BY MIKEY MIGO
I love Conan O’Brien. I’ve been a big fan of his since the mid-90s. I wrote him when I was in junior high and he sent me an autographed picture that I have framed currently in my office as I type this. There is no “certification” or proof that he’s the one that signed it, but it came from the NBC studios and his name is what is signed. I’ll take it. Point being, I’m old school. When he hosted the Tonight Show, I actually watched it. When it got cancelled and everyone decided to rally together and hate on NBC, I was just as annoyed with these bandwagon fans. If they had actually not taken Conan for granted and tuned in then the show’s numbers would have been too strong to screw with. Now I watch his show on TBS. This is a documentary that marks the journey between the Tonight Show firing and the new show on TBS. Rodman Flender was let deep inside the world of Coco. Conan is already fired when it starts. He is legally banned from TV due to his settlement with NBC for six months. So the whole thing here is that he’s a workaholic and he “can’t stop”. This is wrapped into his crazy work ethic and drive. He takes a crew of people and hits the road for huge extravagant stage shows. There are jokes, songs, special guests, and tons of hoopla and fun. This isn’t the story though. The story is Conan. We get to see Conan away from the desk. I saw a side to him that I didn’t see before. As humble, smart, witty, and amazing as the man is… he is a man. He gets worn out, he gets bitchy, he entertains himself when bored, he has a nice family, and he has to put up with and deal with A LOT of stuff. He’ll complain and bitch about things, but he’s got the curse of being a nice guy and a driven guy at the same time. He already puts so much on his own shoulders that what’s the weight of everyone’s world too? It’s something I know I can relate to on multiple levels and an interesting look at the mind of a creative being. If you enjoy Conan O’Brien, comedy, entertainment, and just a good study of an artist then you need to see this doc. I’m going to watch it again soon. B+
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