WHY WE LOVE IT
Late-Night Talk Shows WRITTEN BY
BRANDON GOLDSTEIN
I
f you go to sleep happy, chances are you’ll wake up happy too. Jimmy Fallon, the new host of “The Tonight Show,” alluded to it a few weeks ago when the show finally moved back to New York where it belongs. This might be pure conjecture without scientific evidence to back it up, but it certainly seems plausible. As the dust from the latest late-night TV shuffle settles, there is a growing optimism that late-night can be great night once again. We can finally go to sleep happy, just as the doctor ordered. When Jimmy Fallon relieved Jay Leno of his post at NBC this past February, he brought with him a comedic formula far different than that of his predecessors. Fallon, only 39, was borne out of a different breed of comics than his big-chinned predecessor. When he first arrived at “Saturday Night Live” some 15 years ago, Fallon was already showing us glimpses of exactly what America needed on late-night TV not just on Saturdays, but all week long. Fallon, neither the best actor, nor the funniest man in the room, made us smile and laugh because no one was more aware of that fact than him. He was sincere, and couldn’t help laughing during sketches. We could relate to him more than someone like Will Ferrell. To this day, as he rolls on successfully as host of “The Tonight Show,” he still maintains
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that charming humanity that got him to the big stage. Now, he will rely on the relationships he’s made over the past 15 years to keep him on top. If you haven’t seen Paul Rudd’s lip-syncing battle with Jimmy Fallon, then you should probably stop reading right now and watch it. The segment speaks volumes for Fallon’s brilliance. He has the rare, uncanny ability to make the world’s biggest stars join him in unabashed tomfallonery. Whether it’s the First Lady appearing in a sketch with Will Ferrell, or Justin Timberlake and Brian Williams rapping, Fallon will continue to reinvigorate and reinvent “The Tonight Show” for a long time. Fallon isn’t alone in his quest to recapture the late-night magic. “Jimmy Kimmel Live” has been on ABC since 2003, and Kimmel has continually found unique ways to keep his
viewers engaged. Whether it’s a feud with Kanye West, or a feisty relationship with Matt Damon, Kimmel has been pivotal in bringing about a new golden age of late-night television. Seth Meyers, the new host of “Late Night” on NBC rounds out the list of relative newcomers. Although it seems expectations lower as it gets later, Meyers will have none of it. As the former host of “Weekend Update” and a longtime head writer at “SNL,” Seth has a few kinks to work out with a show of his own. Slowly but surely he will get there. As the full slate of late-night talk shows compete against more and more nightly programming, the new kings of late-night must endure a long, hard battle to keep the crown. After years of stale performances, it’s great to see the young guys giving it their all. Sleep happy, folks.