The Avant Late Show  Christine Hill Tapes Her Own TV Pilot, for
Art's Sake  During the tour-guide piece, she met one of
O'Brien's writers, and has since been backstage at his show five
or six times. She's fascinated by the process: "Where do people
stand? How does the teleprompter work? Who just walked by with a
clipboard and what does she do?" And she's fascinated by the
performance itself: "a brilliant sculpture." Because many people
in the audience watch the monitor throughout the taping instead
of the stage, while Conan focuses on the camera.  Her own
approach to doing a talk show is all about setting up an
infrastructure, when it's easy to imagine other would-be hosts
going from comedy club to comedy club, honing their bits. Hill,
who's been studying improv with the Upright Citizens Brigade for
a little over a year, feels completely confident about
performing: "I don't think the monologue or even the fact of
appearing as host is at all a departure for me." Meanwhile,
she's creating a meticulous calendar,