Conan O'Brien, the animated episode

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What the flying fuck. Friend just forwarded this to me:

Just read this on Bowienet... now THIS I have to SEE!!! LOL!

"In an unprecedented move, NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" will
broadcast an entire episode in clay animation. The experimental and
groundbreaking episode airs Thursday, May 15 (12:35 AM - 1:35 AM on NBC).

"This may be the best show we've ever done...in clay," noted O'Brien. The show, which has been in production for months, is a complete clay animated re-creation of an episode of "Late Night" from October 2002 - from the opening, to the monologue, comedy, guests - even the bumpers that lead in and out of commercial.

This episode featured an interview with David Bowie and also a live
performance, so don't forget to check it out and see what the animators have come up with!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 12 May 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Man, I thought he was just joking about that. Too Cool!

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Monday, 12 May 2003 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

This would be classic if DB had a breakdown and claimed everyone's faces are melting, and switch to Conan: his face is melting.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 12 May 2003 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

must buy tv. and get cable.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw a picture of this in the paper - the claymation is very crude and goofy, Mr. T looked impressive.

― Nicole (Nicole), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Does Abe Vigoda appear? Cause if he did, that would be awesome.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Now, we'll finally get to see what Conan truly looks like under those slabs of pancake makeup.

(Course, his hidden puppeteer might bitch about viewers seeing the strings)

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Monday, 12 May 2003 19:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Conan O'Brien is no good. Clay animation Conan O'Brien is still no good.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Monday, 12 May 2003 20:15 (twenty-two years ago)

actually, that's a bit unfair. I've never seen his programme, but I am assuming he is like David Letterman and Jay Leno, who are both no good.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Monday, 12 May 2003 20:16 (twenty-two years ago)

DV, that is hugely unfair. Conan isn't as reliably funny as it used to be, but it's far better than Letterman and Leno for two reasons: 1) The humor can be really absurd. Not middle-America "wacky" like "Let's-drop-a-watermelon-out-a-window!" but downright bizarre. For instance, one of the recurring characters is a masturbating bear. (Conan also used to write for The Simpsons.) 2) The show prides itself on its amateurness and Conan is very self-deprecating. Of course, that's a schtick, like any other, but it's a welcome one compared to the competition. Letterman sometimes pretends "I'm just a dumb guy from Indiana" but it's wrapped in this smug, sarcastic condescension. And Leno has always been a total schmoozehound. At the very least, it makes Conan somewhat likeable.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 12 May 2003 20:40 (twenty-two years ago)

btw, I'm very much looking forward to this episode.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 12 May 2003 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

At the very least, it makes Conan somewhat likeable.

So, Conan "wins" by default? Is that a plus or a minus?

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Monday, 12 May 2003 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, I like him more than "by default."

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 12 May 2003 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Winning by default is the best part about capitalism and democracy. All you have to do is suck less than the other guy.

― Millar (Millar), Monday, 12 May 2003 20:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Letterman roolz u r all Paul Schafer

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 12 May 2003 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)

So the nighttime TV audience is stuck with who sucks least? Another reson why all those frigging infomercials got so popular....

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Monday, 12 May 2003 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I prefer letterman, out of the three.

conan reminds me of a guy I had to sit beside in english who was just weird and not funny.

and jay leno. I just don't like.

I have only seen two or three shows of each.

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 12 May 2003 20:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Late night = Cartoon Network's Adult Swim for me. Who can resist the allure of Harvey Birdman?

― Nicole (Nicole), Monday, 12 May 2003 20:59 (twenty-two years ago)

And that of Bender? Thought I was the only twisted soul to watch that...

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Monday, 12 May 2003 21:17 (twenty-two years ago)

No, he's the greatest. I would marry Bender if I wasn't already married. Or if I lived in Utah.

― Nicole (Nicole), Monday, 12 May 2003 21:17 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm sure it won't be as good as Conan's appearance on The Simpsons as himself ("sit still! only I may dance!")

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 12 May 2003 21:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Conan (like Jon Stewart, although Jon is funnier in general) is at his best when something goes wrong or he's recovering from bad writing.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 01:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Who can resist the allure of Harvey Birdman?

I can. Conan's show blows most every other comedy program on US television aside from The Daily Show out of the water.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 12:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Conan has sucked since Andy Richter left the show. I'm not exactly sure why, though it may have something to do with this roughly coinciding with my graduation from college.

― NA. (Nick A.), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 12:22 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.wybr.com/images/harvey_birdman.jpg

Sorry, I would have to side with Harvey.

― Nicole (Nicole), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Nick OTM. Also, Conan realized he could be cute a few years ago and has resorted to bad faces and annoying goofiness ever since (a.k.a. The Fallon).

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 12:27 (twenty-two years ago)

A lot of the self-deprecation and goofy faces/voices that were surprising and funny a few years ago seem to have become automatic. He does and says the same things so often that they have become stale.

― NA. (Nick A.), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 12:54 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, i haven't watched him regularly in probably 3 or 4 years, i must admit, but when i have caught him yr description is very apt, nick. i don't watch late night tv at all anymore, but i do catch letterman and the daily show on occassion and they seem to still be consistently great.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 13:43 (twenty-two years ago)

once in a while O'Brien can adlib some seriously funny stuff. There have been a few episodes where i practically fell off the couch. his show is much funnier generally than leno or letterman.

― g (graysonlane), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

best to worst:

Conan
Kilburn
Letterman
Kimmel
Leno

(And the top four are really great, the bottom one being only occasionally great)

any other talkshow hosts pale in comparison to the above

― A Nairn (moretap), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.mtr.org/seminars/satellite/dailyshow/jonflag.gif

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 14:19 (twenty-two years ago)

The Licious is OTM!

― NA. (Nick A.), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

any other (noncable) talkshow hosts pale in comparison to the above

― A Nairn (moretap), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Kilborn sorta sucks.
Jiminy Glick is glorious, sometimes.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 14:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Kilborn is too much the smarmy.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 14:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Everyone should read Kenneth Tynan's fascinating profile of Johnny Carson.

― slutsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 15:07 (twenty-two years ago)

The thing that bothers me most about Kilborn = how much he obviously enjoys announcing himself at the beginning of the show.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 15:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Kilborn is a douchebag. Conan is the man.

― chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Kilborn's schtick is completely absurd, but in a good way.

I agree pretty much onboard with A Nairn's ranking, except I'd nudge Kimmel above Letterman. I was surpised at how engaging he actually is in a setting such as this, where he's not allowed to go in all different directions.

― Paul Cox (paul cox), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 04:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I agree pretty much onboard with...

Huh? "I am pretty much onboard with..."

― Paul Cox (paul cox), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 04:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Everyone should read Kenneth Tynan's fascinating profile of Johnny Carson.

"15 Years of the Salto Mortale" is fantastic. There's a book called "Life Stories: profiles from the New Yorker" that has this and twenty others, they're pretty much all great.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 09:41 (twenty-two years ago)

the hair is pretty disappointing

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 16 May 2003 03:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I was kind've hoping that it would be at least a little bit self-referential, but I don't think it has been at all so far. They just filmed a regular episode, then straight emulated it in (yes, very crude and badly animated) clay figures.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Friday, 16 May 2003 04:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I missed it b/c of the Mavs game! poo

― That Girl (thatgirl), Friday, 16 May 2003 04:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I was unimpressed

― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 16 May 2003 04:44 (twenty-two years ago)

They just filmed a regular episode

Yeah, and a rerun at that. It was from like October. Massive dud.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 16 May 2003 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Can you people not read?

"The show, which has been in production for months, is a complete clay animated re-creation of an episode of "Late Night" from October 2002 - from the opening, to the monologue, comedy, guests - even the bumpers that lead in and out of commercial."

― hstencil, Friday, 16 May 2003 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

but was it better than if it had just been a regular rerun?

I totally forgot to watch it. Because I don't get channels.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 16 May 2003 14:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Myabe they were hoping for LIVE claymation, Hstencil, like the California Raisins.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 16 May 2003 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I just think the idea of doing a claymation episode seems really dated. Wasn't claymation a big to-do in, like, 1989? Shouldn't they move on to CGI or something?

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 16 May 2003 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

lo-fi is far cooler. I saw the last few minutes. The outtakes were good.

― That Girl (thatgirl), Friday, 16 May 2003 14:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I am guilty. I cannot read.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 16 May 2003 14:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I thoght it was really good, despite the total lack of Vigoda.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Friday, 16 May 2003 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I sorta liked Kilborn when he was host of the Daily Show. However, his act of being a complete pretty boy mirror-kisser got on my nerves. Didn't do anything to make me laugh. I was glad when Comedy Central brought Jon Stewart back to host the Daily Show. I say they brought him BACK because in the early to mid nineties they had a show on Comedy Central called "Short Attention Span Theater". Jon Stewart was the co-host of it, and they would have random news bits mixed with really short pieces from movies, tv shows, or pretty much anywhere all mixed together to satisfy the ADD in everyone. I was pissed when he stopped hosting, but was very happy to have him replacing Kilborn.
Letterman isn't the same for me since he switched to the less risk-taking network of CBS, but I still get a laugh from some of his earlier bits, especially the ones involving Chris Elliot. I do give Letterman credit for putting Bill Hicks on his show over 12 times when Leno was too much of a corporate toadie to take a risk and put him on the Tonight Show. But I would have to say, Conan is the freshest and most interesting late show out there. I miss Andy, but Conan is doing alright. Although I do often get the feeling he could use a co-host to provide him with more balance.

Oh, and the only person who occasionally blows all the other late niter's out of the water: SPACE GHOST! But what do you expect? He does have power bands that shoot death rays....

― The Man they call Dan (The Man they call Dan), Friday, 16 May 2003 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Conan is still ridiculously hilarious for showing a fake preview of "Return of the King" that was a clip from a cable access show where a middle-aged woman was attacked by a bear, with an overdub of the bear shouting "GIMME THAT RING!"

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 16 May 2003 20:24 (twenty-two years ago)

"I just think the idea of doing a claymation episode seems really dated. Wasn't claymation a big to-do in, like, 1989? Shouldn't they move on to CGI or something? "

it's this kind of thought that ruins beautiful things. Claymation is very timeless and will always be good, claymation >>>> CGI.

― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 16 May 2003 22:10 (twenty-two years ago)

sorry, that was a little too harsh

― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 16 May 2003 22:10 (twenty-two years ago)

This episode is on Comedy Central right now.

― Stuart (Stuart), Friday, 16 May 2003 22:14 (twenty-two years ago)

it's this kind of thought that ruins beautiful things.

I don't think it's bad, it just seems a little dated for a format (TV, I mean) that's constantly striving to be as contemporary as possible.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 16 May 2003 22:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean I thought the claymation itself was sort of bad, but I personally wouldn't invalidate claymation as an art form because it's out of vogue.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 16 May 2003 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

And I hate CGI.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 16 May 2003 22:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Boy. This is crap. Couldn't they have, like... I dunno... tried?

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 16 May 2003 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

They should have done an animated episode, like turned it into an episode of the Simpsons.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 16 May 2003 22:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I just watched it, I thought it was great... the production value perfectly matched the show. Very surreal.

― The Man they call Dan (The Man they call Dan), Friday, 16 May 2003 23:09 (twenty-two years ago)

yah it was totally great you guys are chode smokers.

― chaki (chaki), Friday, 16 May 2003 23:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I think all reruns should be in claymation.

― Ally (mlescaut), Saturday, 17 May 2003 00:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"They should have done an animated episode, like turned it into an episode of the Simpsons. "

That would be incredible.

― A Nairn (moretap), Saturday, 17 May 2003 00:51 (twenty-two years ago)

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