# Jimmy Fallon gets tonight show next year **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495 "2013-03-20T22:19:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/61 "2013-03-22T21:55:05Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > You said Leno wasn’t funny as if nobody thinks he’s funny. I linked to the post in question, and you STILL misrepresent what I said. It’s only four sentences long, how can you even do that? I’m not sure why so much of you is tied up in convincing people Leno is funny and success. . .oh, I didn’t realize it was you, Jay. If it’s any consolation, pretty much everyone thinks you have an absolutely kick-ass car and motorcycle collection. [The post in question, if anyone not named Irishman cares.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16117292&postcount=20) ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/62 "2013-03-22T22:51:51Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Fallon […] the best at getting celebrities to participate in skits. Pretty sure Jimmy Kimmel [owns that crown](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/28/jimmy-kimmels-workout-tape_n_828976.html). ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/63 "2013-03-23T02:42:26Z")
That reminds me, did Leno kill Kimmel’s dog or something? Or run off with his wife? Or do something else to him? Seems like Kimmel is bashing Leno a lot these days. The latest is he claims Leno "dumbs down " his show. A few weeks ago he said “Leno has no feelings” ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/64 "2013-03-23T04:38:55Z")
[Kimmel came down pretty hard on Leno during the whole Conan debacle.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBtitOjc6Rg) One of Kimmel’s idols growing up was David Letterman, so that may fuel some of his dislike of Leno. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/65 "2013-03-23T04:39:54Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Which also brings up the fact that Late Night is going to be a terrible spot for anyone if Fallon is successful on the Tonight Show. Unless he gets bored, there won’t be any chance to move up for a long time. I don’t know about that. The Tonight Show is a big deal, but not as big as it once was. And there’s probably more restrictions on the host. I think I remember when Conan was the host that it was theorized that part of the problem was that he couldn’t as weird and crazy as he was in the later time slot. I’m sure there are some comedians who would be happy to be on the Late Show even if they won’t be moving up to the Tonight Show anytime soon, if they also don’t have the network breathing their neck like they would at the Tonight Show. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/66 "2013-03-23T04:50:28Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Do not agree. Conan is creepy and Fallon really isnt funny. I haven’t been a cable subscriber since the mid-nineties, largely coincident with Letterman’s failure to maintain any sort of quality and, well… Jay Leno, but from what I’ve seen of Jimmy Fallon (on Youtube, etc.) he is actually quite funny, and doesn’t make me long for the mass extinction of humanity and any species touched in any way by humanity, like Jay Leno does. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/67 "2013-03-23T07:04:22Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > I linked to the post in question, and you STILL misrepresent what I said. I don’t believe I misrepresented anything. I don’t believe the people who watch Jay Leno do it in an ironic way. But as you said, people can read what you said for themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/68 "2013-03-23T09:11:46Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I don’t believe I misrepresented anything. I don’t believe the people who watch Jay Leno do it in an ironic way. But as you said, people can read what you said for themselves. On that last part, at least, we can find ourselves in agreement. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/69 "2013-03-23T14:34:01Z")
Letterman did not get the Tonight show, but he certainly got a great deal from CBS so I don’t understand why Kimmel or anyone would still be mad about that 21 years later. ---
**Author:** ![Raskolnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@Raskolnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raskolnikov)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/70 "2013-03-23T18:34:20Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I like Jay and I like Jimmy. I don’t think NBC will lose either way they go. Leno had a nice run, maybe it’s time for him to retire. **If all the Conan fans had actually watched him when he had Tonight, maybe he’d still be there**. funny how Leno was blamed for his poor ratings, Letterman beat Conan overall and in the younger demographic during Conan’s reign on the Tonight Show. Leno didn’t lose the overall or younger demographic to Letterman. people forget that Conan took over the Tonight Show in early June, Leno’s 10pm show aired first in mid September. Conan had a full 3 months head start but people blamed Leno. Silly. Johnny Carson himself said you’ve got to win the middle of the country. The Midwest. Especially considering the earlier time slot. Johnny did that, Leno does that. Fallon won’t. And Conan sure didn’t appeal to the Cadillac of tonight shows with his masturbating bear or whatever. the Tonight Show just trends older, more mature, always has. If t.v. execs want young go to cable, or the internet. Why kill the 15 year long cash cow for something that doesn’t exist. I mean they did this once before recently. WTH? I keep reading about younger demographics, and I’ll I can think is ''weren’t we here before? ‘’ Current average age of viewers: Leno 58 Letterman 57 Kimmel 54 Fallon 52 not exactly an improvement on the “younger demographic” that so many think will happen. NBC is shooting itself in the foot. NBC execs need to learn that perhaps the best way to get the younger demographic isn’t on an 11:30pm EST talk show, especially the one seen as the Cadillac of Late Night. ---
**Author:** ![Raskolnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@Raskolnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raskolnikov)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/71 "2013-03-24T23:45:42Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Letterman did not get the Tonight show, but he certainly got a great deal from CBS so I don’t understand why Kimmel or anyone would still be mad about that 21 years later. it’s very strange b/c I’ve only ever heard nice things about Leno I just think it may boil down to jealousy from some of the others, late night t.v. isn’t what if used to be but at the same time the Tonight Show is still the big dog if there is one Letterman’s jealousy is particularly tough to take. He went on to a great, well-paid career at CBS which he’s done for way longer than he was ever at NBC. I could see if he never worked in the industry again and was ruined but making 15-20 million per year to host at CBS should’ve been good enough. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/72 "2013-03-25T00:38:05Z")
Many actors/TV hosts have huge egos so even though Letterman has a great job he might still view it as a “lesser” job than the Tonight show. It’s like he never won the Super Bowl/World Series/ etc. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/73 "2013-03-25T03:41:58Z")
> [@Raskolnikov](#): > > funny how Leno was blamed for his poor ratings, Letterman beat Conan overall and in the younger demographic during Conan’s reign on the Tonight Show. Leno didn’t lose the overall or younger demographic to Letterman. > > people forget that Conan took over the Tonight Show in early June, Leno’s 10pm show aired first in mid September. Conan had a full 3 months head start but people blamed Leno. Silly. > > Johnny Carson himself said you’ve got to win the middle of the country. The Midwest. Especially considering the earlier time slot. Johnny did that, Leno does that. Fallon won’t. And Conan sure didn’t appeal to the Cadillac of tonight shows with his masturbating bear or whatever. > > the Tonight Show just trends older, more mature, always has. If t.v. execs want young go to cable, or the internet. Why kill the 15 year long cash cow for something that doesn’t exist. I mean they did this once before recently. WTH? > > I keep reading about younger demographics, and I’ll I can think is ''weren’t we here before? ‘’ > > Current average age of viewers: > Leno 58 > Letterman 57 > Kimmel 54 > Fallon 52 > > not exactly an improvement on the “younger demographic” that so many think will happen. NBC is shooting itself in the foot. > > NBC execs need to learn that perhaps the best way to get the younger demographic isn’t on an 11:30pm EST talk show, especially the one seen as the Cadillac of Late Night. I’m a media buyer and Leno absolutely did tank the ratings for Conan. Yes, Conan had a head start but it was in the summer months when lead-in prime programming is weak on nearly all networks, and ratings are typically soft compared to the Fall-Spring seasons. In every market I bought, any station that had a strong local 10/11pm news saw that program’s ratings plummet when Leno became their lead-in and many top-ranked late news programs dropped to 2nd or even lower - which is disasterous for local stations as local news is their bread and butter as far as selling local time. Some NBC stations actually started to refuse to air Leno in prime time because they were getting dragged down so badly. It’s easy to look at it on the surface and say that it was all Conan’s fault for not getting the ratings but trust me, as someone that works with this stuff professionally, Leno really did destroy Conan’s chance. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/74 "2013-03-25T06:34:10Z")
Leno said moving to 10 was probably a bad idea before the show started but he gave it a try to help NBC. And he was proven right. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/75 "2013-03-25T12:27:34Z")
I’ll be the devil’s advocate here; I like Jimmy Fallon as a talk show host, and I think he has a great show. I HATED Fallon in everything else, but I think he’s found his niche as a talk show host. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/76 "2013-03-25T22:27:44Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I don’t believe I misrepresented anything. I don’t believe the people who watch Jay Leno do it in an ironic way. But as you said, people can read what you said for themselves. Well, you did. At no point did he say that OTHER PEOPLE didn’t find Leno funny. In fact, he very clearly argued that saying someone is funny because other people find them funny is argumentum ad populum. Not that your argument with the strawman you created was without flaws. Yes, most people I know say they like Jay’s bits more than the jokes his writers make. That’s why there are so much more of them than there used to be. You seemed to bring up alternate possibilities just to dismiss them without thought. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/77 "2013-03-26T19:13:21Z")
Its hard for me to say this as a Conan fan and still slightly bitter about the whole thing, but I think the smartest thing for NBC to do is not to try to get younger or anything like that. What they should do immediately is offer Leno a 10 year contract and stop trying to look for his replacement. The man’s hard working, appeals to enough people to win the timeslot, and is generally inoffensive enough to be the face of the network on late night. I like Conan a lot and wished he kept his Tonight Show job, but only because I knew it meant a lot to him. Honestly, I don’t see much difference between his Late Show on NBC and his Conan show on TBS, I like him all the same. I originally thought Fallon was going to tank like everybody else, but he’s done well for himself and I’m happy for him. I didn’t hate him on SNL, he just didn’t really stand out except when he we doing musical numbers. That said, I don’t watch his show, or Kimmel, or Letterman, or Ferguson. I’m kind of set with my viewing habits and see no reason to change now ---
**Author:** ![Raskolnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@Raskolnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raskolnikov)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/78 "2013-03-26T19:49:24Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Its hard for me to say this as a Conan fan and still slightly bitter about the whole thing, but I think\*\* the smartest thing for NBC to do is not to try to get younger or anything like that. \*\* What they should do immediately is offer Leno a 10 year contract and stop trying to look for his replacement. **The man’s hard working, appeals to enough people to win the timeslot** , and is generally inoffensive enough to be the face of the network on late night. this is basically what I said above in post #70. the younger viewers are either watching cable or the internet. They aren’t on network t.v. no matter how hard NBC tries. the average age difference b/t Leno and Fallon is something like 6 years, all above 50 years old with Letterman and Kimball in between. like I said before: Johnny Carson was quoted as saying “you’ve got to win the middle of the country” , partially due to the earlier time (10:30pm) and for whatever reason Leno, being slightly more conservative, does just that. Just like Carson did. I’m not sure how well Conan or Fallon would do. They did this before for the younger demographic and it didn’t work. Leno’s been leading for 15 years, why screw with it? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/79 "2013-03-26T20:11:16Z")
They were nervous Conan would leave for CBS or somewhere else so they wanted to keep him and they gave him Tonight . Maybe they have the same worry about Fallon. I think it’s pretty certain Leno will go to another network if he’s forced out, maybe Fox or HBO and that’s not good for NBC. ---
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495/80 "2013-03-26T20:42:24Z")
Remember this is COMCAST-NBC, a totally different type of company than NBC of years gone by. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-fallon-gets-tonight-show-next-year/653495.md?page=5)