Photo: Andrew Lipovsky/NBC
NBC Universal is keeping Jimmy Fallon around for a long time. The Tonight Show host will continue his run for at least another five years. Susan Rovner, the chairman of entertainment content for TV and streaming, announced the renewal during an interview with Hoda Kotb during the NBCUniversal upfront. The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon premiered in 2014, and he is the sixth host of The Tonight Show franchise. The Roots is the show’s house band and Steve Higgins is the announcer.
Under his new five-year deal with NBCU, Fallon will also develop The Kids Tonight Show, another late night program hosted by young people that will premiere directly on Peacock. It will also film in 30 Rock’s Studio 6A, opposite to Fallon’s Studio 6B. The late night host is also developing a revival for Password, the popular Bob Stewart game show. Fallon often plays the game in certain segments of his show with celebrity guests.
Fallon is also set to host That’s My Jam, which is based on one of his popular segments like “Roots Name That Song” and “Wheel of Music Impressions.” It’s a primetime show that will see two celebrity teams compete for charity in a series of games that involve music, trivia, dance, and other performances.
That’s not all. NBC is also working on an animated series based on Fallon’s children’s books. 5 More Sleeps ‘Til Christmas is a holiday special about a kid excitedly counting down the days until Santa’s arrival. Mama And Dada will be based on his books Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada and Everything Is Mama.
Fallon’s professional relationship with NBC goes all the way back to 1998 when he started out on Saturday Night Live as a featured player. Since then, he’s hosted Late Night With Jimmy Fallon from 2009-2014 before moving on to The Tonight Show, where he’s been firmly rooted for at least half a decade more.
63 Comments
Not once in this whole article was there mention of him toussling Trump’s hair. What site am I reading?
It seems to be that people often have irrationally negative reactions towards people who come across as needy. Sure, I get why people would find his neediness annoying, but I don’t think it justifies the vitriol he’s gotten. There are a lot worse personality traits than that; Robin Williams was widely mocked for coming across as needy but he was known for being a great guy.
Williams was also fantastically talented. Fallon is moderately talented at best.
Fallon doesn’t seem needy to me so much as he always needs to control the joke and let everyone in the room know the he is laughing at a particular joke. He never really digs into a bit or lets an awkward moment play out, which is something that Conan and Letterman we’re great at respectively.
it ain’t just the neediness, friend. also…i don’t think williams was ‘widely mocked’ as much ‘mildly criticized’.
I remember him widely being considered a joke in the last 15 years of his life.
Williams had a brief window around Patch Adams/Bicentennial Man where his popularity in mainstream comedies was waning a little and his dramatic efforts became to maudlin, but just 2-3 years later he was getting acclaim for Insomnia and One Hour Photo and Death to Smoochy bombed but became a bit of a cult film that helped his reputation with comedy nerds. And honestly I think it was just comedy nerds and the internet echo chamber that ever really had a serious backlash against him, his schtick didn’t always attract the audiences after his 90s heyday but he still got plenty of voice roles and the occasional mainstream comedy or family movie, along with a lot more of the dramatic work that seemed to interest him more in his later years.I was one of those younger comedy nerds who enjoyed Aladdin as kid and then as a teen thought Williams was too hack-y or out of date and his dramatic stuff was too schmaltzy, but his lead role in Bobcat Goldthwait’s incredibly dark comedy World’s Greatest Dad in 2009 set me straight.
“And honestly I think it was just comedy nerds and the internet echo chamber that ever really had a serious backlash against him”I think one could say the same about Fallon.Sure, Robin did some good movies late in his life. I think it’s worth pointing out, though, that One Hour Photo has him play the kind of needy character he’d become notorious for and makes him the villain, while World’s Greatest Dad is basically the anti-Dead Poets Society.
Also, Williams played Warhammer. Legit. Which I find to be awesome.
He had a pied-à-terre in Vancouver, BC, and was known to frequent Golden Age Collectibles on Granville. He wasn’t hostile to anyone approaching him or anything, but the consensus was that dude had earned his alone time, and should be given space to geek out.He’d usually just spend time digging in the comics bins, but would also jump in if he overheard people talking about what interested him. By all accounts, a very chill/cool dude.
Irrational? Being needy as a grown ass man is gross.Fallon’s entire shtick is being the affable goofball. I just find it tiresome. He ruined almost every single SNL sketch by breaking character. He’s not particularly funny because there’s no consistent comedy voice that makes him stand out.I’ve honestly never watched a single full episode of his Tonight Show. I don’t even watch clips on Youtube. It’s not hatred. It’s just so much ‘meh.’
so he’ll only be 51 when this deal is up. jesus this guy is gonna do it for 20 more years isn’t he?
Which means Leno will be replacing him in two years.
I have nothing against Fallon when he does sketches (he’s actually pretty good at those), but his interview skills and monologues are just excruciating to watch.I honestly watched TTS more when Leno was on.
I wish I could fail upwards like that.
I always forget that was the episode with Jerry Stiller losing his shit at the end because of the Korean War. He was so, so good.
His career really seems to be entirely from the two or three times Lorne Michaels said “Nobody better around, I guess he’ll do.”
Ages ago, Conan talked about why Lorne picked him to host Late Night, since he was only known as a writer at the time and not as a performer. Conan thought it was because he was funniest, and Lorne said, “No, no, you’re well-mannered. That plays well over time.” And Conan thought, “Damn it, that has nothing to do with being funny.”
I feel like Fallon was told something similar, because he’s made that a feature, not a bug.
Phenomenal news for Colbert.
No thanks.
NBC goes all in on Jimmy FallonScalpel? Chainsaw? What’re we talkin’ here?
I want to be excited for the Password revival, but given NBC’s recent game shows and the feeling that they won’t be doing the whole “2 episodes back to back” format like ABC does makes me dread how much they will fuck things up. God, if they add shitty sob stories for manufactured drama…
nah, its going to be celebrities doing it, so replace that with plugging whatever their on. which honestly isn’t terrible. ‘celebs play a game’ is a good thing to pop on for 30 minutes while you do the dishes or whatever evening chores you might have.
I mean, of course celebs are going to be on it, every version of Password has had celebs. It’s baked into the format.Remember, though, that this is likely going to be a primetime show, not a syndicated one, which means it needs to fill 60 minutes, not 30.
you’re right- i conflated the ‘password’ section with the next part about the music show with celebs. oh well, guess i’ll have to find something else to wash dishes to
Considering how badly ABC fucked up most of the recent gameshow revivals it’s done, (mostly card sharks and press your luck) I have very little hope that anyone can not screw up a simple game like password.
“Biden won, so the last four years of the ratings plunging will probably be just a blip” said some exec, monotone, into a mirror before sobbing.
“The Kids Tonight Show, another late night program hosted by young people that will premiere directly on Peacock.”
This reads like something he threw into his initial negotiating demand specifically to have something easy to drop later, but they fucked up and just gave him everything he asked for. A late-night show by (and therefore presumably for) kids? Even by the standards of clueless network execs that seems stupid.
Sesame Street kinda already beat them to the punch on this:
And Fallon was a guest on it.
This reminds me of John Mulaney’s attempts to get SNL to have a Weekend Update segment hosted by kids. I guess with the popularity of Sack Lunch Bunch and the desperation for different ideas, everything clicked into place.
This is interesting because it wasn’t that long ago (maybe 6 months?) that Fallon’s contract was renewed for one more year, if I recall correctly. People at the time were characterizing that as a vote of confidence in Fallon, but I thought it was exactly the opposite, because most late night hosts contracts are much longer than that, and a year happens to be the amount of time that NBC has used in the past for transitioning to a new host.So I’d bet that NBC very, very seriously weighed the option of axing Fallon, but something has happened over the past 6 months that convinced them to stick with him. It might have just been hardball negotiating over how much money Fallon was going to get, or it could have been that their market research failed to identify a more viable replacement, or that with Trump out of office, they feel like Fallon’s more apolitical comedy might be a better fit for the times. On a personal level, the politics of the past 5 years have been exhausting, I know I want a break from it. I’m not listening to my politics podcasts anymore, I’m not reading nearly as much politics news, and I’d prefer to starve attention from the clowns at Fox News and the Republican Party rather than make jokes about them. If there is an environment in which Fallon can bounce back, this would have to be it.
that is interesting! a one-year extension is super weird, but maybe they were just playing wait-and-see with covid. or maybe fallon was the one playing hardball.
I have gone back and found the story on the AV Club, it was indeed a little over 6 months ago, and he was extended through to the end of 2021.https://news.avclub.com/nbc-to-keep-jimmy-fallon-on-the-tonight-show-through-at-1845556004
I think that might just be a side effect of working for NBC, since they’re willing to replace a host on a whim, even if they don’t like to. Conan said that his contract for Late Night was so flimsy he considered having an egg timer at his desk he’d jokingly wind back up at the end of every segment.
“something has happened over the past 6 months that convinced them to stick with him.”
Seth Meyers started doing his Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson impressions.
I’m so confused about who the Tonight Show audience is. I have no perspective because I can’t stand Fallon, and I don’t know anyone who watches him. But SOMEBODY must be watching him, right??
My parents (62 years old, white, in the midwest) think he’s hilarious.
I always thought the reason Leno would beat everyone else in ratings is because most of his audience was using the extremely boring sameness of his Tonight Show to fall asleep. Fallon seems too erratic for that to carry over but I dunno.
God, the classic Late Show days of Letterman in the early/mid ‘90s were truly magical. And early Conan was amazing too.
I didn’t know anything about late night shows until visiting my sister at college in 1985. I was maybe 9-10 and watched one episode of Letterman, and it kinda changed my life. I love that I was watching him and also Carson (before he retired) and always, always hated Leno. That Conan is still around amazes me, because he started out…badly. Fallon can take a hike. I never liked him on SNL, and never, ever watch the Tonight Show anymore. The fiasco with Conan/Leno was just enough idiocy that I’m simply a Colbert/Seth fan at this point.
While we are not dedicated viewers, my wife and I catch bits and pieces of his show several nights per week. If you want specific demographics, we are late 30s, white, educated, and live in a Detroit suburb. I know people around these parts don’t like Fallon much, but I find him amusing. I like that his show is lighter than many of the other late night programs are these days. I read a lot of news throughout the day; I’d prefer to put something light on to unwind before bed, I don’t need biting look at the issues at that time.
I guess that makes sense. I’m 50, and I kind of wondered if I’m supposed to be the target – people who remember what it was like to close out the day with Johnny and Dave. But it’s actually partly the Tonight Show debacle that makes me hate him (and Leno of course. Team Coco!)The more I think about it, he’s just a good placeholder for their flagship late night show. Nothing controversial (unless some videos of his drunken escapades come out) and he’s young enough to keep going for awhile.
My partner and I are the same. Mid 30s, white, educated, high stress careers and Midwestern. I spend my day reading WaPo and CNN and listening to NPR. That, coupled with a leadership role that has required me to be the listener and support for everyone else’s problems and anxieties over the past few years has rendered me someone that just wants to put on some mindless background noise and have a lighthearted laugh at the most recent iteration of “Let Us Play with your Look.”Many people are exhausted with life, are more than engaged with politics, and heck, they even love Colbert, Meyers, Bee et al. That doesn’t mean that they have to be “woque” 24/7 and that it doesn’t drain them.
Parents of Zoomers, rural Gen Xers, and people who think Colbert should cool it with all of the politics.
The games can be fun and seemingly reveal what a celebrity is really like to hang out with. Nothing wrong with that. But obviously if you’re looking for serious questions or biting commentary on current events, you go Colbert or the Daily Show or, I don’t know, Hannity or some other prick.
People made Home Improvement a juggernaut #1 tv show too. I never understood it, but US tv watchers can be perplexing.
Mostly old people, and others who don’t know how DVRs work and are slaves to “whatever’s on”.
I actually bounce between Fallon and Colbert and generally prefer Meyers over Corden, unless Corden’s got a cool guest for Carpool Karaoke or is interviewing (read fan boying) one of the two remaining Beatles.There’s still a definite market for late night TV, especially in this era when the definition of a normal workday is in serious flux. For years, The Tonight Show (regardless of who was hosting) was my lullaby. When I worked second shift, it was the entertainment as I unwound.Why not keep Fallon around for another five years? He’s entertaining and The Roots are one of the two best house bands on TV. For those who feel they must ask, the other one is Jon Batiste and Stay Human.
I went to a conservative religious college starting in 2012 and students loved his show. Probably because his humor is childlike and not too raunchy? I don’t get it either.
I don’t know anyone who watches it live but the clips go viral pretty often. That’s probably one of the things networks look at.
His Late Night was actually pretty enjoyable, back when he was in a time slot that gave him permission to be more unreservedly absurdist. The “Head Swap” segment is a good example.
McDonald’s is the world’s largest restaurant chain.
Let us never forget that Fallon was the first mainstream host to book Trump in 2016, playfully tousled his hair, and treated him like something other than a bad punchline to a joke nobody wanted to hear. While I know he’s expressed regrets at helping legitimize the candidacy, a lot of other people regret that he did that a whole lot more.
I think he gets too much crap for that, it’s just blame-shifting.Jimmy Fallon didn’t legitimize Trump in spite of his racism, misogyny and cruelty.In 2021 it’s abundantly clear that Trump’s racism, misogyny and cruelty itself is what legitimized him to half of America. This country is in a bad place
What makes you think he helped legitimize Trump’s candidacy?
You mean aside from the fact that Fallon said that he did?
Certainly it got a lot of press of the “maybe he can be presidential/a regular guy/in touch with the people/serious about this and not just a complete narcisstic egomaniac” variety immediately afterwards.
Just because he said it doesn’t make it true. Trump had been in the news nonstop for over a year, so I don’t see how petting his hair could make that big an impact.
They should hand the reigns over to Joe Pera.
He’s got a similar “Friends with everyone, loved by no one” that I have in my career bartending. I actually served him somewhat regularly at a pub near his Gramercy place. He acted exactly as he does on TV – laughed at everyone’s jokes, remembered everyone’s names (even the service side bartender away from his preferred seat), was just a fun guy who seemed to be trying to be himself more than just, you know, being around humans.I enjoy his random stories and milquetoast Affirming Buddy persona more than this community does, but I also can’t imagine actually turning on his show to watch, rather than seeing a youtube video of his SNL 40th post-show party story. I agree that I don’t know a single person who actually watches his show. There’s just so many better late night talents on now.
Not specific to Fallon but as someone who never had these late-night interview programs as something in their lives, it’s not something I’ve ever really got in any way. They weren’t a thing in my country when I was a kid and I only know them from the clips you see on twitter occasionally.
Well, this makes sense because Fallon has improved greatly over the past 7 years, so he’s sure to be even better in the next 5 years …What’s that? He hasn’t? At all? Oh my.