# It's official. Fallon replaces Conan

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 12, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039 "2008-05-12T16:21:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 17\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/1 "2008-05-12T16:21:58Z")

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When Conan replaces Leno in 2009, Jimmy Fallon will replace Conan on Late Night. NBC is announcing the news right now

I have my doubts that the Tonight Show audience will warm to Conan’s unique brand of humor and further doubts that the Late Night audience will warm to Fallon.

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**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/2 "2008-05-12T16:27:38Z")

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[QUOTE=kunilou]  
When Conan replaces Leno in 2009, Jimmy Fallon will replace Conan on Late Night. NBC is announcing the news right now

I have my doubts that the Tonight Show audience will warm to Conan’s unique brand of humor and further doubts that the Late Night audience will warm to Fallon.  
[/QUOTE]

I’m not much of a fan of Jay Leno, but I despise Conan O’Brien. I just don’t find his brand of humor funny at all. Jimmy Fallon? I feel about as meh toward him as I do Leno.

Letterman is where it’s at. I’m warming up a bit to Craig Ferguson.

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/3 "2008-05-12T16:29:26Z")

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A hour of Jimmy Fallon? They cannot be fucking serious.

Whatever show is opposite this will see a 35% jump in viewers in about three weeks.

Truly, the End Times are nigh. Make peace with your God, because in 2009, the shit’s comin’ down. They gave Fallon a talk show.

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**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/4 "2008-05-12T16:32:38Z")

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[QUOTE=RickJay]  
A hour of Jimmy Fallon? They cannot be fucking serious.

Whatever show is opposite this will see a 35% jump in viewers in about three weeks.  
[/QUOTE]

That would be The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. See?

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/5 "2008-05-12T16:43:06Z")

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[QUOTE=Brown Eyed Girl]  
That would be The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. See?  
[/QUOTE]  
Which is truly underrated. IMHO, of course.

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**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/6 "2008-05-12T16:43:35Z")

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I’m not that regular of viewer of Conan any more, but when I have watched it seems like he has had quite a few ‘dead’ crowds as of late(I still think he is great fwiw). I suspect it is a lot of the Leno viewing tourist now coming to see who this guy is. I don’t know how much of it is schtick, but I love those episodes; he seems clearly uncomfortable, but always rolls with it and takes a few nice shots at the audience. He will also give particular guest a lot harder time than Leno; usually it seems good natured, but not always. I don’t know how long he can carry that though(flipping crap to the lame audiences), or how much NBC will even let him get away with that in the earlier timeslot.

Question: I have seen ‘In the year 2000’ a couple times in recent past, but what about Triumph and The Masterbating Bear? Do they still run those skits? Will they in the Tonight Show spot?

Re: Fallon, I remember someone saying in a past thread about this move that at least they can now watch Craig Ferguson’s show without flipping. I agree, but at least they didn’t try and move that Carson Daily trainwreck up instead.

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**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/7 "2008-05-12T16:47:17Z")

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Granted its possible he could attract an entirely new audience, but the thing is, its a talk show- Fallon hasn’t shown he’s an able interviewer or monologist, which is the bulk of the show- ask Magic Johnson and Chevy Chase, etc. how far likability, funniness, whatever gets show on a talk show if you can’t give a monologue or carry on a sensible interview. Mundane skills, true, but vital ones for such a show, unless they decide to change the format entirely.

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**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/8 "2008-05-12T16:49:46Z")

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This is really gonna blow. I hate Jimmy Fallon’s sense of humor. I’ll give him half a season…unless there’s some hidden talent we’re not aware of.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/9 "2008-05-12T17:19:19Z")

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I’m not the target audience - I haven’t watched the late show in years and years.

However: I did try to like Conan. I watched him on Comedy Central when he was on. My impression is: he is the dork who made good. All the facial contortions and goofiness somehow caught on. He rarely made me laugh.

I suspect Fallon will be worse.

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**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/10 "2008-05-12T17:37:31Z")

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Jimmy Fallon seems like a really nice guy, and he’s above-average talented with his impressions and such. His biggest problem in trying to do comedy, though, is that he’s not funny. I’d actually be surprised if this even happens. _Someone_ is bound to realize what a bad idea it is between now and then.

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**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/11 "2008-05-12T17:40:10Z")

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I can’t imagine Fallon making ad-libs or having a clue who the guests are or what they’re famous for if they’re not current box office or television stars.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/12 "2008-05-12T17:59:30Z")

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Even besides people saying exactly the same things about Conan back in 1992, they said exactly the same things about Jimmy Kimmel a few years ago. Both have succeeded, whether you happen to like either one or not.

Has there ever been a late night host that people said good things about before they started?

No. That includes Letterman, Carson, and Paar. And Craig Ferguson.

You can’t know until after they started. In fact, you can’t tell much for a year after that.

Not that that ever stopped anyone from commenting anyway.

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**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/13 "2008-05-12T18:10:27Z")

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Yeah! Who does that Leno fellow think he is, replacing Johnny like that? It’ll never work.

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**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/14 "2008-05-12T18:15:58Z")

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[QUOTE=tds1273]  
He will also give particular guest a lot harder time than Leno  
[/QUOTE]  
Wha?!?!?

A harder time than Leno?

That’s unpossible!

\</Homer\>

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/15 "2008-05-12T18:27:57Z")

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[QUOTE=ArizonaTeach]  
Yeah! Who does that Leno fellow think he is, replacing Johnny like that? It’ll never work.  
[/QUOTE]  
It did?

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/16 "2008-05-12T18:41:34Z")

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[QUOTE=Ludovic]  
It did?  
[/QUOTE]

The ratings say yes. Nothing else counts.\*  
\*I know you don’t believe that. I don’t wanna hear about it.

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-official-fallon-replaces-conan/449039/17 "2008-05-12T18:54:51Z")

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[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase]  
Even besides people saying exactly the same things about Conan back in 1992, they said exactly the same things about Jimmy Kimmel a few years ago.  
[/QUOTE]

I thought Jimmy Kimmel was a great choice to host a talk show.
