In 2010 NBC TV summarily fired ‘Tonight Show’ Host Conan O’Brien after just 7 months in the job order to rescue the sinking career of his predecessor Jay Leno who had bombed in his new early Show. O’Brien had previously hosted his own Late Night Show that started at midnight for the previous 16 years and had been promised that we would get the Tonight gig eventually, and so as he wouldn’t revert to his old late slot to accommodate Leno’s return, NBC fired him. The paid him $40 million in a send-off package but as part of the deal he was banned from appearing on TV for six months.
Totally enraged at both NBC & Leno he quickly undertook to do ‘The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour’ playing some 44 dates in over 32 venues spread over the country. Its soon very clear in this documentary that follows him from start to finish that O’Brien didn’t do it for the money, he did it because he simply cannot stop. With one of the most enormous egos I have ever witnessed on film he consistently overreaches himself and arrogantly runs rough shod over his enormous staff and team who seem to passively and silently accept his abusive behavior.
On stage O’Brien plays guitar and sings with his back-up band in addition to telling jokes and is surprisingly good, giving a maniacal energetically physical performance each night to Sold Out audiences of die-hard fans. After (and sometimes before) he loudly complains at all the ‘Meet and Greets’ that he is called to do, yet throws himself energetically to sign autographs on anything and everything and posing for countless photos.
I have to fess up here that I never watched either of his Chat Shows and simply gravitated to him as in the highly publicized dismissal he was portrayed as the underdog who had been mistreated by the nasty conglomerate. A few months after the Tour he ended up with a new Talk Show for TBS a cable network and so is back on our screens, although not on mine.
The film is a fascinating glimpse of how a talented egotistical bully recovered and prospered after a very public set back and how the whole army of people who are needed to enable him, survived with their jobs in tact even though they lost their dignity along the way.
P.S. Conan …. what is with that hair?
★★★★★★★★
Labels:
