Jimmy Fallon: The Right Puzzle Piece for Tonight Show

So I am going to make a statement that will shock people closest to me because of my disapproval of the individual being discussed:




Jimmy Fallon is the right host for Tonight Show.




He honestly is.



Now, he is absolutely nowhere near the best in terms of hosting late-night television, but is the right choice for NBC’s long-running show. He lacks the slight selfish factor that now surrounds Jay Leno, he lacks the mild intimidation that Conan O’Brien possesses, and lacks the biting sarcasm of David Letterman. He is your average joe trying to draw a laugh, and trying to make new friends all the time. He gets his guests very much involved in some of his skits, including the lip-sync battles that have invaded the YouTube pages. He has the likability factor that NBC has not seen from any of their hosts since Johnny Carson.

Johnny Carson was your friend, your absolute best friend. He did his absolute best not to offend, not to shock, he always talked in the same level as his interviewees and his audience. Argue all you will about the behind-the-scenes feuds, on camera he was a huggable bear.

Conan O’Brian does not provide the huggable bear routine. He is by far the best late night host (extra props for being able to successfully manage a cable talk show with lower budget, and also to this day has the best skits on television after Chappelle’s departure), but doesn’t have any of Carson’s late night genes. He ran Tonight Show quite well in the extremely short period of time, but he wasn’t the personality NBC wanted to sit on the main Tonight Show chair. Too edgy. Too random. Sometimes a bit extreme. And lastly, not afraid to stir the pot. And…not afraid of being absolutely cruel when he feels like it.

NBC hates controversy nowadays. Jimmy Fallon is safe. He is harmless. He is the kid in school that everyone generally likes. He isn’t as funny as O’Brien or even Leno, but warms your heart with his smile, his energy, his eager presence. He is the right choice, even if he isn’t the best choice.

This is your new Tonight Show, like it or not. Unlike the uncertainty with Conan, it strongly appears that NBC is happy with their current choice.






Jimmy Fallon isn’t the best, but he fits the mold.