Hey there and welcome to an unusual episode of Conan O'Brien needs a friend.

This episode is being done very spur of the moment and it's happening because as everybody

knows now, Norm McDonnell died two days ago and I got the news like everyone else just

absolutely stunned, had no idea that Norm had not only been very ill but been very ill

for a very long time, none of us had any idea.

There's been this seismic reaction which is completely appropriate in the comedy world

and a lot's been said about Norm and I just had this very strong feeling yesterday that

I needed to talk to people about it and talk to people who like me experience Norm in

the moment and really try and understand what it was about this man.

This very improbable, unusual man.

It made him so different and I maintain that we are accustomed sadly to losing funny

talented people all the time and we grow accustomed to it.

I think Norm's impact is only going to grow and I think his significance in comedy is only

going to expand over time because he was such, such an incredible talent and trying to

describe what made Norm different is so difficult and I think so far when I've read everything

that's out there and I'm hearing, you know, to be fair, people were all taken by a surprise.

You're just hearing he was an original and there was no one like Norm and I keep thinking

no, no one's getting to it and I just wanted to take a stab today to try and understand

what exactly it was about this guy that was so, so brilliantly unusual and is going

to be so lasting and his work is so important.

So what I've done is I've asked two people who were sort of in the engine room with me

when over the years Norm made his appearances on the show.

...