Late night: Five guests to get excited for this week – February 25
By Matt Moore
Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle on Conan
Nobody in late night specializes in the absurd like Conan O’Brien. So expect him to be a big fan of Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle when they stop by Conan on Thursday, Feb. 28.
Erskine and Konkle are the creators and stars of the Hulu original series Pen15. The two, who are both 31 years old, play fictionalized versions of their 13-year-old selves trying to navigate middle school. As if that premise wasn’t out there enough, the two are surrounded by actual teenagers in the show which is set in 2000.
Erskine may have got some inspiration for the idea from her time on the Netflix series Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later. In a similar fashion to Pen15, the Wet Hot movie and series had actors all 40 years old and up playing teenage characters.
Pen15 premiered on Hulu on Feb. 8. It has received plenty of praise from both critics and audiences. Producers on the show include the Lonely Island team of Andy Samber, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer.
The show certainly sounds like something that would humor Conan O’Brien. He’s no stranger to the sill and absurd so he should be very comfortable interviewing Erskine and Konkle.