Tonight Show Staring Jimmy Fallon Debuts

[Jess 1110]

Yeah, Colin Jost is taking over, I dunno with a co-anchor or not. In recent SNL tradition, he's the head writer.

 

...anyone else think that Norm MacDonald was the best damn Weekend Update anchor ever?

[24994J 5269]

 

Yeah, Colin Jost is taking over, I dunno with a co-anchor or not. In recent SNL tradition, he's the head writer.

 

...anyone else think that Norm MacDonald was the best damn Weekend Update anchor ever?

 

Cecily Strong will remain as co-anchor.

[mark 55]

 

I'm quoting from either "Live From New York" or "The War For Late Night" - and I'm looking and looking for the actual quote. The gist was that the monologue should be part of the show, something not as edgy, because in half the country you're being broadcast at a time when more people are awake. I assume that sleep schedules don't change because primetime on TV runs from 7-10 and not 8-11.

 

I think that quote is from from "The War for Late Night." A great read.

 

And I kind of wonder how much influence TV has had on people's sleep schedules. Probably not much anymore, but I bet there's been some impact in Central and Mountain time zones.

 

 

...anyone else think that Norm MacDonald was the best damn Weekend Update anchor ever?

 

Without a doubt.

[BehindNYNews 143]

Now if true, this is low. http://www.tvnewsinsider.com/22349

 

I don't know if NBC has seen their morning ratings but maybe ABC should be saying it's GMA or the highway.

[24994J 5269]

It's been done before by others. Like the previous times, it won't work, and they'll relax that once his numbers fall back to Earth. As the article says, he's crushing the other guys, let's see how that's going in a month.

[BehindNYNews 143]

 

It's been done before by others. Like the previous times, it won't work, and they'll relax that once his numbers fall back to Earth. As the article says, he's crushing the other guys, let's see how that's going in a month.

 

On a semi-side note, I know Fallon is crushing but I would also note, Kimmel is making good gains on Letterman in Total Viewers and is already beating him in the demo.

[24994J 5269]

Yeah, once all the ratings stabilize, I can honestly say I have no clue who'll come out on top. I had my money on Dave before, but right now that seems unlikely. Fallon cannot and will not maintain these numbers, but there are many people that will just turn the tube off rather than switching to the other Jimmy and Not-Jimmy.

[BehindNYNews 143]

Here's last weeks ratings. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/03/06/abc-is-up-week-to-week-by-double-digits-in-late-night-in-viewers-and-adults-18-49-2/242782/?utm_campaign=WP%20%3E%20Twitter&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitter

 

 

 

During the week of February 24, 2014, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” shot up over the prior week by 17% in Total Viewers (2.632 million vs. 2.255 million) and by 17% in Adults 18-49 (828,000 vs. 706,000), while NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” declined by 36% in Total Viewers and by 37% in Adults 18-49.

[MorningNews 1291]

Not sure if that article is true or not being that it's TMZ but comparing the latest available data, GMA scores more total viewers, households and equal 18-49 demo rating as The Tonight Show. So what exactly is NBC's bargaining power anyway? I haven't noticed a decrease in noteworthy talent featured on GMA's show since Fallon started either but who knows. His numbers will fall once the novelty wears off and I suspect that Dave will become late night king.

[Jess 1110]

Giving Fallon a chance tonight... pleasantly surprised and laughing my ass off through most of it. It's good-natured fun humor. And this is coming from a Letterman/Stewart fan. It's really, really good.

 

I'm starting to think that NBC stumbled into a win-win situation here...

[MidwestTV 1173]

The generational divide on whether or not Fallon is funny is annoying but almost amusing itself.

[ns8401 846]

I'm in the younger half of the divide, I think he's pretty funny, but the announcer banter is overkill, they drag things out so much it ruins the joke. That and he is a horrible story-teller, and is a tad hyper.

[A3N 996]

I will say that he still needs some time to really settle in, but has greatly improved since he started. I like the banter between Jimmy and Steve, but like ns8401 says, they tend to drag out the jokes a bit much. I will say that Jimmy really needs to work on his monologue jokes, some really fall flat. I do like the Thank You notes segment on Fridays, they're funny and the jokes flow more smoothly.

[ns8401 846]

I will say that he still needs some time to really settle in, but has greatly improved since he started. I like the banter between Jimmy and Steve, but like ns8401 says, they tend to drag out the jokes a bit much. I will say that Jimmy really needs to work on his monologue jokes, some really fall flat. I do like the Thank You notes segment on Fridays, they're funny and the jokes flow more smoothly.

I agree the show is gradually improving and the twitter references are lessening. I think part of the jokes overextending is when jimmy tries to move on and the announcer distracts him and pulls him right back into it, half of the banter can be a bit hard to follow at times. I got a kick out of my friend suggesting they give him Ritalin to slow him down a tad.

[Jess 1110]

I think the fact is that Jimmy is learning how to function at 11:35 and probably listening to network advice, which is something that Conan apparently was not doing according to The War For Late Night. (Conan's Tonight only got really really good those last weeks.) Plus, I think the fact that Fallon's comedy is based on... exuberance I think?... makes it more palatable for 11:35.

 

And yes, maybe primetime in the Central time zone is 7-10, but regardless you're gonna have more people awake at 10:35 than at 11:35.

 

I do really like the interplay between Jimmy and Steve, too.

 

 

The generational divide on whether or not Fallon is funny is annoying but almost amusing itself.

I don't think it's generational. I think it's relative to everybody's sense of humor.

 

I find Jimmy less funny and more appealing. It's his exuberance that makes him watchable, and that carries over to the house band and guests.

 

If you had to define my sense of humor, it'd probably be closer to the Conan O'Brien camp than anything else. This is largely because he was a key player on The Simpsons during season 4 (and part of 5). I revere the first nine seasons of The Simpsons, and firmly believe that the show during that time was and is the funniest, best show to ever air on television. Not only that, but season 4 is the absolute best season of the show. The worst episodes of that season are better than what any other show was producing, either at the time or now, and the best episodes of that season are the finest examples of comedy to ever exist. (Mr. Plow, Last Exit to Springfield, Marge vs. the Monorail, Whacking Day, Homer's Triple Bypass... here's an Amazon link to buy the DVD. You'll thank me later.)

 

Conan's humor is very Simpsonian. Marge vs. the Monorail ends with Marge narrating:

 

And that was the only folly the people of Springfield ever embarked upon. Except for the popsicle stick skyscraper. And the 50-foot magnifying glass. And that escalator to nowhere.

Do those sound like Conan O'Brien jokes? Cuz they do to me.