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Oct 2020
43m 24s

Merrill Markoe

Team Coco & Earwolf
About this episode

Comedy legend Merrill Markoe (Head writer for Late Night with David Letterman) stops by to talk with writers Mike Sweeney and Jessie Gaskell about learning how to produce a morning talk show on the fly during her time working on The David Letterman Show, where the idea for remotes with Letterman came from, what she was looking for in writers for Letterman’s move to Late Night, how her background as an artist helped her write comedy for TV, and her new book “We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe.” Plus, Mike and Jessie answer a special two part listener voicemail question.

Got a question for Inside Conan? Call our voicemail: (323) 209-5303 and e-mail us at insideconanpod@gmail.com

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