Editing Late Night with Conan O'Brien (section)

===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>}}
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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>