Conan O’Brien on the Future of Comedy and the Decline of Traditional Writers Rooms
- Conan O’Brien delivered a stark assessment of the modern entertainment economy on Wednesday, telling the Bloomberg Screentime conference that the lucrative, long-running writers rooms of his early career...
- Reflecting on the financial realities of television during his early days hosting Late Night at NBC, O’Brien recalled an era when shows generated massive profits and networks covered...
- Those lavish budgets shifted as viewing habits evolved and competition increased across the media industry.
Conan O’Brien delivered a stark assessment of the modern entertainment economy on Wednesday, telling the Bloomberg Screentime conference that the lucrative, long-running writers rooms of his early career are gone for good. Speaking with Bloomberg reporter Ashley Carman, O’Brien acknowledged that the television landscape looks entirely different than it did when he started on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons.
Lobster, Champagne, and the NBC Corporate Tab
Reflecting on the financial realities of television during his early days hosting Late Night at NBC, O’Brien recalled an era when shows generated massive profits and networks covered lavish perks for staff. The days of writers rooms running from August through May with generous compensation for twenty-somethings and network tabs for food are not coming back, according to O’Brien. He shared an anecdote about the program’s writers ordering lobster and champagne on the network’s dime, taking the instruction to order anything they like entirely literally.
Detroit Parallels and the Shift Away from Broadcast
Those lavish budgets shifted as viewing habits evolved and competition increased across the media industry. Over his 17 years at NBC, O’Brien observed networks demanding greater cost-consciousness as viewers migrated to premium cable channels like HBO and Cinemax, followed by a proliferation of rival late-night programs. He compared the shifting television market to the auto industry in Detroit, noting that structural changes fundamentally altered the business model.
Weighing CBS Losses Against the Late-Night Decline
Carman pressed O’Brien on whether he agrees with network justifications that late night has become a bad business model, referencing recent decisions such as CBS citing a $40 million annual loss when bringing an end to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. O’Brien did not offer a direct yes or no answer regarding the financial viability of current late-night broadcasts.
Global Volume and the Next Generation of Comedy
Despite the financial contraction and the cancellation of long-running institutional formats, O’Brien expressed confidence in the resilience of comedic talent. He emphasized that millions of comedy videos uploaded globally every day ensure that new comedic voices will continue to find audiences. As O’Brien put it, if you do the math on that volume of content, a significant number of those uploads will rank among the funniest things a viewer has ever seen.
Adaptation in a Radically Altered Medium
Looking ahead, O’Brien acknowledged that the future of comedy and television writing will not resemble the industry he entered decades ago. He expressed gratitude for the environment that launched his career writing for classic television series, but he maintained that creative individuals will naturally adapt by finding new ways to congregate and produce work. He concluded that while the structures will morph and change, exceptionally talented people will ultimately find ways to profit from the new medium.