• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, October 11, 2006

NBC.com this week will start streaming "Pale Force," a cartoon that debuted last year on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."

NBC.com will make available 20 new 90-second short Webisodes of the cartoon, created by standup comic Jim Gaffigan and written by him and New York cartoonist Paul Noth. The first segment of the new Webisodes, part one of a two-part episode, will air on TV this Thursday, and continue online. The "Pale Force" clips will go live on NBC.com on Fridays.

The venture represents the first time NBC.com is streaming clips that originally appeared on "Late Night."

Sprint also will offer mobile episodes of "Pale Force" one week before they appear either on NBC.com or "Late Night."

NBC, like other major TV networks, has recently made a push to put more of its content online. Last month, NBC debuted the sitcom "Twenty Good Years" and Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," on AOL one week before their first air dates. NBC also made its new show "Heroes" available on Yahoo before its air date.

In addition, last month, the network created a new venture, NBBC, specifically to syndicate short clips.