SummarySaturday Night Live veteran Jimmy Fallon takes the Late Night reins from Conan O'Brien when O'Brien succeeds Jay Leno as new host of The Tonight Show in 2009.
SummarySaturday Night Live veteran Jimmy Fallon takes the Late Night reins from Conan O'Brien when O'Brien succeeds Jay Leno as new host of The Tonight Show in 2009.
Fallon is far from such stature, but though his opening night had disappointments, none were crushing or looked potentially fatal. Once Fallon relaxes, hunkers down and lightens up, the new "Late Night" could win over many a semi-conscious heart and mind.
An attempt to be silly like O’Brien, his Late Night predecessor, instead had a trying-too-hard feel that approached Carson Daly territory (a place you do not want to be).
Despite solid tune-in out of curiosity about the new kid, Fallon’s Late Night got off to a rocky start, with uninspired writing and taped pieces, an at-times visibly nervous host and a first guest, Robert De Niro, whose taciturn nature made him a poor choice for the assignment.
The "Saturday Night Live" alum and occasional film actor began life as a man of chat by giving his best impression of a deer caught in the headlights while at the same time exhibiting flashes of comic flair.