Archive-name: conan-obrien-faq Last-modified: 5/20/94 Version: 1.3 ,GGDDDDZ8i_ ,d5(5(((((((4M_ ,@K((((((((((4K(MK(t_____. ]D))))))))))))ZW)W)A8888ZWi D))))))))))))))))G8ZZW)ZD)))8 K((((MMWWW4(55((W**K(((((((([ D)G))))))GWWWWW@~ ~W)))))))[ FREQUENTLY WDGGGD@ WG))))[ b_d5((((([ K(M4(4! ASKED YAZG))GDA[ iDDW))8 *KK(5bKA d(K(5(Z QUESTIONS ~YWW~~` A)ZZD)[ ] i ii !****5W! FOR ]i ,_/* ***! 'P [ ]`'i ALT.FAN.CONAN-OBRIEN [ imm mmm [ [ *! !*! [ 5/20/94 [ M.,[ [ 'W/` [ M__A A [ '~~` [ [ i i` Conan [ ~mmmmmmmP ] by ] P MarK Diaz ![ d! W mP Yi i/` ]. d* !*_____A! ~~~~~` 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 (j-gebis@uiuc.edu). Please address any additions, comments, or corrections to conan-faq@uiuc.edu. 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 How can I find out upcoming guests? 1.9 Where can I find other electronic information about Conan and the show? 1.10 How can I write to the show? 1.11 What was David Letterman's Top Ten list to Conan? 1.12 What are the critics saying about the show? 1.13 I heard the show was cancelled! 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? 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! 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 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") Alien Corner Americlan Andy & Conan Walking Through NY Annoying Neighbor Baby Debates Bad Fruit Theatre Band Show Celebrity Editorials Celebrity X-Rays Conan Babies Conan's Sassy Aunt Confiscated Items from Audience Continuity Errors Dippy the Hippy Dizz Easter Bunny Funny, Funny Joe Guy Smoking a Cigarette as Fast as he Possibly Can Guys that Make Fun of Conan's Name Hats fom Fans If They Made It In the Year 2000 Kiss-Ass Turkey Krunk Last Time on Conan O'Brien... Laughing Genie Lever of Tragedy Lips on Screen Little Kid that Nobody Loves, Billy Tyler Name That Tune NBC Peacock New Sponsors Old Man and Baby (Changing Months) Old Woman in a Soundproof Booth "Ooh, ooh... ahh, ahh" Lady Pasquale the Clumsy Ant Poet that Always Scares Conan Reagan on the Phone Right Side/Wrong Side Robert Vaughn Asking Guests Questions From the Audience Scientist that Doesn't Know Anything About Science See & Say Skull Juice Sir Ceril Harding, the World's Oldest Secret Agent Slim Organbody St. Patrick's Day Hair Streaker Telescope Things We Didn't Get To Make Fun Of Ventriloquist Choir Yap Speed Year-Round Carollers Young Conan and Family Back in the '70s 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 complement 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 How can I find out upcoming guests? S. Trowbridge (consid@access1.digex.net) 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. 1.9 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 listserv@mcs.net 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 (800) 827-6364. 1.10 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 (212) 664-4444. 1.11 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. 1.12 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. 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! 1.13 I heard the show was cancelled! Although I have not seen an official announcement, people have said that Conan's staff has found out that the show's contract has been renewed. 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!) ======================================================================== 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. 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", "US News and World Report". 2.3 Where did Conan go to college? Conan went to Harvard. While there, he majored in 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, "Look Well". 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 two Simpsons episodes: "Marge Versus the Monorail" and "New Kid on the Block". He also worked on many others. 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 Lisa Kudrow, an actress. You may know her from her recurring role on "Mad About You" as Ursula, the ditzy waitress. 2.7 Are there Conan smilies? Of course there are! Here are some suggestions: From Michael Gebis (m-gebis@uiuc.edu): J:) 6:) From Carol Gerber (cgerber@dolphin.upenn.edu), some "backwards" smilies: [<^:? [<^:9 From Lore Guilmartin (LAG2471@Zeus.TAMU.edu): y:)] From Gregory Mitchell (grm129@herald.usask.ca), a two-liner: , 6:] From Sean Russel (Sean.Russel@launchpad.unc.edu): &:) @:) From Elson Trinidad (etrinida@scf.usc.edu): /:^] 6:^] ======================================================================== 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 worked for a month and a half writing at NBC before he was asked to work as Conan's sidekick. Andy Richter is 27, and 6'2". He recently married. 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". 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. Michael Gordon plays Dizz. Robert Smigel plays many of the lips, including Bill Clinton and Bruce Springsteen. Dino Stamatapolous plays Conan's Kiss-Ass Turkey and Lincoln from the Americlan. This is a list of some of the one-time or less common roles and actors: Reathel Bean: Conan's Dad Rand Bridges: FDR Carolee Carmello: Conan's Mom Joe Cuttitan: George Washington Richard M Dixon: Richard Nixon John Deyle: Sex Therapist Ralph Frier: Rutherford B Hayes Joel Godard: Andrew Testicles Russ Harper: Neil O'Brien Elec Hartman: Theodore Roosevelt Jack Lucero: Thomas Jefferson Brett Newbold: Choochoo, Max's sidekick Bill Odenkirk: Andy's Fan Bob Odenkirk: Conan's Fan Andre Viscari: Young Conan 3.4 Who are the behind-the-scenes people? Lorne Michaels, the executive producer of LNwCOB, also produces many other shows, including "The New 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 Michael 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: (212) 664-3056/4057 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 (j-gebis@ux4.cso.uiuc.edu), 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 (monthly posting)", put /^Subject: alt\.fan\.conan-obrien FAQ (monthly posting)/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 (j-gebis@ux4.cso.uiuc.edu), 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 (monthly posting)", put alt.fan.conan-obrien:!s:alt.fan.conan-obrien FAQ (monthly posting) 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? As far as we know, Conan does not know about this newsgroup. However, every fan newsgroup has the obiligitory sign that they want to see in case the person does know about the newsgroup. My personal hope is that one day I'll see that fan behind Conan turned on. :) There is an nbc.com site on the net; there are rumors that they will start accepting email to people on NBC just like regular mail. Keep your eyes open, and read the faq. I've emailed someone from nbc.com about this. The message I got back said "there are no official plans for nbc.com at this time", however, "nbc will be doing something on AOL in the spring -- stay tuned!" I'm not exactly sure what this means. I have been told that AOL is going to set up a real-time chat system between NBC employees and AOL members. Again, keep reading the faq. On Conan's Feb. 4 show, the guest was John Larroquette. During the interview, John mentioned that he had guest hosted Johhny Carson's show. Conan asked if John would like to do that permanently; John replied that there were shows from 6 am until 2 am. Conan remarked that people would probably soon be doing them on street corners. The interview proceeded: John Larroquette: I wouldn't mind doing one on a computer screen, where you didn't see anybody, you know, but you had just guests from all over the country and you tuned in in cyberspace. I think it's the only place left. Do a talk show in cyberspace. Conan O'Brien: My next guest is also a nerd. Be a little hard... boy, I don't want to read the computer network tomorrow. JL: No kidding, yeah... internet's gonna be after your behind. Watch, they'll get you. CO: Yeah, I know. I'm through in the business. But listen, the show is doing quite well. "John Larroquette Show" is Tuesdays, 9, on NBC. JL: Yes, and March and April we'll be an hour every weel from 9 to 10 for like 6 Tuesdays in a row. They'll be two episodes in a row. CO: Oh, that's great. JL: So those people that can't pry themselves away from Roseanne will have an opportunity to watch it at 9:30. CO: Alright, well, thank you very much. Good talking to you... we'll be right back. Does this mean that Conan knows about this newsgroup? It's hard to say, although that does look like a definite possibility! Gregory Ryan Mitchell (grm129@herald.usask.ca) mailed Andy and asked about email; Andy said that he didn't have any. I've also been told that there is a server for Jay Leno at nbc.ge.com, and that they are "working on a host of things for GEnie (of course) and AOL". In an interview in Boston University's school paper, Conan said, "I actually don't have a computer, but the guy who books music on my show, Jim Pitt, tells me about stuff on the Internet, which is cool." "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 alt-fan-conan-obrien@cs.utexas.edu. ======================================================================== Chapter 5: Information on this Faq "Mmm. Heavy. Filled with knowledge." -- Conan O'Brien 5.1 Who compiled this faq? Joseph Gebis (j-gebis@uiuc.edu) is the current faq keeper. 5.2 How do I submit additions, comments, and corrections? Mail conan-faq@uiuc.edu, 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/alt.fan.conan-obrien as alt.fan.Conan-Obrien.FAQ or a.f.c-o.FAQ. If you don't have ftp, you can use the ftp-by-mail service. Send email to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with "help" and "index" (on separate lines) in the body of the message. You can always mail conan-faq@uiuc.edu with the words "Send FAQ" (case insensitive) in the "Subject:" header. 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: -Ticket information (are standby tickets available?) -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) -Verification of killfile info -- I'm sure I messed up something -Send in your favorite Conan smiley! 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 conan-faq@uiuc.edu. 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 (shabby@mit.edu) has volunteered to convert the faq once it is complete. Its address will be http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/shabby/conanFAQ.html. 5.8 Who are all the wonderful people that added information to the faq? (creation@panix.com) (eschles@merle.acns.nwu.edu) (mliskov@husc.harvard.edu) Dean Adams (dadams@netcom.com) Al Bell (allbell@delphi.com) Sarah E. Blecksmith (sb6q+@andrew.cmu.edu) Huw Davies (hdavies@bu.edu) MarK Diaz (umdiaz@cc.umanitoba.ca) Michael R. Dong (mdong@galaxy.csc.calpoly.edu) Jim Ellwanger (trainman@merle.acns.nwu.edu) Michael Gebis (m-gebis@uiuc.edu) Carol J Gerber (cgerber@dolphin.upenn.edu) Lore Guilmartin (LAG2471@Zeus.TAMU.edu) Joe Harris (midx@aol.com) Yong-Mi Kim (kimy@cs.umd.edu) Ed Krauss (epk@netcom.com) Michael Levy (mlevy1@umbc8.umbc.edu) Gregory Ryan Mitchell (grm129@herald.usask.ca) Jeremy Morse (jeremym@merle.acns.nwu.edu) John Adam Nimpfer (jn2i+@andrew.cmu.edu Sean Russell (Sean.Russel@launchpad.unc.edu) Chris Shabsin (shabby@mit.edu) Steklo (steklo@aol.com) N. Smith (nrs107@psu.edu) Elson Trinidad (etrinida@scf.usc.edu) Jame Yu (jamestyu@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu) die Wawafrau (han@minerva.cis.yale.edu) < Your name here :) > 5.9 Who else needs to be thanked? Chris Baird (chris@glencoe.apanoe.org.au), keeper of the alt.tv.simpsons faq, for also providing me with a source to copy from. Aaron Barnhart (barnhart@mcs.net), keeper of the alt.fan.letterman faq, for providing a good form for the faq for me to blatantly rip off. Terry Carroll (tjc50@ccc.amdahl.com), keeper of the copyright law faq, for allowing me to use information and ideas from it. Jonathan I. Kamens (jik@security.ov.com), keeper of the news.answers faqs. Leanne Phillips (phillips@syrinx@umd.edu), keeper of the killfile faq, for leting me use that information. Mike ---- Schneider (Schneider@cup.portal.com) for maintaining the David Letterman Top Ten lists, and for allowing me to use Dave's list to Conan. Lt. Starbuck (an54835@anon.penet.fi), keeper of the alt.fan.karla-homolka faq, for letting me use information about alternate ways to receive newsgroups. S. Trowbridge (consid@access1.digex.com), 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 1994 by Joseph Gebis. It may be freely redistributed in its entirety provided that this notice, and the author's name, is 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. Anyone who violates any of these rules in any form whatsoever thereby acknowlodges the fact that said person is a krunkhead. ---- Joseph Gebis j-gebis@uiuc.edu http://www.cen.uiuc.edu/~jg11772/home.html