Take this bit where Richter forgets how to be a sidekick after Conan’s show took a summer break. Human Resources is right there to help Andy get back on track, reminding him that “You need to make the host believe in the irrational fantasy that he is the funniest person in the world.”
Unlike other sidekicks whose sole job is to laugh at the host, Richter often gets to sing lead, slinging as many jokes as Conan. Several episodes have us believing Richter is actually smarter than his boss, even as he’s resigned to the indignity of the sidekick chair.
Geoff Peterson
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Geoff Peterson was Craig Ferguson’s skeleton-robot sidekick, which was every bit as awesome as that sounds.
“Initially, I wanted something which represented some kind of deconstructionist contempt for the late-night genre and the idea of a sidekick,” says Ferguson. “But (Geoff voice-actor Josh Thompson) became so good at it, he just became a sidekick.”
Are android cronies the future? And what do we have to fear from our new late-night overlords? “I've gotten a lot of messages from the Robot Skeleton Army on Twitter, urging me to be careful that Geoff Peterson does not become self-aware and turn on humanity,” says Geoff creator and Mythbusters robot guru Grant Imahara. “I can guarantee you that I've put in place programming to prevent that from happening.”
Paul Shaffer
Although Doc Severinson sometimes filled the Ed role for Johnny when McMahon was on a bender, Paul Shaffer was the first hybrid sidekick-bandleader in late night.
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He was also the first to perform in character, a showbiz-loving, jive-talking hepcat who loved nothing more than soaking in the hot tub of celebrity excess. Letterman was initially attracted to Shaffer from his work with BIll Murray in his lounge singer sketches on Saturday Night Live -- his Letterman persona definitely borrowed that vibe.