Late night icon Conan O’Brien has been making you laugh since the early 1990s, when he got his start in entertainment writing for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. In 1993, he brought his sharp comedic eye and high energy level in front of the camera when he took over for David Letterman as the new host of Late Night. After a successful run of Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and after an unprecedented turn of events during his unfortunately brief stint hosting The Tonight Show, Conan settled in at his new home at TBS, hosting the cleverly titled Conan. For 11 spectacular seasons, Conan did anything and everything (and it was fantastic). He interviewed actors, trotted the globe, fell prey to Paul Rudd's pranks, burst into song, survived the "Beardpocalypse," and introduced us to WikiBear. Some of the heartiest laughs come from his dozens of remote segments, where he steps out of his comfort zone and inserts himself into absurd or typically mundane situations. Conan’s misadventures include joining Tinder (and Grindr), working out with Gal Gadot, and questioning his employees about their cake consumption.
Here’s a list of some of Conan O’Brien’s best remotes from his late night talk show Conan.
Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, and Conan Help a Student Driver
Learning how to drive can be stressful, but what if Conan was willing to teach you the real rules of the road himself? When Conan hears that one of his staff members is preparing for her driver’s test, he pops into the passenger seat of a student driver's car and bestows some of his wisdom onto her. He recommends not using both hands (it gets in the way of texting) and encourages Diana to speed up and pass other cars in order to make them her “bitch.” Things switch gears and get even sillier when Conan has Diana pick up his pals Kevin Hart and Ice Cube. The unpredictable adventure takes several unexpected turns, as the four visit a weed dispensary, stop to buy a piñata, go to Popeyes, and imagine what it would be like if Conan was a male prostitute. And, of course, Conan showcases his stellar beatboxing skills. Fasten your seatbelts, because this remote is one fun ride.
Dave Franco and Conan Join Tinder
Conan’s never afraid to put himself out there, and in this remote, he does just that. Yeah, sure, he’s married, but that won’t stop him from giving the popular dating app Tinder the ol’ college try. With the help of young Hollywood star Dave Franco (Neighbors), Conan is ready to build his dating profile, with, perhaps, some misinformation. “I’m gonna lie a little bit about my age. You realize what we’re doing now is something that’s probably never been done before. We are lying on the internet.” The two also decide it might be best for them to change their names. Conan O’Brien’s new moniker? Chip Wittly. And Dave Franco’s? D’jangus Roundstone. (The “D” is silent.) Later in the video, Conan and Dave hit the road in an old van to meet a match in person. Will there be a romantic spark?
Conan Hunts Down His Assistant’s Stolen “Gigolos” Mug
Who stole Sona’s Gigolos mug? Never fear, Detective Conan is on the case. In this remote, Conan reads an email his assistant Sona Movesesian sent out to the company asking who stole one of her most prized possessions. Conan, the self-proclaimed spiritual leader of over 10,000 staff members, interrogates his employees in the hopes of uncovering any leads. On his quest, he finds a rogue bucket of fried chicken, learns that not nearly as many people work for him as he thought, and finds out what everyone does to stay sane during the day. (Spoiler alert, they drink.) Will he track down the person behind such unimaginable thievery?
Steven Yeun and Conan Visit a Korean Spa
Conan might seem like a jokester, but when it comes to his health and beauty, he means business. To prove just how much he cares, he spends the day at Wi Spa, an authentic Korean spa in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. To aid him on his journey to peak physical health is Academy Award nominated actor (and South Korea native) Steven Yeun (Minari, The Walking Dead). Conan knew he was in for some vulnerable experiences, but he didn’t realize how vulnerable the day would be. When Steven tells Conan that they would be walking around naked, Conan responds with nothing but fear. “I’ve never been naked.” The two strip down, spend time in the saunas, and chat with an old woman about Ray Romano. The highlight of the remote is when Conan endures a brutal body scrub that leaves him writhing in pain. “That’s skin that’s been on me since Jimmy Carter was president!”
Conan Visits The American Girl Doll Store
Just in time for the holidays, Conan takes a trip to American Girl Place in Los Angeles and has the ultimate American Girl Doll experience. Store manager Scott Davidson gives Conan a tour of the different departments, such as the book store, the doll hair salon, and even the doll hospital. Conan has a lot of questions about the dolls’ detailed backstories. Upon hearing that one doll from 1812 has to save her father from the British, he asks what we are all wondering, “Does she have to kill anybody?” Conan gets his own doll (which he names Agnes) and takes her to lunch in the American Girl cafe. Unfortunately, Agnes throws several temper tantrums, and talks back to the waiter, leaving Conan with no the choice but to drink Chardonnay through a bendy straw.
Conan Hangs Out With His Interns
For a show to succeed, everything behind the scenes has to run smoothly. Conan wants to get to know the people at the low end of the totem pole: the interns. In this remote, he heads to the break room and asks his interns what surprises them most about him, how they fill their days, and how they would explain their job to someone at a party. His assistant Sona also makes an appearance, and admits that she uses Conan’s name from time to time when she wants things to get done quickly. Several comedy stars we know and love got their start interning for Conan, most notably John Krasinski, Mindy Kaling, and Ellie Kemper, who would all later star together on The Office. In one of Aubrey Plaza’s many appearances on Conan, she explains how she earned her SAG card by playing a page for Late Night with Conan O’Brien on 30 Rock.
Conan Gets Styled By Dapper Dan
During one of Conan’s residencies at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, Conan stops by a popular clothing shop to get styled by the legendary Dapper Dan, the man behind iconic looks for music stars such as Salt-N-Pepa and Run DMC. Conan’s first few attempts at a new look do not get the Dapper Dan stamp of approval. In a particularly busy outfit thet Conan whips up, Dan tells Conan, “It looks like you was nominated for 5 BET Awards, and you wore 5 outfits, and you wore them all at the same time.” Fortunately, it was Dapper Dan to the rescue, and Conan debuted his stellar new wardrobe during his show with Dan by his side.
Conan Becomes a Civil War Reenactor
Does Conan have what it takes to be a soldier? In this hilarious and historical remote, Conan and his crew head east to Resaca, Georgia where they visit the site of the Battle of Resaca to meet with some Civil War reenactors. Conan transforms into his soldier alias Jedediah Longtree by sporting a uniform, mutton chops, a mustache, and a pipe. He sends a letter home to his sidekick Andy Richter, and yearns for more simple times “over yonder” by the crick. And man, would he do anything just to have a slice of his mother’s famous peach pie. “Now I don’t know much about ciphers and numbers. I don’t know what the sky is, never heard of the sun, never saw any dirt. But I’ll tell you this. My momma makes the best peach pie you never did see!”
Conan and Deon Cole’s Soul Food Adventure
“We need more gravy. We need a lot of gravy.” Conan writer and performer Deon Cole takes Conan to Inglewood, California, a place where Conan doesn’t quite fit in. Nevertheless, Conan is excited to tackle the deep fried menu items at Ms. B’s M & M Soul Food. The two eat everything from mac and cheese and pork chops to deep fried bologna sandwiches. Deon also shares the best way to transport soul food, and Conan learns that he can never have enough gravy. “How do you eat this and go back to work? That’s my question,” Conan asks Deon after their filling and flavorful feast, to which Deon replies, “I don’t.”
Conan Forces Jordan Schlansky to Clean His Filthy Office
It’s time for an intervention. Associate producer Jordan Schlansky is a very particular man, and yet, when it comes to his office, anything goes. Conan’s had enough of Jordan’s shenanigans, and hires a professional organizer to get the bizarrely unkempt room in order. Jordan, on the other hand, is content eating his salami and cheese baguette next to mountains of paperwork, empty cardboard boxes, and a random jar of sauerkraut. Jordan also explains in great detail why he has two different pitchers of water in his office, which annoys Conan even more than he thought possible. Jordan Schlansky’s been the subject of many Conan remotes, including couples counseling, coffee tasting, trying an escape room, and another intervention concerning his tardiness.
Conan Crashes A “Magic Mike XXL” Girls’ Night Out
Girls’ night! Hold on, someone’s at the door. It’s Conan, and he’s ready to get his Magic Mike XXL “on.” In this remote, Conan pops by Sona’s apartment to accompany her and some other women from the office to a midnight showing of the stripper sequel. Conan is totally out of his element, and in an attempt to find out what’s in store, says to the women, “Raise your hand tonight if you would like it if you saw a penis.” Before they get to the theater, they party together in a limo, grab dinner at a Los Angeles sports bar called Big Wangs, and Conan shows off some of his own dance moves, much to Sona’s horror. Conan’s hijinx and dry one-liners are sure to have you laughing (and cringing) along with his brave employees.
Need more of that pompadour? Listen to his podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, which he co-hosts with Sona Movsesian and Matt Gourley.