Letterman Wanted Coco For Super Bowl Commercial

By PopEater Staff Posted Feb 8th 2010 12:30PM

David Letterman's Super Bowl spot was almost home to all of the most famous names in talk in TV - including Conan O'Brien. According to The Wrap, the much-discussed promo, which featured Letterman, Leno and Oprah, was originally designed to star the ginger giant as well.

'Late Show' executive producer Rob Burnett approached Conan's camp about appearing in the commercial, but his request wasn't met with a response. "It wasn't as if they even said no," Burnett said. "I just think they weren't in a position to consider it all."

The concept for the "Late Show" promo, which was devised by Letterman himself, was immediately given the green light by CBS President and CEO Les Moonves. "He immediately said, 'Go for it. This is hilarious'," said Burnett. Despite the high-profile of the celebs in the commercial, information about the spot was kept quiet until Superbowl Sunday.

"We really wanted to keep this under wraps... there were a lot of internal logistical conversations about how to even get Jay and Oprah into our building secretly."

Although Letterman and Leno have been duking it out on their respective shows as of late, Leno seemed to harbor no grudges and reportedly signed onto the project immediately. "Jay's a comedian," Burnett said. "If it wasn't funny, I might have had a lot more doubt about it. But he understood that this was funny."

Any animosity between the hosts seems to have been put aside for now. "It was quick, it was easy," said Burnett. "There was nothing frosty or awkward about it... These guys have known each other for a long time. I don't think either of them particularly care about these jokes that have been made."

The Super Bowl ad, which was a reprise of a 2007 ad that Letterman did with Winfrey, was meant to poke fun at the recent tension between Jay and Dave sparked by the 'Tonight Show' battle that eventually led to Conan O'Brien leaving NBC.

In the commercial, a disgruntled Letterman declares that he's at "the worst Super Bowl party ever." Seconds later, the camera pans away to reveal Leno, who admits that Dave "is just saying that because I'm here."

Letterman and Leno did in fact film the commercial together, as Oprah Winfrey tweeted seconds after the ad ran that it was shot this week at the Ed Sullivan Theater with all three in attendance.

So, How Did This Happen?

According to Rob Burnett, who produces Dave's 'Late Show,' it was all Letterman's idea.

"Dave had this idea, 'What about getting Jay and Oprah together with me?' and he wrote it," Burnett explained in an interview with the Associated Press Sunday night. "We said, 'This is too funny to pass up.' First we called Oprah."

Arrangements were quickly made for Leno and Winfrey to fly to New York, and much detail was given to getting them inside the Ed Sullivan Theater unnoticed.

"We really wanted to keep this under wraps," he said. "There were a lot of internal logistical conversations about how to even get Jay and Oprah into our building secretly."

Filming took place last Tuesday. Leno arrived while Letterman was taping his show. He was disguised in a hooded sweatshirt, dark glasses and a fake mustache. No joke. Filming took less than a half-hour, Burnett said.

"It was quick, it was easy," he said. "The attitude was professional and cordial. Dave and Jay were fine with each other."

The two hosts have had a tumultuous relationship for decades, but it was recently rekindled thanks to Leno's reclaiming of the 'Tonight Show' on NBC. In the days leading up to O'Brien's departure, Letterman ripped Leno on several occasions, calling his behavior that pushed Conan out "vintage Jay."

Strangely enough, the commercial is an ad for Letterman's show, which Leno will soon compete directly against once again when he returns to his 11:30 slot following the Olympics.

Tags: conan obrien, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Oprah

Comments

(40)

Monday 08 February

By mamarosa4

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I agree that life is too short to hold grudges and that Oprah, Jay and Lettermen doing the ad shows some maturity with the whole situation. Remember the network started the problems to begin with, not the hosts of the shows.

By kelley

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Surprisingly boring, wait, not surprising if Letterman wrote it.

By mark turner

OK, far as I am concerned that ad was just three Obama @ss-kissers basking in their own glory. Ho-hum.

By David

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Great idea Dave and Jay was a good sport to be part of it.

By therese dilorenzo

Conan took the money and ran !!!

By janice

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it isnt even funny!

By kc

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Enough already!!!! Stop calling Conan O'brian "Coco". He's not a perfume tycoon like Chanel, or a gorilla. Just call him Conan, we'll know who you mean.

By BLFan

This just shows who the mature, professional participants are...and it's certainly NOT the little brat Conan who went off whining like a baby, "If I can't do the Tonight Show at 11:35 then I won't do it at all!!" I guess he didn't realize he was so pathetic that even NBC would say, "Then, ok, leave!" What a twit! He's a rich twit, but still a twit. And this 'no show' is proof that he too immature to take the heat and help out his 'old pal' Letterman after Letterman supported him through this whole NBC thing. Aaaaahhhh....Coco for cocoa puffs! Aaaaaahhh.

By Jackie

I was surprised to see Leno there and very happy that it seemed "all is right with the entertainment world" again! I didn't know that Conan was asked and it is a shame he didn't bother to even respond. I'm going to Google how this entire Conan/Leno thing began supposedly 5 years ago before I make a judgement. But now as I think about all of this, I smell a pseudo reality mini series had played out the last few months just to shake up the late night TV viewers.

By jrberdo

Letterman has never had an Original Idea...He is a bottom feeder..

By kak

this ad shows that the truth is that these performers have a life and those of us who object do not. . . they know it's all about what sells and what gets attention. They can get past all the nonsense about 'late night wars' and get on with their lives.

By sdh4194

these guys are big boys. i was highly amused.

By Anna

Would have been funnier if Coco was standing behind Leno making bunny ears behind Leno's head and saying out loud "no hard feelings Jay",while Leno is preoccupied eating chips on the sofa with Oprah and Letterman.

By Ross

Can't you people enjoy humor anymore? Do you have to read something into everything? Laugh, enjoy every minute you can.

By N-YO-FACE

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

The spot would have been way funnier if Oprah wasn't dressed like a Quaker.

By jason

Conan is just a big baby... gimme a break.

Tuesday 09 February

By WALT

AM I THE ONLY ONE IN ALL OF AMERICA WHO THOUGHT THE LENO, OPRAH, LETTERMAN PROMO (AND THAT'S WHAT IT REALLY WAS) WAS LAME AND NOT REALLY FUNNY AT ALL? AND GOLLY GEE WHIZ, DAVE THOUGHT IT ALL UP BY HIMSELF! DAVE IS NOT THAT FUNNY ANYMORE. WHY DOES HE GRIMACE SO MUCH? JAY IS GOING TO WHIP HIS SORRY BUTT ONCE AGAIN WHEN THEY GO HEAD-TO-HEAD. AND WHO WOULD WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH DAVE?

By yearoftheknicks

LETTERMAN IS AN ANUS FROM URANUS.

By joey the gent

hope they didn,t donate the money to haiti. we have a lot of needy here in america

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