The Bottom Line
It was a solid – and charmingly silly – debut for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, buoyed by exuberant host Jimmy Fallon. The former Saturday Night Live star and new late night talk show host was on game, if still new to the format, and succeeded best when he went off-script and ad-libbed. The debut’s stand-out was house band The Roots and vocalist Black Thought, who smashed the house with his soulful – and comedic – delivery during “Slow Jammin’ the News.”
Pros
- Show defines itself while remaining comfortably familiar
- Fallon’s got the mad comic skills
- House band rocks like no other (sorry Max and Paul)
Cons
- It’s early, so the show’s clunky, but give it time
- Fallon’s scripted delivery a little stilted
- Feels just a little too much like it’s an off-shoot of SNL
Description
- Replaces Late Night with Conan O'Brien
- Airs weeknights at 12:30 a.m. on NBC
- Guests included former late night co-star Tina Fey
Guide Review - ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’ Delivers Solid Debut
The cold open with Conan O'Brien cleaning out his dressing room while Fallon preps for his debut show will always remain one of the show’s classic moments. It was the perfect baton pass and set the stage for a solid debut – even if it was filled with some stilted moments (but that was expected).
The new Late Night open reminds one a little too much of the Saturday Night Live’s fast-paced, New York at night open. But maybe with SNL producer Lorne Michael at the helm and Fallon just getting his feet wet, that’s not too much of a surprise. The monologue was a little rough around the edges, but Fallon’s finding his late night voice, and this should come into its own soon enough. When Fallon tossed out an ad-lib, you could see the comic genius waiting to be unleashed. Once he’s comfortable, this should be a highlight of the program (throw some impressions in there, Jimmy!).
The first comedy bit, “Slow Jammin’ the News,” was a hit, especially because of Roots’ vocalist Black Thought, whose delivery was soulful and hilarious. The second bit, “Lick it for $10,” during which audience members licked objects for $10, fell flat. The third, “Target Demographic,” a short film highlighting the evening’s target demographic, in this case Blonde Mothers, fell somewhere inbetween. Again, a little too SNL and not enough “Uniquely Fallon”.
Fallon’s interviews went well, especially the first with Robert DeNiro, who lent his dry wit to the funny mid-sketch “Space Train.” Fallon suffers from the same ailment Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Bonnie Hunt and other new talk show hosts first endure: learning how to interview.
Overall, if his debut is any indication, Jimmy Fallon is a worthy successor to the Late Night desk. All he needs to do is imprint the hour with his personal voice, and the show will be a hit.
