Vanity Fair: Donald Liebenson: 'Courtney Thorne-Smith Loved Being Roasted by Norm'

Source:Vanity Fair- Late Night With Norm McDonald & Courtney Thorne Smith.

"It feels impossible to choose a favorite Norm Macdonald clip. The caustically deadpan comedian, who died Tuesday at the age of 61, had quite a canon: his epic telling of the “moth joke” on The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien; his baffling set at the Comedy Central roast of Bob Saget (and his comeback to Jim Norton, who told Macdonald that watching his set was like watching Henry Fonda pick blueberries); and his recurring Weekend Update references to, you guessed it, Frank Stallone.

But the ultimate Macdonald performance just may be his May 15, 1997, Late Night With Conan O’Brien appearance opposite fellow guest Courtney Thorne-Smith. It’s a segment that belongs in the talk show pantheon along with Ed Ames and his tomahawk. A YouTube clip has generated nearly half a million views." 

From Vanity Fair

"(Original airdate: 05/15/97) Courtney Thorne-Smith and Norm Macdonald talk about her leaving "Melrose Place" and working with Carrot Top on "Chairman of the Board." 

Source:Conan O'Brien- Late Night With Norm MacDonald & Courtney Thorne Smith.

From Conan O'Brien

This is sort of a follow up piece that I wrote on The New Democrat, about this appearance that comedians Norm MacDonald and Courtney Thorne Smith had on Late Night With Conan O'Brien. But I'm giving you additional images and another look at the video. 

Courtney T. Smith was obviously one of the big stars from FOX's hit prime-time soap opera Melrose Place, from the 1990s. She at this point was on all 6 seasons and was looking to move on from that role, as she told Conan in this interview and was looking to get into movies. 

I guess Chairman of The Board, was the only film that Courtney T. could get at that point and took it like a fish that had been out of the water for 3 weeks and jumped back in the lake. (Was Melrose Place really bad enough to give up for Chairman of the Board?) 

Well, you know what they say about hindsight. But Norm MacDonald with perhaps better foresight than Courtney, knew that this at least sounded like a pretty bad film, to the point that it even had the wrong title and called it Chairman of The Bored, during this interview. 

This was a pretty bad interview before Norm jumped in, because Courtney and Conan were stuck trying to talk about this film and her time on Melrose and why she was leaving. But then Norm jumps in and saves the interview (as they say) that you can see for yourself right here. 

You can also see this post on WordPress.