This past week, NBC decided to offer Jimmy Fallon a contract extension, solidifying him as host of "The Tonight Show" until 2021. Fallon has consistently been #1 in the show’s timeslot, with an average of 3.8 million viewers, and many of his variety bits from the broadcast gain major views on Youtube. This extension comes at an interesting time, as Stephen Colbert, known for his popular political satire show "The Colbert Report," will take over "The Late Show" on CBS sometime next month.
Robert Greenblatt, NBC Entertainment Chairman, stated, “Jimmy Fallon is simply the best that there is, the most versatile star of a show anywhere in television in my opinion.” Fallon has his sketch and improvisational comedy roots to thank for that.
The Primetime Emmy-winning Fallon first landed a job on "Saturday Night Live" in 1998, alongside many talented comedians, including Will Ferrell. Fallon remained a key impressionist to the show, and ended up becoming the Weekend Update segment host alongside head writer, Tina Fey. He eventually left the show in 2004 to pursue a movie career.
Unfortunately for Fallon, the very few movies that he appeared in were less than spectacular, putting his rising stardom on hold. In 2008, Fallon was announced to take over the "Late Night" show, following Conan O’Brien’s departure. Many people were critical of this choice, with a promo for the series claiming, “You loved him on 'SNL!' You hated him in the movies! Now you’re ambivalent.”
"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" premiered in March 2009 to mixed reviews. However, online interactions with viewers and popular show clips turned Fallon’s hosting gig into a major success. In 2013, the same year Fallon won a Grammy for “Best Comedy Album,” he was officially proclaimed the successor to Jay Leno for "The Tonight Show."
NBC would’ve been dumb not to sign Fallon until 2021. His games with celebrities, hilarious musical bits, and overall likability make him a great late night host. Greenblatt wasn’t exaggerating when he said that Fallon is one of the most versatile stars in television. If you don’t believe me, I’ll just leave a few clips from Fallon’s show here for you to peruse at your whimsy. (And trust me, they’re all awesome.)
