Conan O’brien (Created As A Speech) Essay, Research Paper

In the confusing and chaotic world of late night television, a battle is being fought. Network versus network, host versus host, the big shots of the television media have squared off in a race for ever desired ratings. Each with their own distinct style, greats like Jay Leno and David Lettermen have set forth their way of doing things, and by doing so, have entertained millions while raking in record breaking amounts of profit. However, the true king of late night cannot be found amongst such these billboard filling giants. Not arriving on your television set before many of you have fallen fast asleep, he has conquered all with his year 2000 predictions and the crazy antics of each and everyone of his imaginative characters. Who could it be? None other than NBC’s very own, Conan O’Brien. It all started on April 18, 1963 in Brookline, Massachusetts, a small suburb of Boston. Born into a large Irish family of five other siblings, Conan grew quickly into a good student coming directly from a good home. His father a prosperous doctor, and his mother a lawyer, were constantly working hard, and Conan learned immediately that this was the key to success. Before he knew it, he was had finished high school at the top of his class, and would follow through to attend local college Harvard University. A Magna Cum Laude student, this is where Conan began his career. Although he would complete college with a degree in both Literature and American History, while at Harvard, Conan’s sense of humor began to mature. He became well known around campus after debuting on the college’s newspaper, the Harvard Lampoon, and greatly enjoyed the fame it brought him. He knew immediately that this was the life for him, and after leaving college, he quickly began to pursue many opportunities in the field of show business. He landed small gigs here and there, but it wasn’t until the late 1980’s that Conan would get his first big break, after finding his way amongst the very best as a writer for NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Here, Conan continued to grow, making friendships with such comedic greats as Dana Carvey and Chris Rock. However, in 1991, change came. Leaving SNL, Conan quickly landed another job with Matt Groening’s The Simpsons. He would stay here until 1993 when Conan’s true stardom began.With NBC looking to fill a vacant spot after the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan’s previous time with SNL paid off. Casters immediately thought of Conan for the job, and after a brief audition, he became the man of choice. Without even thinking, Conan accepted. Now, the structure of the show had to be set and NBC made it quite clear that they would let Conan direct this process himself. With this in place, Conan went to work, immediately selecting NBC’s New York Rockafeller Plaza for his set. Second, much like his childhood idol Johnny Carson, Conan decided that he would need a sidekick. This spot was filled with funny man Andy Richter, and music was directed by past drummer for Bruce Springstein Max Weinberg and his six other band members. For over seven years now, Emmy winning Late Night with Conan O’Brien has entertained audiences by the millions, thanks largely to the work of the host, the brain and Boston native Conan Christopher O’Brien.