Sleeper Hold

Last night really began for me in the mid-1980's. I would sneak out of bed or fake some sort of insomnia/illness just to get a glimpse of Saturday Night Live. Of course, when I became a bit more technically inclined, I would just set the VCR and catch up on what I missed the next morning. Hartman, Carvey, Nealon, Miller, Myers, Hooks, Lovitz, and Dunne all became a regular presence in my popular culture.

So, when I heard that a former SNL writer from that era was taking over Letterman's spot, I couldn't help but fall in love with at least the idea. It was a perfect fit. For the first time, a network was bringing a bit of the SNL style and edge to weekday late night talk-show format. How could it go wrong? At least for us geeks who obsessed over it's weekend predecessor.

It's been documented ad nauseaum about Conan's short-comings during his first few years. To add insult to injury, my 11th grade history teacher, Mrs. French was Conan's cousin. And when we asked what she thought of his first week, all she could muster up was a "ehhhh." But I didn't care because like almost every great SNL skit from that era, there was sure to be something memorable about the show, either good and bad.

The rest is history. Things settled down. The show found its groove and regularly hit it out of the park. Conan never really grew into the role of interviewer, but it didn't matter. He knew how to make a generation laugh in a different way: Skits, self-deprecating humor, bringing guests in on the joke and great characters. Here's some of my favorites from Conan's first foray into the late night world.

The agency identity crisis

Quick question (OK, 2):
1) Is your agency, you know, if you work for an agency, more set up to succeed at Cannes or SXSW?

2) Do you want said agency to be more Cannes or SXSW?