Conan Didn't Think "The Office" Would Be Successful In The U.S. | Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

[@yashc1995ify]

Conan is an international treasure!

[@blakeandrews3613]

America’s class clown ❤️

[@buffnipz]

This clip especially is fascinating

[@CPTM1]

Conan is very adaptable to different cultures, I think having Irish parents helped alot. He can get the Irish humour and he understands British humour and obviously American humour. I think he is brilliant. Would love to see him on Graham Norton

[@avatr7109]

Its rare to see Indian watching Conan Conan is an intelligent man but does foolish things through self-deprecating humour He never goes near politics, knows the boundaries , reads the people. His remotes are the best..He should be doing more travel shows. Unlike Trevor noah who's whole career is about how Pale white people are and...... white people. _now those kind of jokes might be soothing for 'colour rich people'_ _not for me though_

[@jaybestnz]

As popular as Sona!

[@wm6549]

Actually, a book about all the ideas Conan didn’t like but went on to be wildly popular would be something I would read.

[@philly9375]

Two takeaways from this. First, I would absolutely read that book that Conan suggested. Second, this interview segment is absolutely great. I greatly enjoyed the generous back and forth that Conan and Stephen displayed with one another.

[@Al_i8]

Sona just sitting there and admiring those two great guys and laughing is just great ❤

[@rahulhimself]

Tbf i find her laugh disingenuous here and in other podcasts

[@untexan]

1:16 “Oh, like The Simpsons!” I said out loud to no one in particular

[@santiagobenites]

Stephen Merchant is pure comic genius.

[@margaretpeabody243]

Conan has been an integral part of the tapestry we call American TV.

[@kane4013]

Yeah. Probably.

[@sarahdee2287]

The frilly orange part.

[@whitestoneandy797]

100%

[@LIamaLlama554]

Life is a path lit only by the light of the Masturbating Bear.

[@mungersfolly9028]

'Eyes that popped out of their head.....Steve'

[@pcross1155]

You got a ruler Rick ?

[@PopeLando]

1:17 "If something works in this country, grind that thing until it's no longer funny and then do it ten more years." As soon as Conan said that on the podcast I had to seek out on KZbin that bit with Steve Martin talking about "going to the comedy well and sucking it dry, and you go back to the well, and go back to the well until it's... arid." A brilliant bit that might not even have made it on the actual show, it's in Scraps.

[@krislane8400]

Hello fellow algorithm traveler. I saw that clip yesterday myself 🤣

[@zoperxplex]

Arid Extra Dry?

[@debbiedoodiedandi]

He forgot to mention that we also try to make 8 or 9 versions of it as well

[@AthanImmortal]

Please, PLEASE, consider putting the full podcast videos up rather than just clips. The clips always look great, and I feel there would be even more gleaned from seeing the interviews as well.

[@ARandomStan]

I don't know what it is about Stephen Merchant but his talking style feels like pure elegance. He could be talking about cats having sex and it would sound philosophical

[@avatr7109]

It's called Bri-ish Accent I follow Bri-ish English not the Amerikaan one With a Bri-ish Accent you're automatically on a higher ground even if you describe Camel sex.

[@ARandomStan]

@@avatr7109 all Brits don't sound like that. you have to have a set pace and obsecure words along with the British accent to pull that off

[@ninam8583]

it’s posh British lol

[@dickmonkey-king1271]

Well, I am English, and to me he sounds like a thick in-bred farmer. So there you go.

[@jacobbell8171]

@@ninam8583 he's not posh he's Bristolian

[@danise1856]

"If something works in this country, grind that thing until it's completely no longer funny and then do another ten years." He just described The Simpsons perfectly.

[@jakobsteffensen8006]

10 years would be generous for a show that peaked like 30 seasons ago

[@apseudonym]

@@jakobsteffensen8006 no, it's accurate. the simpsons was good for approximately ten years. of course, the seasons conan worked on were arguably the best, but the quality of the show was solid until about 1998 when it began to decline.

[@EnriqueTellezChan]

You have just read my mind

[@MiguelJimenez-uc3yz]

He would never admit it though. He's still friends with many of the people that still work on the Simpsons

[@Lindenrd25]

The Simpsons has been dead for at least 20 years.

[@bokchoiman]

Conan has been a pillar of unapologetic comedy on TV. Not necessarily being full blown offensive, but recognizing when to push boundaries for the sake of a joke has made him stand out from the rest of the talk show hosts.

[@HOTD108_]

I've heard Conan apologize a few times before though?

[@gregh5061]

@@HOTD108_ doesn't mean he's taking back his comments. Just means he's sorry to have caused offense. We can't put conan in the same level as Jimmy Fallon or Colbert

[@SSJ4Omega]

Conan is my national treasure

[@keisha2120]

I was sad when this ended. This two have a great chemistry and i could listen 2+ hours of this.

[@borp6912]

Hello Ladies is one of my favorite shows. I don't understand how it was cancelled.

[@jissanhuq3792]

It really should have been his shining moment. It’s a beautifully done show.

[@karltee7862]

You should check out Pete Holmes' show Crashing on HBO. Same kind of show.

[@danishmalik1508]

Conan is already a Universal treasure. Love you, Conan. Wish I can meet you someday! 🤗

[@lukenaoumovitch4477]

We need a full video version of his podcast episodes!!!

[@neuvocastezero1838]

Lee Mack's "Not Going Out" lasted 10 seasons, and it has whip smart writing. It's sort of a British "Two and a Half Men", it even has an eccentrically goofy female character named after a flower.

[@seanmichael7714]

I started watching late night with Conan O'Brien from the very first episode it was amazing in my opinion compared to a lot of the stuff that was airing at the time and I literally tried to record every single episode on VHS tape and a lot of times I would have drinks back in my drinking days and we watched the episodes and laugh my ass off and just watch it constantly so hilarious! One of my favorite characters was a character called "the loser". Character would always end up getting attacked by a bear LOOOL

[@mikehiebert6227]

I started watching him when I was in my early teens I think, right around the time when they were forshadowing Will Ferrell wanting to shave his beard, and I thought it was a funny bit involving a famous actor to a degree I had never seen before, but then it literally blew my mind when he was actually shaved on television. I didn't think someone could do something so absurd and risky to film on TV, he instantly stood out to me as someone doing things I had never seen on late night television

[@mikehaynes85]

the funny thing is that Godzilla and Mothra are a romance. She's the Queen of the Monsters and he's the King, and she's sacrificed herself for him several times.

[@leolindberg]

I love how Stephen always acknowledge that he and Ricky Gervais made The Office together, whereas Ricky just says "I made The Office".

[@ResponsibleCitizen001]

Well to be fair, Ricky did most of the stuff and essentially hired him to create the office. Also, Ricky is way more than him and people tend to know him more and hence he brings him up, it's just like we bring our cool friend's name in a conversation

[@TheOrlandoTrustfull]

When has he ever said that? Or is this some narrative you have dreamt up in your head? He always gives Steve credit for writing it.

[@Area3ProductionsAU]

@@TheOrlandoTrustfull What fantasy land are you living in? Show me one interview that Ricky has done in the past 10 years where he's given credit to anyone apart from himself? Even other actors such as Ian McKellen has spoken publically about how selfish Ricky is about taking credit for everything.

[@Area3ProductionsAU]

@@ResponsibleCitizen001 Not true at all. Ricky hired Stephen as an assistant at XFM. All Ricky had was the character of David Brent and Stephen was doing his training at the BBC as a producer and was given the opportunity to make a short film. So in fact, if Stephen had never done his training at the BBC there never would've been an Office.

[@JaxLittles]

@@TheOrlandoTrustfull Hahaha cite your sources first lmao

[@ArmchairAmbience]

Merch!!!!

[@nikhildeshpande3494]

This was a perfect interview.

[@redavatar]

To be honest, I hated the first episodes of the Office US. It felt like they wanted to be the Office UK but they made Scott incredibly unlikeable and it didn't work. It took almost a season and a half before they found a way to change Office US into something quite different from Office UK that worked with American comedy.

[@mikearchibald744]

I was going to write this and its been documented by the producers. It pretty much DID get cancelled, but then "The 40 Year Old Virgin" came out and was a huge hit. Those viewers saw that Steve Carell was on a TV show, and they saw the 'data' about how much people liked Steve that they essentially chucked the character from David Brent to an affable, even lovable boss that was just a goof and a pain. They even made him into a pretty successful salesman. If that movie hadn't been a hit or if they hadn't softened the character it would have gone the way of "Coupling". I literally can't even watch the british version of THe Office or that episode where he's taunting Kelly because its just so brutal.

[@redavatar]

@@mikearchibald744 The Office UK worked because it was short - you can't make season after season based on those character. The show was also far too bleak and negative for a US show. Having said that the UK version was never really my cup of tea and I much prefer the US version once they figured out where they were going and the characters became the iconic ones they're known for.

[@mikearchibald744]

@@redavatar Couldn't agree more. As far as quality goes, it wasn't always great but when it was good it was really good. I think even with the bleakness I could have tolerated the british version-if it didn't have David Brent and instead had Michael Scott. The 'background' actors of the british version really werent used enough. I cant remember that guy who was the equivalant of Dwight in the british one, but that guy was really funny. Its odd that they made so much of the Brent character but its the one character I just couldn't watch.

[@wildrice8199]

Yet some of the best episodes are in season 1. The second episode was Diversity Day, a classic. I would say if you hated the show it's because you were comparing it to another show that you liked better which isn't really fair. I loved the first two seasons, probably my favorites.

[@finalsecretofchrono1339]

@@wildrice8199 I agree, season 1 is a little gold mine. And of course seasons 2 and 3 are the best of the best.

[@acejaspernoora2466]

i'm an Elton John fan and a Conan fan, they both for me are a national treasure. love from the philippines!

[@waxl121]

Why is there no difference between 360p and 1080p on these 😂 Get your camera game up Conan

[@amolashtaputre]

Hey ... Looksie is here 😁😁

[@Hananotaka]

Love those West Country hard R’s.

[@wtwy2023]

Steve's eyes bulging with imagined riches

[@ftuT]

His theory applies usually, but I guess Armando Ianucci took note of this advice because he nailed Veep like he understood USA politics.

[@commontater8630]

'Godzilla loves Mothra and Mothra loves Godzilla...' there you go: a whole new series!

[@willieko]

Loving these videos of the podcast!

[@cullinaaronkress]

Conan has been a national treasure for 20+ years, me thinks.

[@commontater8630]

A national treasure in spite of himself.

[@karltee7862]

Please post the full episodes of the podcast. After seeing what yall did with Marshawn Lynch I would love to full episodes of the podcast. I miss seeing Conan.

[@bjl4782]

Funny episode, funny guest.. refreshing

[@a.a.1245]

Hey Conan, when you show is going to start in HBO max here in Brasil? Ive signed that streaming because of you. 😉

[@LiburanSenang]

Very funny episode! Looksie Merchant lol.

[@ToobeyAmbi]

I just had an ephiphany that Stephen was the voice of Wheatley. I was like "That voice sounds so familiar" that I searched for shows but nothing seems to familiar, until I just kept listening and "OH WHEATLEY!"

[@zachmoyer1849]

yeah i don't know what he is on about portal was by far his best work lol

[@Fucisko]

He also did that one annoying guy in Assassin's creed 2 and forward.

[@apseudonym]

wow, there were only 12 episodes of fawlty towers? it always felt like there were more just by virtue of the quality. same with black books

[@rorrt]

I think of The US Office the same way I think about Stevie Wonder. No one can say I haven't given either a fair shake.. But I just can't get on board. This might be because I've watched The Office from start to finish at least 3 times. And i guess ive watched the whole show around 15 times.. I even remember watching it on initial broadcast, I probably changed the channel though, because on TV at the time were shows about airports or cruise liners or just regular people doing their boring jobs.. I didn't know it was a comedy. But then I was only 10 at the time.

[@ExclusiveLM]

The success of The Office was not the romance part. It was the humor. Without Steve Carell that show would not have survived past the first season. After Steve, the romance and other stituations like Dwight Shrute's anger made the show's filler parts or tidbits good. But, Steve was 80 percent of that show's success. Once Steve left, that show was pretty much over even though it continued. Even Will Ferrell was on and it didn't even work with a comedy master like Will. The writing was not strong enough.

[@shermansherbert2570]

Oh Wheatley, you will always be Wheatley to me. (Best Voice Ever)

[@JeskidoYT]

Damn you're right! He is Wheatley on portal 2!

[@vinsensiusatmananda5787]

I find it hard not to say ricky gervais and stephen merchant in french eventhough it should be merchant.

[@rockturtleneck]

I remember when the American "The Office" came out, I had just bought and watched the British DVD set and thought that an American version was a horrible idea.

[@beerosaurusrex]

It doesn't help that often the pilot/first episode is a rehash so it just seems like a bad cover band doing something you liked. It was a similar issue with What We Do in the Shadows where the first episode was almost entirely re-used jokes from the movie. So anyone tuning into these remakes due to 'brand recognition' just sees an inferior adaptation, before it can get it's own legs. I ignored The Office US for 2-3 seasons because of that, only going back after people were recommending it.

[@rockturtleneck]

@@beerosaurusrex Great point, there was that thing with the stapler in the jello etc. I forgot about that.

[@jr8209]

Whole episode should be available with video. GET IT TOGETHER YOU CREEPS ♥♥♥

[@jetanimations]

i watched this on podcasts and i loveeeeedddd it

[@JayTillaeon]

And not just grind it out to do 10 years but do spin offs and a movie and even do a reboot version where its more serious or different perspective in a new modern age with updated terms.

[@debbiedoodiedandi]

My first thought was "...and we try to make 8 different versions of it too!"

[@noveaubleu702]

How come Greg was never on the podcast?

[@tj_enju]

How is this so funny... I've never even heard of that Craig Daniels but I was laughing like crazy at this back n forth.

[@thekub32]

Conan is the GOAT.

[@Moshington]

Godzilla ❤ Mothra is a romance…

[@lucasoheyze4597]

Sona really showing why she earns the big bucks here.

[@iam_Klaus]

Dearest TeamCoco : For the love of God, please (please) release the full interview. On video. Like all the snippets of Jim Downey. Please.

[@franciscotalavera2148]

where can i watch the video version of the podcast?

[@jimr9499]

Streaming now, exclusively in your dreams.

[@aszx02]

You're watching it bub

[@Wowreally42]

Conan is one billion percent a national treasure.

[@avatr7109]

My Cousin mocks Conan saying ....Conan just acts like he is Michael Scott from the office

[@dantheguyrosen]

I'd honestly love to see that Godzilla ❤s Mothra movie.

[@EE-in7su]

I was watching Wayne's World today while I was cat-sitting! I am so glad he ignored you!

[@Ms.gnomer]

Greg Daniels is right. Godzilla and Mothra do love each other.

[@korsu2615]

what a glorious podcast episode. One of the best IMO

[@drutang3]

Sona is so gorgeous

[@Shenanigan5]

I need full videos.....I just do.

[@pcross1155]

Sought of google eyes, eyes that pop out of their heads

[@samir6047]

he said because of syndication. anyone knows what that means , just curious

[@AMIR-gb8rd]

2:48

[@DannyMarschall]

Sona is looking shiny and fine! She doesn’t seem high at all. Ima listen forward

[@dilanabey]

The focus on the romance is actually 100% *why* the American office is so inferior to the British one (while still being pretty good)

[@anthonygordon9483]

I am still surprised the The Office was successful in the first place. Not to offend anyone but I have more dark humor then I do dry humor which is what the office was. I think conan has dark humor too so I can see why he didnt think it would succeed.

[@kJ922-h3j]

Well the original british one wouldn’t have worked there at any point, too specific as british cringe comedy which Americans struggle with a bit 😂. So they had to make an American sitcom version

[@Kranzio-]

Absolutely. I love the original series but, even as someone who is a fan of that style of comedy, it can be downright hard to watch sometimes and it would have been a disaster if they tried to emulate it exactly for the US version.

[@Cbricklyne]

The British version was already popular and well-liked in America before they decided to make the American version. It just didn't have the standard American mainstream appeal of typical American sitcoms.

[@kJ922-h3j]

@@Kranzio- yeah, we have cringe comedy in a lot of our shows, but that show is basically entirely that 😂

[@kJ922-h3j]

@@Cbricklyne oh really, obviously can’t have been that big though? Yeah wouldn’t have entered the mainstream over there at any point

[@lifeisoof]

Conan is sad and all but he got 40 million to quit his job. The silent king.

[@jhuss88]

Why is the video recorded on an LG Chocolate?

[@pre-covid-conan]

Yes now have Ricky and Karl on in-person!

[@Cbricklyne]

He's already interviewed Ricky for the podcast. But it was during the pandemic and so it obviously had to be via zoom. I'm not sure if Ricky is promoting anything new that would have him fly over to the US. (Steve is promoting his new show with Christopher Walken, and that's part of why he was on the podcast)

[@arqamwaheedi4124]

If u think 150 episodes is too much wait till u learn abt Indian shows

[@spjr99]

Or anime

[@byHexted]

I like Stephen soooooo much more then Ricky Gervais, that dude has singlehandly set comedy back like five years at least

[@jissanhuq3792]

Yeah i used to like Ricky but his protects and personality match his misery. Stephen is a joy to listen to and watch.

[@venomsaga3035]

Glad to see conan started using moisturizer his face looks clean and not like a walking dead zombie .

[@perpetual_bias]

how the hell are they this sophisticated now and yet still recording on a potato.. i don't get it

[@MarcKloos]

Well, it's a podcast - you're supposed to listen to it, not watching it.

[@perpetual_bias]

@@MarcKloos well not if you're going to lean into making part of it available as videos on YT for years

[@captainchaos3667]

The Office US is a rare example. Most American versions of UK shows are terrible (which is why you've never heard of them).

[@xXscreamingkoalaXx]

Honestly I understand the temptation to make everything a romance. Because storytelling is about values. And humans like to make connections. So we like to connect up our values into something like a value system. When you have a story with characters that each represent those values you can represent a system of values as a romance. Two values coming together to compliment each other and create a better life for everyone. Romance is in the very bones of storytelling in that sense. BUT I'm getting tired of it. Romance is also associated with sex, and I don't need to see my values making out with each other.

[@adamschlinker972]

If they didn't strike it rich with Steve Carell though it wouldn't have become what it is.

[@rayroman6209]

Will Dave Chapelle ever be in the podcast

[@TheDarkSide46]

whats with the potato cam

[@John_C_J]

It's because of the economy.

[@salsal435]

@@John_C_J That's why I'm investing in Bitcoin Cameras! Just kidding, Crypto currency is as real as fairy dust

[@odinhonour2170]

My two favorite unusually tall men

[@winthorpetrois]

The Jim and Pam romance was the least interesting part of the show for me, but what do I know.

[@bojangles8605]

I would have never watched the office if it weren't for Steve Carrell tbh

[@DFDuck55]

This made me think of the British television series "Shameless". It was brilliant and lasted for 11 seasons. The American version was absolute crap but somehow also lasted for 11 seasons. I suppose though if I hadn't seen the original, I may have thought the American version was good.

[@mahtinown-eel]

Conan’s wit and humor doesn’t shine like it did on his talk show. He really caught his stride in the last decade of his show, particularly the last 5-6 years. RIP Conan. I think I’m moving on

[@dryerlint17]

Way too much giant audio equipment in the studio. You can have those mics overhead. How can anyone see each other? It looks like a studio from 1974.

[@HOTD108_]

Any Portal 2 fans here?

[@ComeAlongKay]

I prefer the American model. Definitely. Many of the shows stay strong for almost their entire or for their entire run.

[@phaedrawidney5246]

2 tall smart funny men hot 🔥

[@13freitag13]

filmed with a 2006 flip phone

[@afconnelly]

Romance comes from James L Brooks?

[@joseveijanen6520]

Peter Ian Staker.

[@eazy4812]

Being back clueless gamer plz plz plz

[@jonerlandson1956]

*hey Joe... where you goin'... with that gun in your hand?...* hey Joe.... i said i heard where you goin' with that gun in your hand....

[@contecrayononpaper]

Can I get paid to sit in the room and laugh?

[@commontater8630]

I don't know, how much personality do you have? How much character?

[@darthmarticusLFC]

This is why I don’t like US shows. Not because of the quality but because there’s often 7 seasons each 22 episodes.

[@Trendyflute]

One of the few shows where the remade American version is legitimately much better than the British original.

[@nkenchington6575]

it's gash

[@kJ922-h3j]

Well that would be the popular opinion in america of course lol but really they are two different shows. The U.K. office is specifically full on british cringe comedy, the American office is a US sitcom that happens to be set in an office. They just kept the mockumentary part

[@Trendyflute]

@@kJ922-h3j I am normally a huge anglophile and I'll take the UK version of a show over the US version 9 times out of 10 (at least), but the UK Office is just meanspirited and vile. Mostly due to Gervais.

[@kJ922-h3j]

@@Trendyflute but that is a genuine part of british humour though, we don’t need anyone to be likeable or to root for anyone in our comedies to find them funny 😂 maybe that says something about us, obviously the office is a pretty full on example of that and British cringe comedy generally 👍

[@kJ922-h3j]

@@Trendyflute have you ever watched the show Only Fools And Horses? I’m always curious to see if Americans like that one, if they are already a fan of British shows

[@ComeAlongKay]

Then the American version is way better.

[@Jackietreehorn-z5e]

Sonja is so hot...that laugh