With apologies to the Saints, puppies, and tackled Betty White, the best fifteen seconds on television last night was the Letterman-Leno-Oprah interstitial. It could’ve been better, though! Late Show executive producer Rob Burnett says he approached Conan O’Brien to appear in the ad, but couldn’t make it work: “I made an initial call to [Conan’s producer] Jeff Ross, who said they had too much going on to consider it,” Burnett tells Nikki Finke. According to the Wrap, the planning coincided with O’Brien’s final Tonight Show, so it’s understandable that he would’ve been busy. But also, NBC might not have allowed Jay to appear alongside Conan anyway, since they’re currently trying to forget he ever existed. Plus, Conan wouldn’t have been able to sneak into the taping at the Ed Sullivan Theater with the same ease as Leno because everybody knows what he looks like in a mustache.
Here’s That Dave, Jay, Oprah, Super Bowl Ad; UPDATE: Why Conan Wasn’t Included … [DHD]
Dave Wanted Conan for Jay-Oprah Super Bowl Promo [Wrap]
