Late-night TV will look a lot less red and wacky from now on because Conan O'Brien has said goodbye to yet another successful, long-running late-night talk show.
After writing for SNL for a couple of years and finding footing in the industry thanks to The Simpsons, the 6-foot ginger comedian became a talk show host back in 1993 with Late Night with Conan O'Brien, which ran until 2009. After hosting The Tonight Show for a year, he created his own late-night talk show, Conan, which has just ended its eleven-year run.
This is hardly the last time we'll hear from O'Brien; he's technically a genius, so he organized his next more very well. He'll be up to all sorts of shenanigans in no time. But it's still going to be hard tuning in every Monday through Thursday and not seeing a new episode of Conan. The fans and even celebrities are mourning the loss of the talk show because it affected their lives so profoundly. But they aren't the only ones.
Running a late-night talk show for eleven years is hard work, and O'Brien couldn't have done it without his staff, which he's "tormented" for years. They've been key players for years, but is Conan's working environment toxic behind the humor? We've been burned in the past thinking some celebrity talk show hosts treat their staff like gold.
Here's what it was like being on Team Coco.
He Has Some Interesting Methods For Making A Happy Work Environment
Ellen DeGeneres often pranked her staff and made it seem like she had a great relationship with them on and off the camera. But as we know now, that wasn't entirely true, according to some.
Things are a little different behind the scenes of Conan.
In 2020, Team Coco created a behind-the-scenes web series called Meet the Conan Staff, which Uprrox called "a combination of The Office and The Larry Sanders Show crossed with Conan’s comedic sensibilities."
It was scripted and didn't feature staffers Sona Movsesian (O'Brien's assistant), Jordan Schlansky (O'Brien's straight-faced Associate producer), Diana Chang. Still, it gave us insight into how things are behind the scenes, and it gave the writers another outlet.
Besides this, O'Brien has frequently featured his staff in satirical segments and has constantly played on that joke that he is the boss man and they are the peasants beneath him when in reality, it's quite the opposite.
In 2016, there was the secret "foodies" email list sketch, seen below.
The satirical intern's check-up:
And the staff performance reviews:
And, of course, we can't forget the time O'Brien tried to teach his staff COVID tips and terrorized Sona in her office in doing so.
These sketches aren't just satirical. They paint a truthful picture of what it's like to work for O'Brien. They all have some serious self-deprecating humor on O'Brien's part, but he doesn't make fun of himself because he's insecure; he does it to make others less uncomfortable. By making jokes about himself, he's made his staff feel more comfortable around him, creating a great working environment where they can all work together without fearing their boss.
His Assitant Speaks Very Highly Of Him
O'Brien knows the importance of treating his staff with the respect they deserve, but Sona is different. She's been O'Brien's assistant since 2009 when Conan was new, and they've been there for each other through ups and downs and throughout life's biggest moments.
When the last episode of Conan aired, she wasn't upset because it was just one part of their very good working relationship and friendship.
"In December of 2008, I got a call from HR that I was being offered the position of Conan O’Brien’s assistant. I started in January of 2009 and the last 12 years have completely changed my life," she penned a recent Instagram post.
"You’ve all seen mine and Conan’s dynamic on camera, but off camera he’s done so much more for me - he officiated my best friend’s wedding, wrote letters on my behalf when I was house shopping, introduced me to presidents and never balked when I chose the most expensive restaurant for us to eat at. Conan and his wife Liza threw me and my husband an engagement party and they’ve supported us during life-changing moments, like having babies.
"While the show might end, this guy and I will be bickering for many more years ahead. I’m proud to have been a small part of his career and I can’t wait to see what’s next. As Conan would say, 'Onward.'"
This isn't the first time that O'Brien took staffers on a journey with him. When he didn't come out on top during the 2010 Tonight Show conflict, he put his joking aside to reassure his staff that they were all going to be okay, and in fact, it turned out better than before.
Writer Todd Levin told GQ that O'Brien came to the writer's room to ask their opinions of what he should do. When they said NBC's deal was bad, he thanked them for "curing his addiction to The Tonight Show."
In this situation, O'Brien was honest, humble, and included everyone in the decision. Something he likely did when he decided to move from TBS to HBO Max, where he will kick off his third variety show. The move shouldn't be scary because he knows that he has a great staff behind him. They have each other's back, which is so refreshing in today's talk show world.
