Conan Conducts A Staff Review With Producer Sean Doherty | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

In this special staff review episode, Conan O'Brien sits down with his Senior Producer, Sean Doherty, a tall, Irish, Boston-bred individual whom Conan often jokes resembles him. The episode serves as a comedic 'performance review' where Conan playfully roasts, praises, and teases Sean, exploring his journey within Team Coco and his burgeoning career outside of it, all while maintaining a hilarious, mock-antagonistic dynamic.

Sean Doherty details his impressive rise from an intern in 2018/2019 during the final year of Conan's TBS show to his current role as a Senior Producer. In this capacity, he is responsible for producing other prominent podcasts, including those for Conan's long-time sidekick Andy Richter and actor Rob Lowe. Conan, however, cannot resist making light of Sean's universally beloved status among the staff, humorously admitting that too much praise for an employee makes him want to find a way to 'break that'.

A significant reveal during the review is Sean's recent success in co-writing and selling a screenplay with his friend Caroline. Conan, with mock indignation, immediately demands a role in the film, despite it being a high school comedy where he jokingly concedes he might have 'aged out' of a student role. He then comically auditions for a disciplinarian principal character, threatening to sue Sean into oblivion if he isn't cast, claiming, "When you reach my state of the business, which is quite high, this the level that I'm at right now, I don't need reasons. I've got judges in my pocket."

Sean shares that the screenplay is set in Massachusetts, his home state, and is an homage to the classic Billy Wilder movie, *The Apartment*. Conan also humorously recounts his initial interaction with Sean, explaining that he hired him as a 'decoy' due to their physical resemblance, intending for Sean to "take a bullet for me" if an assassin ever targeted Conan, a strategy he claims was inspired by Saddam Hussein. Sean confirms Conan's first words to him as a PA were, "We hired this young man, so if someone tries to assassinate me, this kid will die instead."

Listeners will gain insight into the playful, often absurd, and deeply comedic workplace culture behind *Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend*. The episode showcases Conan's unique brand of humor, his genuine (if comically concealed) affection for his staff, and Sean Doherty's remarkable career progression and creative endeavors, all delivered through entertaining banter and mock-accusations.