Jimmy Fallon: best late night host since Johnny Carson

When I was younger I enjoyed Carson. It just ain't the same. I don't get the newer crowd. The humor, (culture difference), is not there.

But...I will give Fallon an honest try if I am up that late. I am a morning person and can't stay up that late if I want to get stuff done early.
 
Letterman used to be great, but he has been phoning much of it in the past few years. I used to like his earlier days when he too used to have more bits and skits. He does have a killer band, perhaps the best in late night, with Paul Shaffer.

I like Letterman but can't watch his show due to Paul Shaffer. Yuk! He gives me the creeps.
 
Yes, but Johnny may have worked more hours than Jay. The show used to be 90 minutes.

I'm soon to be 60, but think Fallon is the best! His musical ability is unmatched for late night hosts. I especially like his impressions (Neil Young, Springsteen, Dylan), his skits with Justin Timberlake, and his bit where he'll have a performer do their song with the Roots playing " kid" instruments.

Jimmy Fallon, Carly Rae Jepsen & The Roots Sing "Call Me Maybe" (w/ Classroom Instruments) - YouTube

But I have a 13 year old who keeps me in the loop of today's popular music, so this may not be your taste.
 
Jimmy fallon is like conan. Really boring and bad. Trying very hard to be funny.
Jay lenno, letterman and jimmy kimmel are better and original with their skits.
 
I was a huge fan of Fallon's during his time on SNL, and am thrilled he's on early enough now for me to at least catch his monologue. Can't wait until I retire and I can stay up late enough to watch all of it. I've taped some, and think he's doing a great job. Jay just wasn't funny to me anymore, and I'm glad to have something to lull me to sleep besides Letterman.
 
Not necessarily a 'pet peeve' but an 'annoyance' to me is why all these late night talk shows have the host sitting a foot higher than the guests.

And don't get me started on the fake, non-working microphone they place on their desks for 'show'.
 
Last edited:
Been watching Jimmy Fallon. When he and his sidekick go into talking about "monster cables" is quite funny. Is that an inside gag they have going on for some time?
 
Other than musical bits that Fallon does with guests, I am not impressed. That sidekick guy is just plain annoying. Also, all hosted NBC shows are filled with guests from other NBC shows, plugging their own NBC shows. NBC does this much more than other networks. By contrast, Letterman books plenty of guests who appear on other networks. For example, Brian Williams from NBC is a frequent guest on Letterman. I think Letterman still has the best writers (or perhaps ones which appeal to my own sense of humor) among the network late night shows, and Letterman has the best delivery, IMO.
 
On Thursday, I really liked the doo-wop duet with Billy Joel. It was really cool.

On Friday, with they guy who brought out the animals, I missed how Jay interacted more with the animals, like how he would have with the cute baby bear. But I wonder if Jimmy didn't interact much was because the guy who brought the bear out seemed distracting. I like the animal parts more when the animals are featured than the humor.
 
I think Jimmy got truly upset when the guy squirted milk onto his face and his jacket. I can't see Jimmy having the animlas on his show as often as Jay or Johnny did. Johnny was a real gem with those animal segments.
 
The time when Johnny jumped into Ed McMahon's arms is a classic. Jay loved playing with and "talking to" and hamming it up with the animals.
 
They may have changed the desk recently to hide the feet, but the Seth Meyers Show still sucks big time. (See my original critique of this show above.)
 
Last edited:
Jay Leno is going back on "The Tonight Show." Well, as guest this Friday 11/7.

I think Jimmy's done a fine job so far, but will be fun to see them both on at the same time.
 
I have been so enjoying the tonight show. I didn't know Jimmy Fallon was so funny - not only funny but also very likable. He seems like a genuinely nice person who loves life.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
 
I have been so enjoying the tonight show. I didn't know Jimmy Fallon was so funny - not only funny but also very likable. He seems like a genuinely nice person who loves life.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

+1... Very different from Jay and Dave. More contempoary presentation in my very subjective opinion
 
Just being picky, but I like the clothes Letterman wears a lot better than Fallon's. Fallon always wears those tight Itailian suits that must be Armanies (sp) and are all the same color.
 
Just being picky, but I like the clothes Letterman wears a lot better than Fallon's. Fallon always wears those tight Itailian suits that must be Armanies (sp) and are all the same color.


If you asked me what he was wearing, I couldn't tell you. Ever. (And I am a woman :-o )


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
 
Jay Leno is going back on "The Tonight Show." Well, as guest this Friday 11/7....
Leno hosted "The Tonight Show" over 20 years. After all those years, can anyone hum his theme song? How about Johnny's? Will folks remember Fallon's down the road?
 
I remember Johnny's. It goes: Dah dat dat dah dah...
Exactly! :dance:
That was my point. I vaguely remember Conan's old theme before he moved to the West Coast with his new show. But Leno's? What in the world was his band playing all those years? You'd think he woulda wanted a memorable theme to follow him for the rest of his life, like Bob Hope's "Thanks for the Memories," or that Don Rickles's matador trumpet theme song.
 
Last edited:
Leno had at least 2 different theme songs. After bandleader Kevin Eubanks left in 2010, the new bandleader (and band?) changed the opening theme song. I don't know if Eubanks changed the theme song when he took over in 1995 (I wasn't a regular viewer until abound 2005).
 
I did enjoy watching Jay as guest on the "Tonight Show."

He still has the sharp humor about Justin Bieber and other topics during his stand up part.

Things did get a bit awkward with Lucy Liu. It was like she wasn't trying to, but ended up putting down Jimmy but he was a good sport about it.
 
Back
Top Bottom