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| Conan O'Brien Faq, v.3.1 |
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Mike "Palomar" Morier (palomar@magic.mb.ca) has a Conan Hompepage.
It has links to other pages and Conan documents, plus two special
sections: The Andy Conveys An Emotion Page, and The Carl "Oldy" Olsen
Appreciation Page. Its address is:
http://www.magic.mb.ca/~palomar/conan.html
Cindy Elder (cindye@lincnet.com) has a tv section on her "McElvis"
homepage. It contains a transcription of all the "Late Night PSA"
sketches. Its address is:
http://www.angelfire.com/ne/GirlZone/psa.html
Mark Schuster (MB_Schuster@acad.fandm.edu) has set up a Pimpbot 5000
Homepage. It is dedicated to that bad-assed mix of 70's pimp and 50's
robot. Its address is:
http://acad.fandm.edu/~MB_Schuster/pimpbothome.html
Jonathan C (jc14249@navix.net) has also set up a Pimpbot
Homepage. It offers more pictures, sounds, and other stuff from the
sketches. Its address is:
http://www.angelfire.com/ne/jonathanco/pimpbot5000.html
Todd (twl@mail.wsu.edu) has a third Pimpbot Homepage. It also has
pictures, sounds, and links for his royal Pimpness. Its address is:
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~twl/pimpbot.html
Martin has a homepage called "The Essential Conan." It has sections
on specific sketches, like Pimpbot, Johnson the Scientology Chicken, and
Synchro-vox. Its address is:
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~heythere/conan.html
Brian Malmon (bkm6@columbia.edu) has a Max Weinberg homepage. It has
Max pictures, links, and games. Its address is:
http://www.columbia.edu/~bkm6/max.html
Brad Randall (hapq40a@prodigy.com) has a Conan homepage. It has
original graphics, links, and other fun stuff. Its address is:
http://www.cei.net/~randall/conan.html
* Jim Ellwanger (trainman1@mindspring.com) has re-opened his list of
NBC affiliates who don't show Conan at his regular time. Its address is:
http://www.mindspring.com/~trainman1/conan.html
* Brooke Steffes (bsteffes@juno.com) also has opened a Conan homepage.
It contains the story of his trip to a taping, and other info and links.
Its address is:
http://aspin.asu.edu/azeb/steffes/index2.htm
There are also pages that just carry the Conan Faq. They are listed in
section 5.3.
1.22 Am I crazy, or was there another opening montage at one time?
For the first two years of the show, "Late Night" had an animated
opening. This opening was a swoop-down into a red-headed animated
character's room who was settling in for the night. He walks in with a
bowl of snacks, kicks his cat out of the bed, turns on the tv with a
remote, and starts munching. The guests for the night would be announced
and would appear as pictures in a spotlight over an animated NYC skyline.
This opening stayed basically the same for two years. (A huge, winking
Conan head was deleted from the opening early on.)
At the Conecon, Conan mentioned that some high-up goober-smoochers
wanted the show to have a live-action opening instead. Conan would not
divulge any more information, except that the new opening was coming.
On the second anniversary of the premiere of the show (September 13,
1995), the new, live-action opening also premiered. This opening features
Conan bicycling through NYC. The whole opening is very blue and very
surreal-ish. Conan bikes through several NYC landmarks, including Grand
Central Station, and the dinosaur room of the Museum of Natural History.
Over a shot of the Museum, the guests' names appear in text as they are
announced. At the very end of the opening (which doesn't always appear on
the broadcast version, but shows up in the studio monitors), Conan bikes
into the delivery entrance of Rockefeller Center.
This opening can still be downloaded in its entirety from the NBC web
site. It is at:
http://www.nbc.com/entertainment/tasties/index.html
The opening recently underwent other changes. It was shortened up
by splicing out some stanzas from the opening theme song and
discontinuing Joel Godard's comments. This made space for a "Late Night"
promo that is shown between the end of the "Tonight Show" and the start
of "Late Night." This was an unpopular, but tolerable change. The week
of June 9th, however, the opening was replaced completely and the promo
*became* the opening. The theme song played behind clips of the upcoming
show while Joel Godard announced the specifics. These changes by NBC
Burbank have been greeted with universal hostility by fans of the show.
Fans wishing to voice their objection to the changes may find detailed
information on what to do at:
http://styx.ios.com/~damone/gbumblehawk.html
1.23 A book? Where?
"Late Night With Conan O'Brien" is releasing its first book. _If
They Mated_ is written by Conan O'Brien, producer Jeff Ross, and former head
writer Rob Smigel. It is based on the sketch in the show where Conan uses
advanced computer graphics to see what would happen if two people in the
news got together and had a kid. The book will feature the best of the
past two years, including Jonathan Goodman and Roseanne, Maurey Povich
and Connie Chung, and Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley.
The book is published by Hyperion Press and was released the first
week of December. The book costs $7.95 ($10.95 Canada), and its ISBN
number is 0-7868-8156-9. The address for Hyperion Press is 114 Fifth
Avenue, New York, NY 10011.
For some reviews of the book, see:
http://www.rbdc.com/~hgambill/mate.htm
http://styx.ios.com/~damone/greview.html
1.24 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.
A summation of the court's decision, transcribed by Al Bell, is
available at Damone's Web page (See section 1.21).
Octobers have again proven unlucky for the Synchro-vox bit. On
October 9th, 1995, "Late Night" did the bit featuring Pope John Paul II.
During the "interview" while the Pope was in the country, the sketch
portrayed the pontiff as more laid back than his public image, and, at
times, was extremely irreverent to what hard-line devotees would consider
appropriate representations of the head of the Catholic Church.
The Polish-American Guardian Society of Chicago, led by Leonard
Jarzab, has brought a suit against Chicago affiliate WMAQ-Ch. 5, charging
that "Late Night" portrayed the Polish Pope as a "buffoon," and that this
was the latest in a long line of such stereotypical characterizations by
NBC, creating a "hostile" atmosphere to Polish-Americans. Jarzab,
although he has not seen the entire sketch, has judged it "obscene." He
is sueing for unspecified damages.
Neither WMAQ or NBC corporate headquarters has made any official
statement on the matter. It has not gone to court yet, and no date is
set. The chances of the case winning, however, seem slight.
For an article on the case and up-to-the-minute information on its
status, you can access this section on Damone's web page. (See section 1.21)
1.25 Does the show offer internships?
"Late Night with Conan O'Brien" gives out several internships
each semester (and summer) in various departments in the show (research,
writing, etc.) They generally last one semester. Applicants should be
currently enrolled college students and should send a resume' and
coverletter to:
Mr. Chris Deluca
"Late Night With Conan O'Brien"
NBC
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York City, NY 10112
Phone: 212 - 664 - 3737
You can expect to do a lot of drudgework and gopher duties. There
is usually nothing glamorous about your jobs. Stocking refrigerators
and getting lunch are fairly common duties. However, on the plus side, you
get a lot of backstage experience with the show. You get to meet guests
and deal with the stars on a daily basis. Many people who work for
the show were former interns. There is even a small chance of being
featured on the show itself in a bit part.
"Hey, no interns in the dressing rooms. Why don't you go find a warm
place and go screw yourselves?"
-- David Letterman to Conan O'Brien
1.26 What's the connection with "The Dana Carvey Show?"
There are many, from the mundane to the downright spooky. The first
connection is that Dana Carvey was one of the people who passed up the
job at "Late Night" before Conan was hired. (See section 2.5) Secondly,
many of the writers on the "Dana Carvey Show" had worked with on Conan's
"Late Night" before, including first Conan head writer Robert Smigel,
and writers Dino Stamatapolous, Louis CK, and others. So, in effect, Dana
ended up with the writing staff that Conan started with, almost creating
a replay of what would have happened if Dana had taken the "Late Night"
job when offered it. Many of the writers like Smigel continued working
on Conan's show while developing and working on the Carvey show.
"The Dana Carvey Show" itself was a sketch comedy series on ABC.
Originally, ABC ordered 13 episodes of the show as a winter replacement
series. It ended up airing at 9:30 on Tuesdays. Each episode was to be
sponsored by a subsidiary of Pepsico, so the title for each episode
would be something like "The Taco Bell Dana Carvey Show." This
arrangement quickly fell apart as some of the more controversial material
on the show (President Clinton using hormones to grow artificial breasts
and then nursing puppies on-screen) and unflinching jabs at the sponsors
(a glass of Mountain Dew was compared to urine) caused Pepsico to back
out of the deal. ABC cut the order of episodes down to nine and pulled
the show during May sweeps, with one episode to be aired afterwards. It
is not renewed.
Reactions were split on the show. Many found it tasteless, unfunny,
and innapropriate for its time slot. A minority found it hillarious, but
concede it could not survive at that time period. Nevertheless, many
elements the writers brough to "Late Night" (weird political humor, costumes
and puppets, etc) can be seen in the show. Anyone interested in seeing
an episode should contact Steve Saunders (mib@ix.netcom.com), who has all
the episodes on tape and expressed willingness to share them.
1.27 Where can I get "Late Night" merchandise?
Merchandise for "Late Night" can be purchased several ways. The most
direct way is to go to the NBC Studio Store at 30 Rockefeller Center in
New York. I assume they also sell "Late Night" merchandise in the studio
store at 3000 West Alameda Avenue in Burbank.
"NBC Studio Stores" are also becoming a chain, like the "Warner
Brothers Studio Stores" and other similar chains. They can be found in
malls and other outlet areas.
Merchandise can also be ordered through the mail. A catalog of NBC
merchandise can be ordered by calling 1-800-NBC-8760. It can also be
found on the web (with accompanying pictures of the items) at:
http://www.nbc.com/catalog
The items cannot be directly ordered through the web, and orders must be
mailed in.
Anyone who orders anything form the catalog, including the catalog
itself, will be put on the NBC Catalog Mailing List. NBC "shares" (read:
sells) their mailing list with other catalog companies. If you do not
wish your address to be given out to other companies, be sure to include
a request that your address not be given out to other companies when you
deal with the catalog for the first time.
Several items are currently available. Through the catalog and
the web page, you can order a logo jockey cap ($16), a Conan-head jockey
cap ($18), a logo sweat shirt ($16), a two-mug set of logo mugs ($16), a
logo t-shirt ($18), a silk-screen t-shirt ($16), and the _If They Mated_
book ($8). Merchandise that is also offered at the Studio Store in New
York in addition to the above is a logo lapel pin (price unavailable) and
a logo key chain (price unavailable).
1.28 What happened to the set?
The set has changed little for the first three years of the show.
The original set for the show has no windows and a prominent crescent
moon on the top. The moon was removed and windows were put in early in
the run, leaving everything else in tact. The monologue area had a blue
floor and curtain, with the band along the far wall. The interview area
was done like a den in light reds and browns. There was a large, simple
desk, a couch-chair combo next to it, and a medium-sized coffee table.
The windows were normal-sized with blue sashes.
Small changes happened in early 1996. The curtains remained open
during the monologue, showing the unlighted backstage and
band-performance area. The Max Weinberg Seven area was also redone. Max
was given a red drum riser and the band got a new, bi-level bandstand.
During the two-week hiatus for the 1996 Olympics, the set was
completely redesigned. The band and monologue areas were left alone, but
the interview area was redone totally. The set now resembles a ritzy
apartment as opposed to a den. The set is now in much darker colors.
The walls are covered in cushioned panels. All the furniture is now more
stylized and smaller (with an almost non-existant coffee table). The
back wall was turned into a balcony. Behind the balcony is a somewhat
abstracted New York city-scape. The set is not in its final form yet,
and has been constantly tweaked and changed since it has been put into
service.
========================================================================
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". Conan took tap dancing lessons as a child, and also began writing
comedic plays early in his life.
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 Hospital, 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.
One of Conan's father's articles is available on the WHONET Web site.
Its address is:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol1no2/obrien.htm
He often talks to reporters about bacterial resistance 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. Conan joined the "Lampoon," the
prestigious Harvard humor magazine, in his freshman year. He wrote for
the magazine his entire four years, and was elected president an
unprecedented two terms in a row in 1993-4. He graduated magna cum laude in
1985.
2.4 What has Conan done since then?
Conan worked on HBO's "Not Necessarily the News" for two years (1985-87).
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, "Lookwell,"
that was produced (starring Adam West), but not picked up as a regular
series. 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 (no word on if
this is dead or if the deal is still being worked on), "Groundlings" (a
LA comedy group), and acted in some small films. He was also an actor in
industrial films.
Some of Conan's previous writing work from SNL includes the Tom
Hanks/Jon Lovitz girl-watching skit, the nude beach "penis" skit,
"Singing 'Roxanne' in the Elevator with Sting," and "Mr. Short-Term Memory."
Conan has also acted in some SNL skits, including the "Irish
Drinking Songs" skit, a nude talk show skit, a Twin Peaks parody, and was
the doorman at the "Five Timer's Club."
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 Horror IV" episode. He also worked on many
others. "Producer" credits were given to any writer who wrote significant
material for an episode, but not enough to be given full writing
credits. There is no easily searchable database for "Simpsons" producer
credits, but we are collecting them as we go. So far, there are "The
Front," "Homer's Barbershop Quartet," "Treehouse of Horror III," (as
"Creepy Conan O'Brien") , "Brother From The Same Planet," and "Wacking Day."
(Incidentally, "Late Night" has appeared itself on the "Simpsons."
Conan interviewed "I Didn't Do It" Bart in "Bart Gets Famous," and Homer
flips through Conan interviewing "Kid n' Play" during "Radioactive Man."
During the "Treehouse of Horror III" episode, "King Homer" gives an
undeniably Conan "rowwl" after he smells Marge's hair.)
Conan has an appearance on Adam Sandler's first 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.
Conan made his prime time debut on February 1st, as guest character
Cameron Duncan on NBC's "The Single Guy."
"This job? Piece of cake. They put suits on me and Andy, we come out and
babel for an hour, and the checks keep coming."
-- Conan O'Brien
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 got only a little over $1 million a
year, but a recent raise has bumped that figure up to around $2 million a
year.
2.6 Is Conan married?
Since it now has been widely reported publically, it is fair game to
report what we already knew. Conan is current dating Lynn Kaplan, a
talent coordinator at the show.
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 Greg 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:^]
7:^]
Debra Steffen (dbrstffn@ix.netcom.com) offers one for Conan, Andy, and Max:
B,: ^ )]
S': o ))
7,8 ^ )/
Mark Diaz (umdiaz@cc.umanitoba.ca) offers another version of the three:
@:-)
2:-)
D8-)
========================================================================
Chapter 3: Other People on the Show
"I wasn't paying attention."
-- 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 people think he is not active
enough!
Paul Andrew 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 University 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's first TV role was playing one of serial killer John Wayne
Gacey's victims in a "Hard Copy" re-enactment.
Andy also played Mike Brady in the NY and LA productions of "The
Real Live Brady Bunch." He met his wife on the set of this production. He
had a small role in the HBO movie "...Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom"
and acted in the movie "Cabin Boy." He was also in the play "Ayn Rand Gives
Me A Boner."
In a recent interview, Andy revealed that he and Conan first met at
Junior's Deli in California where Conan was immediately impressed by
Andy's bowl of borscht.
He worked for a month and a half writing at NBC before he
was asked to work as Conan's sidekick. He started out next to Conan
during the test episodes, and never left.
Andy Richter is 6'2". He is married to Sarah Thyre, an actress.
For the total Andy fan, be sure to check out Scott Erickson's
(xkot@ix.netcom.com) Andy homepage: "Andy Richter: King of the Couch."
(See section 1.21)
"Good grooming is never a distraction."
-- Max Weinberg
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 major band. His snare drum from the "Born In The USA" tour,
"The Big Beat," is on display at the Hard Rock Caffe in NYC. Max started up
his own record label and production company in 1990 called Hard Ticket
Entertainment. He produced the albums by Killer Joe on this label. 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.
Max recently regrouped with the rest of the E Street Band for Bruce
Springsteen's "Greatest Hits" album. He has done several performances with
Bruce and the band since then, and is featured in the video for "Murder
Incorporated," one of the two new songs on the "Greatest Hits" album. Max
has also appeared with Bruce when he has performed surprise shows at
Jersey shore clubs.
Max also has a one-man show called "Growing Up On E Street" that he
has shown on over 150 college campuses across the country since starting
it in 1986. It contains three films that Max produced, and a question and
answer session. In 1990, he expanded the program to include motivational
seminars.
Max went back to Seton Hall after a 15 year break to receive a B.A.
in communications in 1989. He also received a HERO award from the Big
Brothers/Big Sisters of America for his contributions to the organization
in October, 1990.
Max lives with his wife, Becky, and their two children in Middleton, NJ.
There used to be a incomplete discography of the band members here.
Grace Nall (gracen911@aol.com) has created an expanded discography,
videography, and background information on the members of the band. She
is also working on a web page for the band. You can view the full text of
the discography at Damone's web page or Joe Shaw's FTP site. (See
section 1.24 for both)
3.3 Who plays the characters on the show?
Here's the people that play some of the regular characters on the
show:
Tommy Blacha (Gaseous Wiener, Siamese Twins) is a writer for the show.
Greg Cohen (Audience Request) is a writer for the show.
Tom Davis (Dippy The Hippy) is a former writer for the show and "SNL."
John Deyle has plays "The People's Scientist, Ray Burns."
Kevin Gee plays the Lenny Bruce of China. Stephen Lee appeared as
the translator. Lee died.
Michael Gordon plays Dizz.
Frank Houston Saari plays "Billy Tyler, the kid that no one loves."
Brian McCann (Pimpbot 5000, Loser at the Beach, Gargoyles, Moths,
Synchro-vox) is a writer for the show. Brian is also an active stand-up
comic and performs with the Asscats comedy troupe in NY. He has also done
some commercial work, including Barq's Root Beer. He hosted a comedy
program in Chicago on WLUP ("The Loop") called "Sunday Funnies" and was
in local comedy group Improvolympic.
Marie McMichaels (The Ooh To Ahh Lady) is an accomplished actress.
She has appeared in several movies, such as "Awakenings," and is a very
popular older model.
Jack Plotnick plays Slim Organbody.
William Preston is Carl "Oldy" Olsen. He started an acting career
later in life, giving up his career as a bookkeeper in a Philadelphia
trucking firm to begin acting at 47. He has extensive stage experience,
performing in over 60 Shakespeare productions as well as being
nominated for Florida's state supporting actor award. Among his
many movie roles, he played John, the bum, from "The Fisher King," a
blacksmith in "Far and Away," and the flask mourner in "Family
Business." More recently, he has appeared in "WaterWorld," "Reckless,"
"Blue In The Face," and "The Crucible." William was born on August 26,
1921 in Columbia, PA. He has a Master's degree in English literature from
Penn State.
Nipsey Russell appears regularly as himself. Nipsey was a popular
comedian during the 1970s, known for his funny poems. He was a regular
pannelist on game shows and Friar's Roasts.
Mitch Semel appears quasi-regularly as the Jerry Seinfeld impersonator.
Chuck Sklar appears as David Copperfield.
Michael Stoynov appears as the Devil in the "Moral Dilemma" sketch.
Robert Smigel (Synchro-vox [Clinton, Dole, others]; Ira, Conan's
Publicist) was the first head writer for the show and a close friend of
Conan. He worked for a Chicago improv group called "All You Can Eat."
Before working on "Late Night," he was a long-time writer on "SNL,"
writing sketches like the "Star Trek Convention," and performing in ones
like "The Moron's Perspective" (on the News) and "The Superfans." He was
head writer for the short-lived variety show, "The Dana Carvey Show." He
is now working at SNL again, producing weekly animated segments, while
making frequent appearances on "Late Night."
Frank Smiley (Interview Hints, Siamese Twins) is a segment producer
for the show.
Dino Stamatapolous (Tomorry The Ostrich, Johnson The Scientology
Chicken, Kiss-Ass Turkey, Skull Juice, The Americlan) was a writer for
the show. He also worked on "The Dana Carvey Show." He still appears
regularly.
Mike Sweeney (Todd, Moths, priests) is a writer for the show. He
also does the nightly warm-up of the studio audience.
Abe Vigoda regularly appears as himself on the show. Abe was a
prominent actor from the 1970s, playing Tessio in the first two
"Godfather" movies and appearing as the incontinent Detective Phil Fish
on TV's "Barney Miller" and its short-lived spin-off, "Fish." He
continues supporting cast work in feature films to this day.
3.4 Who are the behind-the-scenes people?
Lorne Michaels, the executive producer of LNwCOB, also produces
many other projects, including "Saturday Night Live," and nearly all of
the spin-off projects from it. He was also the producer of the wildly
popular "Kids In The Hall" programs.
The musical guests are picked by Jim 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, that are complete and up-to-date as of 4/10/96:
Executive Producer:
Lorne Michaels
Producer:
Jeff Ross
Consulting Producer:
Mitchell Semel
Directed By:
Until recently, the show was directed by Dana Calderwood. Soon after the
400th episode, Dana left the show. The interim director was Morris
Abraham, but the new director is:
Liz Plonka
Head Writer:
Johnathan Groff
Written By:
Chris Albers
Thomas Blacha
Greg Cohen
Janine Ditullio
Michael Gordon
Brian Kiley
Brian McCann
Conan O'Brien
Brian Reich
Andy Richter
Mike Sweeney
Associate Producer: Graphics Coordinator:
John Irwin Charlie Wilke
Talent Executives: Assistant To Mr. Michaels:
Paula Davis Christine Rubin
Kim Friedman
Jim Pitt Assistant to Jeff Ross:
Jacqueline Ytuarte
Segment Producers:
Frank Smiley Assistant To Mr. Semel:
Michael Weinberg Cecile Schwartzman
Talent Coordinators: Assistant Scenic Designer:
Gina Battista Chryss Hion
Lynn Kaplan
Art Director:
Music Director: Dianne Duthie
Max Weinberg
Casting:
Assistant Directors: Jennifer Low Sauer
Tracy King
Maureen Smith Music Coordinator:
Debbie Wunder
Production Associate:
Brenda Ventura House Band:
Jerry Vivino
Set Designers: Scott Healy
Keither Ian Raywood Mike Merritt
Jimmy Vivino
Lighting Consultant: Mark "Love Man" Pender
Phil Hymes La Bamba
Technical Consultant: Assistant Musical Director:
Stacey Foster Jimmy Vivino
Writer's Coordinator: Graphical Consultant:
Ellen Barancik Bob Pook
Costume Designer: Graphics:
Deborah Shaw Mike Collins
Kevin Frank
Technical Director: Doug Zider
Jim Marshall Anne Elbagali
Pierre Bernard Jr
Stage Managers:
Gary Natoli Outside Properties:
Steve Hollander Bill Tull
Paul Saraceni
Production Designer:
Bobby Ber Studio Properties:
Bob Bowman
Scenic Designer:
Daniella Perna Head Carpenter:
Joe Gorta
Lighting Director:
Joe Geores Head Electrician:
Randy Savitch
Production Electrician:
Peter Ehrhardt Scenic Artist:
Joe Konopka
Senior Audio:
Fred Zeller Wardrobe:
Tina Ryan
Music Mixer:
Julie Perez Make-up:
Andrea Miller
Audio:
Glen A. Arber Hair:
Joe Aebig Liza Hazel
Jimmy DeVito
Bruce Leonard Cue Cards:
Barbara Byrd Video Cue
Harta Hogan Brain Kaman
Melanie Winderbaum
Video:
Carl Henry III Photographers:
Baskin Studios
Special Effects: Norman Ng
Neal Schatz Lesly Weiner
Technical Manager: Main Title Theme:
Frank Garafalo Howard Shore
John Lurie
Studio Manager:
George Mendez Announcer:
Joel Godard
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