Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O’Brien Must Go: New Zealand Roundtable Discussion
Thu, 15 May 2025
Conan sits down with writers Mike Sweeney, Jessie Gaskell, and Jose Arroyo to discuss shooting Conan O’Brien Must Go in New Zealand, being joined by Taika Waititi at the record-breaking haka, meeting Conan’s New Zealander name twin, and more. Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/conan.
Chapter 1: Who are the guests joining Conan for the New Zealand episode discussion?
Today is the day that episode two in the series drops. And today's episode then is about New Zealand because that is where I travel. I am joined by the crack team as opposed to the team on crack. Why not both? These are all good quips and we'll edit them out. Terrific team. Mike Sweeney, of course, at the helm. Came in a little late wearing one of the three shirts he owns.
And I'm also joined by Jesse Gaskell. It takes time to pick them out. Okay. We're interrupting Jesse's intro for that little sprinkle. Jesse Gaskell, terrific writer, producer, joke writer. And Jose Arroyo, also a terrific comedic mind. And both of you have joined.
You're being nice to us.
It's a trap. What a trap. What a trap. It's a trap. What you do is you put honey in the trap and then they fall into the pit and out of the spikes. This team, this unit has come on most of the travel shows, just about all of them, if not all of them. And I'm talking about the TBS days and all those Cone Without Borders shows. And now on the Max series, Conan O'Brien Must Go, season two.
We are today discussing the second episode in the series, which is New Zealand. Guys, what did you think? It's out right now.
Out right now as we speak. It's amazing. I loved it. I actually saw it just to prepare for this.
Oh, is that true? I did a little homework. You did preparation for this?
Okay. And I saw it.
No, you're not ever supposed to watch these again.
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Chapter 2: What cultural experiences did Conan and team encounter in New Zealand?
And who was there before that?
Before that, it was a medical conference. Get away. And it was for Bausch and Lomb. And it was interesting because when we went, before we began filming, we were taken by a Maori guide to this mountaintop that looked over, this is in the North Island, in Auckland.
Auckland.
And he there was a long discussion about the history. And then he led a ceremony.
It was kind of blessing the film shoot.
Yes. He was blessing the film shoot. Another another. Right. Yeah. And yeah. Which we should always do, really. Yes. We should... Oh, okay. So when I go to the American Girl store to drink too much with a doll, we should be a blessing first at the American Girl store. Yeah, it was really nice to be introduced to the culture and then... visit the fans, and we learned a lot.
Our visit coincided with something that is in the Guinness Book of World Records, which is part of the show, which is there is a ritual there called the haka to the uninitiated. It looks kind of like a dance routine, like a very old kind of... It's like a flash mob. Yeah, it looks like a flash mob, but it's something that's performed.
It's been around for, I'm guessing, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years. And it's very important to the culture. And they tried to break the world's record for the largest number of people doing the haka at the same time. So they filled a stadium and I was joined by none other than.
Taika Waititi.
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Chapter 3: What is the significance of the haka and how did Conan participate?
You had a baby on the back.
You were at New Horizons.
Oh, I fell off the baby again.
Yeah. Can I just back up for a second? You were with Child when we went to... Norway and Thailand. Norway and Thailand. And we didn't know. Of course, you kept it a secret. Well, it was early days. You know that I have a policy that no one's allowed to... It's like Rumpelstiltskin.
You get the baby.
None of my writers are allowed to reproduce. And it's a thing when you when you work with me that you have to sign. And so you broke the rules. And no, but so that was during the strike. That was interesting that Dot, who's now how old? A year and a half. Dot is was with us on two trips, which is really kind of cool.
Oh, my God. That's right.
She's been to Norway.
I should have been. Bring her on all of them.
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Chapter 4: Why did some team members not join the New Zealand trip?
So now she's going to bankrupt the show.
She owes money to the guild. They're going to dun you. She owes dues. She's in arrears. Yes. So, yes, you weren't allowed to –
Well, I just hadn't quite figured out a way to be gone. Because I knew the New Zealand show. That trip in particular was going to be long. It's a really long flight. And the trip was almost two weeks, I think, that you guys were gone.
Also, you were newly... You know, you were still getting to know your daughter and it was completely understandable that you were like, yeah, I don't think I'm ready to go on this trip. Yeah.
And you guys were really, really cool about it, I have to say.
Well, but then immediately after that trip, you said, I so want to get away from this child. Sign me up for the show. Once I saw the dailies. It's amazing.
The child did come with us.
Yeah. But you stayed here.
Yeah. It's amazing. Just weeks later, you were ready to go to Spain and meet Javier Bardem. Yeah, exactly.
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Chapter 5: How did Conan describe the challenges and highlights of filming in New Zealand?
Please, not now. Not now, Doug.
No, but I was going to say that I was at home and I was, you know, keeping track of the trip. But that first day that you landed, I woke up and all over the news were these shots of Conan doing the haka. And it was just, it was perfect because part of the haka is that you do these really grotesque war faces. And so the still that I kept seeing was you with your tongue out and your eyes open.
Engorged like a gargoyle.
Yes, yes. Of course, hips thrust forward.
It was because I said engorged.
Yes. Hips not engorged. Devoid of any liquid.
Hips deflated.
But... That was our, yeah, the day we landed, which is probably the best... Time to learn the haka. It's called tearing off the bandage. 15 hours.
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Chapter 6: What differences exist between New Zealand's North and South Islands covered in the show?
Very quickly, we dove right into Maori culture and the haka. Me at a stadium.
Yes, exactly. In front of all of New Zealand. And then we did, I don't want to give away any secrets, but let's just say it's worth watching that episode to see what's happening in the stadium. Then we're making our way through the wilds. On the South Island. Exactly. The North Island and the South Island are quite different. The South Island is the island where Peter Jackson filmed. Both islands.
He was on both islands. He was on both islands, okay. But yes, some of the most dramatic.
Yeah, when the hobbits are hanging out at karaoke bars and driving catamarans around a marina, that's the North Island. But when the hobbits are going through Middle Earth, that's the South Island. Exactly. Some of the distances we traveled to get... We had to go over this big mountain pass to get to... Hokitika. Hokitika. And that was quite a journey.
Before we left the North Island, we did meet this young woman named Abby Howells, who was sort of getting me up to speed on, I wouldn't say customs, but pronunciations, how people... Attitudes. Attitudes, how slang. And she was... Without a doubt, one of the funniest people I've met. Yeah. Her improv, yes, and was off the charts funny. Yes.
You guys were doing like a two-person improv.
Oh, my God. I would tour. I would do a two-person show with her in Vegas if I could. She's so funny and really delightful. She should be an international star. I know.
I think she will be.
Which is not something I say about everyone. No, but she was amazing. She's... kind of the breakout, I think, kind of the breakout star of the New Zealand episode, Abby Howells. And I just want to give a shout out to her because I'm hoping I cross paths with her again. She was so... uniquely funny. She's just funny in her bones. And just so much fun. And I love the segments with her.
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