Conan O’Brien went through a fiasco with NBC executives due to the network’s attempts to save money, as indicated in the beginning of the documentary Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop. The network wanted to move “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” to a 12:05 a.m. slot, but the host became frantic about it because he felt comfortable with the slot that was initially given to him. It makes for quite a scene in the movie, as O’Brien meets with his writers and executive producer Jeff Ross.

O’Brien was not allowed to perform anything on television or the Internet for six months per the agreement made when he parted ways with the network. So, he hit the road for a national Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour.

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, directed by Rodman Flender, is a typical road documentary that takes off after the aftermath with NBC when O’Brien finds a way to reach out to his fans by deciding to go on the tour. What struck me as funny was the fact that Conan didn’t necessarily plan strategically for the tour, thus leaving everything up in the air because he was not sure whether or not he would be able to sell tickets. He then finds out that the show is sold out on both coasts after announcing it on Twitter and scrambles to put together a show.

He parlays the circumstance by expressing that the dismissal was a blessing in disguise. It was not like he wasn’t ever going to be on television again as a talk show host, and he states that he can’t see himself doing anything else but entertaining audiences on television or stage. The documentary gives the viewer an in-depth view into the shenanigans of O’Brien and his crew, which border on cheesy at times but make for pleasant viewing for fans. Andy Richter is back as co-host on the tour and is the funniest of the crew. His cynicism cuts through the wind of excitement and fury during the tour as he doles out his own special brand of dry humor.

There are special guests who appear, such as Jim Carrey and Stephen Colbert, but the best moments are the scenes of intimacy between O’Brien and his assistant. He shows his respect for her and playfully taunts her as well as if she were his wife. But don’t expect any sexual tension between the two because there isn’t any. O’Brien’s wife does appear in the documentary with their two kids so the audience gets a sense of his priorities. He gives the audience the impression that his goal is to please absolutely everybody.

Grade: B



Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop releases in select theaters June 24.