List of Late Night with Conan O'Brien sketches
The sketch was invented prior to the actual year 2000, but the show's writers decided to keep the named year the same even after the passing of the titular year, in a sort of ironic twist. However, when the sketch was revived on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien", Richter heaped ridicule upon O'Brien for failing to update the name of the skit nine years after the year 2000 had passed. The sketch is renamed "In the Year 3000", with the black robe (referred to as a 'ratty smock' by Richter) being replaced with a more futuristic-looking outfit consisting of a large metallic collar with a series of blinking lights, which Conan said were very expensive to make and Andy said smelled bad. Appearing on "Tonight" June 3, 2009, it was the first "Late Night" sketch to be carried over to Conan's "Tonight Show". The open to the sketch included narration by William Shatner and, on one occasion, George Takei.
2010 Tonight Show conflict
In September 1993, Conan O'Brien made his television debut on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" after working as a writer on such television comedy institutions as "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons". O'Brien's brand of irreverent humor proved to be a hit with the late night audience, including memorable sketches like "If They Mated," "In the Year 2000," and "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog." In September 2004, on the 50th anniversary of "The Tonight Show", NBC announced that O'Brien would take over hosting duties from Jay Leno in 2009. While his time as host proved to be short-lived, O'Brien went on to launch a new late night talk show, "Conan", on TBS in November 2010. Conan O'Brien remains a true comedy innovator and, at almost 25 years on the air, has enjoyed one of the longest runs of any late night television host.