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O'Brien's problem is not his lack of fame -- Letterman wasn't well known when Late Night started -- but his inexperience: Can any amateur convincingly manage the complexities of generating laughter, conveying onscreen authority, interviewing guests? Despite Littlefield's declaration that "the accent will be on comedy more than on interviews," no one has figured out how to do that: hour for hour, Late Night's budget is a tenth of SNL's. The most recent attempt to ignore those cruel economics was The Wilton North Report, a disastrous late-night comedy-and-talk show on Fox, which had among its staff of very smart writers the young -- that is, even younger -- Conan O'Brien.
O'Brien could wind up as a Trivial Pursuit question, but Michaels, at whose insistence NBC made this admirably nutty, roll-the-dice decision, cannot really lose. Already his power is enhanced. A source close to Michaels says he will demand for himself some of the millions NBC is saving on the host's salary. If the kid doesn't work out, his failure will be generally regarded as noble and inevitable, not really Michaels' fault. On the other hand, if the show succeeds and O'Brien seems about to become the fin-de-siecle Ernie Kovacs, his producer's megagenius will be indisputable. Which might prove useful a year from now, when Michaels' NBC contract is up for renewal.