Jimmy Fallon marks 10 years of guiding ‘The Tonight Show’
For evidence that time flies when you’re having fun, take a look at Jimmy Fallon’s past decade.
In 2014, the typically gregarious comedian and “Saturday Night Live” alum moved from “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” to become the host of “The Tonight Show,” succeeding Jay Leno — who had returned to the gig after Conan O’brien (“Conan”) had an ultimately brief run with it. Fallon’s 10-year “Tonight” anniversary actually was in February, but NBC delayed the celebration to mark it with a two-hour primetime special that airs Tuesday, May 14.
While certain elements of the event have been kept secret, surprise guests likely being among them, the content largely will be a “Best of ” festival of clips showcasing memorable moments from the past 10 years of Fallon’s weeknight job. Those include sketches that frequently involve the given night’s main guest, plus music-infused bits that have involved artists from virtually every genre. The members of the program’s house band, The Roots (brought over by Fallon from his “Late Night” tenure), are sure to get their own spotlight during the special.
It’s been 10 years in terms of Fallon and “The Tonight Show,” but his time as an NBC late-night staple goes back much farther. After training in comedy with the noted troupe The Groundings, he was hired for “Saturday Night Live” in 1998 (and he has retained his connection to executive producer Lorne Michaels, who also has had that job on “Tonight” during the Fallon era). Fallon considered leaving “SNL” after three years, but stayed for three more when he was made the co-anchor (with Tina Fey) of the “Weekend Update” segment.
After leaving “SNL,” Fallon turned his focus to making movies, with “Taxi” (2004) and “Fever Pitch” (2005) his major efforts to come out of that period. (The latter project introduced him to fellow star Drew Barrymore’s production partner, Nancy Juvonen, who became his wife.) Ultimately, though, Fallon returned to late-night TV by following the aforementioned O’brien to the host role on “Late Night,” which he had from 2009 to 2013.
As has been the case with any “Tonight Show” host, Fallon is one of NBC’S most prominent personalities … and not only by doing that program, but also by producing and appearing on two game shows, “Password” and the “Tonight Show”-spawned “That’s My Jam.” He also is a regular on such NBC telecasts as the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“The Tonight Show” has been seen by Fallon through two major production interruptions: during the early phase of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 (he did “at-home” episodes before the show could return to its New York studio), and then during last year’s strike by the Writers Guild of America.
Fallon’s current “Tonight Show” contract runs through 2026, and time will tell what happens after that. For now, he has a big anniversary to celebrate, and 10 years’ worth of material to mine for it.