It was a great twenty-seven year run. Shame it had to end in rape by demon.
In 1993, when the nation’s television critics were forecasting doom for NBC’s Late Night based on its choice of host (some inexperienced Irish dork named Conan O’Brien), they should’ve been focusing on Worldwide Pants and Carson Prods. ceding control of the show to Lorne Michaels’s Broadway Video. Yes, while they were beating up on the neophyte, motherfuckers should’ve been dropping to their knees and thanking Uncle Miltie that they weren’t tuning into Late Night with Kevin Nealon.
‘Cuz now, Lorne is continuing his Jimmy Fallon experiment in the time slot made holy by David Letterman, Robert Morton, Paul Schaffer, Chris Elliott and a steamroller.
Not that this is a huge surprise. Fallon’s ascension to O’Brien’s chair has been in the works for the last year or so, and, given Michaels’s puzzling loyalty to the ruiner of all good things, no one expected that the producer/kingmaker would suddenly reverse himself and go with a talent who… well, just a talent full stop. Evidently, Michaels believes that viewers crave a vacuous late night host who laughs at his own jokes and stumbles over big words on the teleprompter. And while I may question this, you just can’t argue with the combined grosses of Taxi and Fever Pitch.
Well, good luck with that, Lorne. I just know that, for the first time since grade school, clicking over to NBC at 12:35 in the morning won’t be a option.
7 comments
First it was Carson Daly..I said nothing; I never watched TRL. Then it was Jimmy Kimmel…I said nothing; the Man Show was funny enough. Now Jimmy Fallon…this should last about half as long as the Chevy Chase Show. And be maybe a third as funny.
Fuck all that! Alan Thicke is our man!
Conan, Letterman and Elliott are irreplaceable… But Jimmy Fallon is not that bad… Most of his film performances are weak and his giggling on SNL got really old, but the guy does have talent and enough charm to be successful. As far as being racous, I think it is impossible to come to that conclusion. I am sure at one time the same things were said about Letterman, Conan, and Elliott..
Years ago, I remember Jimmy Fallon filled in for David Letterman (might've been during his heart recovery but maybe not). I remember the show turning out alright, and he did better than some of the other guest hosts they lined up during that time.
The thing with Fallon is that he is a passable kind of old-school cabaret/variety performer. He is a fairly charming guy who can do a bit of acting, some impressions, some singing etc, so a Late Night show is probably one of the best vehicles for him. I won't watch it, and it will be really safe TV (it's odd that Tonight will be more out there than Late Night) but it won't be terrible.
He's gonna be a better talk show host than Tom Green. How about THAT for a positive.
The Chevy Chase Show redux?
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