What can we expect from Conan O’Brien when he takes the stage as Oscars host for the first time this weekend? His track record suggests he should be good for a few laughs at least: there’s a pretty convincing argument to be made that he’s among the funniest people alive. For a start, consider his contributions to the funniest TV show of all time. Back in 1991, shortly after quitting a writing gig at Saturday Night Live, a then-28-year-old O’Brien joined the staff of The Simpsons and found himself heading to a “story retreat” at a hotel to pitch episodes for the hit animated sitcom’s fourth season. He was, he recalled later, “petrified”.
Presided over by legendary director and producer James L Brooks, who would literally bang a gong to decree he approved of a pitch, Simpsons story retreats were notoriously nerve-wracking affairs for new contributors. It was rare for a writer to get more than one story idea accepted. O’Brien sold his first two. Then he pitched a third: a monorail comes to Springfield. “It was like being in Vegas,” O’Brien remembered. “You’re hot, you just go for it.” Showrunner Al Jean told him: “You’re still the only guy who has cleared three in one day.”
