Thursday, March 21, 2013

Jimmy Fallon Gets The Tonight Show In 2014 - In New York

It would be kind of cool for The Tonight Show to move back to its New York roots, and that move would also probably mean that Jay Leno could not try and do a repeat and grab the show for himself if Jimmy Fallon;s ratings suck. A couple of weeks ago I posted that Jimmy was going to get the Tonight Show, but that Jay Leno was not voluntarily stepping down from his gig. This is going to be even more nasty than the Conan one because at least in the beginning of that mess, Jay acted like he was going to leave and take that earlier time slot and if people had actually watched Jay at his earlier hour, we may not be having this discussion. But, we are. When The NY Times says something is going to happen, it usually does. If NBC sticks to its guns and to Jimmy Fallon then everything should be fine, but if they throw him under a bus at the first sign of trouble, then they will have ruined another great show on their network.

78 comments:

Cathy said...

I love Jimmy Fallon - so much better than Leno!

Unknown said...

Hope they don't screw him like they did Conan. That was so shirty. Coco forever!!!

a non a miss said...

Ugh. I love Jimmy but NBC wouldn't keep the show in NYC for Conan but they will for Jimmy? This is gonna be a hot mess.

Bigger question- will The Roots stay with him? If that means I'll get to see my beloved Roots at an even earlier hour..I will be thrilled.

LottaColada said...

I'm just wondering what Conan's thoughts will be if all of this goes down.

Henriette said...

Leno is going to fight this with every breath he has.

Cathy said...

@RCB - From what I've read, the roots were one of the reasons that the show will be in NY.

libby said...

I think they're going to screw Jimmy somehow....maybe make Leno an executive producer?

SMFH....Conan O'Brien was their future and they blew it. Jimmy is fine, I just don't think he's as consistent as others. I think his interviews are the worst.

JMO, of course. Fallon is fine, but not 'Tonight Show' caliber.

timebob said...

Remember this is a new regime running NBC the Ben Silverman, and Jeff Zucker days who just went insane and started the drive of NBC into the ground.

I think Bob Greenblatt will make more sound decisions on what to do. Instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water.

FSP said...

Team Coco!

AuntJess said...

Waves hi to my CareBear! Hi booboo, I'm home for work today.

Of facking god! Like yawn people! Give me a Stone Phillips Dateline repeat or some shit. I'm tired of this fake late night war. Jay has not been funny in....well never. And jimmy was better on SNL.

Bella Inamorata said...

i honestly can't understand all the ire for jay leno. conan's ratings sucked, nbc decided to rehire leno and he took the job. the only thing i could see wrong, according to leno, was that he didn't verify for himself that conan knew what was happening instead of relying on the word of the execs. otherwise, who wouldn't rather continue being gainfully employed doing something they love? i also don't see jay "fighting this with every breath he has". that sounds super dramatic lol. if he doesn't want to lose his job, so be it. who does? but there's a difference between not being ecstatic to get canned and being malicious with regard to your replacement. i didn't see that with the conan hand off and i don't see that happening with this one.

Henriette said...

The Tonight Show and David Letterman in the same town? How ironic.

Lucas said...

I loved Conan as a host, but Jimmy Fallon has a knack for expanding his each beyond the broadcast. How often have we watched something from his show online? How often did you do that for Conan? Exactly.

Lucas said...

*reach. Damn I need coffee.

libby said...

Bella, Conan's lead-in was JAY LENO'S SHITTY SHOW! Conan was never given a chance. NBC queered the deal from the start, because Leno has somebody's balls in a permanent vise.

Note to self: If ever famous, hire Leno's contract lawyer.

a non a miss said...

Hey AuntJess! Is it cold in your corner of PA? Its frigid here!

Cathy- good to know!

Henriette said...

@Bella
Are you Jay's publicist? Conan got screwed! Leno just blamed the executives. He never wanted to give up the Tonight Show.

Matt Lauer did the same thing with Ann Curry, which is another NBC staple floating in the toilet bowl.

Bella Inamorata said...

@Lucas, ita. i loved conan as the host of HIS show with the masturbating bear, etc but not as a tonight show host. i thought conan had a niche type following, in part because of his brand of humor, which had to be watered down when he moved to the tonight show. the result just wasn't funny. i think fallon has a much better chance of being watched by fans of his and lenos. he's not necessarily the best stand up comedian but the skits, the interplay with the roots, the guests all work for him.

LottaColada said...

@Lucas- Exactly. Fallon is ok to me but I like my Jimmy's to end in Kimmel.

Frufra said...

@AuntJess - lol for realz. Stone Phillips Dateline repeat! Ha!

Henriette said...

The only one I watch is Craig Fergusson. I bet Jimmy Fallon is quaking in his shoes right now. He's worried Leno is going to come after him.

libby said...

Lucas--I think it just seems that way because Conan was doing Late Night for like a decade before the internet. And remember how EVERYBODY fought the internet, and wouldn't allow clips for ages? Fallon started just as all shows/networks realized they should stop fighting, and make their own site.

AuntJess said...

That voice and hair? Am I right?

libby said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Henriette said...

I'm looking forward to Arsenio Hall in the fall. Bring back the dog pound please.

AuntJess said...

Winter is still coming in like a bitch here. We are getting flurries later.

Frufra said...

Jimmy Fallon is a cutie, like a funny little brother. I find him to be not the funniest guy in the world, but charming as all get-out. I think he'll continue to do well. And Jay Leno needs to sit down already. Dude is not funny, not charming, nada.

AuntJess said...

Libby I had to look on the Comcast guide last night to make sure he was still on TBS. oddly it's all repeats from 2012. Huh.

Bella Inamorata said...

@henrietta, nope can't say that i'm his publicist. if i were, i assure you i'd have better things to do than respond do randoms on a blog. but, since i'm a regular 9-5 chick who has some time to kill before a meeting, here i am :). i think you're giving leno entirely too much credit. he doesn't make final calls at nbc. if he did, i doubt he would've cancelled his own show. i'm going off what leno has said about the situation. i have no reason not to believe him so i do. even if part of his story is false, the facts remain that conan's ratings were less than stellar and they offered the job back to leno, whose ratings were also less than stellar. perhaps conan got screwed because nbc didn't give him enough time to find his footing but that was nbc's call, not leno's. if leno didn't take the job, someone else would've. if given the choice between remaining employed/ keeping people employed and not, most would pick like leno. imo, this is nothing like the lauer situation. he was still under contract and appears to have thrown his weight around to get ann fired (probably bc she was one of the few not willing to play find the douchemeat with him). leno was being let go, as he will be getting let go again. i doubt there is much weight to his opinions at nbc these days.

Karen said...

@Bella, the problem was that NBC got scared when Conan's ratings weren't as good as Leno's had been. Conan's ratings were actually HIGHER than Leno's when he first started out as host of the Tonight Show. They didn't give him a solid chance to improve ratings before axing him.

Henriette said...

I still think Leno has some major dirt on NBC to keep his job.

Frufra said...

I'm not in PA, but it's cold here, too. Maybe snow on Saturday night? Somebody didn't get the memo about the first day of spring - ahem, Mother Nature? Check your email once in a while, please?

Bella Inamorata said...

@libby: yes, leno was his lead show. and? good lead shows help but viewers watch (or don't watch in this case) what they want. and ita with you on conan not being given enough time. neither his nor leno's were for that matter. but that wasn't leno's call, it was nbc's. that's why i don't get the need to blame him.

Henriette said...

@Bella
Then you've not read a lot of the gossip about Leno. He has a major reputation among comics and the industry. Howard Stern tells some great stories about Leno's back stage manovers. David Letterman probably wouldn't agree with you either.

Frufra said...

@AuntJess - he can take the most outlandish dribble of a story and make it seem super-serious with that voice and those facial expressions. Ha!

Liz said...

I always thought Conan would fail as the Tonight Show host. He just wasn't funny, mostly weird. Fallon is too goofy.

I have zero confidence in NBC NOT messing this up. Just look at what happened recently with Ann Curry and TTS a few years ago.

dia papaya said...

I hear dat Ms Fru!

I think Conan got screwed. The Tonight Show was always his dream. This whole thing stinks! This girl is Team Coco!

JF was better on SNL. Not a real fan of his late night show.

Bella Inamorata said...

Ita and I hope they give jimmy a chance bc I think he can be good. Still don't blame Leno for that.

Liz said...

Leno may be a cunning, manipulative asshole, but the man is more skilled as a host than Jimmy and Conan put together.

Bella Inamorata said...

I think I'll pass on any stories from stern. I feel like they'd all end with him grossly begging some dumb chick to show her tits. I've heard some things about him. Depending on the source (letterman) I take it with a grain of salt. It doesn't really matter to me in this particular situation. Even if he is master manipulator, NBC is the one who got nervous bc of the ratings and decided to make a quick change. Leno was their first choice for a replacement. If he turned it down, they would've gone with someone else but the decision to ax Conan had been made whether Leno decided to come back or not. That's my point. I'd be pissed at NBC, not at someone for wanting to continue working

Jessi said...

I personally think Jimmy will do really well. He has that quirkiness that the youth like and the goody goody persona Leno fans might really take to. And..... he is adorable!!!

SusanB said...

You guys really need to read "The War for Late Night" by Bill Carter. He did a lot of digging and seems to have come up with the truth. It wasn't Leno or Conan screwing things up - it was the NBC suits. Sure, Conan pushed to get Late Night - it was his dream. And the suits pushed Leno to take that 10 o'clock thing because they were scared he'd go to ABC and take his ratings with him. I just don't get all the Leno hate - get the FACTS before you hate. And I've been coming to this site long enough you guys KNOW I'm not a Leno flack.

As for Leno himself, I can take him or leave him - he used to be funnier.

Conan - His monologues stink but the rest of the show isn't bad.

I kind of like Jimmy Fallon - I find his personality appealing.

Can't stand Kimmel - He's like Lettermen - two old guys that yells at kids to get off his lawn.

Seriously - read the book. You'll come away with some different ideas.

a non a miss said...

I woke up and there was an inch of snow on the ground and it was 20 degrees. I'm so over this weather! Luckily, this is the most annoying part of my day. It could be worse.

Jolene Jolene said...

I LOVE Jimmy. He is so damn funny. I'm just afraid that they'll change his show and some of his bits will be cut for the Tonight Show. Like they won't do Wheel of Carpet Samples (which is soooo stupid but I think it's hilarious) or Water Wars or his other games. I hope he can stick to HIS show and not just be the host of the Tonight Show.

auntliddy said...

Ok, conan had a very loyal but limited audience, not mass appeal. HE couldnt carry the show, people didnt watch. How is that leno's fault? And he shld hv taken the 12 slot, people wld hv gotten used to him and they wld hv gradually moved him up to 1130. Oh but the ego on these guys prevents them from acting logically! Letterman is a nasty bastard, why wld i want to end my day with that? Hes like the super hip trendy girl that looks down on you no matter what u do. Fallon is funny, has mass appeal, and people like him. So he will get the job and make it work. Leno shld bow out gracefully, he can still do standup and corporate gigs. Do a webcast if u that desperate to perform! Cant stand kimmel, hes like the swarmy frat brother who doesnt rape you, but looks on as his brothers do. And all of their immature ranting about leno is just strange. And lets remember, conan had zero problem shoving jay out of his job!!! Everyone forgets that!!

surfer said...

As Enty alluded to, there was a great article in yesterday's NY Times about this.

The writer (I think it was Bill Carter), said NBC is quietly building a new studio for JF and The Tonight Show, but NBC execs won't admit it.

I think JF will cover his tracks to ensure that what happened to Conan doesn't happen to him. Also, in the article, it said Leno's contract expires in the fall of 2014, so even though they'd like him out sooner, they may just sit back and keep him on the air till his contract expires.

dia papaya said...

@auntliddy - Dayum!

I love that we always get the true shit from you ;)

Good day to ya!

SusanB said...

@auntliddy - and don't forget - Conan did to George Lopez what he claims Leno did to him! Although I absolutely cannot stand George Lopez, fair is fair.

Unknown said...

Craig Ferguson all the way!!!

Anonymous said...

This Late Night shit is a nasty business. I don't watch any one show religiously but won't watch Leno. Can't stand him. All the others (Letterman, Conan, Fallon, Kimmel and Fergerson) have the ability to do good shows.

I think its always been a dirty game.

presidentresident said...

The secret weapon to Fallon is Gavin Purcell. He is the whole reason that the show has internet traction and why you watch so many Fallon clips online. He was previously on Attack of the Show. He was brought in months before Fallon started to put together a strategy to get the online/internet folks watching and paying attention. Obviously Fallon, the Roots, personalities etc, make the show what it is, but the strategy and continued success in modern TV is in large part due to Purcell.

B626 said...

I always liked Conan but now that he finds himself on TBS, he has an angry desperate edge and doesn't do Fridays. Downgrade!

Lucas said...

@Libby - But Conan is STILL on the air and if his show was that funny I'd be inundated with clips all over my social network. Conan is funny, but he has a schtick that after a while you're like "yep, I've seen that". Jimmy Fallon keeps pushing the limits and using his time on SNL as a template for success. He knows no one watches the interviews on late night TV, because none of the hosts are ever going to do a good interview (save for Letterman, sometimes). So he leverages his musical creativity and talent for sketch comedy into little bits that then become part of our collective awareness. The interviews are only there, at this point, to serve as filler for the musical numbers and sketches.

Agent**It said...

pres, great info that you shared.

lelale said...

People forget how much Leno really affected Conan's show. His talk show was on 5 nights a week and was such a terrible lead in that NBC affiliates were seeing record low ratings for the local news. THAT was carrying over to The Tonight Show. That is why people consider him to be a rat. I hope these new execs have the smarts to let Leno go and give Jimmy a fighting chance.

lazyday603 said...

Fallon has a laptop open on his desk & does Twitter comedy bits nightly. They really do spend a lot of time doing internet meme referenced comic bits. His interviewing skills are just average, but he usually uses one of the two 1st guest interview segments to do a comic routine with the guest: Charades, games with audience members, songs, setup routines with film clips, etc..

Fallon's greatest strength as a talk show host is his ever sunny disposition. He's in love with everything and everybody without sounding like an unctuous kiss-ass. It all comes from a place of sincere enthusiasm. That is what makes him standout from the Kimmell and Lettermans of the world. Their comedy is all based on making fun of others. Fallon's is about being silly.

presidentresident said...

His humor is about being silly and entertaining. And most of the interviews on these shows suck anyway as they are totally canned and planned out. AT least he's doing bits with the guests to let them do their thing.

Sherry said...

"Jimmy Fallon Get's Tonight Show" No no he doesn't..At the 11th hour they'll say, "Hey Jimmy...Can you go on at ..." and screw him UNLESS he specifically has verbiage to say they can't. That's how they screwed Conan.

I read excerpts from the book Susan B is suggesting..Very good!

portlandjewel said...

I read that NBC now has different owners and and different people making these decisions. So it wasnt these people who refused to move the show back to NY when Conan took over. Hopefully Conan will take that into consideration before he gets his feelings more hurt. I have lots of love for jimmy Fallon and I don't think The Roots wouldve relocated and they aren't just a band they are Jimmys co-stars!! Also, I loathe jay leno.

presidentresident said...

I like Conan, but I think that Jimmy has a wider appeal. And I can't even see this as a Jimmy vs Jay thing. Jay is just not modern TV anymore. He does his thing and like it or not he does it well. Moving on, though, his style is dated and won't play forever. Hopefully they won't screw Jimmy at the last minute, but Jay will be out soon anyway.

The Real Dragon said...

Love Fallon and kimmel. Conan too but I haver watch Him

I just hope NBC don't f him over

Jcool said...

The Jay Leno Show got low ratings, which some people say hurt Conan at 10:30 but Leno was getting between 1.4-1.7 18-49 at the end of his run. Last week here are the 9 pm hour for NBC: 1.1 on Monday, .9 Tuesday, 1.1 Wednesday (rerun), .9 Thursday (rerun) and .6 Friday. And Jay Leno is still #1. So i think it was more of an issue of Conan's limited appeal then anything Leno did.

ulalume said...

According to this article Kimmel is #1 in Late Night and Leno is third.

With its new lineup of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” at 11:35 p.m. and “Nightline” at 12:35 a.m., ABC finished as the No. 1 network in late-night in Adults 18-49 (792,000) during the 2013 February sweep, marking its 4th sweep in a row to win over both CBS (+5% - 753,000) and NBC (+9% - 728,000). In addition, ABC drew a larger overall audience in late-night than NBC (+3% - 2.264 million vs. 2.194 million) for the 4th consecutive sweep period.

Jazzy said...

I'll believe it when I see it. Although, I think it would be a really bad idea to put the two Jimmys against eachother. The fact that people in the targeted demo can watch both is the reason the Tonight Show is slipping further down the drain.

aganemai said...

Wow, I'm surprised a lot of you are actually buying Fallon's "goody-goody" act. The man's a raging alcoholic who's been cheating on his wife even before they got married. Just the other night he was at Raines Law Room in Chelsea til' around 3 in the morning, making out with random girls who went up to him. Plus he's been treating his wife like dirt ever since they learned she can't get pregnant--puts all the blame on her, even when she needs his support the most. Dude's a phony.

auntliddy said...

Right backatcha!:)

libby said...

Lucas---My point about Coco's internet or social presence NOW, is that of course nobody talks about his clips, because they're mostly shown on TBS. Who watches TBS all day?
Coco doesn't have 4 or 5 other network shows to repeat his funny clips on their other platforms. Like every network guy does, like he used to with NBC.

annabella said...

I think conan brought about his own demise. granted, jay was in the wings w/a knife, but all nbc asked him to do was to start a bit later. conan quit, he wasn't fired. and I couldn't really dredge up any outrage about a few rich entitled white guys fighting over a prize that would never go to a female or non-white male.

I didn't watch conan at all until after he decided to leave. then he was funny as hell.

but, jimmy fallon played it right. I'm not a huge fan or anything, but he works super hard and hasn't given nbc any lip. so, good for him.

feraltart said...

aganemai, wow. Thanks for the insight. That is woeful how he treats his wife. My husband & I couldn't have children, my husband has the issue, but I always called it our problem because we are a couple & we go forth & kick arse together. So much for better or worse in their vows.

Gabby said...

Completely agree with everything you said, @lazyday.
Excuse me for questioning your authority, @aganemai, but where are you getting your information? I have never, ever, heard one bad thing about Jimmy Fallon. I know that he has always liked to party (which isn't a bad thing IMO) NOT that he is a "raging alcoholic," and to me there is a big difference.

Agent**It said...

amy ozols . ?????

staminarose said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
staminarose said...

i can already tell this is going to be another nightmare. leno's never going to leave the tonight show until he's carried out in a coffin. jimmy fallon would do well to study past history.

librariantobe said...

Delurking to pimp out another book: anyone who's interested in this kind of thing, read The War For Late Night by Bill Carter. Really fascinating book that detailed what happened behind the scenes during the Conan Tonight Show debacle and Jay Leno's role in it.

I'd like to think Conan is totally over it by now and happy on TBS and couldn't give less of a flying fig with what happens on NBC late night anymore. I hope so.

aganemai said...

@Gabby: I know quite a few people who have worked/are still working with Fallon, as well as people who know and have worked with his wife, Nancy. Plus, I've lived and worked in the city for a little over 10 years now, so I've seen Fallon out and about--definitely remember him doing coke in bar bathrooms a while ago. Though I could see where "raging alcoholic" would confuse you--maybe "persistent alcoholic" would be a better term? He's out pretty much every single night. Goes to a restaurant after work, and right after that he hits up a bar until closing time. Wife winds up taking care of the puppy that he bought without even telling her (or asking her input for). And the infertility issues have been going on for a good two-three years now.

@Agent**it: No, I'm not Amy Ozols, though I'm fairly sure there's more to her and Fallon's relationship than just coworkers/production partners.

Henriette said...

@staminarose
I totally agree.

Agent**It said...

librariantobe, you and SusanB have both recommended that book, off to Kindle!

Gabby said...

@aganemai - Well, damn. I was hoping you were a troll but you sound legit. And it makes me sad because I like him a lot, as do many of my favorite people in show business. He and Nancy were a popular guess for a blind about her infertility issues, though, so I kind of had that in the back of my mind. You seem to know some insider info, care to share anything about anyone else?

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