The summary of ‘Conan O'Brien 'Tom Shales 12/11/03’

This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.

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The video features a conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning television columnist Tom Shales, co-author of "Live from New York," which is an oral history of "Saturday Night Live" (SNL). The discussion covers Shales' career and his famous reviews, including a humorous 1993 review of a young late-night host and his critical pieces on Kathie Lee’s Christmas specials. Shales shares anecdotes about being humorously referenced in TV shows like "The OC" and "The District." The conversation also touches on the critical reception of Chevy Chase by multiple generations of "SNL" cast members. The overall tone is light-hearted, with the host appreciating the night's show and mentioning the release of Shales' book in paperback before wrapping up the segment.

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In this part of the video, the host welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning television columnist Tom Shales, co-author of “Live from New York,” onto the show. The conversation focuses on Shales’ descriptive writing style and memorable reviews, particularly one from 1993 about a young late-night host who turned out to be the show’s own host. Shales humorously recalls referring to the host as having “dark beady little eyes like a rabbit” and describes the host as a “great white Irish shark.” The discussion then shifts to Shales’ critical reviews of Kathie Lee’s Christmas specials, which were popular among readers but not the subjects of his reviews. Notably, even Johnny Carson expressed his enjoyment of those critical pieces.

00:03:00

In this segment of the video, Tom Shales discusses how his career has faced challenges and shares anecdotes about TV shows referencing him in a humorous context. He mentions “The OC” making a joke about a patient named Tom Shales and “The District” featuring a scene where a character jokes about urinating on a Tom Shales review. Shales reflects on these references and their impact, noting the irony of being mocked by shows he criticized. The conversation shifts to the book “Live from New York,” an oral history of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL). Shales talks about contributors to the book immediately checking for their mentions, and highlights how Chevy Chase was repeatedly criticized by various “SNL” cast generations, noting his tendency to insult people.

00:06:00

In this part of the video, the speaker humorously mentions a past incident involving Conan O’Brien, describing him in a playful manner. There is a quick review of the night’s show, appreciating its pacing and humor. The speaker also briefly talks about the book “Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live” being available in paperback. The video segment wraps up with the host thanking a guest named Tom Sales and concluding the show.

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