How to Survive a Writers Strike

[@EntertainTheElk]

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[@ventusprime]

You missed out one factor , for modern times , in 2008 youtube was not big as it is now.

[@magus727]

😊​@@ventusprime

[@hackerx7329]

Two very important things. Conan was himself a writer for years before getting his show and during the strike he PERSONALLY paid the ENTIRE staff of the show. I have no clue how much money that cost him but he wasn't just sending out a message of solidarity he was directly helping. His acts were often intentionally quite low class but he personally is the highest class you can get in my opinion.

[@ResponsibleCitizen001]

A great man for sure.

[@JorgeBMEsquivel]

I agree.

[@ThwipThwipBoom]

The day he dies will be a dark day for America.

[@alexchen5445]

Same thing happened when he got fired from The Tonight Show; idk if he paid his staff “salaries,” but as I understand it, he was very generous to his staff.

[@1100MC]

iirc he also paid his staff during covid lockdowns

[@1draigon]

He didn’t even JUST continue during the strike, he did it in a way that supported it. I respect that a lot

[@TheDylls]

I STILL go back to watch a montage of Conan spinning his wedding ring to waste time... It was perfect 😂❤

[@petsounds3612]

With the benefit of hindsight, I think we can safely say Conan is the undisputed King of Latenight

[@EntertainTheElk]

100%

[@chair547]

Seth Meyers can certainly give Conan a run for his money

[@rager1969]

Of course, his agent forced NBC to retire Leno so that Conan could take over the Tonight Show. Funny how no one blames Conan for that. And Conan bumped George Lopez into a later time slot that eventually caused his show to be canceled, but no one blames Conan for that. I like Conan, but he isn't the nice guy or the victim he wants you to believe he was.

[@bumsmeller7950]

@@rager1969 Not true whatsoever, George completely offered his slot to Conan, and he started bitching and moaning when his own show started to fail because of it

[@ignatiusjackson235]

​@@rager1969 Lopez Tonight was dreadful. Any network/station in their right mind would have chosen Conan.

[@cthomas025]

Conan is best when he's unscripted. The writer's strike was just a showcase of Conan and how good he is. The beard and him playing his guitar interrupting his employees will always be something I remember.

[@bandjolyn]

Conan roaming around NYC is just fantastic television.

[@jacobsims8307]

Can't forget the wedding ring 😂😂

[@JorgeBMEsquivel]

Haha, he's so funny.

[@mrrd4444]

I feel like not enough people acknowledge that the reason Conan did so well on his shows is that he was also a years-long career WRITER who was thrust into the late night role. Ironically (or unironically), the one who saved television when the Writers were striking... was a writer.

[@justanotherperson7774]

Nice

[@Leoncroi]

And if I recall correctly, Conan kept paying the writing staff during the strike. Being a writer himself, he always values and does his best for the writing staff underneath him.

[@LOL-lf5yu]

Did he also wrote when he was the host?

[@arcadelinkauthor]

I will never forget writer's strike era Conan. It was unmitigated lunacy and absolutely unforgettable.

[@Affenhirte]

Did you watch the show every night then? And what time was it on? I love Conan, but I am not from America. I hope we get to enjoy him many more years - now next big thing probably is his "Conan Must Go" show!

[@JonasC22]

Man i still remember the ring spin and how invested i got in it...

[@tombuck]

The Conan/Colbert/Stewart crossover arc has to be one of the greatest things in tv history.

[@ValkyrieTiara]

It's hard to explain to someone who wasn't there for it how important those shows were at the time, and how we're still feeling their cultural impact today.

[@OzMartinez]

I still nerd out about it. Three of the best intellectually comedic television hosts willing (and excited) to perform physical gags and schtick just for our entertainment! Gotta love it!

[@azzu12]

The writers strike is when I realized how naturally gifted, witty and smart Conan is. Truly the best

[@headlight31]

Conan is way ahead of his peers. When he felt that late night genre is "over" he changed formats. He just knew what to do.

[@trumpetbob15]

The other scripted show that was saved by the 2007 strike was Big Bang Theory. In a book on the show, the cast and crew admitted that the strike, while potentially deadly to the show given their ratings at the time, actually gave it a chance to find an audience so when the show returned, unlike many others, they had a bigger audience than before.

[@rhandhom1]

Imagine if that show died in 2007.

[@RoflcopterLamo]

@@rhandhom1 The world would be abm better place

[@AidanS99]

Fun fact: During the strike Conan continued to pay his writers out of his own pocket.

[@pattongilbert]

Conan is the best late night host of the past 20 years, bar none. An absolute delight, even today.😊

[@HotStrange]

He’s my personal favorite but definitely top 3-5 of all time. Up there with Letterman and Carson, imo.

[@fintan9218]

He is my personal favorite, i dont like the fallon or kimmel at all.

[@maryjanedodo]

Conan & Letterman when he was in the mood & could be bothered...

[@Futergod]

I really like Craig Ferguson. Never got too much into American Late night though

[@TheDylls]

I wanna say that I like Seth better... But I still like Conan's podcast slightly more than Seth's current overall show (Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, beats Corrections in MY opinion)

[@aloe-aurora]

I was living with my uncle during a turbulent period for my family at this time in 2007. I remember watching Conan during the writers strike and howling with laughter together. Bless that man, he didn't have to make good TV, but he did, and he did so much with so little.

[@waynesmiley2207]

Was able to be an audience member during a live taping once. The Black Keys were musical guests. I think one of the coolest things was the song that played at the end of the show as he signed off was an actual song that he would grab a mic and sing called "The End of the Show Song" a gem you would only experience if you attended. Was awesome!

[@AnthonyLikesBread]

My dad always tells the story that the day I was born was when this writers strike was happening and he told me how he was watching Conan spin his ring around in the hospital, I've always found that funny.

[@capsjukebox]

This period of Conan’s show also spawned my favorite bit: Conan walking around the office with a tiny amp on his belt playing the opening to Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ while having inane you’re-boring-boss-conversations with his staff

[@KealohaHarrison]

Conan O’Brien is to Millennials and Gen Z what Johnny Carson was to Baby Boomers and what David Letterman was to Gen X* *Edit: Conan is to younger Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z what Carson was to Boomers and what Letterman was to elder Gen X

[@EntertainTheElk]

I think that's spot on.

[@Fung43]

Conan is that to the not insufferable millennial that realized how annoying and unfunny their generation was with their trying to be different, pick me, look at me “style” Conan isnt for a millennial audience, and millennials certainly never loved him. His show was cancelled immediately, your demographic was entirely uninterested and didn’t care. Conan was there for the 1% of normal people in our demographic to say “hey, there’s still normal people just trying to make something entertaining if anyone’s still into that” Most millennials aren’t die hard Conan fans like boomers were in love with Carson or Gen X to Letterman. Most millenials are insufferable adult children who trade the entirety of their character and sanity to act like their favorite quirky indie movie characters 24/7, lashing out at anyone who points how difficult this makes life for everyone else. Conan didn’t make art for those people. He certainly didn’t aim to entertain them. It’s funny how common it is for a millennial to say “oh that’s totally me” the second something gets praise for not being like everything else. Too bad. You guys are the reason his show was cancelled. You didn’t care about him then, he got big and famous and all the sudden Conan is the millennial show. Whatever. The reason this stuff is funny and succeeds is because people like you guys don’t go anywhere near it. The second you touch something, whatever was cool immediately dies and becomes lame as shit

[@jevinday]

Conan seems like the most down to earth. Fallon seems like the most chill on the surface but if you watch their bits where they handle animals Conan is the only one who is like totally down to cuddle with a tiny bear or hold a snake. The other guys all act scared like it's funny to be scared of animals. Fallon is talented musically and Kimmel's Halloween candy bits are great though

[@colonialstraits1069]

Conan started his late night career in 1993. I was 23 (Gen Xer). He is as important to me, as Letterman. Most Millennials probably didn’t even start watching Conan until the late 90s. He as much ours, as he is yours.

[@ssshar2176]

@@colonialstraits1069 I agree. I don’t think Conan is a Gen Z staple.

[@KalenCarslaw]

Thank you for mentioning Pushing Daisies. Such an uplifting sincere show. And thank god Joshua Jackson was rerouted to Fringe.

[@jennhoff03]

Yes! I completely agree with you on both counts. I'd love to see Joshua Jackson on Grey's, but as soon as they said he rerouted to Fringe, I was like, "OhThankHeavens!"

[@dalegribble01]

That was an ambitious time a lot of shows did sink or rise but man I miss the wackiness of the late night shows they just did anything for a laugh and it was awesome

[@EntertainTheElk]

Totally. Late Night with Conan was pure insanity at times and I loved it.

[@harrisonmckinney7659]

Conan is forever my hero

[@EntertainTheElk]

Hell yea

[@BuddyBradley1985]

@@forceghostburtreynolds you is duuuuuumb. Yeah Conan travelling to Norway for the sole purpose of meeting their female Prime Minister because she looks like him is exactly the same as Jimmy Fallon awkwardly laughing at every third sentence he hears.

[@forceghostburtreynolds]

@@BuddyBradley1985 "you is dumb" - unlike you, I can speak English

[@HotStrange]

One of my favorite entertainers of all time in any medium.

[@SayMyName316]

@@BuddyBradley1985huh?

[@paulmccartney1982]

13:00 Conan has never "peaked" He's stayed at the top and has never stopped being funny

[@HotStrange]

People eye roll at me sometimes but Conan is one of my favorite entertainers in any medium and definitely one of my heroes. Just a fantastic dude.

[@jevinday]

I like Conan because unlike other hosts he is really good around animals. He doesn't act scared. Like dude, if someone handed me a baby bear i would be amazed, i wouldn't be scared

[@Apple2-ux8uo]

Conan described it recently (an episode of his podcast after he guzzled hot pepper sauce for a spontaneous bit on Hot Ones. If it could get a laugh he gets carried away sometimes. He actually is afraid and was nearly severely hurt by a water buffalo once on his show. But… his need for a laugh just makes him go there again and again.

[@DozyBinsh]

Did Conan have the dancers and confetti ready to go every night just in case he beat the record, or was he always capable of breaking it and knew when to get them set?

[@9bloodsugarsexmagik9]

I like to think that when he brought that expert on he knew that there was no way he wouldn't beat his record so he had the whole shebang ready to go.

[@Capta1nAsh]

Conan was on the writing team during some of the golden years of The Simpsons. He had the experience to fall back on

[@Underpantsniper]

Monorail!!!!!!

[@patrickhemsley8631]

I dont think you highlighted how just how colossal the introduction of Jordan Schlansky was. The writers strike produced one of the best long running characters in late night history.

[@ThorgisArcade]

This was a great reminder of those few chaotic months where Conan was creating some of the wildest and most creative content where you had no idea what was coming every day.

[@frojoe2004]

It's worth noting that Conan, Stewart, and Colbert have all been very successful writers for comedy shows in the past so they had experience to draw from

[@jorgerosado2087]

Rewatching those episodes of Conan are truly a sight to behold. It genuinely reminded me of The Eric Andre Show at times. I almost miss surreal late night shows like it. People need to make more of them.

[@DanielThureskog]

Late Night w/ Conan was actually a huge inspiration for Eric Andre. Without Late Night, the Eric Andre show would probably not exist.

[@nondescriptbeing5944]

and Space Ghost Coast to Coast @@DanielThureskog

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

Letterman was so respected by writers that the WGA struck a deal with him so he and Craig could continue.

[@grahamstrouse1165]

Fortunately Dave owned the the production company. When the Union told him what they wanted he signed off on everything & they got back to work.

[@luckyDancer100]

Interesting how the strike affected some shows for better or worse. Similar to Jesse Pinkman being saved, Gossip Girl rewrote one of their storylines during the strike with Chuck and Blair, and that became one of the biggest arcs on the show.

[@TheTarrMan]

He had a giant rat maze out made of cardboard ("from the dumpster outback", I believe) and made celebrities walk through it as they came out because they weren't wasting enough time walking from the curtain to his desk as he introduced them. I still laugh at the thought of that.

[@kristin7121]

THANK YOU! I’ve been waiting for someone to comment about Conan’s improv work during the strike. Although his creativity wasn’t rewarded in the end by NBC, I think it really proved his power as an artist.

[@_burd.]

I think the writer's strike is inspiring. I wish more industries' workers can rally and stick to it until they get a new bargain. So many workers are absolutely essential and corporate bozos are just syphoning money from revenue into their pockets instead of paying fairly

[@seazonegranec]

Conan was always my favorite. It's awesome that he kept the show going to also pay the writers during the strike

[@BoyNamedSue4]

Just proved Conan was the best of his generation

[@bratwurstred]

I remember watching the first ring spin semi-live (it was on a delayed telecast in my country), it always stuck with me but I had no idea it would age this well. Conan was and always will be the best.

[@noquarterdesign]

Conan has always been a gift. From righting on SNL, taking that skill to television, and into international and podcast waters, he always shines. Always absolutely hilarious.

[@7392318]

And Conan’s doing it again now with his podcast. He’s interviewing all sorts of celebrities and creating content while the late night talk shows are at a stand still.

[@bandjolyn]

Conan messing with his staff is pure gold.

[@billy9497able]

I remember watching him spin his wedding ring as a kid during the strike and it was surprisingly entertaining lol

[@WTFG78]

I was a Conan watcher before the 2007 Writers Strike. I was a Conan fanatic since 2007 the Writers Strike. The sheer hilarious absurdity during the Strike Episodes of "Late Night" was Conan at his most Lettermanesque, and it galvanized my enthusiasm for both him and his upcoming switch to the "Tonight Show" the following year. ...oh no. 😯

[@WTFG78]

I also love that there's practically no footage of Jay's Tonight Show available during the Strike. No one bothered to keep a recording. 😆

[@theironredbaron]

I fondly remember this era. I always liked Conan but this is when I truly started loving Conan!

[@Netherfly]

This time we don't have to worry about the strike causing any good shows to get cancelled, because there aren't any good shows. Sorry, that was a joke. The real reason is that they were getting cancelled after only one or two seasons already. Anyway, thanks for the shout-out to The 4400. That show rocked.

[@TJ-bu9zk]

Far fewer good shows. They are getting cancled so rapidly because they are prioritizing left wing politics over creating entertainment. Its fine to have a message in your program, but the message can`t be at the expense of, or in place of entertainment. The best shows made you think, they didn`t tell you what to think.

[@beejls]

​@@TJ-bu9zk what crazy nonsense are you spewing? Shows are not getting cancelled because of left-wing politics. It's always about the ratings, because it's always about the money.

[@TJ-bu9zk]

@@beejlsand audience rating are terrible... you know why?

[@beejls]

@@TJ-bu9zk which TV shows are losing ratings? You're the kind of person who doesn't have real data, you just have your opinion.

[@TJ-bu9zk]

@@beejls thats rather rude. You insult me, then accuse me of not having an answer to the question you hadnt asked yet.

[@kazza6078]

I cant believe the first strike only lasted three months, it seems like it was so much longer in hindsight. I hope this one is over soon.

[@beejls]

It ruins so many shows. You would think three months, what's the big deal, but it was a big deal.

[@DanArnets1492]

Still going strong AFAIK

[@ItsBubs]

What people really need to take from this is the power their own labor has. If more industries would strike for their own selves, we all would be better off. ORGANIZE, UNIONIZE; TOGETHER, WE BARGIN; DIVIDED, WE BEG!

[@WaylandYT]

I can't imagine what Fringe would be like without Joshua Jackson.

[@mrdaym]

Conan explodes with awesomeness when backed into a corner. He. Can't. Stop.

[@cafeplastique890]

I think the situation is very different, because these days the consumers are mostly streaming and not watching live TV. There are so many shows to catch up on if you're subscribed to any of the services. This is a chance for previously underrated shows to finally get through to their audiences. The writers' lever is a less powerful for now, as watchers are catching up on older series they missed out on. I know I could survive for months on end just finally watching the types of shows I always had on my list but never got round to and rewatching favourite shows. Conan O'Brien, meanwhile, is a lovable genius and I'm demanding a proper Taskmaster US version, one that is precisely mirroring the UK (and NZL etc) format, with him Conan the Taskmaster's throne. I'm just undecided if Andy or Sona or Gourley or Alex Horne should be his assistant.

[@HistoricWrath]

Watching this shows just how different the television and entertainment landscape is now compared to where it was in 2007. Puts the current strike in perspective

[@aksharaghav9657]

Conan and The Man With Various Functions are the best comedic duo in the history of TV shows.

[@kx4998]

Like being Conan's food tester

[@pencokun]

As an Indonesian who had no idea of the Writer's Strike in 2007 onward, looking back now after watching this video it makes so much sense why I saw a plethora of gifsets and reaction images from late night shows on tumblr in the late 2000s and early 2010s

[@wstine79]

I remember watching the commentary for The Slamon Samon. They talked about how many actors in the movie were happy that this wasn't a WGA production so that they could get some work.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Oh interesting! I never saw that movie. I fell off those guys after Beer Fest.

[@wstine79]

@@EntertainTheElk I did after this movie. Super Troopers 2 was okay

[@TrylleBanjo]

Man, Conan really is and was the bomb.

[@MiracleWinchester]

Supernatural. Dean wasn’t supposed to go to hell in the S3 finale. But because of the strike, he did. That’s how we got Castiel to raise Dean from perdition in S4 which had long term ramifications in the series.

[@Blakezilla13]

Man these videos are pure art. Thank you for making them. Have you made any content on eastbound and down ? I'd like to see how you tackle how utterly depressing it is, disguised as a comedy.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Glad you liked the video. I never finished Eastbound. But I love love love Vice Principals and Righteous Gemstones.

[@mpulsivity]

I remember watching every single one of Conan’s strike episodes at the time thinking this is comedy gold. He was so energized and creative during that time.

[@MRF1983]

IMO a major difference between that last writer's strike and the current one is that there were a lot of shows people were/ became invested in, whereas now we live in a post covid world wherein Hollywood and audiences are at odds. Many people are burnt out/ frustrated by current day TV and writers hold their share of the responsibility for that. When Conan retired, I think late night TV retired with him. He was THE last one I watched. When they come back, it will be business as usual. I'm open to a TV renaissance, but I see little to no chance of that happening due to this strike.

[@bensneb360]

Oh Bionic Woman, Pushing Daisies, Sarah Connor Chronicle, and Heroes… you all deserved better than what you got

[@beejls]

Pushing Daisies hurt. No resolution!

[@taskdon769]

The question is, any shows at moment that you think will be missed if ended up getting cancelled due to the strike?

[@Yukosan13]

I feel like this new writer strike will have a bigger impact as most of those late night hosts are gone from air.. except for colbert. Reality TV still needs writers and has gotten stale as a genre. Also, streaming apps rely heavily on story based content.. they might not feel it now, but if the strikes go on for a while.. I think in a year, profits will go down (and some streaming apps can't afford to slow down) Also, more people will also start leaving live TV more (cable has already been in a downturn), so many have dropped cable due to just costs.. so a loss of shows might make some cut ties..? Networks aren't as comfortable as they were in 2007...

[@shannencj2282]

I love watching conan.. The pizza episode got me into the show. I'm not American so I'm late to the show but it's actually my favorite late night tv show. He's so natural with the jokes and his straight face makes it more hilarious.

[@EJK2099]

Thank God there are many other forms of independent entertainment like KZbin video essays, podcasts, music, and older shows

[@Whydoiecenneedthis]

You are telling me being a decent human being that cares works!! No way!

[@rico4101]

Conan is a Goat alone for writing some of the best episodes on the Simpsons

[@writerpatrick]

The difference with this strike is that there's streaming shows available to watch which will keep people busy for a while. Although that's really what this strike is about. Although most of the shows I was watching have ended or are ending, and I'm not really excited about was I've read in the way of new pilots. I seem to recall that Chuck was renewed because of the strike. It was on the bubble at the time and networks needed shows for the fall. A lot of shows were shortened by a few episodes. It was really bad for outgoing shows that were ending anyways. Some did make up episodes in the following season, but even that season was often shortened.

[@Chairemy]

Conan’s back to bits had me in tears from the explanation alone.

[@davefalk304]

How Conan took advantage of the strike reminders me of how Seth Meyers took advantage of the pandemic. Don't stop. Adapt and change.

[@DanArnets1492]

Except Seth Meyers is trash, LoL

[@LalitoTV]

Given how Gilligan is so respectful towards his crew, it's hard to believe the writers still abandoned the show for the strike, but then again it's important that they did i guess

[@VoidPlugger]

Makes me miss Conan, True King of Late Night

[@snaketeeth2229]

Oh you people don't even know. I would watch conan constantly on free to air TV back in that 2007 era. I was there for every step of the coin spin. What an epic journey.

[@boredlazymax]

The writers strike saved Jesse Pinkman, but it also continued his character's emotional scarring up to the finale. 💀

[@jakeunderwood9]

"No one will really know the total damage this strike has...." Weird to contextualize the strikes in how they hurt tv shows.

[@billietalley5891]

Colbert jumping over the stuntman immediately after he tumbles down the stairs is peak comedy

[@coady181]

Shoutout Conan but more importantly SHOUTOUT ENTERTAIN THE ELK

[@EntertainTheElk]

Yay! Thank you.

[@ziggyhogan7560]

Im Australian and watched conan over here from about 97 to 2003 ish. I always loved his show out of the leno and letterman. His in the year 2000 skits were great

[@thecompanioncube4211]

That’s the benefit of Conan being writer himself. He has a fuckton of experience in writing comedy, and he worked both as a host and a writer

[@fintan9218]

The focus on the physics face when conan is dancing in front of him gave me a much needed laugh

[@ShinRyojin]

We have the writer’s strike to thank for giving birth to one of the most endearing friendships: Spongeconan and Schlanward

[@maverickREAL]

You survive the writers strike by *giving the writers what they fucking want.*

[@steven_uk]

This writers strike has highlighted how poor the writing has become on American tv shows. I can't remember the last American tv show that actually impressed me.

[@mafeuk]

So in other words, creativity surfaces even in the most unexpected places and circunstances.

[@penepleto1210]

The more I learn about Conan O'Brien, the more I see him as an unfathomably based human being

[@pj101]

Carson, letterman, conan and then chaos

[@WhereItCounts]

I've been subbed to this channel for literal years and it took tiktok's algorithm to highlight that this video was out. That's wild.

[@EntertainTheElk]

So frustrating. Please click the bell on my channel so that way you’re notified when a new video comes out! Thanks for being a subscriber over the years. :)

[@Supertaldo916]

15:06 When it was noted that 2008 was 15 years ago I felt like I got stabbed by time lmao

[@PedroBrazz]

CONAN OBRIEN IS A GENIOUS IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS!!! The writers strike, the Tonight Show scandal!!! This man was born to work in emergency situations!!!

[@MLB9000]

Bear in mind that television is all about ‘content’ and ‘fill’, where the ads are the content and the programmes are made to fill the space between them.

[@nicolasfurger1032]

I clicked on this in hopes of hearing about Jordan. He deserves his own spin-off show with Conan.

[@Maw0]

My first Big Brother season I remember was actually season 9. I was 3 years old, and I couldn't believe there was a winter season.

[@tryhardtrynot]

The writers strike gave us the treasure of JORDAN SCHLANSKY!!

[@GameTesterBootCamp]

I didn't even need to know the channel/video quality. I see Conan, I'm in. Thankfully, the video ended up being great. 🙂Thanks for making it!

[@EntertainTheElk]

Glad you liked it!

[@nathanglennie]

This was when I started to stay up later in high school. It was brilliant lunacy and a testament to Conan’s genius

[@tworice]

i do hear that this strike will be way harder than the last because companies have a huge backlog of content and roadmaps for the next 1~2 years. strikers will have to keep from breaking for way longer.

[@ClairvoyantTruth]

This is so fun as I remember watching Conan during this time and brings back so many memories. I forgot he smashing props with a halberd.

[@DaWoWzer]

it's hilarious modern writers think they deserve more money when everything now is so much worse in quality than even a decade ago.

[@jaketaf98]

I really enjoyed the dive into TV history a little bit in this one. Heard about a lot of shows I've never heard of.

[@lgmarquez5469]

Orange Jesus will forever be a legend. Can’t wait for his Max series to begin 😁

[@SharpDesign]

Conan was a writer for the Simpsons, so he totally knows the feeling.

[@marsupius]

The way to survive a writer's strike is to pay your writers a decent amount of money.