Feature Story
Thecoronavirus has impacted almost every aspect of life, and prime-time television is no exception. Shows like NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” are adapting and keeping things fresh with shows filmed entirely at the hosts’ homes with the help of their family members. You can catch a new episode of both, airing Wednesday, June 24, on NBC.
The new show format, which eliminates the audience, consists of prerecorded skits, interviews and celebrity cameos, all pieced together by the shows’ editors, who are also working from home. While watching someone like Fallon give their opening monologue without the audience may feel a bit awkward at first, there is some comfort in knowing that even famous TV hosts are abiding by our new social distancing regulations. It’s also pretty interesting to see inside the celeb’s homes and to see how they look without an entire hair, makeup and wardrobe department to get them camera ready.
Fallon has turned his funfilled nighttime talk show into a fun-filled anytime web show. The first episode of “The Tonight Show: At Home Edition” aired back in March, with Fallon claiming that boredom made him
do it, and that he assumed that boredom was behind audiences watching the show, too. Really, it was his wife, Nancy Juvonen (“Donnie Darko,” 2001), who reminded him that he should have the courage to do something, and she has featured prominently in this new incarnation of the show.
In fact, one of the most popular new features is “Ask the Fallons,” in which Fallon and Juvonen walk together while answering fan questions (all filmed using a selfie stick, of course). Juvonen’s presence can also be felt whenever the camera shakes and viewers can hear a little snicker or comment — she films many of the segments, and her charm is a big part of why this “At Home Edition” works so well. And don’t forget the kids — the giggly contributions of Franny and Winnie Fallon are adorable, and we’d like to see them continue to make homemade signs for each segment indefinitely.
With his wife and kids as his new production crew, Fallon continues to do interviews and play games with celebrities like Jennifer Lopez (“Hustlers,” 2019) and Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”), as well as noteworthy figures like Jane Goodall (“Change for Chimps”).
“The Tonight Show: At Home Edition” regularly features musical guests, who record their performances in their own homes to be edited
into the show. These hourlong episodes deliver everything we’ve come to expect from the in-studio shows, but in the at-home version, every episode is dedicated to a different charity.
Meyers has undertaken a similar format, and his news report style lends itself incredibly well to independent filming. His first online episode aired on March 23 and hit the ground running with a hilarious jab at those spring breakers on Florida beaches in the middle of the pandemic.
There has definitely been no shortage of satirical outrage and bitingly critical remarks about the current administration, but that’s nothing new for Meyers. His ever-popular “A Closer Look” segment is still going strong, and his guests range from politicians like Bernie Sanders to entertainers like Maya Rudolph (“Bridesmaids,” 2011) and Nathan Lane (“The Producers,” 2005).
Meyers films his show in his finished attic. Unlike Fallon, we don’t see much of Meyers’ two young sons (besides a couple of quick and very adorable appearances), but we do get to hear about them. He often returns to his makeshift studio to discover that his boys have been playing in the attic, and they’ve adjusted his camera angles and played with his recording equipment.