Episode 160: Andrew L. Buss – The Oral Historian Extraordinaire

This week’s guest is Andrew L. Buss, a prolific writer and oral historian who has meticulously documented some of pop culture’s most iconic projects, including The Jerk, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, High Fidelity, Freaks and Geeks, Clerks: The Animated Series, and more. As an assistant, collaborator, and protégé of the late Bill Zehme, Andrew has written for Consequence of Sound, Vulture, Vanity Fair, and LateNighter.com. He is also recognized as an Andy Kaufman historian.

In this lively episode, Andrew and Mike dive deep into the art of storytelling and the nuanced history of late-night television. They focus on Late Bloomer, Andrew’s oral history for Vanity Fair chronicling Conan O’Brien’s succession of David Letterman as the host of Late Night and the extraordinary year that followed. With interviews from all the main players—including David Letterman himself—this piece offers a fascinating perspective on the transition and legacy of late-night television.

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