For those who enjoy a good laugh before going to bed on weeknights, this is an exciting time in the world of late night television. Monday night marked the premiere of NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, in which the former Late Night host is now the successor of the TV icon Jay Leno.
Though regarded as one of the more popular and successful late night programs, The Tonight Show is not without its history. Since it first aired in 1954 with the late Steve Allen as the original host, the show has had four more successors, not including Fallon. Leno even served two terms, after an intermediate one in which Conan O’Brien was the host, which resulted in one of the lowest-rated periods in the show’s 60-year existence.
It’s only befitting that one of Fallon’s first jokes was “I’m Jimmy Fallon and I’ll be your host, for now.” Fallon then proceeded to show his gratitude toward Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, O’Brien and Leno for their roles in preparing him for the job.
Despite his well-established status as a stand-up comedian and late night host, Fallon displayed an obvious anxiety during the premiere’s opening. Though anyone would be nervous filling the shoes of legends such as Carson and Leno, Fallon took things a little too far with a rather unnecessary introduction prior to the opening monologue.
After hundreds of episodes of Late Night, several years on Saturday Night Live and even a few film roles, Fallon is no stranger to the public. That said, telling the audience how The Tonight Show would be structured was kind of pointless.
Nevertheless, once the show got going, it definitely delivered on every level. Following the success of his Late Night Superlatives act in which he made jokes about NFL players, Fallon brought this sketch to The Tonight Show, only this time with Olympic athletes. One that really left audiences rolling was when he gave U.S. Olympic snowboarder Danny Davis the title of “Most Likely to Be Able to Turn Water into Weed,” as a result of the athlete’s “Jesus-style” beard.
The premiere also featured Will Smith as Fallon’s first guest and a live performance from U2 of its new song, “Invisible.” “The Evolution of Hip Hop Dancing” was the highlight of Smith’s appearance, in which he wore his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air attire.
In between his opening monologue and interviews with guests, Fallon also incorporated a segment that featured a string of random celebrity cameos ranging from Robert De Niro and Tina Fey to Joan Rivers. This took place after Fallon talked about a friend who bet him $100 that he would never be The Tonight Show host.
As soon as he said this, each celebrity dropped a $100 bill on Fallon’s desk. Though this act was slightly drawn out, Stephen Colbert ended it on a hilarious note by carrying a jar of coins worth $100 and dumping it on Fallon’s head.
The studio itself also enhanced the potential of the show. With this being the first time in more than 40 years that the show is being filmed in New York, Fallon made sure not to underscore that component. Behind his desk lies a wooden sculpture of the New York skyline, elaborately designed and brightly colored to provide a cultural resonance with viewers.
Fans who have been watching Fallon since Late Night will also appreciate the consistency between both series. Continuing to work with his go-to band, The Roots, and sidekick/announcer, Steve Higgins, Fallon once again demonstrates the effectiveness of working together. This was even more evident on the second night when two members of The Roots did a spoof of ABC’s The Bachelor.
Fallon kept the first week going strong when he welcomed the iconic comedian Jerry Seinfeld as his first guest Tuesday night. Prior to being interviewed, Seinfeld did a stand up routine in front of the audience, which no doubt evoked a feeling of nostalgia among Seinfeld fans.
Though not without its flaws, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is off to a solid start. In spite of having some tough shoes to fill, Fallon has proven within the first week that he is definitely the right man for the job.
