Letterman Wanted Conan on Super Bowl Ad Sofa

If you thought the commercial featuring longtime rivals David Letterman and Jay Leno sitting within arm's length of each other was the most shocking of last night's Super Bowl ads, imagine if Conan O'Brien had appeared in it, too. As it turns out, if Letterman had gotten his wish, that third member of the recent bizarre late night television triangle would have joined them.

Letterman's team had the idea of putting the three late night hosts together for the Super Bowl spot for his show and, sensing the comedic opportunity, Leno didn't hesitate. O'Brien's team never fully rejected the idea but according to longtime Letterman producer Rob Burnett, it was never close to happening.

"I did call Jeff Ross (O'Brien's producer) to talk about it," Burnett said. "I just think they weren't in a position to consider it all."

The call came just as O'Brien and Ross were finishing up production on "The Tonight Show," so nothing ever came of the idea. Jay Leno, who jumped at the chance to share screen time with Letterman and Oprah Winfrey, secretly flew to New York City on February 2 to create the 10-second spot. To keep the secret under wraps, Leno donned a fake mustache and hooded sweatshirt as he entered the Ed Sullivan Theater to tape the commercial.

As far as anyone knows, it was the first time in 20 years that the former pals had seen each other face to face. Jay Leno appeared on NBC's Late Night with David Letterman for the last time in 1990.

Before Sunday's Super Bowl commercial, the closest the tel-enemies came to reuniting -- according to William Knoedelseder's book, "I'm Dying Up Here," -- was in 2003 when the hosts' mutual friend and fellow comedian, George Miller, died from leukemia. Leno attended the funeral; Letterman -- who had paid Miller's medical bills -- was battling a severe case of shingles and did not attend.