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Robert Smigel on the "modern" type of "so bad it's good" comedy he was interested in early in his career; catching the comedy bug after performing and winning a comedy standup contest at NYU; "I was stung, I was infected"; on getting to perform at The Comic Strip in New York city; on his closing bit as Ronald Reagan (foreshadowing a later TV Funhouse sketch "The X Presidents"); on getting more gigs after that; on being a fan of comedy that "tore everything down and made fun of itself" 14:35
Interview: Robert Smigel | Profession: Performers
Robert Smigel on joining a sketch comedy program (The Players Workshop) at Second City in Chicago; on his love of Chicago and how the experience at Second City helped build his confidence as a comedian; on gravitating towards sketch comedy over improv; learning how to develop writing sketch comedy from the players at Second City like Dan Castellaneta; on his early sketch comedy ideas; on meeting Dan Crowley in Chicago and joining his comedy group (All You Can Eat) as his replacement; on Al Franken and Tom Davis, original writers from Saturday Night Live, coming to Chicago to see a show Smigel had created, "All You Can Eat and the Temple of Doom" 18:58
Interview: Robert Smigel | Profession: Performers
Robert Smigel on wanting to be a comedian since he was three years old; on his early influences in comedy 01:23
Interview: Robert Smigel
Robert Smigel on being influenced by television shows like Mister Ed and the talking horse (which may have influenced his character "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog") 01:33
Interview: Robert Smigel | Show: Mister Ed
Robert Smigel on wanting to be a comedian since he was three years old, and on his early influences being comedians like Red Skelton, and television shows like Mister Ed and Saturday Night Live, but on deciding to become dentist like his father because he didn't think it was possible to have a career as a comedian 06:01
Interview: Robert Smigel | Topic: Creative Influences and Inspiration
Robert Smigel on Dan Crowley inviting him back to Chicago and Second City and eventually joining his comedy group (All You Can Eat) as Dan's replacement, and on Al Franken and Tom Davis, original writers from Saturday Night Live, coming to Chicago to see a show he had created, "All You Can Eat and the Temple of Doom" 09:19
Interview: Robert Smigel | Topic: First Big Break
Robert Smigel on the "modern" type of "so bad it's good" comedy he was interested in early in his career; catching the comedy bug after performing and winning a comedy stand-up contest at NYU; "I was stung, I was infected"; on getting to perform at the Comic Strip in New York City; on his closing bit as Ronald Reagan (foreshadowing a later TV Funhouse sketch "The X Presidents"); on getting more gigs after that; on being a fan of comedy that "tore everything down and made fun of itself"; on being introduced to The Second City by Tim Kazurinsky 15:14
Interview: Robert Smigel | Topic: First Big Break
Robert Smigel on wanting to be a comedian since he was three years old, and on his early influences being comedians like Red Skelton, and television shows like Mister Ed and Saturday Night Live, but on deciding to become dentist like his father because he didn't think it was possible to have a career as a comedian 06:01
Interview: Robert Smigel | Topic: Pivotal Career Moments
Robert Smigel on Dan Crowley inviting him back to Chicago and Second City and eventually joining his comedy group (All You Can Eat) as Dan's replacement, and on Al Franken and Tom Davis, original writers from Saturday Night Live, coming to Chicago to see a show he had created, "All You Can Eat and the Temple of Doom" 09:19
Interview: Robert Smigel | Topic: Pivotal Career Moments
Robert Smigel on the "modern" type of "so bad it's good" comedy he was interested in early in his career; catching the comedy bug after performing and winning a comedy stand-up contest at NYU; "I was stung, I was infected"; on getting to perform at the Comic Strip in New York City; on his closing bit as Ronald Reagan (foreshadowing a later TV Funhouse sketch "The X Presidents"); on getting more gigs after that; on being a fan of comedy that "tore everything down and made fun of itself"; on being introduced to The Second City by Tim Kazurinsky 15:14
Interview: Robert Smigel | Topic: Pivotal Career Moments
On a television pilot he did in 1991 with Conan O’Brien called Lookwell; on Smigel's love of Batman and Adam West (who played "Batman" on the original TV show); on Adam West having to audition for the role; on Conan O'Brien leaving the writers' room on The Simpsons; on Conan’s audition for Lorne Michael to be host of the Late Night show spot in 1993; on the format of Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on producing the show 29:56
Interview: Robert Smigel
On the format of Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on his initial reluctance to produce Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on how the show was received by critics initially; on Andy Richter and how the role of a sidekick for Conan came about and other people who were considered for the job; on the Clutch Cargo-style bits (which consisted of a still image of a celebrity and the mouth of a real person, with Smigel as the mouth impersonating them); on some of his memorable impersonations for the Clutch Cargo sketches; on why the Clutch Cargo sketches worked and what made them funny; on his impersonation of Arnold Schwarzenegger; on his impersonation of (former Senate Majority leader) Bob Dole in the Clutch Cargo sketches 28:25
Interview: Robert Smigel
On not knowing if Late Night with Conan O'Brien was viable and the stresses of producing the show; on his self-effacing personal style; on having fake guests on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on first doing a voice as a dog character which would eventually become "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog"; on the popularity of "Triumph"; on doing the first remote shoot with the "Triumph" character at the real Westminster Dog Show; on the now-infamous sketch with "Triumph" roasting fans at a Star Wars movie premiere; on the line "Triumph" uttered at the Star Wars premiere to a fan dressed as "Darth Vader" ("And which one of these buttons calls your mother to pick you up?”) being one of the funniest lines he wrote as "Triumph" 25:47
Interview: Robert Smigel
Robert Smigel on the Clutch Cargo-style bits he and Dino Stamatopoulos devised for Late Night With Conan O'Brien 04:05
Interview: Robert Smigel | Genre: Late Night
Robert Smigel on a television pilot he did in 1991 with Conan O’Brien called Lookwell; on Smigel's love of Batman and Adam West (who played "Batman" on the original TV show); on actor Adam West having to audition for the role; on hiring a detective show director instead of a comedy director (E.W. Swackhamer); on NBC executive Rick Ludwin; on Brandon Tartikoff leaving the NBC network and Warren Littlefield coming in, who was not as enthusiastic about the project; on not being able to impersonate Conan O’Brien 14:20
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Conan O'Brien
Robert Smigel on a television pilot he did in 1991 with Conan O’Brien called Lookwell; on Smigel's love of Batman and Adam West (who played "Batman" on the original TV show); on actor Adam West having to audition for the role; on hiring a detective show director instead of a comedy director (E.W. Swackhamer); on NBC executive Rick Ludwin; on Brandon Tartikoff leaving the NBC network and Warren Littlefield coming in, who was not as enthusiastic about the project; on not being able to impersonate Conan O’Brien 14:20
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Adam West
Robert Smigel on the working relationship he had with Conan O'Brien after the failed Lookwell pilot they had developed together, and on not being able to impersonate Conan 01:51
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Conan O'Brien
Robert Smigel on Adam West appearing as a guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and on other sketches he wrote for West 02:19
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Adam West
Robert Smigel on some of the writers he hired for Late Night with Conan O'Brien including Louis C.K. and Dino Stamatopoulos; on wanting the show to steer clear of some of the reality-based humor that Conan's predecessors used like David Letterman; on Louis coming up with the "Actual Items" sketches 01:33
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Louis C.K.
Robert Smigel on Andy Richter and how the role of a sidekick for Conan came about; on how Richter was originally hired as a writer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on why it clicked between Conan and Andy; on how Stephen Colbert was also considered as Conan’s sidekick; on how NBC hated Andy as a sidekick initially; on what made a good sidekick for a personality like Conan’s 06:29
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Andy Richter
Robert Smigel on the Clutch Cargo-style bits he developed with Dino Stamatopoulos (this technology consisted of a still photo image of a celebrity paired with a real person’s mouth voicing an impersonation of them); on how Smigel came to be the mouth of the Clutch Cargo sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien 03:46
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Bill Clinton
Robert Smigel on the Clutch Cargo-style bits he developed with Dino Stamatopoulos (this technology consisted of a still photo image of a celebrity paired with a real person’s mouth voicing an impersonation of them); on how Smigel came to be the mouth of the Clutch Cargo sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on his Clutch Cargo impersonation of then-President Bill Clinton; on doing this sketch live being one of the most exciting moments in his career 04:05
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Dino Stamatopoulos
Robert Smigel on the Clutch Cargo sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and on his Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation 00:53
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Robert Smigel on his Bob Dole Clutch Cargo impression on Late Night with Conan O'Brien being his favorite; on talking about the politician in the third person; on Dole being the funniest person he ever got to play; on doing a different version of the impression when he did Dole on The Dana Carvey Show 03:17
Interview: Robert Smigel | Person: Bob Dole
Robert Smigel on why the Clutch Cargo sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien worked and what made them funny, and on his Arnold Schwarzenegger Clutch Cargo impression 02:13
Interview: Robert Smigel | Profession: Writers
Robert Smigel on writing for his character "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on the Westminster Dog Show remote episodes with "Triumph"; on some of the best lines being improvised and not pre-written; on the remote bit where "Triumph" roasts fans of Star Wars outside the movie's premiere in NYC 07:39
Interview: Robert Smigel | Profession: Writers
Robert Smigel on coming up with the idea for his character "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" for Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on his wife getting him puppets for his birthday, which was coincidentally right when the Westminster Dog Show was happening; on the character first saying “for me to poop on”; on the dog’s gold bow tie; on the cigar prop; on doing a deadpan stare as "Triumph" in the vein of comedian Myron Cohen; on the character being a good catharsis for the audience since Conan is super polite and "Triumph" is the opposite 08:45
Interview: Robert Smigel | Profession: Writers
Robert Smigel on the stresses of producing Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on his self-effacing personal style; not being a super enthusiastic personality; on watching an episode of The Simpsons about "Krusty the Klown" and identifying with the premise of being a person who wallows in his creativity rather than rejoicing in it 06:08
Interview: Robert Smigel | Profession: Producers
Robert Smigel on the Clutch Cargo-style bits he developed with Dino Stamatopoulos (this technology consisted of a still photo image of a celebrity paired with a real person’s mouth voicing an impersonation of them); on how Smigel came to be the mouth of the Clutch Cargo sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien 04:06
Interview: Robert Smigel
Robert Smigel on coming up with the idea for his character "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" for Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on his wife getting him puppets for his birthday, which was coincidentally right when the Westminster Dog Show was happening; on the character first saying “for me to poop on”; on the dog’s gold bow tie; on the cigar prop; on doing a deadpan stare as "Triumph" in the vein of comedian Myron Cohen; on the character being a good catharsis for the audience since Conan is super polite and "Triumph" is the opposite 08:07
Interview: Robert Smigel