Conan O’Brien turns 50 today and to celebrate, we decided to take a look back at his best contributions as a writer during the golden age of The Simpsons. Enjoy.
O’Brien is now more famous as a late-night TV talk-show host, of course, but he will always be remembered for his contributions as a writer for The Simpsons during two seasons of what was undoubtedly a golden age for the animated TV show in the early nineties.
O’Brien was hired as a writer for the show in 1991 and worked on it until 1993, when he replaced David Letterman as the host of a new late night chat show, which would come to be called Late Night with Conan O’Brien and ran until 2009.
O’Brien was chief writer on a number of episodes in season four and season five and below are our favourite episodes from that era, the last of which ‘Bart Gets Famous’, included a cameo appearance from O’Brien after he had left.
Happy birthday Conan and thanks for the memories.
Marge v The Monorail (Written by O’Brien)
‘I’ve sold monorails to Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook and by gum, it put them on the map.’
Homer goes to College (Written by O’Brien)
‘Neeeeerrrrrrrrd!’
New Kid on the Block (Written by O’Brien and featuring the Sea Captain, a character reportedly created by O’Brien… Yarr)
‘Does this look like a man who had ALL he can eat?’
Treehouse of Horror IV (Wraparounds by O’Brien)
‘Mmmm… forbidden donut’
Whacking Day
‘And now, to open this year’s festivities, here’s our Grand Marshall, the prophet of love, Larry White.’
‘It’s Barry White’.
‘No, it says here, Larry White.’
‘I know my own name.’
‘Yeah, well we’ll see’.
Krusty gets Kancelled
‘Old grey mare she ain’t what she used to be.’
Homer’s Barbershop quartet
‘Baby on board, something something Burt Ward… this thing writes itself.’
Cape Feare
‘Take him away, boys.’
‘Hey, I’m the chief here… Bake him away, toys’.
‘What’d you say, Chief?’
‘Do what the kid says.’
Rosebud
‘Smithers, I’m home.’
‘What, already?’
‘Yes.’
Bart Gets Famous
Sit perfectly still, only I may dance.’
