=New Job for NBC's Laugh Master: Fill the Late-Night Letterman Gap |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/23/arts/new-job-for-nbc-s-laugh-master-fill-the-late-night-letterman-gap.html |archivedate=4 May 2025 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250504185820/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/23/arts/new-job-for-nbc-s-laugh-master-fill-the-late-night-letterman-gap.html |url-status=live |access-date=4 May 2025 |agency=[[The New York Times]] |language=English}}</ref> NBC brought in ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' executive producer [[Lorne Michaels]] to produce the new show, including selecting its host.<ref name="new-york-times-feb-1993"/> After auditioning some lower-profile comedians, such as [[Jon Stewart]], [[Drew Carey]], and [[Paul Provenza]], Michaels and the network started going after more established names like ''SNL'' star [[Dana Carvey]] and ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]'' star [[Garry Shandling]]. Both eventually declined offers to host it,<ref name="contrarian">{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20030914/ai_n12516995 |title=Conan the contrarian |author=Rosenthal, Phil |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=2003-09-14 |access-date=2008-05-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314015546/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20030914/ai_n12516995 |archive-date=March 14, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> with NBC reportedly making several approaches to Shandling.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Bill |date=19 April 1993 |title=Suspense Builds in the Drama of 'Late Night' Host |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/19/arts/suspense-builds-in-the-drama-of-late-night-host.html |archivedate=13 January 2014 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140113111745/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/19/arts/suspense-builds-in-the-drama-of-late-night-host.html |url-status=live |access-date=4 May 2025 |agency=[[The New York Times]] |language=English}}</ref> 

Months into the process, Michaels gave [[Conan O'Brien]], an unknown writer for ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and former writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', an audition for the job. It was reported that Micheals had originally considered hiring O'Brien as a producer for the new show, but that O'Brien then persuaded Michaels to give him a shot at being the host.<ref name="nyt-apr28-1993">{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Bill |date=28 April 1993 |title=As TV Gets a New Star, It Wonders: Who Is He? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/28/arts/as-tv-gets-a-new-star-it-wonders-who-is-he.html |archivedate=12 August 2024 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240812084053/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/28/arts/as-tv-gets-a-new-star-it-wonders-who-is-he.html |url-status=live |access-date=4 May 2025 |agency=[[The New York Times]] |language=English}}</ref> Despite having "about 40 seconds"<ref name="lastleno">''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', May 29, 2009.</ref> of television-performance experience as an occasional extra on ''Saturday Night Live'' sketches and briefly appearing in comedy bits on ''[[The Wilton North Report]]'',<ref name="nyt-apr28-1993"/> O'Brien auditioned for the show on April 13, 1993. His guests were [[Jason Alexander]] and [[Mimi Rogers]]; the audition took place on the set of ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]''.<ref name="contrarian"/> NBC offered the show to O'Brien on April 26, and O'Brien made his first meaningful television appearance later that day when Leno introduced him on ''Tonight''.<ref name="lastleno"/> In 2009, on the final episode of his 16-year run, O'Brien stated that he "owed his career to Lorne Michaels".

===Debut===
O'Brien's ''Late Night'' debuted on September 13, 1993, with [[Andy Richter]] chosen as O'Brien's sidekick. The premiere episode featured [[John Goodman]], who received a "First Guest" medal for his appearance, [[Drew Barrymore]], and [[Tony Randall]] with cameos from [[George Wendt]] and [[Bob Costas]]. The episode featured a [[cold open]] of O'Brien's walk to the studio with constant reminders that he was expected to live up to Letterman. [[Tom Brokaw]] makes a cameo, welcoming O'Brien to NBC but, doing as those on O'Brien's walk had done, warning him that he had "better be as good as Letterman, or else...", before menacingly crushing [[Saltine cracker|saltine crackers]] in front of O'Brien, appearing to be representative of the fate that awaited the new host if he failed to meet expectations.  After seeming to be unaffected by the comments, O'Brien arrives at his dressing room and cheerfully prepares to [[Hanging|hang]] himself. However, a warning that the show is about to start causes him to abandon his plans.<ref name="battle"/><ref>{{cite episode|title=Episode 1|series=Late Night with Conan O'Brien|season=1|number=1|network=NBC|airdate=September 13, 1993}}</ref>

The show's first musical guest was English rock band [[Radiohead]], who performed during the second episode. American singer-songwriter [[Jonathan Richman]] was the show's second musical guest.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/jonathan-richman-i-jonathan/|title=Jonathan Richman: I, Jonathan Album Review {{!}} Pitchfork|last=Hogan|first=Marc|date=2018-04-22|website=pitchfork.com|language=en|access-date=2018-04-26}}</ref>

O'Brien's inexperience was apparent, and the show was generally considered mediocre by critics in terms of hosting. The ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]{{'}}'' Lon Grankhe called O'Brien "nervous, unprepared and generally geeky",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.conanofthenight.com/15-09-93-2.html |title=Conan Pleads for Patience, Pity – He'll Surely Need It |publisher=Conanofthenight.com |date=1993-09-15 |access-date=2011-10-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025175053/http://www.conanofthenight.com/15-09-93-2.html |archive-date=October 25, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and [[Tom Shales]] wrote "As for O'Brien, the young man is a living collage of annoying nervous habits. He giggles and titters, jiggles about and fiddles with his cuffs. He has dark, beady little eyes like a rabbit. He's one of the whitest white men ever."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.conanofthenight.com/15-09-93.html |title=Better Never Than Late; Conan O'Brien Not Worth A Hoot to the Night Owl |publisher=Conanofthenight.com |date=1993-09-15 |access-date=2011-10-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025184110/http://www.conanofthenight.com/15-09-93.html |archive-date=October 25, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> (O'Brien wrote for ''[[The New York Times]]'' a satirical review of the first episode the day it aired titled "O'Brien Flops!", in which he told readers "Frankly, I was not impressed".<ref name="obrien19930913">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/ref/opinion/17opclassic_conan.html |title=O'Brien Flops! |last=O'Brien |first=Conan |date=1993-09-13 |work=The New York Times |type=op-ed}}</ref>) The originality and quality of the comedy, however, led by original head writer [[Robert Smigel]], was widely praised. Although O'Brien benefited by comparison from the quick critical and commercial failure of the fellow new late-night ''[[The Chevy Chase Show]]'',<ref name="battle"/> NBC only offered short-term contracts, 13 weeks at a time<ref name="contrarian"/> and once for six weeks, as widely reported by the press at the time.<ref name="battle">"[http://www.aetv.com/listings/episode_details.do?episodeid=562114 The Battle for Late Night]{{dead link|date=November 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}" [[A&E Network]], April 27, 2010.</ref> O'Brien was reportedly almost fired at least once in this period, but NBC had no one to replace him. According to Smigel, "We were basically canceled at ''Conan'', and then they changed their minds in August of '94, gave us a reprieve."<ref name="avclub.com">Heisler, Steve [https://www.avclub.com/dana-carvey-and-robert-smigel-1798216785 Interview – Dana Carvey and Robert Smigel] [[The A.V. Club]] (June 15, 2009). Retrieved on 5-09-10.</ref>

In an unusual form of advertising, Conan O'Brien's credits in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' "[[Treehouse of Horror IV]]" episode, originally aired on October 28, 1993 (and produced before O'Brien's left the ''Simpsons'' writing staff to host ''Late Night''), reference his new role as host of ''Late Night'', including one credit that lists "Watch My Show" as his "middle" name. (All ''Simpsons'' "Treehouse of Horror" episodes credit the voice cast and crew under Halloween-associated nicknames, some being faux middle names in quotation marks.)<ref name="Conan">{{cite video |people=O'Brien, Conan |date=2004 |title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror IV" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

One NBC affiliate, [[KPRC-TV]] in [[Houston]], dropped ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' in September 1994 due to low ratings and replaced it with the syndicated ''[[The Jenny Jones Show|Jenny Jones Show]]''.  KPRC reinstated O'Brien's ''Late Night'' in the fall of 1996, but scheduled it to air as late as 2:40&nbsp;a.m.; over the next eight years, the station, in addition to ''The Jenny Jones Show'', had aired various other first-run syndicated programs (''[[Extra (American TV program)|Extra]]'', ''[[Access Hollywood]]'', ''[[Ricki Lake (1993 talk show)|Ricki Lake]]'', ''[[The Montel Williams Show|Montel Williams]]'' and ''[[Inside Edition]]'') and a rebroadcast of its 10:00&nbsp;p.m. newscast between Leno and O'Brien after it reinstated ''Late Night''. Houston became the subject of a 1997 skit (via classic remote piece) in which O'Brien made impromptu stops at Houston's central bus terminal and the [[Astrodome]] to watch an episode of his own show with Houstonians.  In response to emails sent by O'Brien's fans following the skit regarding its [[graveyard slot|graveyard placement]], KPRC moved the show to 12:35 a.m. in 1998; it would eventually move ''Late Night'' to its network-assigned timeslot, immediately following ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|last=Steinberg|first=Jacques|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1994-10-17-9410170207-story.html|title=DEFYING THE TV ODDS: CONAN O'BRIEN LIVES!|date=October 17, 1994|work=[[The New York Times]] via [[Orlando Sentinel]]|access-date=November 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Hlavaty|first=Craig|url=https://www.chron.com/culture/tv/article/20-years-ago-Conan-O-Brien-came-to-Houston-11103286.php|title=20 years ago Conan O'Brien came to Houston to complain about his time slot|date=April 27, 2017|work=Houston Chronicle|access-date=November 15, 2021}}</ref>

{{rquote|right|
O'Brien: When I first got this job, I came here to [[30 Rockefeller Center|30 Rock]] …

Letterman: How ''did'' you get this job? Was it a theme-writing contest?

O'Brien: Yeah. It was "what would I do with a talk show…" And I was fourth.|Letterman visits ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'', March 1, 1994<ref name="ess20120810">{{cite web | url=http://splitsider.com/2012/08/when-late-nights-collide-the-first-lettermanconan-crossover-event/ | title=When Late Nights Collide! The First Letterman/Conan Crossover Event! | publisher=Splitsider | access-date=4 February 2014 | author=Ess, Ramsey | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725103012/http://splitsider.com/2012/08/when-late-nights-collide-the-first-lettermanconan-crossover-event/ | archive-date=July 25, 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="lnco19940228">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9NHDRt1_Xc#t=4m40s |title=David Letterman On "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" 02/28/94 |date=1994-02-28 |type=Television production |series=Late Night with Conan O'Brien |time=4:40 |via=YouTube}}</ref>}}

According to O'Brien, NBC network executive Warren Littlefield told him, with regard to Andy Richter, he'd "never succeed until I 'got rid of that big fat dildo.' That was the tone of the conversations between us and the network." It was widely expected that the host of ''[[Talk Soup]]'', [[Greg Kinnear]] would take over the role, but Kinnear turned down the opportunity. (Kinnear would instead become host of ''Late Night''{{'}}s then-lead-out program, ''[[Later (talk show)|Later]]'', in February 1994, remaining there for two years before deciding to pursue an acting career.)<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24Conan-t.html?pagewanted=all | work=The New York Times | first=Lynn | last=Hirschberg | title=Heeeere's ... Conan!!! | date=May 24, 2009}}</ref> Stars like [[Tom Hanks]] agreed to appear on ''Late Night'', which boosted audience awareness. Even Letterman, who admired O'Brien's comic sensibility, appeared as a guest to register his support. O'Brien's performance style improved through experience, and he began to receive more favorable reviews and ratings the following year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.conanofthenight.com/07-10-94.html |title=Rumors, Ratings Rise For O'Brien |publisher=Conanofthenight.com |date=1994-10-07 |access-date=2011-10-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025180812/http://www.conanofthenight.com/07-10-94.html |archive-date=October 25, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> With the ratings gradually improving over the course of two years, ''Late Night'' reached a new level of critical and commercial success in 1996; Tom Shales wrote a article entitled "The Late Night Dawning of Conan", and O'Brien received his first Emmy nomination for writing, which he received every year until 2011.

===1996–2000===
[[File:Andy Richter at the 2013 Final Four in Atlanta Georgia 02 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|257px|[[Andy Richter]] served as sidekick from 1993 to 2000. He eventually returned as announcer/sidekick for ''[[The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien]]'' and later [[Conan (talk show)|''Conan'']].]]
In 2000, Richter left ''Late Night'' on good terms, to pursue his acting career, a move that emotionally affected O'Brien, as evidenced by Richter's last show. The show's comedy bits and banter had usually depended on O'Brien's interaction with Richter. O'Brien's wacky [[Non sequitur (literary device)|non-sequitur]] comedy became more pronounced as he played all of his comedy and commentary directly to the audience and [[Max Weinberg]] instead of towards Richter.

===2001–2009===
[[File:TheDenialTwistVideo.jpg|right|257px|thumb|Conan O'Brien in the music video for [[The White Stripes]]' "[[The Denial Twist]]" (2005).]]
[[File:Max-Weinberg7.jpg|thumb|right|257px|[[Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band|The Max Weinberg 7]] during a taping of Late Night with Conan O'Brien in [[Chicago]] in 2006.]]
[[File:Conan O'Brien at U.S. Embassy Helsinki.jpg|thumb|257px|O'Brien in 2006]]
In 2002, when time came to renew his contract, O'Brien had notable offers from other networks to defect;<ref name="hollywood"/> [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] was reported to have made particularly strong overtures, pitching him an 11:00&nbsp;p.m. show.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/28/business/wanting-late-night-presence-fox-looks-at-conan-o-brien.html|title = Wanting Late-Night Presence, Fox Looks at Conan O'Brien|work = [[The New York Times]]|date = January 28, 2002|accessdate = September 24, 2021|last = Carter|first = Bill}}</ref> O'Brien decided to re-sign with NBC, however, joking that he initially wanted to make a 13-week deal (a nod to his first contract). He ultimately signed through 2005, indicating that it was symbolic of surpassing Letterman's run with 12 years of hosting.<ref name="hollywood">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/interviews/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1954736|title=Conan O'Brien, latenight host|access-date=2008-05-11|author=O'Brien, Conan|date=2003-08-13|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060513105825/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/interviews/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1954736|archive-date=May 13, 2006 |author-link= Conan O'Brien}}</ref>

In 2003, O'Brien's own production company, [[Conaco]], was added as a producer of ''Late Night''. The show celebrated its 10th anniversary, another milestone that O'Brien said he wanted to achieve with his 2002 contract. During the anniversary show, [[Mr. T]] handed O'Brien a chain with a large gold "7" on it.
{{center|O'Brien: ''But Mr. T, we've been on the air for ten years!''<br />Mr. T: ''I know that, fool! But you only been funny for seven!''<ref>{{cite episode|title=10th Anniversary Special|series=Late Night with Conan O'Brien|airdate=2003-09-14}}</ref>}}
<br />
O'Brien's last season on ''Late Night'' attracted an average of 1.98&nbsp;million viewers, compared to 1.92&nbsp;million viewers for ''[[The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson]]''.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2009-02-25-jimmy-fallon_N.htm |title=Fallon talking a blue streak to take over for Conan|work=USA Today| first=Donna| last=Freydkin| date=2009-02-25| access-date=2009-03-01}}</ref>