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4/26: Jimmy Fallon taking over for Conan?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Variety and The Hollywood Reporter are confirming rumors that Jimmy Fallon will take over for Conan O’Brien once O’Brien nabs Jay Leno’s seat next year on “The Tonight Show.”
Fallon is best known as a “Saturday Night Live” cast member from 1998 to 2006. He has starred in a couple of flicks (“Taxi,” “Fever Pitch”) but hasn’t been seen much lately.
His former boss Lorne Michaels would produce the show. (Conan was also a former ‘SNL” writer.)
Do you think Fallon would do a good job in that late-night role? Is he better than Carson Daly, who does a late, late show after Conan?
Comments
By Neil
April 25, 2008 10:44 PM | Link to this
This isn’t news. NBC announced this two years ago when they announced that Conan was taking over the Tonight Show.
Carson has played the game well in in 5-7 years will inherit the Tonight Show. Here’s how:
May 2009 - Conan gets the Tonight Show or a payout of $25 mil in cash. NBC will never, ever, ever, give up that kind of coin, Jay leaves, reluctantly.
May 2012 - NBC realizes the mistake and secretly negotiates with Jay to come back. Leno will be 62 and will no longer seem “hip” enough for late-night. Meanwhile, Letterman will have retired and 50-year-old Jon Stewart will have already taken over The Late Show.
August 2013 - NBC notices that Jimmy Fallon is losing to the Weather Channel. Carson, in relative obscurity is still on the West Coast where all late night decisions are made. Carson begins “guest-hosting.”
May 2014 - NBC gives Carson, their trained chimp, the Tonight Show. Far-fetched? In 2014, Carson will be 42-years-old and his fans, those from TRL will be in the 24-35 demo.
By jake
April 27, 2008 1:47 PM | Link to this
“Do you think Fallon would do a good job in that late-night role? Is he better than Carson Daly, who does a late, late show after Conan?”
1) No.
2) My dead grandfather could do a better job of hosting than Carson.
By Gary
April 28, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this
Yes Carson Daly sucks! My 6 year old granddaughter is funnier than him! Conan is hilarious and will fit perfectly into the Tonight Show fold. Jimmy Fallon might do okay. After all Craig Ferguson was not expected to make it but did. None the less Fallon is much funnier than Carson Daly and will probably do much better.
By Michael Caine
April 28, 2008 11:39 AM | Link to this
Somehow, Conan has always just missed it for me, a little too smug, a bit too X-centric, but Carson Daly makes him (or for that matter, any small invertebrate) look like a frickin’ genius.
Put me in the Craig Ferguson camp, a funny guy with a bit of depth to him. ‘Dear Aquaman’ kills me and the show he did after his father died was worth paying money for.
By jerry
April 28, 2008 11:53 AM | Link to this
Better pay the 25 million, all of the above suck when you compare them to Jay Leno.
By Robert
April 28, 2008 12:31 PM | Link to this
It would be nice to see some late nite diversity on tv. What’s the deal? Are only white men entertaining after 11pm? Women and non whites are funny (funnier) than the current cast of non funny clowns passing as entertainment.
By A** Hall
April 28, 2008 1:39 PM | Link to this
I think we need diversity in the National Basketball Association.
Most black comedians are either too foul-mouthed or only tell only race-based jokes. That’s not appealing to advertisers. Hope that was diverse enough for you. Capisce?
By Gary
April 28, 2008 2:08 PM | Link to this
First off Jay Leno: Backstabber! Knew perfectly well that Johnny wanted Dave Letterman to replace him but took the job anyway. Why do you think that over the years before his death Johnny Carson would constantly submit jokes to David Letterman to use on his show? Because Dave is 100% Class and Johnny knew that. Conan O’brien: You need to watch him alot more before you pass judgement because he is very funny and bright. Alot of the sketches they do are very reminescent of the old Tonight Show in the JC days, that’s why he’s replacing Leno! Carson Daly is about as funny as a wet sponge. Of course this isn’t too much of a surprise, when you compare this to say the current Music industry. It seems that people are too easy to please and that almost any benign person can get rich with virtually no talent as long as their popular.
By Carlos
April 28, 2008 3:43 PM | Link to this
Conan is hilarious. I understand he may be a bit too wacky for some people, but Conan can get at least a chuckle out of anyone. It would be even better if Any came back as the sidekick. Carson and Jimmy both are terrible. Carson has no funny bone and Jimmy can’t keep a straight face for a second. They need to look else where. What about the return of Craig Kilborn?
By jc_atl
April 28, 2008 5:32 PM | Link to this
No one can replace Conan. The bigger question is will the old farts and people who wouldn’t know comedy if it poked them in the eye continue to watch the Tonight Show with Conan hosting, or will Conan be forced to tone down his show to match the milquetoast audience? It’s too bad the Letterman didn’t get the Tonight Show gig - he’s the best, followed by Conan. No one else is even close, including Jay Leno, who was funny when he subbed for Johnny but never once it became his job.
By Grant
April 29, 2008 12:11 AM | Link to this
what bunch of meth addicted zombies log the ratings to keep carson on the air, he sux more than a dyson vacuum! fallon is awesome!
By Sherlon
April 29, 2008 12:26 AM | Link to this
Why don’t you bring on Joan Rivers??? or are all the late night shows just for the male race. You might try Ellen Degeneros, nothing wrong with her. She’s quite funny and has a good rating for her afternoon show and has subbed on some of the late night talk shows.
By Sherlon
April 29, 2008 12:28 AM | Link to this
Why don’t you bring on Joan Rivers??? or are all the late night shows just for the male race. You might try Ellen Degeneros, nothing wrong with her. She’s quite funny and has a good rating for her afternoon show and has subbed on some of the late night talk shows. SHonea@aol.com
By Grant
April 29, 2008 12:57 AM | Link to this
what bunch of meth addicted zombies log the ratings to keep carson on the air, he sux more than a dyson vacuum! fallon is awesome!
By qwerty
April 29, 2008 9:34 AM | Link to this
Sherlon…three things.
A) Joan Rivers isn’t funny anymore, and she’s got plenty of work at the TVGuide Channel and Geico.
B) Ellen DeGeneres (spelling counts) already has a job too, and I doubt she’ll be tempted away from it.
C) “Male” is not a race. But it’s always about race, isn’t it?
By B and W
April 29, 2008 4:06 PM | Link to this
I have never watched an episode of Letterman, Conan, Leno, etc. Sorry, I have to get up early to go to work. However,I don’t find any of them funny and the guests are just there to sell a movie/cd/tv show, etc. Gimme the old days when celebs didn’t have something to sell…just told great stories about their lives.
By jungleland
April 30, 2008 4:03 PM | Link to this
The late night talk show is such a worn out formula, I’m sure Fallon would be ok at this…but who really cares?
It will come down to Conan and Jimmy Kimmel as the two that can keep this format worth watching
When Dave retires it will be the end of the Talk Show era
Daily Show and Colbert Report are the new Late Night shows anyway