Amiga Plus 1995 #2/Amiga Plus CD - 1995 - No. 2.iso/internet/faq/englisch/alt.fan.conan-obrien

Text File | 1995-04-11 | 63.2 KB | 1,770 lines

Archive-name: conan-obrien-faq
Last-modified: 2/28/95
Version: 1.11


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    Posted near the middle of each month to alt.fan.conan-obrien,
alt.tv.talkshows.late, alt.answers, and news.answers.

    Prepared by Joseph Gebis ([e-mail]).
    Please address any additions, comments, or corrections to
[e-mail].

    Available as a Usenet group, alt.fan.conan-obrien is a forum for
discussion about "Late Night with Conan O'Brien".

    The newest version of the Conan O'Brien faq is available
electronically by many different methods.  See section 5.3 for details.

                           TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: The Show Itself
    1.1 What is "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"?
    1.2 How can I get tickets?
    1.3 When do they tape the show?
    1.4 I watched one of the first episodes.  Conan was bad.
    1.5 I watched a recent episode.  Conan was bad.
    1.6 I watched many recent episodes.  Conan's bad.
    1.7 So who's winning, Conan or Dave?
    1.8 What about Tom Snyder?
    1.9 How can I find out upcoming guests?
    1.10 Where can I find other electronic information about Conan and
      the show?
    1.11 How can I write to the show?
    1.12 How can I write to NBC about the show?
    1.13 What was David Letterman's Top Ten list to Conan?
    1.14 What are the critics saying about the show?
    1.15 I heard the show was cancelled!
    1.16 Who wrote the theme song?
    1.17 Can I email the show?
    1.18 Is there a Late Night drinking game?
    1.19 I want to go to a taping.  What should I know?
    1.20 Are there any Late Night zines?
    1.21 How can I get autographed photos?
    1.22 Is there a Conan comic book?
Chapter 2: Conan O'Brien Questions
    2.1 When was Conan born?
    2.2 What are his parents doing now?
    2.3 Where did Conan go to college?
    2.4 What has Conan done since then?
    2.5 How did such an unknown person get his job?
    2.6 Is Conan married?
    2.7 Are there Conan smilies?
    2.8 What's with all the "I'm gonna get sued" comments?
Chapter 3: Other People on the Show
    3.1 Who is Conan's sidekick?
    3.2 Who is the band?
    3.3 Who plays the characters on the show?
    3.4 Who are the behind-the-scenes people?
    3.5 How can I write to Lorne Michaels?
    3.6 How can I write to other people on the show?
Chapter 4: Newsgroup-specific Information
    4.1 What is this newsgroup?
    4.2 Is criticism allowed?
    4.3 But this is a fan group!  Why should people be allowed to
      criticise him?
    4.4 I really don't want to read criticism.
    4.5 How do I use kill files?
    4.6 Does Conan know about this newsgroup?
    4.7 I don't get this newsgroup!
    4.8 What's this about #krunk?
Chapter 5: Information on this Faq
    5.1 Who compiled this faq?
    5.2 How do I submit additions, corrections, etc?
    5.3 How do I get the latest version of the faq?
    5.4 What other information do you need?
    5.5 You didn't include the information I sent you!
    5.6 What printed sources are there about Conan?
    5.7 Is there an html version of this faq?
    5.8 Who are all the wonderful people that have added information to
      the faq?
    5.9 Who else needs to be thanked?
    5.10 Have you heard the one about the lawyer and the...?

========================================================================
Chapter 1: The Show Itself

"Watch the Conan O'Brien Show -- you'll see."
                   -- Bart Simpson

1.1 What is "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"?

    "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" is a late-night talk show hosted by
Conan O'Brien.  LNwCOB appears Monday through Friday on NBC.  It starts
at 12:36:30 am and ends at approximately 1:35 am (Eastern).

1.2 How can I get tickets?

    You can get tickets by writing to:

    NBC Tickets
    30 Rockefeller Plaza
    New York, NY  10112

    Or call:

    [phone]/3057

    Here's the official info from NBC:

Individuals interested in obtaining tickets to "Late Night with Conan
O'Brien," which tapes Monday through Friday from 5:30 - 6:30 PM at NBC's
studios in New York, should mail a postcard with their name, address and
daytime phone number to "Late Night Tickets," c/o NBC, 30 Rockefeller
Plaza,New York, New York, 10112.  The wait list is about one month, and
ticket office personnel will do their best to accommodate specific
requests.  The ticket office does take group reservations for tickets over
the phone and for individuals turned away from a taping due to the large
audience turn out.

Tickets can also be obtained by coming to the NBC Main Hall information
booth at 30 Rockefeller Plaza at 9:15 AM and picking up either general
admission tickets or standbys for that night's taping, depending on how
heavily booked that evening's show is.  Standbys are given out on a first
come, first served basis, and only one per person.  Standbys do not
guarantee admission, but our staff does its best to accommodate as many
people as possible.

1.3 When do they tape the show?

    They tape at 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Eastern daily.

1.4 I watched one of the first episodes.  Conan was bad.

    Yes, Conan was bad in the first few episodes.  Of course, remember
what he had to do: this was his first time hosting a show, an enormous
responsibility.  "Late Night" was a $70 million a year show for NBC, and
the pressure on Conan was great.  However, he soon started to get a feel
for the show, and quickly became more comfortable.  As Conan became more
confortable hosting the show, the monologue, the interviews, and the
skits all became noticably better.  Conan is continually improving his
skills and the show.

1.5 I watched a recent episode.  Conan was bad.

    Every late night talk show host has off nights, just as the rest of
us do.  Of course, every show has its high and low points.

"Oh no, this is television!  It goes everywhere!"
                   -- Conan O'Brien

1.6 I watched many recent episodes.  Conan's bad.

    Hi, Dean Adams!  :)

    Seriously, if you watched a few recent episodes of "Late Night with
Conan O'Brien" and didn't like any part of any of them, you just might
not like Conan's style of humor.
    Every late night talk show host has their own particular style;
some of us like most of the late night talk show hosts, others of us
only like one.  There's nothing wrong with that.  Unfortunately, posting
pointless flames will only generate more flames in your direction.  If
you do want to tell us what you don't like about Conan, go ahead -- just
remember that we like thought-out, constructive ideas.  We don't like
mindless complaining.

1.7 What are some of the recurring skits on the show?

    There are many, including:

    - Actual Items (formerly "It's Obviously True")
    Conan spoofs Leno's Headlines: "Look at this sale: French Fries,
Italian dressing, and Nazi Germany cole slaw... this wouldn't be funny if
we made it up.  It's true."

    - Alien Corner
    Conan tries to reach out to new audiences; namely, aliens.
Hasn't done it for a while.

    - Americlan
    Before Late Night, Andy was in a comedy troupe: the Americlan.  They
educate through improv.
    "Washington: And where should we be while we discuss the
Constitution?
     Man from audience: In the inside of a washing machine!
     Washington: OK..."

    - Andy & Conan Taking the Desk for a Drive
    "It's such a nice day out... I thought we should take the desk for a
drive."

    - Andy & Conan Walking Through NY
    That's all there is to it.

    - Annoying Neighbor
    Conan talks to his annoying next door neighbor.  We all have them,
and Conan does too.
    Hasn't done it for a while.

    - Audience Hygiene
    Conan and Andy go into the audience and clean up a few members.

    - Baby Debates
    Conan gets two babies on the show to discuss the important issues of
the day.  Unfortunately, something always seems to come up.
    Hasn't done it too recently.

    - Bad Fruit Theater
    Conan, trying to expand our horizons, has great plays performed.  By
fruit gone bad.
    Hasn't done it too recently.

    - Band Show
    We know them as "the band", but now we meet them in skits.
    "Hi, Max the drummer.  I notice you have your drum sticks... that
must be because you, Max the drummer, play the drums."

    - Before Plastic Surgery
    In yet another attempt to bring information to his viewers, Conan
and Andy show pictures of how celebtrities used to look.

    - Celebrity Corner
    "We were going to have Madonna discussing her views on crime.  But
we couldn't get Madonna.  I was going to dress up as Madonna, but we
don't have a Madonna costume.  While I was in the costume room, though,
I noticed this cool clown costume, so I decided to wear that.  I
figured, since I was in a clown costume, I would ride a unicycle and
juggle.  So here's Madonna, on crime..."
    Hasn't done it for a while.

    - Celebrity Signatures
    Conan meets a lot of celebs on the show, and here is where he gets
to show off his collection of their signatures.
    "What's the point?  We're all going to die.  Fred Rogers"

    - Celebrity X-Rays
    Conan happens to get xrays from celebrities.  While looking at them
("It's an invasion of their personal privacy, but it's entertaining, so
who cares?"), we see they're really made of.
    Hasn't done it too recently.

    - Classic Film Dubbed by Children
    Conan takes a clip from a classic and has little kids speak the
lines.

    - Conan and Andy On The Aisle
    Conan and Andy discuss the qualities of different movies.

    - Conan and Andy Critique Art
    Conan and Andy take a look at all sorts of art and share their
insights with us.

    - Conan Babies
    The first Saturday morning cartoon.  Little Conan, Andy, and Max go
on lots of wacky adventures.

    - Conan's Sassy Aunt
    Pretty much what it says.  She talks to Conan all sassy-like.
    Hasn't done it for a while.

    - Confiscated Items from Audience
    "All right, who brought this AK-47 into the studio?  (Camera zooms
in on unsuspecting audience member)  Sir, you know this isn't allowed."

    - Continuity Errors
    Conan looks back at the last night's show, and because of editing,
they see what the business calls "continuity errors".
    "Oh, I see.  Before the camera went to the audience shot, your arm
was fine.  Now it's broken.  Neat!"

    - Cute Animal Theater
    Conan tests his theory that cute animals can make anything cute.
They play Schindler's List, etc.
    Hasn't done it too recently.

    - Dippy the Hippy
    Conan's friend who can make a bong out of any three items.

    - Dizz
    Dizz comes on the show and spins around.  Really.  That's all there
is to it.  You have to see it.
    Hasn't done it too recently.

    - Easter Bunny
    During the rest of the year, the Easter Bunny becomes the Gossip
Bunny.

    - Eighty Year Old Men vs Eight Year Old Boys
    Conan gets a group of eighty year old men (the White Stockings on
the baseball field, the Golden Seals on the skating rink) and eight year
old boys (the Turbo Ninjas) to play different sports.  Somehow, it
always seems to break out into a fight.
    This skit is the first to use the name of an alt.fan.conan-obrien'er
as the name of a character!  Congratulations to Al Bell, whose name was
used as that of the umpire.
    "White Stockings!  White Stockings!! WHITE STOCKINGS!! Ha ha ha ha
ha ha <gulp>!"

    - Episodes on Casette
    Now you can enjoy Conan all over again, in the convenient format of
audio casettes!  Dramatically read by celebrities for effect.
    "The crowd was hanging on Conan's every word.  Millions of people
watching, and yet Conan showed no fear.  He looked directly into the
camera, and said with a charming grin, 'We'll be right back after this
commercial.'"

    - Funny, Funny Joe
    Funny, funny Joe comes on the show and does whatever he needs to to
retain his title of funny, funny Joe.
    Hasn't done it for a while.

    - Guy Smoking a Cigarette as Fast as he Possibly Can
    I couldn't describe it better than that.
    Hasn't done it for a while.

    - Guys that Make Fun of Conan's Name
    "Conan... the librarian.   Where's your books and stuff?"

    - Hats fom Fans
    "Conan: As you may know, I collect hats.  Here's some the viewers
have sent in... the first one's from 'Tom's Meats', and, as you can see,
it's made from ham and bacon."
    Hasn't done it too recently.

    - If They Mated
    Conan's favorite segment.  Using space-age computer technology,
Conan merges celebrities to see what their childs would look like, if
they mated.  "This isn't supposed to be funny.  This is information."

    - In the Year 2000
    Conan and Andy present their vision of the future.

    - Kiss-Ass Turkey
    Conan's turkey, in an attempt to not be eaten, tries to get on
Conan's good side.
    "Comedy!  Thy name is Conan!"

    - Krunk
    It's the swear word so new, the censors don't know whether to bleep
it or not.  Some times when it's inappropriate to use "our dirty friend,
krunk": when getting presents from your grandmother.  "Thanks, krunky!"

    - Last Night's Show
    Conan: "Remember last night's show?"
    <Fade to clip from last night>
    Andy: "Well, I remember it more like this..."
    <Fade to clip from camera by the guest couch>
    Max: "No, you're both wrong.  It was more like this."
    <Fade to far clip from near band>

    - Last Time on Conan O'Brien...
    We see highlight's of last night's show.  For some reason, it always
looks more like a soap opera than I remember.

    - Late Night Presents: You Be the Host
    We get a chance to see how we would do in the position of late-night
TV talk show host.

    - Laughing Genie
    Conan was under contract to make five new characters a year.  To
fill his quota, he made the Laughing Genie, who basically would just
laugh.

    - Lenny Bruce of China, Wo Lee Pi
    A popular comedian in China that can't speak any English.  He's been
described by many as "The Lenny Bruce of China".

    - Lever of Tragedy
    He doesn't want to have to do it, but it's his job.  Whenever he
pulls it, something bad happens.
    Hasn't done it too recently.

    - Little Kid that Nobody Loves, Billy Tyler
    Billy Tyler is the little kid that everyone seems to hate.  Except,
of course, for Conan.
    "Conan: That's OK, Billy.  I don't hate you.
    Billy: But I hate you!  You're a loser."

    - Name That Tune
    Andy tries to guess what the song is.  "I know that... it's
'You've Lost that Lovin' Stairway to Heaven."

    - New Sponsors
    Conan knows that some people think it's a bad idea, but he needs the
money.  "This week's sponsor is Edi-beard.  It's the new beard that you
can eat!"

    - The Nicknamer
    His job is to give people nicknames.  "Conan, your nickname will be
'Slim', because you are tall and slim.  Andy, your nickname will be
'Slim', because your chances of staying on the show are slim.  Max, your
nickname will be 'Slim', because your drumsticks are slim."

    - Old Man and Baby (Changing Months)
    Just as there is a Baby New Year and Old Man Old Year for New Year's
Day, there are similar people for each month.  They help Conan welcome
in the new month.

    - Old Woman in a Soundproof Booth
    That's what it is.
    Hasn't done it for a while.

    - Pascal the Ant
    "Pascal: Conan!  Hey Conan!
    Conan: Oh... look, everyone, it's Pascal.
    P: Conan, I have a few new jokes I would like to...
    C: Pascal, I've told you: we're not really looking to hire any new
writers right now, and...
    P: Right, right.  Well, I'll just... here, listen to these..."
    He tries so hard.

    - The People's Scientist, Ray Burns
    He comes on and lets people know how the world works.
    "Invisible rays shoot out from everyone's belly button!"

    - Pervascope
    Conan uses the telescope on his set to look at the apartments in the
building next to his.  We get a look inside the lives of famous
celebrities.

    - Phone Calls From Keith Richards
    Keith loves the show, but sometimes has some criticism.  "...that
part, when the bird clawed his way out of your chest, and flew around
the room... that was scary."

    - Poet that Always Scares Conan
     A street poet comes on and talks of truth.  He scares Conan, who
runs away.
     Hasn't done it for a while.

    - Polly the NBC Peacock
    NBC's cute spokesanimal talks about upcoming shows on NBC, and tells
us what's on the other channels.
    "The Olympics?  Cancelled.  And anyway, it's in Spanish!"

    - Reagan on the Phone
    "Floobidy Floo.  Flee Flow.  Flooo."

    - Right Side/Wrong Side
    Conan and Andy discuss the moot issues of the day.  "As always, I'll
argue the right side: against grave robbing.  You, Andy, will argue that
wrong side: for grave robbing."

    - Robby the Assistant
    Robby the Assistant tries to help Conan, but he always seems to
misundertand.
    "Conan: When you suggested getting rid of the theme song, I replied,
'Junk that stupid idea,' not 'Dunk that Cupid in Sangria.'
    Robby: Oh moan, villain am I!  I've failed you once again!"

    - Robert Vaughn Asking Guests Questions From the Audience
    "Conan: I see someone in our audience has a question...
     Robert Vaughn: At night, when you're all alone, do you feel it?
Does it get to you?  Can you feel your heart being eaten from the inside
out?"
    Hasn't done it for a while.

    - See & Say
    You align the pointer, pull the string, and it emits words of wisdom.

    - Skull Juice
    The Skull Juice Vendor comes on stage, and crushes his skull to
produce skull juice for the guest.
    Hasn't done it for a while.

    - The Silent Movie Actor, Pucky Littlechap
    He's a famous actor who has been in many silent movies.
Unfortunately, he can't seem to get out of them.

    - Slim Organbody
    He goes around the country educating children about their bodies.
Unfortunately, he's got a few problems of his own to work out.  He's a
parody of Slim Goodbody, from Captain Kangaroo.

    - Sir Ceril Harding, the World's Oldest Secret Agent
    At 94 years old, he's still battling Dr. No.  Those old guys can
still duke it out, though.
    Hasn't done it too recently.

    - St. Patrick's Day Hair
    Every holiday has a cute character.  St. Patrick's Day has a big hair.

    - Staring Contest
    Sometimes Conan and Andy kill a little empty time with a staring
contest.  You can blink, but the first person that looks away loses.
Sometimes the strangest stuff shows up on the set, and it always seems
to show up right behind Conan during the staring contest.

    - Streaker
    "Oh no!  The streaker's back!  And he brought his girlfriend!  I
thought I specifically told security: no streakers at today's show."

    - Syncro-vox (Lips on the Television)
    Somehow, Conan always gets the big-name guests first.

    - Things That Look Like Me
    Conan shows off different things that look like him, like a troll
with big red hair.

    - Things We Didn't Get To Make Fun Of
    Conan and Andy think about missed opportunities, like Bush throwing
up in Japan.

    - Tomorry Williamson the Ostrich
    Tomorry comes on, runs around, and lays an egg that contains the
names of tomorrow's guests.

    - Ventriloquist Choir
    Conan has a bunch of ventriloquists come on and sing wonderful songs
in the voices of angels.

    - Viewer Mail
    Actualy letters that Conan has written to viewers.

    - What Is It?
    Andy's favorite segment.  They show super closeups of everyday
items, and Andy guesses what it is.

    - Who Would Win?
    Conan and Andy discuss who would win in a fight between famous
people.

    - Yap Speed
    We get to see famous speeches in a whole new way: at twice the
normal speed.

    - Year-Round Carollers
    Carollers aren't just for Christmas anymore.

1.7 So who's winning, Conan or Dave?

    They are not fighting each other.
    Conan and Dave are two separate hosts, with two separate styles,
and two separate shows.  They aren't even in the same time slot.  They
appear on each other's show, and compliment each other.
    Comparing Conan and Dave isn't necessarily evil, but it probably
won't get you very far.  Since each show is different, there aren't
really too many parts you can compare; comparing shows in general will
most likely have you just repeating which style you like more.

1.8 What about Tom Snyder?

    It appears that Tom and Conan are picking attract different
audiences, since Conan's ratings have not gone down since "Late, Late
Show" has come out.  Here's some info I have:

    - In the 13 markets that "Late Night" competes directly with "Late,
Late Show", Conan is getting a 2.4 rating compared to Tom's 2.2
    - Conan is holding 51% of his lead-in audience, and Tom is holding
41%.

"Conan O'Brien is going to get better and better."
                    -- Tom Snyder

1.9 How can I find out upcoming guests?

    S. Trowbridge ([e-mail]) posts a weekly list
of upcoming guests to all late night talk shows on NBC and CBS,
including "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", "Late Show with David
Letterman", "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", and "Later with Greg
Kinnear".  He posts this list to alt.tv.talkshows.late and rec.arts.tv.

1.10 Where can I find other electronic information about Conan and the
    show?

    rec.arts.tv, alt.tv.talkshows.late, and clari.news.tv are good
places to look for information related to "Late Night with Conan
O'Brien" or for information about Conan himself.
    Aaron Barnhart writes a weekly ezine called "Late Show News" that
has information on late night talk shows.  To get it, ftp to
ftp.mcs.net and go to /mcsnet.users/barnhart/late-show-news.  To get on
the distribution list, mail [e-mail] with the message
"subscribe late-show-news".
    If you want to subscribe to America Online, they have an NBC section
with information on LNwCOB.  They have some pictures, and a transcript
of a question and answer session that Conan had with AOLers.  AOL's
phone number is [phone].

1.11 How can I write to the show?

    Write to:

    Late Night with Conan O'Brien
    NBC
    30 Rockefeller Plaza
    New York City, NY  10112

    NBC's general comment phone number is [phone].

    Please include a 9x12 SASE with $0.52 postage to expedite the
mailing if you want an autographed picture.

1.12 How can I write to NBC about the show?

    One person is:

    Rick Ludwin
    Senior Vice President
    Specials, Variety Programs and Late Night
    NBC Entertainment
    3000 W. Alameda Ave.
    Burbank, CA 91523

    Others to try:

    Don Ohlmeyer
    Gary Considine
    Michael Zirberg

    all at:
    NBC Entertainment
    3000 W. Alameda Ave.
    Burbank, CA 91523

    Phone: [phone]

1.13 What was David Letterman's Top Ten list to Conan?

    Top 10 Tips for the New "Late Night" Host - April 27, 1993

10. A drugged guest is a well behaved guest.
9. Proper gratuity for Marv Albert: nickel a blooper.
8. Kids will look up to you; don't let them think it's "cool" to smoke.
7. Willard's insane.
6. If you ever have a baby, look out for giant birds.
5. G. E. executives are "pinheads"; NBC executives are "boneheads."
4. No one cares about Walter Cronkite's lunch.
3. Don't panic if you find a strange woman in your house.
2. When all else fails, just say "Buttafuoco."
1. Two words: laugh track.

1.14 What are the critics saying about the show?

    The initial reviews were mixed.  Some bashed the entire show;
others thought that it seemed rough, but was promising.  Recently, there
have been more pro-Conan reviews, but there are still some holdouts that
insist on bashing him.  Here's one of the harsher reviews:

O'Brien Flops!

    There has been much speculation about the new "Late Night with
Conan O'Brien."  Little is known about the host, and even less about
the show's format.  Last week, this writer had the opportunity to watch
a test show in Rockefeller Center's legendary studio 6-A.  Frankly, I
was not impressed.
    The crowd was visibly eager to like the young newcomer, but some
seemed puzzled by the radical new set.  The backdrop, consisting of
15-foot representations of Mr. O'Brien's laughing head, loomed over his
desk and chair, both carved from illegally imported African ivory.
While this was somewhat unsettling, an aura of eager anticipation still
hung in the air.
    Until, that is, the new Late Night band began to play.  Composed
of musicians cut by the Boston Pops, the band lurched into an
interminable version of "Waltzing Matilda," apparently the show's theme
song.  The bandleader, a surly cellist, refused to make eye contact with
anyone and hissed at a young girl who tried to clap along.  As the music
sputtered to a flaccid conclucsion, thick jets of foam were dumped on
the audience from hidden ceiling ducts.  As people wiped the stingeing
lather from their eyes, Mr. O'Brien jumped out from behind a curtain and
cheefully quipeed, "Ha, ha, you're all foamy!"
    Unfazed by the lukewarm reaction to this ill-conceived prank,
Mr. O'Brien launched into his monologue.  Whipping out a large book, he
read a string of childish "knock-knock" jokes.  While the material was
fair, Mr. O'Brien's delivery was halting, and he paused several times to
adjust his reading glasses.
    The worse was yet to come.  Strutting arrogantly to his desk,
Mr. O'Brien tried to converse briefly with this sidekick, an elderly
Irish priest. But the old man seemed confused, and despite constant
goading from Mr. O'Brien, sat in stony silence.
    Sensing a loss of momentum, Mr. O'Brien quickly launched into a
"Top Ten" list, something he'd repeatedly told the press he would never
do. The list was rife with misspellings, and three of the 10 entried
read "joke to come." Moments later, he tried playfully flipping a pencil
at a camera, but missed and stuck a woman in the eye.  "At least it
wasn't me," quipped the first guest, the former Mets outfielder Vince
Coleman. O'Brien burst into laughter at this distasteful comment.  "Now
we're cooking with gas," said the cocky new voice of "Late Night."
    Mr. O'Brien's guests that evening also included the deputy
director of New York's wastewater collection bureau, the editor of the
NBC inter-office newsletter and a man who could eat oranges without
without getting any juice on his shirt (although he failed to do so on
camera). Inexplicably, all the guests were introduced at the same time.
Mr. O'Brien then asked each, in turn, his favorite color.  To every
answer, he snorted that the chosen color was "for girls."
    During a commercial break, several NBC executives entered the
audience and asked for volunteers to hold up a gaudy "Nobody Beats
Conan" banner, but the crowd jeered bitterly and one youth kicked the
sign.
    The last 20 minutes of the program consisted of Mr. O'Brien
performing a strange, snake-like dance in front of his desk as audience
members filed out in disgust.  "You'll be back!" he shouted several
times, until the entire studio was empty (except for the orange-eater
and Mr. Coleman, who giggled frenetically under the closing credits).
    As much as this writer would like to root for Mr. O'Brien, one
can't help but have grave doubts about his prospects.  Despite the
considerable power of his raw sexuality and mesmerizing intellectual
presence, this "Late Night" may very well end up the late "Late Night."
Or not, I gotta go.

    Who wrote this review of Conan's show?  Conan himself!

1.15 I heard the show was cancelled!

    Apparently, Conan's ratings are pretty good.  They've been going up
since he first started; now they are around a 2 rating.  (If anyone has
a consistent source for late-night ratings, tell me!)
    Now what I've been hearing is that the show has been picked up
through September.

1.16 Who wrote the theme song?

    John Lurie of the Lounge Lizards wrote the theme song.  He was a
finalist for the band leader job (Max's position).

1.17 Can I email the show?

    Yes, apparently you can.  NBC Jack, a sysop on the NBC area on AOL,
posted a message there saying that mail to [e-mail] would be
directed to the show.  [e-mail] has posted a few times to the
newsgroup.  [e-mail] is Lynn Kaplan, Conan's assistant.

1.18 Is there a Late Night drinking game?

    There sure is!  Here's the latest version.  Send in any new entries.

    Drink every time Andy gets a line in during a guest interview.
    Drink every time Conan drinks. (For that game, use water, sweet
       water.)
    Drink every time the camera shows the audience.
    Take a swig every time Conan grrrrrrrrrowls...8)
    Take a swig every time Conan calls Andy "the spawn of Satan" during
       a "Right Side/Wrong Side" sketch...
    Take a sip everytime Conan says "listen" in a phrase... if you took
       a drink after everytime he said "listen", you'd be either drunk
       or bloated after five minutes into the show (especially during
       interviews).
    Drink every time a reference is made to Conan's hair.
    Drink every time Conan says "Hi there."
       (Chug the whole drink if he says "Hi there" _and_ waves!)
    Drink every time the moving-lips Clinton yells that hillbilly yell.
    Drink every time Conan compares the show to food.
    Drink every time you make up your own jokes when Conan misses an
      opening.
    Chug! the whole drink every time there's a guest Dean Adams tapes.
    Drink every time not a single audience member laughs at a monologue
      joke.
    Chug! the whole drink if you laughed at it.
    Chug! the whole drink every time they show the old lady who goes
       from this:
        OOOOOH!  OOOOOOH!  OOOOOOOOH!  OOOOOOH!
       to this:
        AAAAAH-HAAAAAAA! AAAAH!
    Drink every time the camera zooms in on smilin' Max.
    Drink every time they show a moving-lips Clinton.
    One drink if the show refers to something mentioned in the group
    Two drinks if it's something you mentioned first
    Three drinks if it makes fun of the thing you mentioned
    WIN THE GAME if you are mentioned
    Unless everyone notices it but you
    Drink every time a guest uses the word Krunk!
    Drink every time Conan scratches his nose.
    Drink every time Conan says, "Sweet!"
    Drink every time Conan repeats something funny that Andy says.
    Drink every time Conan asks the audience to use one of their senses
       other than sight to experience the show (smell the show, taste
       the show, feel the show, etc.)
    Drink every time Andy goes on a "field trip" to do a bit for the
       show.
    Drink every time Conan licks his lips.

1.19 I want to go to a taping.  What should I know?

Here's what some group members have written about their experiences:

----
    At Last Thursday's taping, Conan sang "Hunk of Burning Love" during
the warmup to one of the audience members. It was hilarious. He sounded
fantastic and it really got the crowd going. Then, he seems stagefright
when he actually gets on the air.
----
You don't need to send away for tickets at this time. I went to NY last
Thursday, walked to the NBC Desk at the Studio Tours of 30 Rock, and got
some stand-by tickets for that day's show. Everyone lines up at 4pm, and
if you're earlier than that, you get in pretty close to the front. Don't
waste your time writing away for tickets. Just go.
----
Last week, I was in New York and was able to pick up Conan O'Brien
tickets for the same day taping. Simply go to the NBC Studio Tours area
at 30 Rockerfeller Plaza, NYC, and request tickets for Conan. The page
there should have some available for shows that week. Go in the morning
to ensure availability.

Line up at the same place around 3:30 - 4:00 to get good seats. You are
seated in a first-come,  first seated basis, so the earlier you arrive,
the better seats you will have. We arrived around 4:15pm and got to sit
pretty well in the centre of the audience.

The show is excellent to see. Max Weinberg's band sounds so much better
in person than on TV. And Conan seems to have a great deal of off-stage
fun as well. It's too bad that Conan exhibits a great deal of
"stagefright". He actually looks great in person. He and Andy display a
great deal of charisma in person.
----
i just got my tickets!!! wahoo!!

appearantly the wait by snail mail is down.  i sent for them about 2 1/2
weeks ago, and now i'm guarding them with my life.  they're for nov.
2nd.  if you want to go to see the show (hey! a poem!), i think now
would be good time to write for tickets.!
----
"Individuals interested in obtaining tickets to LNwCOB which tapes
Monday through Friday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at NBC's studios in New York,
should mail a postcard with their name, address and daytime phone number
to "Late Night Tickets," c/o NBC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY
10112.  The wait list is about one month, and ticket office personnel
will do their best to accomodate specific requests.  The ticket office
does take group reservations for tickets over the phone and for
individuals turned away from a taping due to a large audience turnout."

There is also a phone number [phone]/3057.
----
If you want tickets fast, DON'T do it through the mail. Just call the
number and ask to reserve tickets. I usually call about a week or two
ahead of time. Usually, I can get tickets for a week later, sometimes
even for later on in the same week if they have them. But it's MUCH
quicker than mailing them, and you can choose an exact date and as many
tix as you want, I think. When they mail you tickets, they say that
there's a limit of two.
----
As far as standby tickets are concerned, when I was at the show, you
could get in the standby line, and if someone who already had a ticket
didn't show up, then you could have their seat, granted that you were in
the front of the line.Also, an NBC page told me that you can get tickets
for the show if you show up early the morning before the show, I think
she said about 9 A.M.
----

1.20 Are there any Late Night zines?

    Yes, there is!  Cynthia Gill edits "Krunk!"  For more info, or to
help out, mail [e-mail], or post on alt.fan.conan-obrien.
    Here's the official word on "Krunk!":
----
Krunk! is a monthly newsletter dedicated to reporting information about the
television show "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."  This newsletter, while not
officially associated with NBC or "Late Night", is in existance with the
blessing of the show.  The first edition of the newsletter is scheduled to go
out in the first week of January, 1995.  The newsletter features such things
as articles about Conan, Andy, and the rest of the band, writers, and staff.
 It also features editorials about the show, reports of "Late Night" in other
media, and many other interesting and amusing articles.  It also features
pictures donated by the "Late Night" staff.  The newsletter plans on
expanding to include such things as: interviews of the staff (writers, band
members, etc), a Q&A section, and Fan Mail from subscribers.  The
subscription rate is as follows:

$2.00  Trial Issue
$5.00  Subscription for 3 months

Subscriptions can be mailed to this address:

Krunk!
c/o Cynthia Gill
P.O. Box 1925
Canon City, CO  81215-1925

Any questions about the fanzine can be addressed to one of these two people
Cynthia Gill (editor)  [e-mail]
Ilene Rosenberg (publicist)  [e-mail]
----

1.21 How can I get autographed photos?

[e-mail] has posted this:
---
We will be happy to fufill autographed photo requests. To expediate the
process, it would be helpful if you send us a self-addressed 8 X 11
envelope. You don't need to enclose postage.

NBC
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
30 Rockefeller Plaza
Room 901W
New York, NY 10112

ATTN: PHOTO REQUESTS

Thank you.
---

1.22 Is there a Conan comic book?

    There isn't a comic book just for Conan, but he has made an
appearance in one.  Look in "Anima: the Motion Picture #11".  Andy makes
an appearance too.  The cover price is $1.95.

========================================================================
Chapter 2: Conan O'Brien Questions

"I'm just trying to make my brothers laugh."
                   -- Conan O'Brien

2.1 When was Conan born?

    Conan Christopher O'Brien was born April 18, 1963 (that makes him an
Aries), third of six children, to Ruth and Thomas O'Brien.  Conan was
born in Brookline, a suburb of Boston.  He has three brothers and two
sisters, including Neil, Katherine, Luke, Justin, and Jane.  Conan is
6'4".

2.2 What are his parents doing now?

    Conan's mom is a partner in Ropes & Gray, a law firm in Boston.
She earned her BA from Vassar in 1953, and her law degree from Yale in
1956.  She was admitted to the bar in 1957.
    Conan's father was born in 1929 in Worcester.  He earned his medical
degree from Harvard in 1954.  He interned at Peter Brigham Hospital.
He is the head of microbiology at Peter Brigham Hospitol, and is also a
professor at Harvard Medical School.
    In 1988 he founded the WHONET BBS to help practicing physicians,
researchers and labs share reports of diseases.  Physicians from all
over the world are members.
    He often talks to reporters about bacterial resistence to
antibiotics, and has been quoted in "Newsweek", "Science", "Scientific
American", and "US News and World Report".

2.3 Where did Conan go to college?

    Conan went to Harvard from 1981 to 1985.  While there, he majored in
American History and Literature, and was a two-time (1983 and 1984)
president of the "Lampoon", the Harvard humor magazine.  He graduated
magna cum laude in 1985.

2.4 What has Conan done since then?

    Conan worked on HBO's "Not Necesarrily the News" for two years.
After that, he worked on Fox's "Wilton North Report" (1987-88), a
late-night comedy-and-talk show which only aired for four weeks.  After
that, he worked in the "Happy Happy Good Show" (1988), a stage show in
Chicago. He then spent three years (1988-91) writing for "Saturday Night
Live", where he won an Emmy.  In 1991, he wrote a TV pilot, "Lockwell".
After that, he wrote for the "Simpsons" (1991-93), until he got the job
of hosting "Late Night", taking over for David Letterman.
    He has also written for the Hanz and Franz movie (I don't know if
this is dead or if the deal is still being worked on), "Groundlings" (a
LA comedy group), and acted in some small films.
    Some of Conan's previous writing work from SNL includes the Tom
Hanks/Jon Lovitz girl-watching skit, and the nude beach "penis" skit.
    Conan has also acted in some SNL skits, including the "Irish
Drinking Songs" skit, a nude talk show skit, and a Twin Peaks parody.
    Conan is credited with writing four Simpsons episodes: "New Kid on
the Block", "Marge vs. the Monorail", "Homer Goes to College", and
"Treehouse of Horror IV" (wraparounds).  Conan is listed as a co-writer
on the "Treehouse of Horrow IV" epsiode".  He also worked on many
others.
    Conan has an appearance on Adam Sandler's CD.
    Conan's Emmy is for "Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music
Program", shared with the entire SNL writing crew, for the 1988-89
season.

2.5 How did such an unknown person get his job?

    Conan's previous boss, Lorne Michaels, suggested that Conan try out
for "Late Night".  The show was offered to Dana Carvey and Garry
Shandling, who both turned it down.  He tried out April 13, 1993, and
was told that he had been accepted April 26, 1993.
    Conan did win an Emmy for his writing; many of his former colleagues
describe Conan as very funny.
    Also, NBC got Conan cheap.  His contract is for five years, with an
option to renew at one year.  He gets only a little over $1 million a
year.

2.6 Is Conan married?

    Conan is not married; he is dating someone who works for the show,
but it isn't serious.

2.7 Are there Conan smilies?

    Of course there are!  Here are some suggestions:

From Michael Gebis ([e-mail]):
    J:)
    6:)
From Carol Gerber ([e-mail]), some "backwards" smilies:
    [<^:?
    [<^:9
From Lore Guilmartin ([e-mail]):
    y:)]
From Greg Mitchell ([e-mail]), a two-liner:
    ,
    6:]
From Sean Russel ([e-mail]):
    &:)
    @:)
From Elson Trinidad ([e-mail]):
    /:^]
    6:^]
    7:^]

2.8 What's with all the "I'm gonna get sued" comments?

    On October 11, 1993, Conan did a segment based on the Ted Danson-in-
blackface incident.
    A document from the case describes the situation:  "This action
arises out of a comedy skit performed on the October 11, 1993, episode
of the late-night show, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (the "Show"). In
that skit, O'Brien has a conversation with a larger-than-life picture of
the actor, Ted Danson. Danson is in blackface and there is a cutout
where Danson's mouth would be. A cast member speaks Danson's part while
his lips are visible talking through the cutout. O'Brien "interviews"
Danson about his controversial Friars Club "roast" of Whoopi Goldberg.
At one point in this interview, "Danson," claiming that his performance
was really funny, states: "Marty Ingalls was peeing in his pants,
Freddie Roman was worshipping me, Red Buttons said it was brilliant,
Jack Carter was in tears."
    Red Buttons felt that Conan implied he approved of Ted Danson's
antics, and sued Conan and NBC for $20 million.
    The case was dismissed March 14, 1994.

========================================================================
Chapter 3: Other People on the Show

"I'm back, Conan!  And I brought the Hair!"
                   -- Andy Richter

3.1 Who is Conan's sidekick?

    Conan's sidekick is Andy Richter.  He performs in many of the skits
and talks to Conan about many issues.  Andy also takes an active role
in many of the interviews (although a lot of us think he is not active
enough!).
    Andy Richter was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on October 28,
1966.  He was raised in Yorkville, Illinois.  His parents are Glenda
Swanson (whose job is cabinet sales & design) and Larry Richter, a
Professor of Russian Language at Indiana University.  He has 2 brothers
and a sister.
    He attended the Univeristy of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from
1984-1986 (his freshman and sophomore years).  He was a journalism
major.  Andy then attended Columbia College in Chicago, where he
studied film and video.
    After that, he studied improvisation in Chicago with Del Close and
Mick Napier.
    He then worked with in Chicago with improvisation groups, including
Annoyance Theater, Gambrinus King of Beer, Comedy Underground, and
Improvolympia.
    Andy also played Mike Brady in the NY and LA productions of "The
Real Live Brady Bunch".  He had a small role in the HBO movie "...Texas
Cheerleader Murdering Mom" and acted in the movie "Cabin Boy".  He was
in the play "Ayn Rand Gives Me A Boner".
    He worked for a month and a half writing at NBC before he
was asked to work as Conan's sidekick.
    Andy Richter is 28, and 6'2".  He recently married Sarah Thyre, an
actress.

3.2 Who is the band?

    The band is "The Max Weinberg 7".  The members are:

Max Weinberg: leader/drums
Jimmy Vivino: guitar
Mark "Love Man" Pender: trumpet
La Bamba: trombone
Jerry Vivino: saxophone
Scott Healy: keyboards
Mike Merritt: bass

    Max Weinberg is the former drummer of the E Street Band, Bruce
Springsteen's band.  He recently released an album called "Let There be
Drums", a 3 CD collection of Max's favorite drum tracks from the 50's to
the 70's.
    Some other appearances by members of the band:
    "Scene of the Crime" by Killer Joe, 1991: features Mark "Love Man"
Pender, Jerry Vivino, Jimmy Vivino, and Max Weinberg.
    "Better Days" by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, 1991:
features La Bamba, Mark "Love Man" Pender, Jerry Vivino, and Max
Weinberg.
    "Candy Everybody Wants" by 10000 Maniacs, 1993 (CD single from live
performance 9/17/92): features La Bamba and Max Weinberg.
    The Uncle Floyd Album, 1985: features Jerry Vivino and Jimmy Vivino.
    Springsteen tours, 1988: La Bamba and Mark "Love Man" Pender.
    "The Big Beat", a book by Max Weinberg.

    La Bamba is really "Richie Rosenberg".  He is the leader of a Jersey
Shore bar band, "La Bamba And The Hubcaps."


3.3 Who plays the characters on the show?

    Here's the people that play some of the regular characters on the
show:

    Tom Davis, a SNL writer, plays Dippy the Hippy.
    John Deyle has plays the scientist that doesn't know anything about
science.
    Kevin Gee plays the Lenny Bruce of China.  Steve Lee is the
interpreter.
    Michael Gordon plays Dizz.
    Frank Houston Saari plays Billy Tyler, the kid that no one loves.
    Jack Plotnick plays Slim Organbody.
    Robert Smigel plays many of the lips, including Bill Clinton and
Bruce Springsteen.  He's Late Night's head writer and Conan's long time
friend.  He's also a former SNL writer; he wrote the "William Shater
Telling Trek Fans to Get a Life!" sketch.  He delivered "The Moron's
Perspective" on "Weekend Update" on SNL.  He also played one of the
superfans in "Da Bears!" sketches.  He used to work in a Chicago-based
improv group called "All You Can Eat".
    Dino Stamatapolous plays Conan's Kiss-Ass Turkey and Lincoln from
the Americlan.
    William Preston is Carl "Oldy" Olsen.  He played John, the bum from
"The Fisher King".

3.4 Who are the behind-the-scenes people?

    Lorne Michaels, the executive producer of LNwCOB, also produces
many other shows, including "The Kids in the Hall" and "Saturday Night
Live".
    The musical guest is picked by Jimm Pitt, a talent director.  About
the type of music on the show, he says, "I'm pretty much left alone ...
I hear music.  I like it.  I put it on TV."

    Here's a list of credits:

Executive Producer
Lorne Michaels

Producers
Jeff Ross
Robert Smigel

Directed By
Dana Calderwood

Head Writer
Robert Smigel

Written By
Tom Agna
Alec Berg
Louis C.K.
Michael Gordon
James Leamer
Marsh McCall
Conan O'Brien
Bob Odenkirk
David Reynolds
Andy Richter
Jeff Schaffer
Chuck Sklar
Dino Stamatopoulos

Associate Producer
Joe Hobel

Talent Executive
Sue Leibman

Segment Producers
Frank Smiley
Michael Weinberg

Talent Coordinators
Paula Davis
Jim Pitt

Music Director
Max Weinberg

Set Designers
Eugene Lee
Keither Ian Raywood
Akira Yoshimura

Lighting Consultant
Phil Hymes

Production Manager
John Irwin

Associate Directors
Tracy King
Sandra Restrepo

Technical Consultant
Stacey Foster

Costume Designer
Deborah Shaw

Technical Director
Jim Marshall

Stage Managers
Smith Sumroy
Steve Hollander

Scenic Designer
Daniele Perna

Lighting Director
Joe Geores

Research
Cyd Upson
Maria Notaras
David DeRosa

Writers Assistant
Ellen Barancik

Graphics Coordinator
Charlie WIlke

Script Coordinator
Brenda Ventura

Assistant to Conan O'Brien
Lynn Kaplan

Production Coordinator
Pieter Ruig

Assistants to Mr. Michaels
Erin Maroney
Cris Clarke

Assistant to Jeff Ross
Sally Horchow

Talent Assistant
Gina Battista

Assistant Scenic Designer
Clay Brown

Casting
Mikie Heilbrun

Music Coordinator
Dan Stechow

House Band
Max Weinberg
Jimmy Vivino
Mark "Love Man" Pender
La Bamba
Jerry Vivino
Scott Healy
Mike Merritt

Assistant Music Director
Jimmy Vivino

Announcer
Joel Godard

Production Electrician
Peter M. Ehrhardt

Audio
Fred Zeller
Julie Perez
Glenn A. Arber
Joe Aebig
Barbara Byrd
Jimmy DeVito
Bruce Leonard
Alyson Vogel
Marta Hogan

Video
Carl Henry III

Special Effects
Neal Schatz

Technical Manager
Mike Mathews

Studio Manager
George Mendez

Cameras
Peter Basil
Baily Startz
Michael Bennett
George Ciliberto
Barry Frisher

Maintenance
Marty Carver
Steve Sirivanta

Graphics Consultant
Bob Pook

Graphics
Anne Elbaqali
Doug Zider
Kevin Frank

Opening Montage By
J. J. Sedelmeier

Videotape
Steve Skorupka

Outside Properties
Bill Tull

Studio Properties
Al Maher
Bob Bowman

Head Carpenteer
Joe Gorta

Head Electrician
John Trautwein

Scenic Artist
Joe Konopka

Wardrobe
Tina Ryan

Makeup
Andrea Miller

Hair
Mary D'Angelo

Cue Cards
Video Cue
Shannon Hellman
Brian Kaman

Editor
Chuck DeJan

Electronic Graphics
Carol Collings

Photographers
Baskin Studio
Norman Ng
Lesly Weiner

Production Staff
Timmy Leech
Eliza Minot
Eobert Rifkind
Cecile Schwartzman
Amanda Acountants
Margaret Roehr
Chriss Williams

Production Consultant
Ken Aymong

Equipment Provided by Dolby Labs, Inc.

Production Consultant
Ken Aymong

Spcial Thanks To The Polygram Label Group

Executive In Charge Of Production
Gary Considine

Tickets for "Late Night with Conan O'Brien":

Write: NBC Tickets
30 Rockefeller Plaza

Or Call: [phone]/3057

Broadway Productions

NBC

3.5 How can I write to Lorne Michaels?

    Write to:

    Lorne Michaels
    Broadway Video
    1619 Broadway
    New York City, NY  10019

3.6 How can I write to other people on the show?

    Write to:

    (Person)
    c/o
    Late Night with Conan O'Brien
    NBC
    30 Rockefeller Plaza
    New York City, NY  10112

========================================================================
Chapter 4: Newsgroup-specific Information

"Don't go virtual on me."
                   -- Conan O'Brien

4.1 What is the newsgroup?

    The newsgroup is alt.fan.conan-obrien.  This newsgroup is a forum
for discussion about any aspect of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien",
including criticism, praise, questions, and general discussion.

4.2 Is criticism allowed?

    Sure.  We like to discuss what people do and don't like about Conan.
Mindless insults will not lead to discussion, however, and will just
make enemies for you.  Be warned, though: some people get very defensive
about criticism of Conan.

4.3 But this is a fan group!  Why should people be allowed to criticise
    him?

    Mindless praise without criticism is also pointless.  Discussion
of the show works best when people say what they liked, what they
kinda liked, and what they didn't like.  Thoughtful discussion,
either approving or disapproving of Conan and "Late Night", should
always be welcomed.

4.4 I really don't want to read criticism.

    Well, this is an alt group, and alt groups are the anarchy of
usenet.  However, if you really want to strip out as much of the
criticism as possible, you can always use a kill file.

4.5 How do I use kill files?

    This question really doesn't belong in the Conan faq, but people
have been asking it frequently.
    All punctuation are extremely important in this section.

If you are using rn or one of its derivatives (trn, strn, xtrn, etc):
The kill file is "/alt/fan/conan-obrien/KILL" in your news directory
("News").

    To insert a name into the kill file, put
        /^From: *login@site\.name/h:j
    into the kill file.  For example, to kill all posts from me, Joseph
    Gebis ([e-mail]), put
        /^From: *j-gebis@ux4\.cso\.uiuc\.edu/h:j
    into the kill file.

    To insert a subject into the kill file, put
        /^Subject: Subject/h:j
    into the kill file.  For example, to kill this faq, with the subject
    of "alt.fan.conan-obrien FAQ", put
        /^Subject: alt\.fan\.conan-obrien FAQ/h:j
    into the kill file.

    You can easily edit this file by pressing "^K" (that's control-k)
    when reading news.

If you are using nn:
    The kill file is "kill" in your news directory (".nn").

    To insert a name into the kill file, put
        alt.fan.conan-obrien:!n:Name
    into the kill file.  For example, to kill all posts from me, Joseph
    Gebis ([e-mail]), put
        alt.fan.conan-obrien:!n:Joseph J Gebis
    into the kill file.

    To insert a subject into the kill file, put
        alt.fan.conan-obrien:!s:Subject
    into the kill file.  For example, to kill this faq, with the subject
    of "alt.fan.conan-obrien FAQ", put
      alt.fan.conan-obrien:!s:alt.fan.conan-obrien FAQ
    into the kill file.

    Press "K" (that's a capital k) while reading a message with the
    subject or person you want to put in your kill file to make this
    process totally painless.

4.6 Does Conan know about this newsgroup?

    [e-mail] takes mail from people for Late Night.  conanshow
has posted a few times on a.f.c-o, including once when she said, "I'm
not Conan, just his assistant. He knows about this newsgroup and
thanks you all for your support. I enjoy reading the messages and will
tell Conan about points I feel he should know about. He doesn't have
time to read this stuff himself."
    Conan himself has written me and said, "I don't read the Internet
computer network daily, but several of my staff members do and they give
me the gist of the comments."
    Elson Trinidad interviewed Conan, and says, "Of interest to you
people, I told him about THIS NEWSGROUP, and asked if he would make a
guest appearance on here, which he seemed very willing to do. He is
definitely aware of a.f.c-o, though he's never been on, due to his busy
schedule and that he admits to not being much of a computer person, but
he told me that his staff prints out postings to him and that he reads
them."

"I'm a technological kinda guy."
                   -- Conan O'Brien

4.7 I don't get this newsgroup!

    Complain fiercely.  :)
    If you don't get news, ask your system administrator if you can.  It
does take a lot of time and effort, not to mention disk space and
computer resources.  However, if your site administrators know that
enough people from your site want it, they may be able to get it.
    If you get news, but you don't get alt groups, ask your system
news administrator.  Many sites don't like to get alt groups because
they aren't as "legitimate" as the big-7 groups.  Many don't like to get
them because they take up a lot of disk space.  However, your news
administrator may decide to get them if enough people ask.
    If you get news, but you don't get alt.fan.conan-obrien, talk
to your news administrators.  Many sites add groups when people ask for
them.  If you have tried this, and still can't get alt.fan.conan-obrien,
there are many other ways you can get alt.fan.conan-obrien.
    You can read alt.fan.conan-obrien by telnetting to a public-access
news site; for example, you can telnet to nyx.cs.du.edu and log in
as "new", or telnet to bbs.oit.unc.edu and log in as "launch".  These
sites will allow you to read, but not post to, alt.fan.conan-obrien.
    You can also set your nntp server to a site that gets the
newsgroup.  For example, "setenv NNTPSERVER news.belwue.de" will allow
you to read alt.fan.conan-obrien (along with many other groups).  Just
make sure you move your regular .newsrc file to something else, and
put any group you can't get in another .newsrc file.
    To post to the group, you can use a news-to-mail gateway.  Mail
anon.penet.fi.
    To use a mail-to-news gateway, mail to
[e-mail].

4.8 What's this about #krunk?

    IRC (Internet Relay Chat) lets groups of people discuss things in
real time -- that is, it's more like a real discussion than a bulletin
board.  Groups of alt.fan.conan-obrien'ers (and others) often meet on
the IRC channel #krunk to talk about the show.  You can check in on the
group anytime, but you're most likely to find other people there at
10:30 p.m. Eastern on Thursdays; that's when the recent Virtual
Cone-Cons have been held.
    If you don't have irc on your system, but you can telnet, you can
try one of these servers:
    telnet sci.dixie.edu 6677
    telnet exuokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu 6677
    telnet obelix.wu-wien.ac.at 6996
    telnet irc.tuzvo.sk 6668
    telnet irc.nsysu.edu.tw (Login: irc)
    Some of these are really slow and unreliable, though.

========================================================================
Chapter 5: Information on this Faq

"Mmm.  Heavy.  Filled with knowledge."
                   -- Conan O'Brien

5.1 Who compiled this faq?

    Joseph Gebis ([e-mail]) is the current faq keeper.

5.2 How do I submit additions, comments, and corrections?

    Mail [e-mail], or just post to alt.fan.conan-obrien.

5.3 How do I get the latest version of the faq?

    The faq is posted monthly to alt.fan.conan-obrien, and is available
at rtfm.mit.edu in the directory /pub/usenet/news.answers/usenet as
conan-obrien-faq.  If you don't have ftp, you can use the ftp-by-mail
service.  Send email to [e-mail] with "help" and "index"
(on separate lines) in the body of the message.  You can always mail
[e-mail] with the words "Send FAQ" (case insensitive) in the
"Subject:" header.
    The newest version is available by ftp from my machine
(isr0906.urh.uiuc.edu) when it's up, in /pub/docs.

5.4 What other information do you need?

    Really, this whole faq is under construction.  However, the parts
that I really want confirmation/information on are:
    - Ratings information
    - Conan's sibling's name, etc
    - Conan's salary
    - Dates Conan started/ended "Not Necessarily the News" and "Wilton
      North Report"
    - Any information about Andy
    - Other projects by the band
    - Information on the other people on the show.
      - Who plays what character
      - Behind-the-scenes people (I'm sure I missed some of the
        credits...)
    - List of regular skits (and "official" names for what I have now)
    - Send in your favorite Conan smiley!
    - More drinking game info

5.5 You didn't include the information I sent you!

    I'm very sorry if I didn't include some information that you sent
to me.  However, there is a chance that I didn't get your information,
or that there wasn't enough time to include it in this version of the
faq; if this is the case, it will most likely be in the next version.
If you suspect that I didn't get it, mail me!  Just write to
[e-mail].

5.6 What printed sources are there about Conan?

Allerson, Jen.  "Former UI Student Finds Success on 'Late Night' Show."
    _The Daily Illini_ September 22, 1993
Anderson, Kurt.  "Behind Late Night's Cinderella Story."  _Time_
    May 10, 1993
Cline, Rachel.  "Conan and Me."  _The New York Times Magazine_
    Sep. 10, 1993
Fields Meyer, Thomas.  "Conan."  _TV Guide_ Aug. 20, 1993
Fields Meyer, Thomas.  "Conan O'Brien."  _Esquire_ Jul., 1993
Giles, Jeff.  "At Long Last, Here's Conan."  _Newsweek_ Sep. 27, 1993
Giles, Jeff.  "Best-Known Unknown."  _Newsweek_ May 10, 1993
Gliatto, Tom.  "Funny NBC Trick."  _People Weekly_ May 10, 1993
Hirschberg, Lynn.  "Educating Conan."  _Vanity Fair_ Jul., 1993
Marin, Richard T.  "Can Conan Cut it?"  _Vogue_ Aug., 1993
Marin, Richard T.  "Would You Please Welcome..."  _Rolling Stone_
    Mar. 10, 1994
O'Brien, Conan.  "O'Brien Flops!"  _New York Times_ Sep. 13, 1993
O'Connor, John J.  "A Self-Mocking Newcomer to Late Night."  _New York
    Times_ Sep. 15, 1993
Zoglin, Richard.  "Mr. O'Brien's Neighborhood."  _Time_ Sep. 27, 1993

5.7 Is there an html version of this faq?

    Not right now, but Chris Shabsin ([e-mail]) has volunteered to
convert the faq once it is complete.  Its address will be
http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/shabby/conanFAQ.html.
    Also, take a look at http://www.cis.ksu.edu/~sturr/conan.html.  This
is a version of the faq done by Noah Sturr ([e-mail]).

5.8 Who are all the wonderful people that added information to the faq?

    ([e-mail])
    ([e-mail])
    ([e-mail])
    ([e-mail])
    ([e-mail])
    ([e-mail])
    Dean Adams ([e-mail])
    Al Bell ([e-mail])
    Sarah E. Blecksmith ([e-mail])
    Tim Boychuk ([e-mail])
    Patrick Cosner ([e-mail])
    Andrew Cunningham ([e-mail])
    Huw Davies ([e-mail])
    Death To All ([e-mail])
    MarK Diaz ([e-mail])
    Michael R. Dong ([e-mail])
    Jim Ellwanger ([e-mail])
    David Garcia ([e-mail])
    Michael Gebis ([e-mail])
    Carol J Gerber ([e-mail])
    Cynthia Gill ([e-mail])
    Lore Guilmartin ([e-mail])
    Joe Harris ([e-mail])
    "Honor's Blade" ([e-mail])
    dd jackson ([e-mail])
    Yong-Mi Kim ([e-mail])
    Ed Krauss ([e-mail])
    Abigail Marie Larsen ([e-mail])
    LateNite24 ([e-mail])
    Michael Levy ([e-mail])
    Dave Mackey ([e-mail])
    Greg Ryan Mitchell ([e-mail])
    Jeremy Morse ([e-mail])
    Grace Nall ([e-mail])
    Paul Nazaroff ([e-mail])
    Heather Anne Newport ([e-mail])
    John Adam Nimpfer ([e-mail])
    Don Porter ([e-mail])
    David S. Rose ([e-mail])
    Sean Russell ([e-mail])
    Leif Rustvold ([e-mail])
    Chris Shabsin ([e-mail])
    Lauren T. Slawe ([e-mail])
    N. Smith ([e-mail])
    Mike Southworth ([e-mail])
    Tjoyia Spetsieris ([e-mail])
    Steklo ([e-mail])
    Noah Sturr ([e-mail])
    Elson Trinidad ([e-mail])
    Typhon ([e-mail])
    die Wawafrau ([e-mail])
    Wendy Wimmer ([e-mail])
    Christopher Wooff ([e-mail])
    Chester Wu ([e-mail])
    Jame Yu ([e-mail])
    <  Your name here :)  >

5.9 Who else needs to be thanked?

    Chris Baird ([e-mail]), keeper of the
alt.tv.simpsons faq, for also providing me with a source to copy from.
    Aaron Barnhart ([e-mail]), keeper of the alt.fan.letterman
faq, for providing a good form for the faq for me to blatantly rip off.
    Terry Carroll ([e-mail]), keeper of the copyright
law faq, for allowing me to use information and ideas from it.
    Jonathan I. Kamens ([e-mail]), keeper of the news.answers
faqs.
    Leanne Phillips (phillips@[e-mail]), keeper of the
killfile faq, for leting me use that information.
    Mike ---- Schneider ([e-mail]) for maintaining
the David Letterman Top Ten lists, and for allowing me to use Dave's
list to Conan.
    Lt. Starbuck ([e-mail]), keeper of the
alt.fan.karla-homolka faq, for letting me use information about
alternate ways to receive newsgroups.
    S. Trowbridge ([e-mail]), for posting the
weekly list of late night talk show guests.

    My undying gratitude goes out to all of you.  Thank you.

5.10 Have you heard the one about the lawyer and the...?

    Disclaimer:

    This article is Copyright 1995 by Joseph Gebis.  It may be
freely redistributed in its entirety provided that this notice, the
author's name, and the full list of contributors (sections 5.8 and 5.9
of this document), are not removed.  It may not be sold for profit or
incorporated in commercial documents without the written permission of
the copyright holder.  Permission is expressly granted for this document
to be made available for file transfer from installations offering
unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet.  This document is
provided as is without any express or implied warranty.  Nothing in this
article represents the views of the Univeristy of Illinois or any other
organization.  Oh yeah, and you have to spin around and yell whenever
you heard the word "krunk".

----
Joseph Gebis   [e-mail]   http://www.cen.uiuc.edu/~jg11772/home.html