The 2009-2010 season of The Tonight Show was only one of many elements to his career. His first big break occurred in January 1988 when Saturday Night Live hired O’Brien as a show writer. He and his SNL co-workers received the 1989 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy or Variety Series.

Following his time spent at Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien went on to write and produce for the long time hit series, The Simpsons. His first appearance as a television host was in 1993 when he signed on for Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the successor show to Late Night with David Letterman. Late Night is what Conan O’Brien is best known for, as he was the host for twelve years before his transition to The Tonight Show in 2009.