During the 2007-08 writers’ strike, Conan reportedly paid the salaries of about 80 staffers out of his pocket. Then he grew a beard. Or rather, tried to. “Not a lot of hormones,” he said.
Late Night returned to television before the strike ended, and Conan did his first few shows without the aid of any writers. First, he fulfilled his lifelong dream of zip-lining through the audience (that was a lifelong dream?), and then he asked viewers to suggest ways to improve the stunt. Subsequent shows had him zip-lining with rocket shoes, with a camera fastened to his helmet, even into John Wilkes Booth during a re-enactment of the Lincoln assassination. The writer-free shows contained the funniest skits Conan had aired in a long time.