Conan O’Brien started doing dress rehearsals last week for his new late-night talk show — just as the news about Jay Leno’s sinking ratings was coming out.
Andy Richter, O’Brien’s longtime second banana, admits in an exclusive interview with The Post that it was “a little bit of fun to hear that.”
Conan’s new show on TBS starts next Monday.
Q: Will the feel of the new show be similar or dissimilar to the last one?
Similar, but, dare I say, more relaxed. And happier.
We are starting from scratch here. This is the first time that Conan and I are starting up a show where we weren’t replacing somebody. So there are no footsteps to follow in.
It is like our first grownup party where we don’t have to worry about our parents coming home and yelling at us about doing something wrong.
Q: What do you and Conan fight about?
We don’t really bicker, but we tease each other a lot. I sort of accuse him of being like a young Montgomery Burns — you know, sort of talks a good game and is a big tough guy but is actually kind of a coward and a weakling. His caricature of me is kind of the brainless country bumpkin.
Q: Tell me honestly, what do you think of his beard?
I like it. It took him a little while to get it to where it is looking good.
I can’t grow a beard at all. I look like a rabbinical student when I try. So I am envious. I have a baby face.
But I do tell him he looks like Dr. Benton Quest [from “Jonny Quest“]. Which certainly isn’t boosting his reputation as a heterosexual.
Q: Was there a commission formed to name the show? Did the network spend a million dollars coming up with “Conan”?
If you spent 10 minutes here, you would realize how silly that question is. There is not a commission about anything. Most decisions are just kind of made on the fly. “How about ‘Conan’?” “Ok, good.”
Q: What would viewers be surprised to learn about behind the scenes at your show?
People are always shocked by how much work it is to put on a one-hour talk show. It is a long day to think up all this nonsense. It takes a lot of work to be stupid.
Q: Will your role change on this new show?
I don’t think so. I am going to be announcing the show, sitting on the couch and cracking wise.
Q: Maybe about Jay Leno having fewer viewers than “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” . . .
I don’t want to wish ill will on anybody, but I would be lying to you if I said it didn’t feel a little bit fun to hear that — that there wasn’t some kind of feeling of reward in that.
It is kind of vindicating in a way. I think that one of the reasons we ended up leaving was because of their impatience with us.
And I think that was a mistake on their part. So I had a hunch about that, and it is nice to have that hunch seemingly proven true.