The following is a list of recurring
sketches and characters which debuted on ''
Conan'', which aired from November 2010 to June 2021 on
TBS. ''Conan'' is a talk/variety show starring
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows for almost 28 years, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' (19 ...
and sidekick
Andy Richter
Paul Andrew Richter (born October 28, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and talk show announcer. He is best known as the sidekick for Conan O'Brien on each of O'Brien's talk shows: '' Late Night'' and ''The Tonight Show'' on NBC an ...
. Writers
Deon Cole
Deon Anthony Cole (born January 9, 1972) is an American comedian, actor, and screenwriter. He is best known for his role in the sitcom ''Black-ish'' (2014–2022), which earned him nominations for two NAACP Image Awards and two SAG Awards. On Ju ...
,
Brian Stack Brian Stack may refer to:
* Brian Stack (comedian) (born 1967), American actor, comedian, and writer
* Brian P. Stack (born 1966), New Jersey senator
* Brian Stack (prison officer) (1935/36–1984), shot by the IRA
See also
* Brian Stock (born 19 ...
, Andres du Bouchet, Dan Cronin, and members of
The Basic Cable Band (especially
Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg
Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg is an American trombonist originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a former member of the house band on Conan O'Brien's late-night talk shows.
Early life
Rosenberg became a trombonist when his junior high in ...
), as well as propmaster Bill Tull, appeared in sketches as well. Some sketches featured celebrity cameos. After the reboot of the show in 2019, most of the skits were retired and the band was no longer present.
Characters
Returning characters
The classic ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'' characters The Interrupter, The
Masturbating Bear
The following is a list of sketches performed on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' on NBC.
''Late Night'' sketches appearing on ''Tonight''
Moral Outrage
In response to a recent news story, usually about misconduct, Conan speaks at length ab ...
and
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog is a puppet character created, puppeteered and voiced by Robert Smigel. As his name indicates, Triumph's comedic style is almost exclusively insult comedy. A Montenegrin Mountain Hound, Triumph often puffs a cigar, ...
have made appearances on ''Conan''. In some cases, due to complaints, the Masturbating Bear is referred to by an alternate name, "The Self-Pleasuring Panda."
Punxsutawney Dr. Phil
A hybrid of Dr.
Phil McGraw
Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), better known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author best known for hosting the talk show '' Dr. Phil''. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased rene ...
and
Punxsutawney Phil
Punxsutawney Phil is the name given to a groundhog residing in Young Township near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, who is the central figure in Punxsutawney's annual Groundhog Day celebration.
Folklore
On February 2 each year, Punxsutawney holds ...
, this puppet talk show host groundhog first appeared after
Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day ( pdc, Grund'sau dåk, , , ; Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a popular North American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from ...
in 2014. He appears as a groundhog with a bald head, Dr. Phil-style eyes, and a mustache. At the beginning of the sketches, Punxsutawney Dr. Phil rises up out of grass, and says "Thanks so much!" two or three times. After dispensing nonsensical relationship advice and theories about certain things, such as the mafia being responsible for celebrity relationships ending, Punxsutawney Dr. Phil then accuses Conan, who always criticizes him, of various false issues, such as prostitution, alcoholism, and cocaine addiction, using cut-together voice clips from the actual Dr. Phil show. Conan is stunned by the accusation, strongly denying it, but Andy confirms it, much to his chagrin. Punxsutawney Dr. Phil then promises to help Conan with his anger problems, prompting Conan to ask what will happen if he refuses to take his help. Punxsutawney Dr. Phil responds "Then I will kill you," while brandishing a switchblade knife. Then after going back into the grass, Conan ends the sketch by saying to catch the Punxsutawney Dr. Phil Show weekdays at 4:00. One of Punxsutawney Dr. Phil's appearances on the show was during the real Dr. Phil's guest appearance. Dr. Phil criticized the groundhog's ridiculous advice, which prompted Punxsutawney Dr. Phil to start insulting him. After getting his advice shut down by Dr. Phil once again, Punxsutawney Dr. Phil tried his murder threat with the switchblade, only for Dr. Phil to pull out an even bigger knife. Having not expected that to happen, Punxsutawney Dr. Phil, shaking in fear, said goodbye in true Dr. Phil style ("We'll see you next time!") and then retreated back into his burrow, marking the first (and only) time he was defeated.
The Flaming C
Conan and
Bruce Timm
Bruce Walter Timm (born February 5, 1961) is an American artist, animator, writer, and producer. He has contributed to building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, most notably '' Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992–1995) and the subseque ...
created The Flaming C, a character based on Conan's appearance and jokingly referred to it as DC Comics' next superhero. The character has a comical appearance due to wearing things not associated with superheroes, such as a steaming ovenmit, a
jai alai
Jai alai (: ) is a sport involving bouncing a ball off a walled-in space by accelerating it to high speeds with a hand-held wicker ''cesta''. It is a variation of Basque pelota. The term ''jai alai'', coined by Serafin Baroja in 1875, is also oft ...
glove, ski goggles, a
Star of David
The Star of David (). is a generally recognized symbol of both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles.
A derivation of the ''seal of Solomon'', which was used for decorative ...
patch, socks with garters,
fishnet
In the field of textiles, fishnet is hosiery with an open, diamond-shaped knit; it is most often used as a material for stockings, tights, gloves or bodystockings. Fishnet is available in a multitude of colors, although it is most often sporte ...
stockings and loafers. Faux videos have been made where the character appears on the show ''
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes.
The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
''. His voice was provided by
Bruce Greenwood
Stuart Bruce Greenwood (born August 12, 1956) is a Canadian actor and producer. He is known for his role as the American president John F. Kennedy in '' Thirteen Days,'' for which he won the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion ...
in the ''Young Justice'' videos, partially because the character replaced Greenwood's character
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
in the first of these videos. Conan also played a faux trailer for an animated feature film about the character. The character also had a dedicated segment at the 2011
San Diego Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...
. Conan later brought in a lifesize
Lego
Lego ( , ; stylized as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of variously colored interlocking ...
statue of the character made by a viewer. On Conan's Clueless Gamer segment, he played as the Flaming C (as a
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
skin developed especially for the sketch) in ''
Injustice: Gods Among Us''.
After the 2015 Comic-Con, it was turned into a weekly series on the show.
The New York City Heckler
A man (
Eddie Pepitone
Edward David Pepitone (born November 5, 1958) is an American character actor and stand-up comedian.
Early life
Pepitone was born to a Sicilian father and a Jewish mother in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, and was raised from the age of nine ...
) stands up and angrily yells at Conan in response to jokes in the monologue. He always dies of a heart attack at the end of the skit.
Basketball Mascots That Should Never Dunk
Conan mentions his favorite part of basketball is the dunking mascots at halftime. He then introduces us to some weird mascots who should never compete in a slam dunk contest. As he lists them, a guy dressed as that mascot attempts to dunk the ball, usually resulting in failure. Some of these mascots include: The Solar System, Cop at a urinal, Congressman Anthony Weiner's underpants, and the Human Starfish. As of November 17, 2011, only 3 mascots have completed this feat successfully.
Minty, the Candy Cane That Briefly Fell on the Ground
Timed for the Christmas season, Minty is a giant candy cane (originally played by
Brian McCann, and replaced by Deon Cole after McCann left the show; the lyrics to his theme song changed after Cole replaced McCann.) who walks through the crowd throwing mini candy canes to the audience members as a 1940s crooner-style jingle plays in the background. According to the jingle, he fell on the ground for "just a moment or two", which was enough for him to be covered in "excrement". Actually, his costume is covered in the typical kind of garbage that might be found on a sidewalk, such as dead bugs, hair, a penny and a cigarette butt. One loyal fan created a video game based on the character, which was posted to the show's website.
Ted Turner
TBS founder
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and philanthropist. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, cable news ch ...
, played by
Will Forte
Orville Willis Forte IV ( ; born June 17, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Forte is known for being a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' (2002–2010), a recurring character on the show leading to a feature film ada ...
, appears on a stuffed buffalo named Teddy Jr. to harshly criticize Conan and his audience and claiming the show will ruin the reputation of TBS. Conan eventually brought out his own buffalo and challenged Turner to a duel but the buffaloes instead began mating, with Teddy Jr. being the "receiver".
Wikibear
Wikibear is a talking teddy bear (voice by
Brian Stack Brian Stack may refer to:
* Brian Stack (comedian) (born 1967), American actor, comedian, and writer
* Brian P. Stack (born 1966), New Jersey senator
* Brian Stack (prison officer) (1935/36–1984), shot by the IRA
See also
* Brian Stock (born 19 ...
) that is meant to answer any question by connecting to Wikipedia via a
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
connection. After correctly doing so, it will then talk about topics that are extremely inappropriate for children, i.e. terminal diseases, famine, natural disasters, cannibalism, mass violence, serial killers, war battles, deadly animals, suicide and murder. Conan always points out these facts, and says a software overhaul should fix the problems, but Wikibear proves that claim to be false by continuing to do so.
Wikibear's incorrect claim that
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...
died of
syphilis
Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...
was challenged by a viewer on a
Fan Corrections segment, who stated he actually died of
cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...
. Conan supported Wikibear's statement with fake archived video of Capone's private physician affirming the false cause of death.
Old Korean Guy
When Conan mentions an actor has been picked for a new superhero role or an athlete has signed with a new team, an elderly Korean man with poor English in the audience tries to tell Conan why he would have been better for the job, usually wearing an outfit to match.
Comic Khan
At the show's visit to 2016 Comic Con in San Diego, Conan introduced Comic
Khan
Khan may refer to:
*Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan
*Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name
*Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
(Andres du Bouchet), the ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' villain, now a stand-up comedian, whose jokes are all insults directed towards
Captain Kirk
James Tiberius Kirk is a fictional character in the '' Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in '' Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterprise'' as captain. Kirk lea ...
and his own weight gain. He returned in 2017.
Leslie the Wahlburgers Warrior
Leslie (Andres du Bouchet) is an ostensible fan of the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
show ''
Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
'' who touts the "superiority" of his favorite show, ''
Wahlburgers
Wahlburgers Franchising LLC, doing business as Wahlburgers (stylized as wahlburgers), is a casual dining burger restaurant and bar chain. It is owned by chef Paul Wahlberg and his brothers, actors Donnie and Mark. , there are 49 Wahlburgers l ...
''. He always appears in leather armor and fur, and whenever probed by Conan as to why, he explains, "This is what I wear to
sex parties
Group sex is sexual behavior involving more than two participants. Participants in group sex can be of any sexual orientation or gender. Any form of sexual activity can be adopted to involve more than two participants, but some forms have their ...
."
Recurring segments
Alex Trebek Has Gone Insane
Conan shows clips of ''
Jeopardy!
''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given genera ...
'' host
Alex Trebek
George Alexander Trebek (; July 22, 1940 – November 8, 2020) was a Canadian-American game show host and television personality. He is best known for hosting the syndicated general knowledge quiz game show ''Jeopardy!'' for 37 season ...
reading nonsensical clues of which contestants cannot answer, all the while questioning the long-time host's mental state. The clips are actually spliced from several different clues to form one bizarre giant clue. Trebek later appeared in a cameo and did the same to Conan, and left by saying a bizarre statement in person.
Andy's news stories
Andy previews some fake news stories he's working on for the next week complete with fake previews or
stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures, and file footage is film or video footage that can be used again in other films. Stock footage is beneficial to filmmakers as it saves shooting new material. A single piece of stock ...
, all of which are ridiculous.
Andy Richter's Sports Blast
Andy hosts what seems like a traditional sports show, but instead gives off the impression that he has no clue about sports and is very ill-prepared. Examples of this would be when he goes over the week's NFL games and picks the winners based on a real life matchup, (Redskins vs. Cowboys, he picks the Cowboys because he's seen enough western movies to know how it turns out.) and the Clip of the Week in which he shows a clip that has nothing to do with sports. He also lists some recent scores, but excludes not only the teams involved but the specific sports and leagues. He also takes questions from viewers who criticize his ignorance, and answers them with only "Good question,
iewer's name" Richter is also very repetitive in this sketch, as in this introduction: "Welcome to Andy Richter's Sports Blast. I'm Andy Richter, and this is Sports Blast!" A version during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic which
ended or postponed most sports seasons showed him airing pictures of empty stadiums with wildly inaccurate names, as well as referees with funny descriptions like "I'll wait" or "I am a tree", and virtually tossing balls back and forth with Conan (via video chat), one hitting Andy in the face.
Audience Craigslist ads
Conan shows audience members along with bizarre (fake)
Craigslist
Craigslist (stylized as craigslist) is an American classified advertisements website with sections devoted to jobs, housing, for sale, items wanted, services, community service, Gig worker, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums.
Craig Newmark ...
ads they have posted, in the categories man seeking woman/woman seeking man/missed connections, job offers/seeking work and for sale/wanted to buy. The ads are usually embarrassing or perverted.
Bill Tull's Budget Holiday Tips
Propmaster Bill Tull gives examples of how to make holiday decorations and gifts out of things found around the house. Tips are always the form of "Take a..., add a..., BOOM!..." Example: "Take a piece of red tape, tape it to a pine cone; BOOM!, Christmas ornament." Between tips, Conan often makes faces of displeasure that more tips are coming, before indicating that another will come.
Basic Cable Name That Tune
Conan plays ''
Name That Tune
''Name That Tune'' is an American television music game show. Originally created and produced by orchestra conductor Harry Salter and his wife Roberta Semple Salter, the series features contestants competing to correctly identify songs being p ...
'' with the audience, except that the songs are re-written as sound-alikes with alternate lyrics so the show would not have to pay
royalties
A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...
and avoid being sued for
copyright infringement
Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, s ...
, and the contestants have to guess what the original song was. The songs are sung by homeless lounge singer Brian LaFontaine (
Brian Stack Brian Stack may refer to:
* Brian Stack (comedian) (born 1967), American actor, comedian, and writer
* Brian P. Stack (born 1966), New Jersey senator
* Brian Stack (prison officer) (1935/36–1984), shot by the IRA
See also
* Brian Stock (born 19 ...
), whom Conan frequently expresses his contempt for.
Boomers With Too Much Time On Their Hands
Conan mentions that 10,000
baby boomers
Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the Western demographic cohort following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during the mid-20th century baby boom. Th ...
retire a day, and shows actual YouTube videos of how some who recently have are spending all of their free time now, which involve them doing things much younger people would do, including gymnastics, trying new dance moves, and racing go-carts in the street.
Buzzfeed is running out of lists
Conan talks about the site
BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
, best known for its unusual lists. Conan claims that the site is running out of ideas for lists and he even tries to prove this thesis by showing bizarre faux lists that are supposedly on BuzzFeed.
Celebrity Income Breakdown
Conan shows pie charts of how celebrities earn their money, first with real sources then fake ones that insult the subjects.
Celebrity Survey
In this sketch, Conan has supposedly sent out questionnaires to celebrities and he reads their replies. Conan reads a question and then recites the answer that each of three celebrities gave. The answers of the first two celebrities are ordinary "straight" answers. The third is the gag answer and often relates to something unseemly about the celebrity. For example, to the question: "I like to think of my viewers as people who..."
Brian Williams
Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American retired journalist and television news anchor. He was a reporter for ''NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in 2004. ...
wrote "want to be informed."
Meredith Vieira
Meredith Louise Vieira (born December 30, 1953) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. She is best known as the original moderator of the daytime talk show '' The View'' (1997–2006), the original host of the syndicated ...
wrote "want to be my friend."
Tony Danza
Tony Danza (born Anthony Salvatore Iadanza; April 21, 1951) is an American actor. He is known for co-starring in the television series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983) and '' Who's the Boss?'' (1984–1992), for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award a ...
wrote "have broken both arms and can't change the channel;" A running joke has the survey frequently including a question which is answered by O.J. Simpson somehow referring to committing murder. To the question: "My favorite time of day is..."
Evangeline Lilly
Nicole Evangeline Lilly (born 3 August 1979) is a Canadian actress and author. She is the recipient of various accolades including a Screen Actors Guild Award and an MTV Movie Award. She has also received nominations for a Golden Globe Award, ...
wrote: "Dawn."
Matt Lauer
Matthew Todd Lauer (; born December 30, 1957) is an American former television news personality, best known for his work with NBC News. After serving as a local news personality in New York City on WNBC, his first national exposure was as the ne ...
wrote "Twilight".
O. J. Simpson wrote: "Murder O'Clock." A reply where
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, model, and entertainer. Born in New York City, and raised there and in Beverly Hills, California, she is a great-granddaughter of Conra ...
is the final respondent to a question has been used in every segment for at least the last four years, usually about her promiscuous dating habits. O'Brien and bandleader
Max Weinberg
Max Weinberg (born April 13, 1951) is an American drummer and television personality, most widely known as the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and as the bandleader for Conan O'Brien on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' a ...
have been used as well, with answers that perceive O'Brien as a loser and Max as a pervert. Another running gag has
Larry King
Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American television and radio host, whose awards included 2 Peabodys
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program ...
,
Chris Christie
Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018.
Christie, who was born in Ne ...
and
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
answering, usually poking fun at King's elderly age (even going as far as to him making responses such that he created the universe or something similar), Christie's weight and Obama repeatedly mentioning that he ordered the killing of
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (10 March 1957 – 2 May 2011) was a Saudi-born extremist militant who founded al-Qaeda and served as its leader from 1988 until Killing of Osama bin Laden, his death in 2011. Ideologically a Pan-Islamism ...
. Actress
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...
and her drunken car crashes,
Gary Busey
Gary Busey (; born 1944) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Buddy Holly in ''The Buddy Holly Story'' (1978), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and won the National Society of Film Critics ...
's bizarre statements,
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gu ...
's poor film role choices, and
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...
front man
Steven Tyler
Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer, best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, piano, and percussion. ...
's similarity to a middle aged woman have also been portrayed in the sketch repeatedly.
Citizenship test
Conan states he believes all Americans should pass the U.S. citizenship test before they are allowed to vote, then takes the test himself. His version begins with serious American history questions like the actual test (which Conan answers thoroughly and correctly), then devolves into popular culture and sexual questions. One example of this is:
Andy: "When is it not appropriate to say the phrase 'That's what she said?"
Conan: "Never."
Andy: "Conan, I'm surprised you're answering these correctly. They're really hard!"
Conan: "Heh-heh! That's what she said
There is a recurring theme among the last two questions in each sketch: the next-to-last question involves Conan giving a detailed explanation of a somewhat-obscure American history topic (i.e. the
Teapot Dome scandal
The Teapot Dome scandal was a bribery scandal involving the administration of United States President Warren G. Harding from 1921 to 1923. Secretary of the Interior Albert Bacon Fall had leased Navy petroleum reserves at Teapot Dome in Wyomin ...
), while the last question references a pop culture or sex question asked earlier in the sketch.
Clueless Gamer
Conan, with little to no gaming experience or interest, tries out new video game releases while bantering back and forth with content producer and avid gamer Aaron Bleyaert and a celebrity guest. Initially launched as a web-only franchise, Clueless Gamer grew to become one of the most popular segments on the regular show. Most of the segments have featured new games on current systems, though one segment had Conan and Aaron playing classic
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocessor- ...
games, including ''
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, d ...
'', widely considered the
worst video game of all time. A full series based on Clueless Gamer is currently in development for TBS, with Conan executive producing but not hosting the series.
Clutch Cargo
Conan conducts a satellite interview with a celebrity, in reality a member of the show's staff whose mouth is superimposed over the celebrity's photo (a technique known as
Synchro-Vox best known for its use in the cartoon series ''
Clutch Cargo
''Clutch Cargo'' is an American animated television series created by cartoonist Clark Haas and produced by Cambria Productions, and syndicated beginning on March 9, 1959. The series was notable for its limited animation yet imaginative stories ...
''). Celebrities impersonated on ''Conan'' include
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
and
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
, who promotes his "smash hit holiday classic" ''
Jingle All the Way
''Jingle All the Way'' is a 1996 American Christmas family comedy film directed by Brian Levant. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad as two rival fathers, mattress salesman Howard Langston (Schwarzenegger) and postal worker Myron Larabe ...
'' as he had frequently done on ''Late Night''.
Coffee Table Books That Didn't Sell
Conan reviews coffee table books that didn't sell, such as "Movie Stars With Their Eyes Pushed Closer Together" or "Dirty Crop Circles" (the back of which was so dirty it had to be censored).
In late January 2016, Conan presented a variation titled "Calendars That Didn't Sell".
Comedy for DVRs
Conan explains how a lot of his viewers record his show with their
DVR, and does a skit which requires viewers to pause and un-pause their DVRs rapidly to watch it properly: a long list of text which scrolls by in a few seconds. So far the list titles have been "New ''
Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
'' Characters", and "
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gu ...
's Next 400 Films".
Conan's Peanut Players
Conan mentions a recent celebrity or other unusual newsworthy incident, but says there's no actual footage of it. Instead, he shows a reenactment of it using shelled peanuts and toys.
Conan's Video Blog
Conan announces he is going to share his thoughts via a blog to appeal to his broadening online following by adolescent viewers. The screen then cuts to a simulation of a webcam with Conan in front of a wall in what looks like a typical teenager's room. Conan puts a webcam near his face and speaks in a nervous, monotonous voice. Much of the segment is devoted to Conan saying things that are stereotypically said in teenagers' YouTube videos, such as reviews of movies and TV shows, strange snack ideas he invented and funny photo-shopped pictures he created. All of his segments are introduced using a computer generated voice. Andy sometimes joins Conan as well.
Curb Stumpers
Similar to
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 2009 ...
's ''
Jaywalking
Jaywalking is the act of pedestrians walking in or crossing a roadway that has traffic, other than at a designated crossing point, or otherwise, in disregard of traffic rules. The term originated in the United States as a derivation of the phras ...
'', people on the street (actually the show's writers) are asked several difficult questions which they answer correctly, then are insulted after answering one wrong.
Deon Cole Breaks Down the News
Conan tells about a controversial topic in the news while Deon Cole rolls by on a small desk asking yes or no questions about it to quell the controversy, and ends with "Well then they should shut the fuck up!".
Director's Cuts
Conan will show rare, never-before-seen director's cuts of clips from classic
Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
movies, which always end with the main character being murdered.
Donald Trump phone calls
After the
2016 U.S. presidential election
The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial United States presidential election, presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican Party (United States), Republican ticket of businessman Donald ...
, Conan began airing audio from faux phone calls between incoming President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
(
John Di Domenico
John Di Domenico (born November 4, 1962) is an American actor, comedian and writer, best known for his award-winning impersonation of Donald Trump. He has portrayed Donald Trump many times on television, movies and web series, which includes ''M ...
) and outgoing President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
(Ben Campbell), in which Trump asks Obama for advice, or just to chat, shown in a split screen of actual photographs of them on the phone. The calls are meant to make Obama seem intelligent and knowledgeable and Trump to appear immature, foolish and unprepared for the presidency. Some of the calls had his daughter
Ivanka Trump
Ivana Marie "Ivanka" Trump (; born October 30, 1981) is an American businesswoman and the first daughter of Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. She was a senior advisor in his administration, and also was the ...
screaming like a spoiled teenager in the background or
Melania Trump
Melania Trump ( ; born Melanija Knavs , Germanized as Melania Knauss ; born April 26, 1970) is a Slovene-American former model and businesswoman who served as First Lady of the United States from 2017 to 2021 as the wife of 45th president Do ...
pleading for help.
Later skits had Trump talking to Russian President
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
, some of which were interrupted by a naive and over trusting
Donald Trump Jr.
Donald John Trump Jr. (born December 31, 1977) is an American political activist, businessman, author, and former television presenter. He is the eldest child of Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, and his firs ...
(who had just accidentally given private, incriminating emails to the pizza delivery man).
Facebook photos
Conan will pick a member of the audience and take a photo of them with himself using a
green screen
Chroma key compositing, or chroma keying, is a visual-effects and post-production technique for compositing (layering) two images or video streams together based on colour hues ( chroma range). The technique has been used in many fields to r ...
and props and suggest they make it their
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
profile picture.
Fan Corrections
Conan shows videos from viewers who believe they've caught a factual mistake made on the show. However, Conan will claim they don't make mistakes, and so far, they've had "hundreds of challengers, not one winner". Conan will then make up a ridiculous story to explain the error and back it up with fake or doctored footage, or fake experts played by the show's writers, all while berating the accuser. When the sketch is over he challenges viewers to "see if they have what it takes to make chump meat out of the maestro".
Fiddlesticks
Fiddlesticks is a faux podcast starring the
British royal mother/son duo of Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
and Prince
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
in which they discuss current events and pop culture, then insult each other and their relatives between doing a sponsorship announcement coupled with outrageous promo codes, such as "WHATSAJOB?" for
ZipRecruiter
ZipRecruiter is an American employment marketplace for job seekers and employers.
The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, California with offices in Tempe, AZ; London, UK and Tel Aviv, Israel.
History
ZipRecruiter was founded in 2010 by ...
.
If They Melded
In an updated version of the classic ''
Late Night'' sketch
If They Mated, two videos of celebrities are merged, usually the face of one onto another while the second talks (i.e.
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
's face and voice on President Obama's head and torso).
Local News Round-Up
Conan explains that since the show airs during local newscasts, they decided to make one of their own, with stories and items stereotypically found in them (a fire on the bad part of town, a city council meeting, a short weather forecast, the local sports team won, and a lighthearted animal video at the end). Other sketches have featured Ritcher as an investigative reporter or as a weatherman (reporting on a flurry of snow on LaBamba).
Memba This?
Andy reveals his new bit, which involves him saying "Memba This?" repeatedly at pictures of fads and personalities in the news from years past. When Conan replies that this is not really a bit, Andy responds with more pictures of personalities, only this time saying "Memba Him?", "Memba Her" and "Memba Them?" Fed up, Conan tries the bit himself, only the pictures he is given are disturbing, causing him to recoil in disgust. Andy makes it better by saying "Memba This" and showing pictures of Conan recoiling at his "Memba This" pictures.
Mike Merritt's Inner Thoughts
As Conan responds to a news article about race and civil rights, the camera cuts to bassist Mike Merritt making comments, via voice over, about how Conan knows nothing about African Americans and cracks a joke about Conan's race.
The skit was later changed when Conan came out in support of gay marriage, with the thoughts coming from three of the show's gay staffers. They were able to communicate with each other telepathically, and claimed all gay people have the ability to do so but don't tell straight people about it.
Movie Casting
Conan mentions that a certain actor has been given a certain movie role in a superhero or fantasy movie sequel, an audience member dressed in the character's costume asks if he's sure. When Conan assures them that the part has been cast, the costumed-audience member leaves disappointed. So far, the roles included
Gandalf
Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a Wizards (Middle-earth), wizard, one of the ''Istari'' order, and the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring (characters), Fellowship of t ...
and an
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the title character and protagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel ''The Hobbit'', a supporting character in ''The Lord of the Rings'', and the fictional narrator (along with Frodo Baggins) of many of Tolkien's Middle-eart ...
(''
The Hobbit
''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the '' ...
''),
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
(''
Man of Steel'') and a man dressed as
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
(''
The Dark Knight Rises
''The Dark Knight Rises'' is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, and the story with David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is th ...
'').
New TBS shows
Conan explains TBS asked his staff to help develop original shows for the network, and runs of a clip from one. They are often simply parodies of other current shows.
Newscasters Agree
"Newscasters Agree" (also known or referred to as "Media Reacts") is a segment in which Conan presents to the audience a montage of dozens of local news anchors presenting "their own fresh take" on stories in the news. The stories the anchors present are usually in the scope of
human interest
In journalism, a human-interest story is a feature story that discusses people or pets in an emotional way. It presents people and their problems, concerns, or achievements in a way that brings about interest, sympathy or motivation in the reader o ...
or entertainment stories, with the lead headline presented by the anchors in near-precise, word-for-word unison. Some prime examples have included:
"
Twinkie
A Twinkie is an American snack cake, described as "golden sponge cake with a creamy filling". It was formerly made and distributed by Hostess Brands. The brand is currently owned by Hostess Brands, Inc. (), having been formerly owned by private ...
Trouble!" in regards to the bankruptcy of
Hostess Brands
Hostess Brands is an American-based bakery company formed in 2013. It owns several bakeries in the United States that produce snack cakes under the Hostess and Dolly Madison brand names and its Canadian subsidiary, Voortman Cookies Limited, pro ...
"Is it time for dogs to have a
social network
A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...
of their own?" about the websit
matchpuppy.com"
Mike Myers
Michael John Myers OC (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. His accolades include seven MTV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollyw ...
says 'Yeah, Baby!'" about the actor who played
Austin Powers
''Austin Powers'' is a series of American spy action comedy films: '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997), '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' (1999) and ''Austin Powers in Goldmember'' (2002). The films were produced an ...
becoming an expectant father
"Don't worry, be happy," a story on how positive attitudes lead to healthy lifestyles (with a few references to the
Bobby McFerrin
Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...
song of the same name).
"Conan O'Brien is about to push the envelope..." about Conan's presiding over a same-sex wedding during a 2011 show in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
Next on Conan
Like other cable television shows (''
Mad Men
''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its fict ...
'', ''
Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
'') Conan shows clips from their next episode (which are actually from old episodes) that seem melodramatic when played out of context.
Oscar moments
Conan, Andy and Pierre (poorly) reenact scenes from films nominated for Best Picture at the
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2010 in the United States and took place on February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beg ...
. They performed clips from ''
127 Hours
''127 Hours'' is a 2010 biographical psychological survival drama film co-written, produced and directed by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn and Clémence Poésy. In the film, canyoneer Aron Ralston must find a ...
'', ''
Black Swan
The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon c ...
'', ''
The Social Network
''The Social Network'' is a 2010 American biographical drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, based on the 2009 book ''The Accidental Billionaires'' by Ben Mezrich. It portrays the founding of social networking web ...
'', and ''
Inception
''Inception'' is a 2010 science fiction action film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also produced the film with Emma Thomas, his wife. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by infiltr ...
''. In 2012 movies that were featured were ''
The Artist'', ''
War Horse
The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot design ...
'' and ''
The Help
''The Help'' is a historical fiction novel by American author Kathryn Stockett and published by Penguin Books in 2009. The story is about African Americans working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi, during the early 1960s.
A ''USA To ...
''.
In another set of skits, Conan mentioned that ''War Horse'' was nominated for Best Original Score, but he claimed the music doesn't make any sense. He then showed a dramatic scene from it, with the music replaced by an upbeat disco song.
Oscar Winner F-Bomb Hall of Fame
This list includes all
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
winners who have appeared on the show and say the word "Fuck" during the interview.
Oscar Winner F Bomb Hall of Fame
''Team Coco'' January 1, 2011 After the celebrity is inducted, Andy Richter reveals a bust statue that does not resemble the celebrity at all, with Andy claiming the best sculptors were unavailable so they had to make it themselves. So far there are three members of this Hall of Fame:
# Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...
# Javier Bardem
Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem (; born 1 March 1969) is a Spanish actor. Known for his roles in Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters and foreign films, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the psychopath, ...
# Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...
A potential fourth member, Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman (born Natalie Hershlag, he, נטע-לי הרשלג, ) is an Israeli-born American actress. She has had a prolific film career since her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving mu ...
(who was at the time in the running for an Oscar at the 83rd Academy Awards), did say the word "fuck" during her interview. Conan stated during her interview that he would add her to the hall if she won later (which she now has), but it has not happened yet.
Puppy Conan
As a parody of Animal Planet
Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily dev ...
's ''Puppy Bowl
The ''Puppy Bowl'' is an annual television program on Animal Planet that mimics an American football game similar to the Super Bowl, using puppies. Shown each year on Super Bowl Sunday, the show consists of footage of a batch of puppies at play ...
'', Conan brings in a group of Labrador Retriever puppies dressed as himself, Andy, LaBamba and celebrity guests such as Flava Flav
William Jonathan Drayton Jr. (born March 16, 1959), known by his stage name Flavor Flav (), is an American rapper and hype man. Known for his yells of "''Yeah, boyeeeeee!''" when performing, he rose to prominence as a founding member of the rap ...
and Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
, all within a miniature replica of the show's main set. Conan promised he would do an entire show with a miniature set with extremely tall guests like Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...
, which he fulfilled a few weeks later.
Racial Perspective
After Conan mentions a story about something in the news that's controversial because of suspected racism, writer Deon Cole
Deon Anthony Cole (born January 9, 1972) is an American comedian, actor, and screenwriter. He is best known for his role in the sitcom ''Black-ish'' (2014–2022), which earned him nominations for two NAACP Image Awards and two SAG Awards. On Ju ...
appears and gives a brief commentary, which is usually only a few words. For example, a class action lawsuit by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; , stylized as PeTA) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. PETA reports that PETA entities have ...
against SeaWorld
SeaWorld is an American theme park chain with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. It is a proprietor of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, animal theme parks, and rehabilitation centers owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment (one park will be ...
which alleges the theme park treats its whales like African slaves in the United States prior to the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, to which Cole's comment was "Are you shitting me?!" Deon will often have one of the show's white writers read his commentary instead, to avoid reinforcing the "angry black man" stereotype.
Someone is thrown off the studio's roof by security
Conan has demonstrated zero tolerance for obnoxious audience members, Andy's antics, and even a mascot for Anthony Weiner
Anthony David Weiner (; born September 4, 1964) is an American former politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 until his resignation in 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he consistently carried the district with at l ...
's penis. There have been five or more instances where Conan has motioned for security to take away an offending character. They drag the person to the top of the studio's roof and then throw them (actually a mannequin dressed and made to look like them) onto the hard concrete lot below.
During the show's visit to Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
in April 2013, a mannequin of Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
General William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...
(the victor of the Battle of Atlanta
The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply hub of Atlanta, Uni ...
) was thrown off the roof of TBS' headquarters. When he didn't die, they deep fried his head in waffle batter and shot him out of the city from a giant cannon.
When the show was in San Diego for Comic Con in 2016, the security guards threw Captain Make America Great Again
"Make America Great Again" or MAGA is an American political slogan popularized by Donald Trump in his successful 2016 presidential campaign. The slogan became a pop culture phenomenon, seeing widespread use and spawning numerous variants in ...
(a hybrid of Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
and Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
) out of a top floor window of the Spreckels Theater Building
Spreckels Theatre is a performing arts center located in San Diego, California. It was touted as "the first modern commercial playhouse west of the Mississippi". It was designed for philanthropist John D. Spreckels, and was meant to commemorate t ...
.
Things That Have Never Ever Been Said
Conan and Andy take turns reading phrases that they claim have never been texted or tweeted ever before in the history of mankind. Examples include "I'm sorry I can't take a lunch break right now, we are totally swamped here at RadioShack
RadioShack, formerly RadioShack Corporation, is an American retailer founded in 1921.
At its peak in 1999, RadioShack operated over 8,000 worldwide stores named RadioShack or Tandy Electronics in the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Austra ...
."
This Is Conan
On the show's relaunch episode, Conan and Andy parody the NBC program ''This is Us
''This Is Us'' is an American family drama television series that aired on NBC from September 20, 2016, to May 24, 2022. The series follows the lives and families of two parents, and their three children, in several different time frames. It s ...
''. In the parody, Andy plays Conan's wife and they also have three children, Evan, Abbie, and an unnamed baby. Milo Ventimiglia
Milo Anthony Ventimiglia (, ; born July 8, 1977) is an American actor. Making his screen acting debut on ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' in 1995, he portrayed the lead role on the short-lived series '' Opposite Sex'' in 2000 before landing his br ...
made a cameo as his character on the actual show, Jack Pearson
Lawrence Ivor "Jack" Pearson (25 January 1922 – 1 October 2007) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1946.
Pearson was born at Darnall, Sheffield. He began playing for Derbyshire in J ...
.
User agreements
Conan will list hidden items of the terms of service for popular smartphone apps, such as on female driven dating app Bumble
Bumble is an online dating application. Profiles of potential matches are displayed to users, who can "swipe left" to reject a candidate or "swipe right" to indicate interest. In heterosexual matches, only female users can make the first contac ...
, you agree to send unsolicited dick pic
A dick pic is an image or photograph of a penis, usually erect, sent electronically (e.g. on the internet, by SMS, or by close-range file sharing). The term ''dick pic'' is derived from ''dick'', slang for penis, and '' pic'', a shortening of t ...
s.
What Am I Watching?
Conan mentions there's too many TV shows on the air to keep up with and how he uses the info button for more details, and then sees fake electronic program guide
Electronic programming guides (EPGs) and interactive programming guides (IPGs) are menu-based systems that provide users of television, radio and other media applications with continuously updated menus that display scheduling information for ...
s, which insult the characters or the audience, including guide info for his own show which will insult him.
Why China Is Kicking Our Ass
Conan points out reasons for why "China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
is kicking our ass" such as better educated students and lower rates of unemployment. He then shows videos of people doing stupid things to injure themselves on purpose, or celebrities embarrassing themselves on television. Ironically, the Chinese text that appears on screen reads 瓷为什么踢我们的屁股 (Why Porcelain
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...
Is Kicking Our Ass) instead of 为什么中国在踢我们的屁股. The mistake was noticed by several viewers who spoke Chinese during a Fan Corrections segment, with Conan claiming they were all wrong, and showed a speech of Mao Se Tung after the Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
(with mistranslated subtitles), declaring China's new name as the "People's Republic of Porcelain."
# Drew Beaumier auditions for ''American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' as a ''Transformers
''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...
'' robot.
# Gary Busey
Gary Busey (; born 1944) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Buddy Holly in ''The Buddy Holly Story'' (1978), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and won the National Society of Film Critics ...
Vs. Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on t ...
on ''Celebrity Apprentice
''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It was a variation of ''The Apprentice'' series, hosted by then real estate developer (later 45th president of the United States
The president of the Unite ...
''.
# A man attempts to break a bottle on his friend's head, but it doesn't shatter and instead nearly knocks him out.
# A man falls face-first from a set of bleachers onto a folding chair and hits his head.
# A pickup truck attempts to go up a ramp and over a man holding a large ball but fails and runs the man over.
# A man jumps off a roof, lands on a metal fence, and injures his testicles.
# A man sings and whistles a cheesy original song while his friends dance poorly behind him.
# A drunken man falls off the back of a slow moving car.
# A man holds several fire crackers in his mouth, lights them and burns his lips.
# A man kicks a soccer ball into his friend's crotch.
# Sam B's performance on ''America's Got Talent
''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
''.
# A video of a guy who strapped a leaf blower to himself and spins around on an office chair.
# A woman twerks in the seat of a moving car and falls out of the open door.
Why Would You Tweet That?
Conan reads some funny (fake) celebrity tweets that make fun of the celebrities.
TV Movie Casting
A fictitious new made-for-TV movie
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
is announced, based on a real-life event Conan has mentioned. Conan then says he has the inside scoop on the movie's casting. Viewers are shown two photos side-by-side of a person or thing who will be portrayed in the movie and the person that will be playing the role. The casting first starts off with people who strikingly resemble the person they are playing but then goes off to extremes with, usually, objects or fictitious characters bearing some resemblance to the person they are playing.
The Audiencey Awards
Conan awards members of the studio audience for various talents. Typically this will always include "best celebrity impression" to highlight lookalikes (as in movie casting), and then a variety of other awards which are achieved with props and superimposed images. For example, the winner of "Best Foreign Language Audience Member" was shown with a large superimposed mustache and sombrero, and the "Audience Member Who Smells the Most Like Fresh Salmon" was attacked by a man in a bear costume. Awards show intermission segments (a fashion critic, red carpet interviews, how the award is built, etc.) are also parodied.
Celebrity cameos
Sometimes on the show, celebrities make brief surprise cameos in skits.
Chris Parnell explains a joke
Conan mentions that the number of biracial babies is on the rise in the United States. Conan then brings out Deon Cole to comment, and all he said was "You're welcome America." Conan then said he didn't understand the joke. Chris Parnell
Thomas Christopher Parnell (; born February 5, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1998 to 2006 and played the role of Dr. Leo Spaceman on ''30 Rock''. In animation, he voices Cyril Figgis ...
then appeared and explained that Deon is so irresistible to fertile young women and his sperm is so potent, he's fathered thousands of biracial children.
He later returned to explain how Deon is able to take undistorted pictures of his enormous penis with the iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 is a smartphone that was designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the 6th generation iPhone, succeeding both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, and preceding both the iPhone 5S and 5C. It was formally unveiled as part of a press e ...
's panoramic camera
Panoramic photography is a technique of photography, using specialized equipment or software, that captures images with horizontally elongated fields of view. It is sometimes known as ''wide format photography''. The term has also been applied to ...
. He also explained that Deon's claim reinforces the stereotype that all black men have larger than average sized penises.
Jon Cryer is a troll
In response to ''Two and a Half Men
''Two and a Half Men'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS for twelve seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. Originally starring Charlie Sheen in the lead role alongside Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones, the ...
'' co-star Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Platoon'' (1986), ''Wall Street'' (1987), '' Young Guns'' (1988), '' The Rookie'' (1990), ''The Thr ...
's comment that he was a troll, Cryer appeared in a cameo and confessed that he was indeed born a troll doll
A Troll Doll (Danish: ''Gjøltrold'') is a type of plastic doll with furry up-combed hair depicting a troll, also known as a Dam doll after their creator Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam. The inspiration came from trolls in old Scandinavian folklore ...
, and that other celebrities such as Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...
were also once trolls.
Larry King's new show
Conan announced that Larry King
Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American television and radio host, whose awards included 2 Peabodys
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program ...
is hosting a new show in the rafters of his own studio. King appeared in a cameo and began taking calls from viewers, similar to the format of ''Larry King Live
''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly.
Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles s ...
''. Andy Richter was always the show's celebrity guest.
Theme song lyrics
Conan mentions his theme song now has lyrics and "Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, actor and author. He is best known for creating comedy songs that make light of pop culture and often parody specifi ...
appeared and performed it. The first half was normal, describing the show in general, but then turned dark, describing the time Yankovic and Conan went camping and Conan killed someone and swore Al to secrecy (which he had just broke by announcing it on national television, and feared Conan would kill him too).
Nick Offerman from Parks and Recreation Reads Tweets from Young Female Celebrities
Actor and woodworking
Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet making (cabinetry and furniture), wood carving, woodworking joints, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning.
History
Along with Rock (geology), stone, clay and animal parts, ...
enthusiast Nick Offerman
Nicholas David Offerman (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor, writer, comedian, producer, and carpenter. He is best known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom ''Parks and Recreation'', for which he received the Television Critics A ...
reads actual tweets from young (18–30 years old) female celebrities, such as Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
, Selena Gomez
Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, actress and producer. Gomez began her acting career on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004). As a teenager, she rose to prominence for starring a ...
and Miranda Cosgrove
Miranda Taylor Cosgrove (born May 14, 1993) is an American actress and singer. She was the highest-paid child actor in 2012 and was included on ''Forbes'' magazine's " 30 Under 30" list in 2022. She is known for her career on television, parti ...
, while building furniture. They are often short and nonsensical, but read in a serious manner.
Super Dave's lawsuit
Super Dave Osborne
Super Dave Osborne is a character created and played by comedian Bob Einstein. Einstein's comedic depiction was of a naïve but optimistic stuntman who was frequently comically injured when his stunts went spectacularly wrong.
Character sketch
S ...
appeared and explained he sued a plastic surgeon for a botched lip enhancement procedure. He explained the judge would award him $10,000,000 if he would go on a talk show, tell three dirty jokes, and prove the people weren't laughing at them, but at his ridiculous lips. After doing so, Conan claims he won the case.
Conan and a fan meet Simon Baker
Conan mentions ''The Mentalist
''The Mentalist'' is an American drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, the show fol ...
'' is shot on the same lot as his show, and offers a fan of it accompany him to meet its star Simon Baker
Simon Lucas Baker (born 30 July 1969) is an Australian actor in television and film, as well as a director. He is known for his lead roles in the CBS television series ''The Mentalist'' as Patrick Jane and ''The Guardian'' as Nicholas Fallin a ...
. After finding him reading a magazine behind the show's studio, Baker ran off as fast as he could.
''Jersey Shore'' Audition Tapes
Conan mentioned ''Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Po ...
'' is looking for new male cast members. He then showed audition tapes featuring Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer (; born May 27, 1973) is an American actor and comedian, who gained national exposure for his portrayal of characters on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' and as Kenneth Parcell in ''30 Rock''. For his role in ''30 Rock'' he was no ...
, DJ Qualls
Donald Joseph Qualls (born June 10, 1978) is an American actor. He is best known for his work in films including ''Road Trip'' (2000), ''The New Guy'' (2002) and ''The Core'' (2003), and for several appearances on television series such as '' B ...
, Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Adam Eisenberg (; born October 5, 1983) is an American actor, writer, and director. He has received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
, and John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...
. Actual ''Jersey Shore'' cast member Mike Sorrentino also briefly appeared, however the casting director quickly yelled "NEXT!"
The Return of Max Weinberg
On October 28, 2014, Conan noticed that their house band
A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment.
It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...
's drummer James Wormworth
James Wormworth is an American drummer and percussionist. Wormworth is a member of Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band on the TBS (U.S. TV channel), TBS Late-night talk show, late night comedy program, ''Conan (talk show), Conan''. Wormworth oft ...
had wandered off and fallen into an abandoned mine shaft. Conan then asked if anyone in the audience can play the drums, and Max Weinberg
Max Weinberg (born April 13, 1951) is an American drummer and television personality, most widely known as the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and as the bandleader for Conan O'Brien on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' a ...
, leader of the band of the show's original incarnation, '' Late Night'', answered and ran onstage to drum for the remainder of the episode.
The Hollywood Buzz
Starting in late April 2020, Conan began checking in with ''Access Hollywood
''Access Hollywood'', formerly known as ''Access'' from 2017 to 2019, is an American weekday television entertainment news program that premiered on September 9, 1996. It covers events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created ...
'' host Mario Lopez
Mario Lopez (born October 10, 1973) is an American actor and television host. He has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway theatre, Broadway. He is known for his portrayal of A.C. Slater on ''Saved by the Bell'', ''Sa ...
for the latest entertainment news, with Lopez always saying absolutely nothing is happening because of the near shutdown of film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
and television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
production caused by social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...
restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Running gags
*Conan often likes to compare Thursday's audiences with Wednesday's, usually claiming one was horrible while the other is great (shows for both days are filmed with the same audience on Wednesdays).
*A long running gag is that Conan is a cruel and oppressive boss, and his employees (especially Andy) secretly harbor animosity towards him.
*Another running gag is that Conan and Andy are secretly gay lovers (despite being married to women).
*Contrary to reality, Conan often mentions TBS doesn't have the money for expensive writers, sets, props, skits, licensing fees, etc., equating it with a low-budget local public access cable channel.
*When a website address is displayed, instead of showing a "/", a picture of guitarist Slash
Slash may refer to:
* Slash (punctuation), the "/" character
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Slash (Marvel Comics)
* Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'')
Music
* Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band
* Nash ...
is shown.
*Sometimes when Conan makes an Anti-American remark (such as its obesity problem, recession, obsession with celebrities, reality shows, social networking, etc.), he'll make the crowd do the " USA chant".
*For a brief period, when a man sitting in the front row wore a hat, Conan would try it on after being introduced at the beginning of the show.
*Conan formerly offered front row audience members to touch his nipples at the start of the show. Conan later showed a commercial for a fake lawyer who represents people who Conan has traumatized from doing so.
*The show has recently began playing parodies of the " St. Elmo's Fire theme song" after Conan's monologue jokes while a leaf blower runs in his face, which Andy finds ridiculous since they give undeserved praise to the low quality punchlines.
References
External links
Official Conan website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conan sketches, List of
Sketches
Lists of comedy sketches
Television series segments