In a recent ceremony, Conan O’Brien and other television luminaries were inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, sparking discussions about the future of late night TV.
Conan O’Brien Reflects on the Future of Late Night Television
The Television Academy inducted six new members into its Hall of Fame on Saturday night, including Conan O’Brien, Ryan Murphy, Viola Davis, Henry Winkler, music composer Mike Post, and late director Don Mischer.
A Night of Celebration
The 27th annual ceremony took place at the J.W. Marriott L.A. Live, where O’Brien, honored by longtime friend Lisa Kudrow, humorously remarked, “You know, people say that television is dying, but I want to ask you — if our industry really was in trouble, would we be gathered right now for our greatest night in a downtown Los Angeles Marriott? On a weekend? In August? No!”
Changing Landscape of Late Night
During his speech, O’Brien reflected on the current state of late night television, stating, “Things are changing fast. I don’t claim to know the future of our beloved medium, but I know this: getting the privilege to play around with an hour of television has been the great joy of my professional career.”
He acknowledged the fears surrounding television’s future, saying, “The life we’ve all known for almost 80 years is undergoing seismic change. But I choose not to mourn what is lost, because, in the most essential way, what we have is not changing at all. Streaming changes the pipeline, but the connection, the talent, and the ideas that come into our homes are as potent as ever, and we have proof here tonight.”
Voices That Matter
In light of CBS’s announcement to end The Late Show with Stephen Colbert next year, O’Brien asserted, “Yes, late night television as we have known it since around 1950 is going to disappear, but those voices are not going anywhere. People like Stephen Colbert are too talented and too essential to go away. He’s going to evolve and shine brighter than ever in a new format that he controls completely.”
O’Brien expressed his belief that television will always prevail “if the stories are good, if the performances are honest and inspire; if the people making it are brave and of good will.”
Honoring Television’s Greats
Earlier in the evening, TV Academy Chair Cris Abrego and WME’s Rick Rosen opened the ceremony, followed by Sally Field presenting Viola Davis with her award. Davis emotionally shared, “TV saved me; it was an elixir. My purpose is not what I do, it’s what happens to people when I’m doing it.”
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Jon Burlingame presented Mike Post’s award, while Dana Walden celebrated Ryan Murphy, who humorously remarked, “If you’re really lucky in Hollywood, you can get a Hall of Fame award and a really good facelift.”
Reflecting on his career, Murphy noted, “I’ve created and written over 250 gay characters, 300 women-over-40 characters, over 1,000 trans characters — and I’ve been told I’ve written 10 straight male characters named Brad. I don’t remember a single one of those Brads.” He expressed concern about the current state of LGBTQ storytelling, stating, “All the things that I dedicated my career to are in danger of going away.”
Murphy concluded, “I am pivoting to continue the good fight, which is to create more work featuring the disenfranchised and the ignored.”
For the remaining honorees, Bob Costas presented Mischer’s award, accepted by his family, while Adam Sandler sent a video message in support of Winkler, who expressed gratitude for being part of a Hall of Fame that has been so good to him.
