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Martin Short Returns Again

Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

Hosted by Conan O'Brien

1h 1m
Transcript

Original podcast

Summary

Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.

Conan O'Brien discusses his recent trip to Aspen where he wandered around alone and visited the Woody Creek Tavern before welcoming comedy legend Martin Short to the show. The guest and host trade affectionate insults while exploring the rich history of Canadian comedy, tracing their roots back to the legendary 1972 Toronto production of Godspell that launched the careers of Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, and others. They also examine the lasting influence of sketch pioneers, Jerry Lewis impressions, and why keeping a loose, fun environment on set creates the best comedy.

  • Make yourself big and make noise if you encounter a black bear. 5:00
  • Give yourself a concrete timeframe when pursuing a creative career so you never have to wonder what if. 58:35
  • Prioritize a fun and loose working environment on set to keep the cast and crew happy. 1:05:07

Chapters

  1. 0:00
    Apple Card Ad and Show Intro

    The episode opens with an Apple Card advertisement followed by Conan’s brief introduction of the show and his crew.

  2. 1:00
    Martin Short’s Aspen Adventure

    Conan recounts his solo trip to Aspen, detailing encounters with bears, a play by his wife, and a spontaneous bike ride to Woody Creek Tavern.

  3. 1:36
    Unexpected Call from Matt O'Brien

    During the Aspen story, Matt O'Brien unexpectedly joins the call, leading to a humorous interruption and a brief exchange about their friendship.

  4. 4:48
    Early Career and Godspell Origins

    Martin Short shares his beginnings in Toronto, the Godspell production, and the pivotal moments that launched his comedy career.

  5. 8:00
    Reflections on Canadian Comedy Culture

    The conversation turns to the unique humor of Canadian comedians, the influence of SCTV, and the cultural factors that produce so many funny people.

  6. 10:00
    Closing and Farewell

    Conan wraps up the episode with final remarks, thanks to guests, and a goodbye to listeners.

  7. 12:57
    Martin Short Returns as Guest

    Conan welcomes Martin Short back to the show, introducing him and setting the stage for a deeper conversation about his career.

  8. 40:20
    Personal Anecdotes and Relationships

    Conan and Martin discuss personal stories, including Martin’s relationships with Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, and other SCTV colleagues.

  9. 50:08
    Revisiting Jerry Lewis Interviews

    The hosts reflect on past interviews with Jerry Lewis, recalling the humor and awkward moments that shaped their perspective.

  10. 53:24
    AI‑Driven Scams and Identity Theft

    A discussion shifts to the rise of AI‑powered scams, the statistics behind them, and the importance of identity protection services.

  11. 54:44
    Pandora Music Promotion

    The podcast includes a brief promotional segment for Pandora, highlighting its personalized music discovery features.

Highlights

  • 1:00

    Excited to be friendsinsight

    Martin Short opens the episode by joking that he feels sexually excited about being Conan O'Brien's friend.

  • 14:25

    Seeing Conan in a new lightinsight

    The guest jokes that Conan looks like the love child between Lurch and Kathy Griffin, or a Q-tip with ketchup on it.

  • 18:38

    The Godspell origin storystory

    The guest explains how the 1972 Toronto production of Godspell brought together an unprecedented group of young Canadian comedic talent.

  • 26:19

    Making fake shows in the atticstory

    The guest describes recording imaginary radio shows in his attic as a teenager, complete with dubbed applause from Frank Sinatra live at the Sands.

  • 34:25

    Avoiding cocaine in the 1970sinsight

    Both the host and guest note that they never touched cocaine during the height of its popularity in the 1970s, joking they had enough natural energy already.

  • 49:39

    Jerry Lewis live in Parisinsight

    The host highlights the guest's famously unhinged SCTV impression of Jerry Lewis performing live at the Champs-Élysées.

  • 1:00:48

    Honorary mayor of Pacific Palisadesstory

    The guest shares a story about giving a speech impersonating John F. Kennedy while serving as the honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades.

Quotes

  • “The rule is, black attack, brown lay down.”
    Conan O'Brien · 4:51
  • “The show that influenced me much more than Saturday Night Live was SCTV.”
    Conan O'Brien · 20:01
  • “I don't do a Jerry, but he said, I watch you and I see what you do and I love it.”
    Conan O'Brien · 50:54
  • “In 2025, AI fraud spiked 1,210% and cost Americans $893 million.”
    Conan O'Brien · 53:47
  • “I was 20 and my father just died and I thought, you know, I had an inheritance, but I knew that he wouldn't support me being an actor.”
    Unnamed speaker · 59:15
  • “I don't want to be a waiter at 37, so I will give it a year.”
    Unnamed speaker · 59:29
  • “I think that, but had that not happened, I would probably, then I would have gone to politics, you know, run as a member of parliament for Hamilton, but I would have done as Kennedy.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:00:13
  • “I love you to death.”
    Conan O'Brien · 1:06:30
  • Apple Card 0:00–0:52
  • LifeLock 22:04–23:19
  • T-Mobile 23:36–24:35
  • Atlantic Union Bank 25:00–25:20
  • LifeLock 54:10–54:40
  • Pandora 54:44–55:05
  • Glow Gummies 55:13–55:28
  • SiriusXM 1:07:52–1:08:06
  • Simply Safe 1:08:35–1:08:48

About this episode

Martin Short feels sexually excited about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Martin sits down with Conan once more to discuss taking Only Murders in the Building to London for its sixth season, revisiting the 1972 Toronto Godspell production with the documentary You Had To Be There, remembering the uproarious Gilda Radner, and more. For Conan videos, tour dates and more visit TeamCoco.com. Got a question for Conan? Call our voicemail: (323) 362-2295.

Transcript

0:00
1:01:42

12,238 words · 7 speakers

Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

Topics

  • Aspen
  • Woody Creek
  • Woody Creek Tavern
  • AI
  • Apple
  • Nine to Five
  • Ruthless
  • Granger
  • The White Stripes
  • Apple Pay

Page updated · transcript and summary are machine-generated