| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | The Tonight Show |
| Genre | |
| Created by | |
| Developed by | |
| Written by | |
| Starring | Jimmy Fallon |
| Announcer | Steve Higgins |
| Music by | The Roots (house band) |
| Opening theme | "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey" byThe Roots |
| No. of seasons | 13 |
| No. of episodes | 2,253(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Lorne Michaels |
| Producers |
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| Production locations | Studio 6B,NBC Studios New York, New York |
| Running time | 40 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | February 17, 2014 (2014-02-17) – present |
| Related | |
| Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Late Night with Seth Meyers | |
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | |
|---|---|
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Genres | |
| Subscribers | 32.4 million |
| Views | 18.3 billion |
| Last updated: April 5, 2025 | |
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is an Americanlate-night talk show hosted by actor and comedianJimmy Fallon that airs onNBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced byBroadway Video andUniversal Television. It is the seventh incarnation of NBC's long-runningTonight Show franchise, with Fallon serving as the sixth host. The show also stars sidekick and announcerSteve Higgins and house bandthe Roots.The Tonight Show is produced by Katie Hockmeyer and executive-produced byLorne Michaels. It streams the following day onPeacock. The show records fromStudio 6B inRockefeller Center, New York City, which is the same studio in whichTonight Starring Jack Paar and thenThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson were produced from 1957 until 1972.
The program airs weeknights at 11:35/10:35c. The show opens with Fallon's topical monologue, then transitions into comedic sketches/games, concluding with guest interviews and a musical performance or stand-up comedy.The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon attracted high ratings from its 2014 premiere. Many moments from the show have generatedviral videos. The show has been nominated for ninePrimetime Emmy Awards, winning two.
On May 17, 2021, NBC renewed the show for five more years through 2026.[3] On June 13, 2024, NBC extended Jimmy Fallon's contract to host until 2028.[4]
The Tonight Show premiered on NBC in 1954 asTonight, hosted bySteve Allen.Jack Paar hosted the show from 1957 to 1962, but the show's longest-running and most famous host wasJohnny Carson, who hosted the show for three decades and received six Emmys. Following Carson's 1992 retirement, "vast quantities of brainpower, money, and column inches were devoted to the issue of who was truly best suited to carry the franchise forward."[5] NBC choseJay Leno, who took over the show that year.
A pair of conflicts ensued over Leno's 22-year tenure, both revolving around the then-current hosts ofLate Night, the program directly followingTonight since its premiere in 1982. OriginalLate Night hostDavid Letterman was considered Carson's top choice as successor and left the network acrimoniously in 1993 after Leno was given the job. Years later, NBC attempted to transit Letterman'sLate Night successor,Conan O'Brien to in turn succeed Leno as host ofTonight in 2009. However, as a result of various contractual obligations and fears of losing performers to other networks, Leno was given anightly prime-time show shortly after Conan's run began. Leno posted less than stellar ratings, leading to adomino effect on the late local news. O'Brien'sTonight also suffered falling ratings leading to apublic controversy that resulted in O'Brien leaving the network the following year, and Leno returning to hostThe Tonight Show.
Jimmy Fallon, a former cast member from 1998 to 2004 onSaturday Night Live, was appointed as the third host ofLate Night by executive producerLorne Michaels in 2009 when O'Brien moved toTonight (only for a little over a year). Fallon incorporated the Internet much more than other talk shows.[6] Between Fallon's own musical sensibilities and the recruitment of hishouse band, hip-hop collectiveThe Roots, his incarnation ofLate Night "evolved into the most deeply musical of TV's musical-comedy variety programs", with sketches in which he parodiesNeil Young andBruce Springsteen going viral online.[5] Coincidentally, it was during the 2010Tonight controversy that Fallon's show found its footing.[5] The show, according to Fallon's formerSNL castmateTina Fey, established itself as "an uncommonly warm, welcoming show".[5] In 2010,New York complimented Fallon's "good humor" and noted his improvement: "In the relative safety of his 12:35 a.m. time slot, Fallon has been cultivating a distinct, and refreshing, strain of humor: the comedy of unabashed celebration."[7] "In our heads, we've been doingThe Tonight Show […] We're just on at a later hour," Fallon said.[8]
Discussions for Fallon to take overThe Tonight Show began in early 2013, with the transition intended to happen by late 2014 at the latest.[5][9] Many industry observers noted that the change appeared to come as a result of another late-night competitor,Jimmy Kimmel ofJimmy Kimmel Live! onABC, who moved to the 11:35 slot months prior; NBC feared that by waiting too long to promote Fallon, Kimmel could create a stranglehold on young demographics, which is key to the financial success of the franchise.[9] Fallon had reportedly impressed top executives atComcast (which had recently completed a full takeover of NBCUniversal), and his succession was widely expected throughout the company.[9] The transition reportedly lacked the tension of previousTonight transitions, and the program's relocation east "signals NBC's strong commitment to not messing with the program any further."[5]
On April 3, 2013, NBC announced that Jay Leno would retire in 2014, with Fallon taking overThe Tonight Show beginning on February 24, 2014. At Leno's suggestion, the date was moved forward from the end of his contract in September 2014, to February so as to use NBC's coverage of the2014 Winter Olympics as a springboard for Fallon's tenure.[10] The date was later moved up a week to February 17, midway through the Olympics.[11]
As Leno's contract ran until September 2014, much of his staff were paid until that month.[12]
By bringing over many of his recurring bits and features fromLate Night, Fallon has departed in a few ways from the format which Leno used for his show. Fallon's edition places less emphasis on his opening monologue, a feature which was a staple of the Leno edition. In his opening episode, in which he described what the format of the show would be, he only briefly mentioned the monologue.[13]
The show has many recurring segments and games that are played with the various celebrity guests. The most popular of these, "Lip Sync Battle", was spun off intoits own show that premiered onSpike (later re-branded as Paramount Network) after being passed on by NBC, who did not realize its potential as showcased byEmma Stone's rendition ofDJ Khaled's "All I Do Is Win".[14] Similarly, "Wheel of Musical Impressions", another popular segment spawnedThat's My Jam, a music andvarietygame show that debuted in November 2021 on NBC with Fallon as host.[15]
Other segments include playing charades,Catchphrase,Pictionary, or other family style games.
Additionally, Fallon and celebrity guests regularly appear in sketches parodying pop culture or political events. These segments normally take place after the monologue, but have occurred as acold open for the show on a few occasions.[16] Just as he portrayedMitt Romney during the2012 election season, Fallon portrayed Republican candidateDonald Trump[17] and Democratic candidateBernie Sanders.[18] Alongside Fallon's impressions, other celebrities occasionally appear. Several have recurring roles, including Dion Flynn asBarack Obama,[19]David Alan Grier asBen Carson,[20]Aziz Ansari asBobby Jindal,[21] the show's announcerSteve Higgins asJeb Bush,[22] and the show's head writer A. D. Miles asLindsey Graham.[22]Although the show has increasingly become political especially in Fallon’s opening monologues, it is still primarily pop culture focused.[23]
After his critically acclaimed appearances as Trump onTonight, Fallon was asked to play the role on the December 19, 2015, episode ofSaturday Night Live, sinceTaran Killam (who had been announced as the season's Trump) would be busy playingTed Cruz. Fallon accepted the offer, but the plan fell through at some point before the show. The role was filled byDarrell Hammond, who played Trump over his fourteen years onSNL.[24]
Fallon has also appeared as figures such asVladimir Putin[25] andBob Dylan.[26]
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon originates fromNBC Studio 6B at30 Rockefeller Plaza inNew York City, the original home ofThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where it is taped every weekday at 5pm.[27] The studio housed both Carson and his predecessor, Jack Paar, before the franchise's move toBurbank in 1972. "It is whereThe Tonight Show started – actually in the studio where we are going to be, that's where Johnny Carson was, there'sBroadway, there'sTimes Square, there's something glamorous about it. That isThe Tonight Show," Fallon remarked.[28] NBC spent approximately $5 million renovating Studio 6B, where Fallon had been tapingLate Night, forThe Tonight Show's return to New York City.[29] The upgraded 6B contains improved acoustics and aseating capacity of around 240, up from 189,[5][29] but smaller than the seating capacity ofThe Late Late Show.[30] The investment also included a new control room and a new lobby to welcome guests.[27] The larger audience also meant NBC could take advantage of a newly enacted New York state tax credit for talk shows that are "filmed before a studio audience of at least 200, as long as they carry a production budget of at least $30 million and have been shot outside New York for at least five seasons."[31]
Fallon'sLate Night successor,Seth Meyers, is housed directly above his studio in Studio 8G; the combination created logistical challenges for executives, who were concerned about "sound bleed" (as the building was built with steel girders, sound is too easily conducted floor to floor). As a result,The Tonight Show tapes at 5:00 p.m.,[32] and Meyers' show tapes later in the evening, at 6:30 p.m..[27] Until 2024,The Tonight Show typically taped five episodes per-week from Monday through Friday, with both the Thursday and Friday episodes filmed on the same day. In September 2024, following the lead ofLate Night and its competitors, NBC announced that it would discontinue original Friday episodes and only produce four episodes per-week from Monday through Thursday.[33]
The show's set was designed by theatrical set designerEugene Lee, known for his credits onSaturday Night Live, whom Fallon thanked on-air on his first episode.[34] The set "emphasizes stained wood and a mid-century modern style,"[35] including "a slate blue couch, a handsome honey-colored wood desk and matching walls."[36] Behind the desk near the city backdrop is a wood-carved miniature replica of New York City skyscrapers.[36][37] "I think it's Eugene Lee's masterpiece," said producer Michaels.[27] Fallon's monologue spot is noted by a painted four-leaf clover on the floor.[36] "Fallon's new set is purposefully old-fashioned compared to the college-cafe-in-the-meatpacking-district where he lived onLate Night," saidEntertainment Weekly.[37]USA Today called the set more "intimate and theatrical" than the set employed onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno,[38] andThe New York Times called it more elegant, "but also quite formal and a little impersonal."[36] The show's logo, its title set against a full moon, is a callback toThe Honeymooners,[5] while the title is a throwback to Carson's tenure: Leno and O'Brien both favored a "with", rather than "starring", in their respective titles.[39]
In November 2014, a new marquee was added to the Avenue of the Americas entrance of 30 Rock, which promotes the building as the home ofThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; the new marquee was also designed so that it can be usable as a stage for performances. John Wallace, NBCUniversal's president of technical operations, described the marquee as being a "bold statement" thatThe Tonight Show had been brought back to New York. Fallon joked that he was "jealous ofLetterman", and that the marquee "makes it exponentially harder for them to fire me."[40][41][42]
The show's opening sequence, directed by filmmakerSpike Lee,[27][43] features Fallon visiting various New York City landmarks, includingGrand Central Terminal andKatz's Delicatessen.[34]Steve Higgins introduces the show with "From Studio 6B inRockefeller Center, in the heart ofNew York City, it'sThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon!" and announces that night's guests and "the legendary Roots crew". The Roots are then shown performing outside 30 Rock as Fallon enters the building. The show's theme song, titled "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey", is "energetic with jazzy overtones", designed to match the shots of the city.[44] Just before Higgins introduces Fallon, the camera cuts to a shot of Studio 6B, focused on The Roots, consisting of drummer and bandleaderQuestlove, rapper and lead vocalistTariq "Black Thought" Trotter, percussionist Frank Knuckles (later Stro Elliot), guitarist and vocalistCaptain Kirk Douglas, bassist Mark Kelley, keyboardists Kamal Gray andJames Poyser, sousaphonist Damon "Tuba Gooding Jr." Bryson, saxophonistIan Hendrickson-Smith, and trumpeterDave Guy. Questlove then shouts the numbers symbolizing the episode number ofThe Tonight Show, followed by Black Thought energetically shouting, "Yeah!" During the week of April 4, 2022, Questlove was not present in Studio 6B, so Stro Elliot, who was also playing drums that week, shouted the episode numbers in Questlove's place. As Questlove transitions into a drumroll, the camera pulls out to reveal the curtains and the audience. The entire band goes into a buildup, with Guy playing a back and forth glissando between two notes on his trumpet. A few seconds later, the shot cuts to Higgins, who points towards the curtains and introduces Fallon with a drawn-out "And now, here's your host/here he is, Jimmy Fallon!" The curtains then part, revealing Fallon, who walks out to the cheering audience. Higgins also applauds for Fallon, and The Roots continue playing "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey". After the song ends, Fallon finishes accepting the applause, welcomes the audience and viewers to the show, and begins his brief monologue. Often during the monologue, Higgins, Questlove, and/or Black Thought join the conversation, responding as the straight men to Fallon's comedic take on current events, including about political events and pop culture, although the monologues have incorporated morepolitical satire in later seasons.[45] Similar to what he did onLate Night, Fallon segues directly from the final punchline of his monologue into saying, "We have a great show. Everybody, give it up for The Roots!" The band then plays briefly as Fallon walks over to his desk.
On March 20, 2019, the title sequence was dropped and replaced by an abbreviated version of the introduction, which begins with a shot of the curtain and Higgins introducing Fallon with "Welcome toThe Tonight Show! And here's your host, Jimmy Fallon!", with a condensed version of "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey" played by The Roots as he walks out. In an exclusive interview withVariety, Fallon stated that the change was inspired byNetflix's "skip intro" feature, which allows viewers to bypass television shows' opening sequences on its streaming platform.[46] On June 11, 2019, the introduction was modified to include shots of New York City from the original title sequence, with Higgins introducing the show with "From 30 Rockefeller Center, here in New York City, it'sThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon!", along with a new extended score of "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey", just before the camera cuts to a shot of The Roots and pans to the curtain (later changed to a pan of the audience on June 13).[47][48] Another later change included replacing the show's moon logo with a shot ofThe Tonight Show's marquee outside of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.[49] On October 7, 2019, the original opening sequence returned in its entire form.[50]
Prior to composing an entirely new theme song, bandleader Questlove noted toVanity Fair that they were considering a variation onLate Night's theme, which itself is a sped-up adaptation of The Roots' 2006 song "Here I Come".[5] For their transition toThe Tonight Show, The Roots added Guy and Hendrickson-Smith, two horn players fromSharon Jones & The Dap-Kings ("You can't beThe Tonight Show without a horn section," said Questlove), to join Bryson on horns.[44] As he did onLate Night,Jonathan Cohen supervises the show's musical guest bookings. Steven Mandel serves as musical producer for The Roots.
Following the monologue, the main segments are a mix of interviews and performances—examples of the latter include musicalimpressions,lip-syncing contests, games ofPictionary andegg Russian roulette.[51] JournalistRichard Zoglin described Fallon's interview style as more deferential than Letterman's, writing that Fallon "resurrected...Merv Griffin-style celebritygush."[51] When a musical guest performs on the show, Fallon introduces the guest followed by the camera zooming in to the vinyl.
Before the first airing of the show, Fallon expressed that it was essentially an extension of his tenure atLate Night, explaining that hisTonight Show would be "the best of the best of what we do".[5] The show has carried over some ofLate Night's well-known performance bits, such as "Egg Russian Roulette", a game in which Fallon challenges guests to pick random eggs and then smash them against their forehead to see whether the eggs are raw or hard-boiled.[8] Each week, Fallon has carried over a popular sketch from hisLate Night days: the absurdist "Thank You Notes" segment, in which "he dutifully composes notes of gratitude to abstract concepts and inanimate objects."[5] Another recurring segment, "Tonight Show Superlatives", features Fallon presenting yearbook-stylesuperlatives relating to athletes (particularly,NFL players from the teams being featured that week onSunday Night Football, orNHL players during theStanley Cup playoffs).[52][53][54]
While the vast majority of episodes are produced at the show's New York home base, Fallon'sTonight Show has gone on the road to produce episodes remotely in its first year, spending four nights atUniversal Orlando in Florida in June 2014 to promote the newDiagon Alley expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter atUniversal Studios Florida.[55] Four nights of shows fromUniversal Studios Hollywood inLos Angeles aired February 2015, in the days immediately following a special Sunday night show fromPhoenix, Arizona airing after NBC's coverage ofSuper Bowl XLIX on February 1, using the Stage One facility previously utilized forConan O'Brien's tenure atThe Tonight Show.[56] The L.A. shows broughtTonight back to the locale where it had been based sinceJohnny Carson relocated the program from New York in 1972 until the start of Fallon's tenure, and echoes Carson himself hosting special broadcasts from the L.A. region prior to the relocation. Fallon hostedThe Tonight Show again from Universal Orlando Resort, April 3–6, 2017, in anticipation of the opening ofRace Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, a motion simulator attraction based on his tenure at the show.[57] Fallon once again aired a special episode afterSuper Bowl LII, from Minneapolis'Orpheum Theatre.[58][59]
A special episode ofThe Tonight Show was broadcast on January 15, 2019, filmed inPuerto Rico, rather than a typical remote broadcast, in which Fallon described it as a "love letter" to Puerto Rico,[60] which was severely hit byHurricane Maria in September 2017. The episode included guestsLin-Manuel Miranda and ChefJosé Andrés, a musical performance of "The Story of Tonight" with Miranda reprising the role ofAlexander Hamilton alongside Fallon in the same role and the company of the third national tour ofHamilton,[61]Bad Bunny performing "Mía" in the streets of theOld San Juan,[62] andJosé Feliciano performing "En mi Viejo San Juan" alongsideOzuna in the gardens ofLa Fortaleza.[63] The episode also included a segment where Fallon andTariq Trotter took on the second-longest zip-line in the world[64] and a tour and food tasting nearbyPiñones State Forest with Chef José Andrés.[65][66] Miranda reprised the role of Alexander Hamilton exclusively for the three-week Puerto Rico engagement ofHamilton's third US tour at theLuis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center before the company continued their tour in the United States.[67]
On November 7, 2019, a special episode was filmed from the campus of theUniversity of Texas at Austin, marking the first timeThe Tonight Show had been filmed from a university campus. The episode included guestsMatthew McConaughey,Chip and Joanna Gaines, andGucci Mane. In addition, three UT–Austin students were surprised with a sponsored prize package fromSamsung, and then told that the company would also be paying off their tuition.[68][69]
In March 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the show suspended production.[70] On March 18, after having used this format for specialwebisodes of the series,The Tonight Show began airing "At-Home Edition" episodes on NBC; Fallon presented the program from his home, with filming assisted by family members, new interviews conducted via videoconferencing, and reruns of segments from past episodes.[71][72][73]
On July 13, the program returned to NBC Studios for the first time since March 12, with limited staff on-site (wearing masks and having been tested and screened before being on-set), and no studio audience. The move madeThe Tonight Show the first American late-night talk show to return to tapings in a studio setting.[74] The program was filmed from Studio 6-A (which had previously been used by past incarnations ofLate Night—including Fallon's while Studio 6-B was being renovated forThe Tonight Show),[75] using the set of the former NBC talk showMegyn Kelly Today modified with a darker atmosphere inspired by Fallon's home, and conducting his monologue from a stool rather than behind a desk.[76][77][78][74] His first episode in the format featured an interview with Governor of New YorkAndrew Cuomo, an "It's Beginning to Look a Bit Like Normal" musical number, and a sketch featuring aparody ad for "Masculine Man Masks".[74][76]
On March 22, 2021, Fallon returned to Studio 6-B with a smaller audience, making it the first major American late-night talk show to resume tapings in front of a studio audience. For the first week, the audience would consist exclusively of frontline workers.[79] Fallon noted that the first week's audience was 58 people and jokingly compared the experience to performing a sold-outMadison Square Garden after a year without crowds.[79][80] The show officially opened to a full capacity audience on June 7, 2021.[80]
In the show'sdebut episode, Fallon introduced his supporting stars and gave a brief history of his life and career, following it up with a sketch, "The Evolution of Hip-Hop Dancing", with actorWill Smith and a musical performance byU2 at theTop of the Rock.[81][82] Following the show's premiere, many notable episodes of the show have produced segments that went viral on sites likeFacebook andYouTube.[83] Among the show's most popular bits are lip sync battles; one featuring actressEmma Stone aired in April 2014, which became a popular viral video. In October 2014, actorDaniel Radcliffe recited rapperBlackalicious' "Alphabet Aerobics", which has become the most-viewed online video of the show.[84] Other clips, including the "Wheel of Musical Impressions" with singersAriana Grande andChristina Aguilera have been widely viewed, as has a clip of Fallon and comedianKevin Hart riding theHollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster during the show's first remote broadcast atUniversal Studios Florida.[84] Sketches that reunite casts of television shows, such asSaved by the Bell,[85] in addition toa cappella versions of popular songs performed by Fallon and the Roots, have also been popular.[84] The show's most widely circulated interview segment was one aired in January 2015 with actressNicole Kidman, who jokingly revealed that she once had a crush on Fallon, to which, at the time, he was oblivious.[86]
On February 1, 2015, the show aired its first live show from theOrpheum Theatre inPhoenix, Arizona as alead-out program from NBC's broadcast ofSuper Bowl XLIX. The show included an appearance byArnold Schwarzenegger, a lip-sync battle withKevin Hart andWill Ferrell, appearances by Super Bowl ChampionNew England Patriots players, and a performance byAriana Grande.[87]
In September 2016, Fallon faced criticism after an interview with the Republican presidential candidateDonald Trump. Critics accused Fallon of humanising Trump, who had made controversial statements duringthe presidential campaign. Democratic candidateHillary Clinton had also appeared on the show prior that year.[88][89][90] Fallon responded to the controversy claiming that nobody should have expected him to ask difficult questions since he is never hard on anyone.[91] Fallon acknowledged that the interview was a setback, three months afterTrump was inaugurated.[92]
On February 4, 2018, the show aired its second live show from theOrpheum Theatre inMinneapolis, Minnesota as a lead-out program to NBC's broadcast ofSuper Bowl LII. The show included guestsJustin Timberlake (who was the featured performer at that year'shalftime show), the cast ofThis Is Us includingMilo Ventimiglia,Mandy Moore,Sterling K. Brown,Chrissy Metz, andJustin Hartley, andDwayne Johnson,[93] with performances by Timberlake featuringChris Stapleton.[94]
On February 20, 2019, during that night's episode,The Tonight Show'sYouTube channel reached 20 million subscribers, making it the first late-night talk show to achieve such a milestone.[95]
A brief clip from a February 6, 2020 episode of the show featuringRuPaul went viral on social media. The clip shows Fallon awkwardly referring to RuPaul as the "firstdrag queen to coverVanity Fair," prompting RuPaul to correct him by jokingly stating, "A drag queen? I am the Queen of Drag." The moment was widely shared and memed for Fallon's visibly uncomfortable reaction, with users jokingly framing it as a potential "cancellation," though it generated no substantive controversy.[96][97]
On March 26, 2021,TikTok celebrityAddison Rae appeared on the show. During a segment, she taught Fallon how to do some popular TikTok dances.[98] The segment faced much backlash due to its failure to credit all the many Black creators of the dances, despite NBC's later crediting of the creators in the description of the video on YouTube.[99] In lieu of an apology, on April 6, Fallon interviewed virtually all of the creators of the dances.[100]
On April 1, 2022, both Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel swapped places as part of anApril Fools' Day prank with the former hostingJimmy Kimmel Live! from Los Angeles and the latter in Studio 6B forThe Tonight Show.[101][102] Only a small number of producers, writers and network executives were notified prior.[103]
On August 13, 2022, the show's YouTube channel reached 30 million subscribers and became the first and the only show as of 2023 to achieve this landmark.[104]
An interview withHudson Williams on the January 7, 2026 episode went viral, amassing 45 million views across the show's social and digital platforms within two days. While promoting his sports romance seriesHeated Rivalry, Williams taught Fallon the "frog stretch," a commonice hockey stretch with sexual overtones. Fallon was aware that Williams would teach him a hockey stretch, but the producers deliberately did not inform him of its sexually suggestive nature. Fallon later compared the fan turnout outside NBC's headquarters toBeatlemania.[105]
The debut episode received generally positive reviews.[106]The New York Times's Alessandra Stanley referred to the show's premiere as "more sweet than sassy", calling Fallon "the grateful heir, the eager freshman, the class clown with top grades and a good heart, someone older viewers can embrace without fear of being mocked or overlooked."[36] Tim Goodman ofThe Hollywood Reporter was positive in his assessment of the evening, but noted the older fanbase used to Leno may not latch on as quickly.[107] "Indeed, Fallon comes across as eager to please almost to a fault, and he treated hisTonight Show launch very much like a guy auditioning to be accepted into homes," said Brian Lowry ofVariety, who considered the premiere episode a demonstration in Fallon's strengths and weaknesses.[108]
The first season of the show was deemed "wildly successful".[83]Entertainment Weekly summarized the show's inaugural year: "In his first year as host ofThe Tonight Show, [Fallon] turned the revered late-night franchise into the hottest party in town, a celebrity playpen full of games, music, surprise guests, and good vibes all around."[109] Nevertheless, detractors of the show, such as John Walters ofNewsweek, criticized Fallon for his weakness in interviews.[83] Andrés du Bouchet, a writer forConan, a fellow late-night show, criticized Fallon for creating what he dubbed "Prom King Comedy"—eschewing odder, more clever material for an over-reliance on games and celebrity cameos.[110]Rolling Stone'sRob Sheffield opined that Fallon's effect led the medium to become overly friendly.[111] Fallon also has been both criticized and lauded for his seemingly uncontrollable laughter where he would laugh at absolutely everything.[112][113]
The debut episode ofThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon averaged a 3.8 rating in adults 18–49, the most coveted demographic, and 11.31 million viewers overall according toNielsen;[114] the program's first week averaged 8.49 million viewers, making it the franchise's most-watched week in 20 years.[115] Following its premiere,Fallon consistently won its time slot in ratings, routinely beatingLate Show with David Letterman andJimmy Kimmel Live!.[116] Despite this, the ratings for competitors never significantly fell, with Fallon winning due to a surge in younger viewers.[117] In his first year as host, Fallon'sTonight Show improved on ratings delivered by his predecessorJay Leno.[109] The series' post-Super Bowl episode in 2015 averaged 9.8 million viewers, and the following week's shows from Los Angeles maintained their highest ratings since their premiere.[116] A 2016New York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the mostFacebook Likes found thatTonight is more popular in cities than the countryside.[118]
The show's ratings began to fall after the debut ofThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2015;[119] while it quickly rebounded and remained top-rated late-night program,[120] beginning in 2017,The Tonight Show lost total viewership toColbert.[118][121] Fallon's ratings continued to fall in the intervening years.Colbert secured key demographics wins in 2019,[122] and has since won each consecutive television season overall as of 2023,[123] marking that show's longest winning streak overThe Tonight Show.[124][125] For the 2020–21 season,Fallon fell to third in overall ratings for the first time, behind bothColbert andKimmel.[126] Fallon's ratings fall has been ascribed to his pursuit of "broad appeal rather than political criticism" on divisive issues,[127] especially in an era of increased national polarization.[128] His cheerful 2016 interview ofDonald Trump was widely considered an unpopular move that contributed to his ratings decline.[129][130][131] Some have argued the decline of the talk show as a form,[132] as well as cratering ratings across linear television[133] renders the problem moot; "Like pretty much everything on TV, late-night ratings are down across the board," observed a columnist forTheWrap in 2021.[134]
As of late 2023, Fallon averages behind bothColbert andKimmel in total ratings.[135] According to a report fromRadar Online from January 2023, the show is averaging 1.3 million viewers, which is less than half the viewers ofGutfeld! onFox News.[136] Fallon holds a higher number ofYouTube subscribers, and reportedly leads onsocial media,[125] but this does not drive advertising rates for the show.[136]
| Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Outstanding Variety Series | Lorne Michaels, Jamie Granet Bederman, Rob Crabbe, Katie Hockmeyer, Jim Juvonen, Brian McDonald, Gavin Purcell,Josh Lieb,Jimmy Fallon | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Outstanding Variety Talk Series | Lorne Michaels, Jamie Granet Bederman, Katie Hockmeyer, Jim Juvonen, Brian McDonald, Gavin Purcell, Josh Lieb, Jimmy Fallon | ||
| 2016 |
| Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series | Dave Diomedi | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Interactive Program | N/A | Won | ||
| Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Series | Fred Bock, Phil Hymes, Jared Kirchmer, Francis Biancamano, Mike Baldassari | Nominated | [137] | |
| Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series | A. D. Miles, Patrick Borelli, Gerard Bradford, Luke Cunningham, Mike DiCenzo, Mike Drucker, Jess Dweck, Dicky Eagan,Jimmy Fallon, John Haskel,Josh Lieb, Arthur Meyer, Chase Mitchell, Dan Opsal, Gavin Purcell, Jon Rineman, Albertina Rizzo, Jason Ross, David Young, Michael Jann | |||
| 2015 | Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series | Dave Diomedi | ||
| Outstanding Interactive Program | N/A | |||
| Outstanding Social TV Experience | Gavin Purcell, Marina Cockenberg, Jimmy Fallon, Christine Friar, Felicia Daniels | Won | ||
| 2016 | Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series | Dave Diomedi | Nominated |
Much like Fallon's preceding tenure onLate Night, many clips of the show have been made available onYouTube,Facebook, and other services shortly after its television broadcast. Many clips have gone on to becomeviral videos, which, along with widely viewed videos from competitorJimmy Kimmel Live!, affected the entire state of late-night television.[110] Media pundits have predicted that future programs' accessibility online will be more critical than their television ratings.[139]David Letterman, a thirty-year veteran of the format who was the first host ofLate Night and then hostedThe Late Show onCBS until 2015, partly retired due to his inability to produce viral bits.[140]
In February 2015,Ben & Jerry's released a new flavor of ice cream called The Tonight Dough. It consists ofcaramel andchocolate ice creams topped with chocolatecookie swirls,chocolate chip cookie dough, andpeanut butter cookie dough.[141]
On October 27, 2015, it was announced that the attractionTwister...Ride it Out, atUniversal Studios Florida, would be closing on November 2, 2015, to be replaced withRace Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, a ride based on Fallon'sTonight Show,[142] which opened on April 6, 2017.[57]
On September 7, 2023,Rolling Stone published an exposé on Fallon's tenure with testimony by sixteen former and current staff members alleging Fallon's behavior behind the scenes, which included being drunk on set, abrasive yelling at writers, bullying of staff, among other things. Writers used dressing rooms as "crying rooms" to release tension, and one staffer admitted to having suicidal thoughts during his time on staff because of Fallon's behavior. The report also noted that there were nine showrunners in the history of the broadcast up to that point.[143][144] Fallon made an apology to his staff the afternoon of the September 7thRolling Stone report.[145] On October 3, 2023,Rolling Stone noted that Fallon did not address the controversy whatsoever during the first taping of the show after the2023 Writers Guild of America strike,[146] with theRolling Stone exposé seemingly and oddly being forgotten about shortly thereafter.[147]
In Australia,The Tonight Show premiered onThe Comedy Channel on February 18, 2014 – airing the same day as its U.S. broadcast.[148] It also aired onfree-to-air networkABC Comedy (as opposed to The Comedy Channel which is asubscription television network) on a two-day delay, premiering on March 24, 2014.[149] On September 21, 2014, The Comedy Channel droppedThe Tonight Show, making ABC Comedy the exclusive broadcaster of the show in Australia at the time.[150] Beginning March 2, 2015, the series returned to pay television, this time, however, airing onE! – airing within hours of the American broadcast.[151] On September 17, 2019, E! channel dropped the show and the program did not return to Australian television for over three years until it was announced that the newFTA multichannel7Bravo would air the show from its launch in January 2023.[152]
In Belgium, the show airs with a delay of several days onVier at midnight CET every Monday through Friday, and at 11:05 pm CET every Sunday. The show's first broadcast took place on October 12, 2015.[153]
In Brazil, the show aired on the subscription channelGNT, debuting on February 24, 2014, under the titleThe Tonight Showcom Jimmy Fallon.[154][155] GNT broadcasts the show on a three-day delay at 1 am with Portuguese subtitles.[156][157] The show's broadcast continued until September 2017, when GNT did not reach an agreement withNBC, which disallowed the channel to host theTonight Show episodes on its on-demand video platform and by the one-week broadcast delay in relation to the United States, with the show's videos reaching the Brazilian public first throughYouTube.[158]
In Canada,The Tonight Show airs onCTV 2, insimulcast withNBC.[159]
InMENA Countries, the show airs onOSN First Comedy HD, And re-two hours after the presentation onOSN First Comedy +2.[160]
In France, the show airs at 6:15 pm every Monday to Friday on pay televisionCanal+.[161]
In Germany, the show was aired every Monday to Friday onOne from 2016 to 2017. It included German subtitles.[162] Currently, the show is aired in Germany on CNBC via Vodafone Deutschland cable TV and Astra Satellite Monday to Friday with repeats on Saturday and Sunday.[1]
In Hong Kong, since April 1, 2019, the show began airing on free-to-air channelViuTVsix at 10:30 p.m.HKT on Monday through Thursday nights.[citation needed]
In Italy, the show aired Monday through Friday at 10:45 pm CET on pay television networkFOX the next day from the originalNBC broadcast. It started airing on September 19, 2016.[163]
In the Philippines,TAP TV airs the show simulcast fromNBC.[164][165]
In Portugal,The Tonight Show airs on the subscription channelSIC Radical every Monday through Friday at 10 pm.[166]
In the Indian Subcontinent,The Tonight Show airs onComedy Central India same day asNBC.[167][168]
In Southeast Asia,The Tonight Show airs onCNBC Asia with back-to-back editions of the show on weekends, and onBlue Ant Entertainment within 12 hours after the U.S.[169]
In Sweden, the show airs on TV12 the next day after US broadcast.[170]
In Turkey, the show aired onbeIN SERIES COMEDY onDigiturk andbeIN CONNECT. From 10 June 2024, the show airs onCNBC-e
In the United Kingdom, the show airs a day after broadcast onE! at 10pm local time. An edited-down 30-minute version airs onCNBC Europe at 11 pm GMT, airing on a one-show delay from NBC. A selection of the best episodes are shown on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 pm CET in a 45-minute format.[171] The two channels dropped the series when new sister networkSky Comedy launched with the series as part of its debut lineup in January 2020.[172]
Also, Comcast applied to change all ground-level signage saying "GE Building" to "Comcast Building."
The late-night world that Mr. Letterman leaves behind is almost all performance. Jimmy Fallon has turned the "Tonight Show" into a festival ofYouTube-ready comedy bits — lip-syncing contests, slow-jams of the news, musical impressions, games of Pictionary and egg Russian roulette. His interviews, meanwhile, have resurrected the kind ofMerv Griffin-style celebrity gush that Mr. Letterman thought he had stamped out years ago. Mr. Fallon is setting the pace for the new, performance-dominated late-night scene.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)The initial reaction to the latest head of NBC's late night post was positive...
| Media offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (second incarnation) | The Tonight Show era by host February 17, 2014 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Jimmy Fallon talk show February 17, 2014 – present | Succeeded by current |
