Leslie Threlkeld
The Late Movies: Best of Conan
by Leslie Threlkeld - January 22, 2010 - 10:10 PM

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Since the last episode of The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien airs tonight, here are some of Conan’s best moments from his 16+ years with NBC, showcasing the qualities that make Conan, Conan. Believe me, it was very difficult to narrow it down. If you have a favorite clip not listed here, leave a comment with the link.

Conan Helps Out Victims of the Transit Strike

During New York’s system-wide transit strike in 2005, Conan decided to help people get around by escorting them in the “Black Beast.”

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog Meets the Star Wars Nerds


Triumph the Insult Comic Dog first appeared on Conan in 1997 during a skit about unusually talented dogs at the Westminster Dog Show. Sadly, Triumph will not be following Conan when he leaves the Tonight
Show. Instead, Triumph will be left behind at NBC…for him to poop on. Here Triumph investigates the long, nerdy line at a Star Wars premier.

Conceived on the Late Night with Conan O’Brien

During an early Tonight Show, Conan presented all the children conceived during his 16-year run on Late Night. He might have gotten the idea from Jay Leno, but Conan did it one better.

Conando!

Watch the hunky Mario Lopez swoop in and steal Conando’s woman.

In the Year 2000—Millennium Edition

Conan and another installment of “In the Year 2000.” Too bad he couldn’t see his future in the year 2010.

Power Failure

During the Blackout of 2003, Conan taped a segment minus the audience and the lights.

Faulty GE Voice Directory

NBC’s phone directory, built and maintained by GE, doesn’t work as well as it should.

Conan Can’t Waste Time


LNwCOB – Conan Can’t Waste Any Time
by ccob

In 2006, Conan got a note from NBC asking him to “move it along” and “stop wasting time” between segments and interviews.

Norm MacDonald Stops By

Last week, Norm Macdonald surprised Conan with a gift basket he bought back in June.

Hong Kong Animation

And just in case you’re still not sure about the details of the drama between Conan and NBC, this computer animated video from Hong Kong makes it hilariously clear.

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Comments (20)

  1. Every Norm MacDonald interview should be on here. He and Conan have such amazing chemistry, that having Norm as a guest is the biggest treat ever

    posted by Izam on 1-22-2010 at 10:59 pm

  2. Nice list, but you’re missing his 1864 Ol’ Timey Baseball clip. Comedy gold.

    posted by TeamCoco on 1-22-2010 at 11:24 pm

  3. I will always remember fondly the episode of Late Night in which the audience was filled with children. I was just barely older then those kids when that happened and longed to be there.

    posted by fjohn on 1-22-2010 at 11:26 pm

  4. The final episode was epic

    posted by LT on 1-23-2010 at 12:40 am

  5. Old Timey Baseball-See it Here

    http://www.fandome.com/video/112622/Conan-OBrien-Old-Time-Baseball/

    posted by LT on 1-23-2010 at 12:49 am

  6. I loved the stuff he did w/ Colbert and Stewart for their “feud” during the writers strike. The final Battle Royale was worth the buildup on both TDS and TCR.

    posted by Big Jonny on 1-23-2010 at 2:16 am

  7. sadly, this is more about “late night with david letterman” than about conan…i remember as a teen watching early dave when they did a 90 minute show compressed into a 60 minute show…and another where the show was aired in a green tint. i did see conan’s first show while in college, though. andy richter controls the universe!

    posted by greg on 1-23-2010 at 5:05 am

  8. I wish I could find it but I can’t. One of my favorite videos doesn’t have Conan on it, but is a remixed video of Meet Joe Black. It was so funny I thought I was going to pass out from laughing so hard.

    posted by C.A. on 1-23-2010 at 10:32 am

  9. Old Timey baseball is a classic…I also loved the interviews with Arnold, George W, and others where it was a picture of them and just their mouths moved…

    posted by Robert on 1-23-2010 at 11:40 am

  10. No old time baseball, no fagerstrom, no conan and andy do anime, no jordan schlansky, no FAO schwartz, none of his chicago stuff??
    The baseball one is good and should be on here, but every time he goes out and takes a video camera with him, it’s just as hilarious.

    posted by CK on 1-23-2010 at 12:33 pm

  11. Izam, you couldn’t be more right. Now that Conan has the money and lots of prospects, it’s time for Norm to get a show that reflects his genius.

    posted by Michele on 1-23-2010 at 2:17 pm

  12. What, no staring contests? Hilarious!!

    posted by Joel on 1-23-2010 at 9:59 pm

  13. Where is Dogs and Cats re-enacting the last days of Hitler? Priceless!

    posted by OJ on 1-23-2010 at 10:32 pm

  14. I’ve mentioned it before, but my favorite sketch of his is when he went to Ireland to visit his family about 15 years or so ago. He went to a local elementary school to visit with the children, and you could still see pictures of JFK on the walls. He asked them if they’d like to see a picture of the most famous Irish-American and of course they said “yes”, so he held up a picture of Shaquille O’Neal. I just about died laughing, and still get the giggles when I think about it today.

    Rock on Coco!

    posted by shirleyfeeney on 1-24-2010 at 12:44 am

  15. Two early bits that always stick out in my mind. One, Conan is talking to a fake Keith Richards, who tells Conan that he loves the (then, new) show, especially the previous night’s monlogue in which he hallucinated Conan turning into an eagle and saying \I’m gonna get you Keith.\
    Also, an early bit where Conan and Andy are playing video games, in which Conan is beating Andy in every one, until they play \Cheese Sandwich,\ where the object is to make as many cheese sandwiches in an alotted amount of time. Andy is destroying Conan until Conan pulls out a gun and shoots Andy. The shooting as the punchline wasn’t the great comedy of the bit, it was the notion of a video game called \Cheese Sandwich,\ and the fact that this would be the one game in which Andy excelled.

    posted by Luke on 1-24-2010 at 3:04 am

  16. conan and mr t go apple picking on hulu. best. sketch. ever.

    2nd best was mr t gives conan a tour of chicago

    posted by jb on 1-24-2010 at 12:22 pm

  17. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiE3eyZOLAY

    posted by chase on 1-24-2010 at 4:41 pm

  18. I always loved “The Interruptor”…

    posted by GC on 1-24-2010 at 9:20 pm

  19. I love how Conan opened up his Tonight Show with the bit where he runs across America.

    posted by Kie on 1-26-2010 at 10:27 am

  20. C.A.: I remember that “Meet Joe Black” bit (from a “Conan and Andy on the Aisle” segment). I hope someone has it on the Internet; it really is hilarious.

    posted by Sillstaw on 1-28-2010 at 3:49 pm

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