The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - General Discussion

[JMarie99]

I know this opinion is super unpopular but I am putting it out there anyway because I feel so strongly about it. I really miss his kids.

I loved Jimmy on SNL but could never get into his show. He’s a terrible interviewer and I couldn’t stand how he fawned over his guests. Then came the at-home shows.  I actually liked his monologues with no audience where he laughed at his own jokes. This was the Jimmy I loved from SNL - he destroyed so many sketches by cracking up in the middle of them and we ended up laughing with him as well as at him.

And then there was Winnie and Franny. The first few shows they were shy and a little scared. They followed instructions to the letter. Then they got bored and you could tell. One didn’t want to go down the slide at the end. Winnie was good at hitting the next slide for Thank You Notes but Frannie (who is only 5 years old) was a little slow at hitting the music. And then there was the show where Frannie was blowing raspberries, which I found very annoying - but then again, she’s only five! They were kids being kids, which I loved. Some of the posters on here don’t seem to like kids very much. So obviously our opinion on these shows will differ.

And now we’re back in the studio - except the interviews are still virtual, and the monologue gets laughs only from The Roots, who I can’t stand (another very unpopular opinion). And no Franny and Winnie. So I’m out. But thank you, Jimmy, for giving me some laughs during the early days of the pandemic. And Franny and Winnie, I love you and wish you well.

 

 

[FoundTime]

I'm not loving this back in the studio version. It feels like Jimmy's doing it for his own amusement (and maybe that of The Roots); I'm certainly not enjoying it too much.

Maybe I would have liked a little advance warning, or one more week at home and then transition. I had kind of gotten in the "at home" groove and I'm really not feeling this. I'll give it the rest of the week and then maybe I'll just stick to Colbert and Seth, who at least still make me laugh.

[cinsays]

5 hours ago, FoundTime said:

I'm not loving this back in the studio version. It feels like Jimmy's doing it for his own amusement (and maybe that of The Roots); I'm certainly not enjoying it too much.

Maybe I would have liked a little advance warning, or one more week at home and then transition. I had kind of gotten in the "at home" groove and I'm really not feeling this. I'll give it the rest of the week and then maybe I'll just stick to Colbert and Seth, who at least still make me laugh.

Yeah, have to say, I agree, not loving the return to the studio and I guess I really don't see the point in doing it.  Not crazy about the Roots and can't really imagine they sincerely think everything he says is so funny that they are rolling on the floor laughing at every line.  

 

[catlover79]

15 hours ago, Axie said:

Do we need to start a GoFundMe account to buy Jimmy some soap, shampoo, a haircut and better clothes?  He looks like he’s been on a three day bender.

Agreed. He doesn't have to wear a suit if there is no live audience or guests in the studio, but it is possible to look presentable and comfortable at the same time.

[dvr devotee]

I just don't get why they've redesigned the set to basically look like his house. It's so weird, and kind of cheapens the legacy of The Tonight Show to me.

23 hours ago, FoundTime said:

I'll just stick to Colbert and Seth, who at least still make me laugh.

I rarely watched the late night shows before this pandemic, but now Stephen and Seth are my go-tos when I'm still watching TV that late. I think it's partly because I really need someone to intelligently be saying "WTF?!" about the world the way I am right now, and S&S scratch that itch. I will usually flip to Jimmy when Colbert goes to commercial, or if Jimmy has a guest I'm more interested in. But generally, Jimmy is just too OTT for me, and being at home just amplified that too much.

Edited July 16, 2020 by dvr devotee

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, dvr devotee said:

…Stephen and Seth are my go-tos when I'm still watching TV that late. I think it's partly because I really need someone to intelligently be saying "WTF?!" about the world the way I am right now, and S&S scratch that itch. I will usually flip to Jimmy when Colbert goes to commercial, or if Jimmy has a guest I'm more interested in. But generally, Jimmy is just too OTT for me, and being at home just amplified that too much.

Same here WRT Colbert and Seth being my go-to with Fallon pretty much just a channel flipper —but for me, also before the pandemic. Sometimes Jimmy has a guest he connects with, and then his show is worth watching, but otherwise, not so much. He’s probably got enough money to “retire” from the show and do something else. Maybe it’s time to move Lilly Singh to his time slot, although she’s even more OTT. This past Tuesday I saw Alice Wetterlund on The CW’s Happy Hour. She seems like a better fit. 

Edited July 16, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Babalooie]

On 7/15/2020 at 4:48 AM, FoundTime said:

I'm not loving this back in the studio version. It feels like Jimmy's doing it for his own amusement (and maybe that of The Roots); I'm certainly not enjoying it too much.

Hopefully, this is not the amusement.  Here's a blind item.   You never know what to believe.

          136. ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER 07/14 **11**
This married A list talk show host couldn't wait to be able to go back to work so he could hook up again with a new staffer he hired back in December who was hired because she was having sex with the host. Jimmy Fallon/"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" (Jimmy Fallon welcomes Gov. Andrew Cuomo during first show back in studio)

[shapeshifter]

Just saw most of the July 16 rerun. Jim Carrey was excellent almost in spite of Jimmy Fallon, but I give Fallon credit for attempting to steer the conversation. 
It seemed like Jimmy was apologizing for the avocado milk Thank You Note jokes because he wrote them(?), but I thought they were fine. 

Edited July 25, 2020 by shapeshifter

[catlover79]

I know we have said this before, but Jimmy looks like he's literally rolled out of a gutter and into the studio. All of The Roots look well-groomed and while their clothes are casual, they are clean and presentable. Jimmy, you have a house in The Hamptons. You can afford a trim and a shave.

[Axie]

I’m in the DC suburbs which has been hit pretty hard by the virus but thankfully it’s improving.  I have managed to get two haircuts since the partial reopening.  There’s no reason Jimmy can’t get one.  Plus, even when things were at their worst, we always had access to soap and water.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, catlover79 said:

I know we have said this before, but Jimmy looks like he's literally rolled out of a gutter and into the studio. All of The Roots look well-groomed and while their clothes are casual, they are clean and presentable. Jimmy, you have a house in The Hamptons. You can afford a trim and a shave.

I am not a fan of Fallon. He is just a backup late-night person for me. But I don't have a problem with his grooming. Pandemic Jimmy Fallon looks better than Colbert and even Seth Meyers, IMO.

[possibilities]

Very sad news

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/music/malik-b-founding-member-roots-dies-47-n1235254

[Babalooie]

On 7/26/2020 at 5:33 PM, shapeshifter said:

. But I don't have a problem with his grooming. Pandemic Jimmy Fallon looks better than Colbert and even Seth Meyers, IMO.

Has anyone noticed that he seems to be getting rather thin?  That is a concern due to rampant rumors.

[DanaMB]

I winder why he has stopped doing Friday shows. 

[opus]

On 8/15/2020 at 2:36 PM, DanaMB said:

I winder why he has stopped doing Friday shows. 

It's a summer thing

[galaxychaser]

On 8/5/2020 at 4:35 PM, Babalooie said:

Has anyone noticed that he seems to be getting rather thin?  That is a concern due to rampant rumors.

What rumors?

[Babalooie]

On 8/21/2020 at 3:51 PM, galaxychaser said:

What rumors?

There have been many in print over the years.  

[cinsays]

On 8/26/2020 at 9:39 AM, Babalooie said:

There have been many in print over the years.  

well, apparently these rumors have not been so rampant that we have all heard them.  which one(s) are you referring to?

[Kromm]

On 8/27/2020 at 2:34 PM, cinsays said:

well, apparently these rumors have not been so rampant that we have all heard them.  which one(s) are you referring to?

The most persistent ones were about him being an alcoholic, or at least compulsive enough he was often spotted super drunk in various places around Manhattan.

I think there have been other substance abuse rumors, but not as many that were clearly speculating about that rather than booze.

[Axie]

There was also a rumor that he returned to the studio in order to be closer to the girlfriend he hired for the show right before the quarantine.   That wouldn’t explain the greasy unkempt look, though.

[Kromm]

59 minutes ago, Axie said:

There was also a rumor that he returned to the studio in order to be closer to the girlfriend he hired for the show right before the quarantine.   That wouldn’t explain the greasy unkempt look, though.

Interesting. I didn't know about an employee girlfriend rumor, but on reflection I do now recall him being a womanizer as part of the drinking rumors. 

The drinking talk was SO wide it's almost past the rumor stage.  Admittedly there's SOME doubt mostly because nobody ever snapped photos as far as I know, and that IS kind of weird. But there were a lot of "I saw Jimmy at Bar X" posts out there, and not just "I heard..." posts. 

[possibilities]

Colbert is back in the studio, and his wife is there with him. Seth Meyers is returning to the studio when he comes back from Labor Day hiatus, and I haven't heard anything about him having an extra-marital lover. I think a lot of people are slowly going back to the studio, especially those that tape in NYC, and whether or not Fallon has a girlfriend on staff, I don't think going back to the studio is really much evidence one way or the other. I don't watch Corden, but I think I heard he's back in the studio also.

Are bars open in NYC? Or are these rumors from before the pandemic?

Edited September 3, 2020 by possibilities

[Kromm]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

Are bars open in NYC? Or are these rumors from before the pandemic?

From LONG before the Pandemic. He's been hosting the show for 6 years.  I can't put an exact time to the rumors, but they've been around for at least 5 of those years.  

EDIT - actually maybe I CAN put a time to them.  You may remember in mid-2015 that he injured his finger supposedly in a freak accident at home.  The drunk rumors had been going on for at least six months before that, and it was a common rumor that the injury happened while he was drunk.  To be clear, totally unsubstantiated rumors, but I have a very clear memory now of the rumor timeline because of the finger thing and being reminded of it when I looked at his Wikipedia page.

Edited September 3, 2020 by Kromm

[Axie]

I turned this show on for the first time in about a month.  Jimmy looks so dirty it made me itch.  Turned it off.

[shantown]

On 9/2/2020 at 8:15 PM, Kromm said:

The drinking talk was SO wide it's almost past the rumor stage.  Admittedly there's SOME doubt mostly because nobody ever snapped photos as far as I know, and that IS kind of weird. But there were a lot of "I saw Jimmy at Bar X" posts out there, and not just "I heard..." posts. 

I remember watching a video from the afterparty of the SNL 40th and he kept trying to get up on stage to sing and it was... messy at best.

[Babalooie]

On 9/2/2020 at 11:26 PM, Kromm said:

From LONG before the Pandemic. He's been hosting the show for 6 years.  I can't put an exact time to the rumors, but they've been around for at least 5 of those years.  

That's about the same time as when I read about him being a functioning c***  addict.

Edited September 5, 2020 by Babalooie

[possibilities]

Please tell me c*** means crack and you just left off the final *. To me, the C-word is something else entirely.

[Kromm]

4 hours ago, possibilities said:

Please tell me c*** means crack and you just left off the final *. To me, the C-word is something else entirely.

I wondered if the person was accusing him of loving the thing that sounds like another name for Rooster.  Which okay. If he did, that's okay,even if weird considering his marriage,

But I bet it's not that, or crack, but cocaine.  Which I wouldn't get the use of stars with. 

That said, I barely heard rumors like that.  It was mostly just drunk rumors, and ones very clear about it being in public, at least back then. Again, this came to a head during the whole finger thing.

[shapeshifter]

16 hours ago, Kromm said:

was mostly just drunk rumors, and ones very clear about it being in public, at least back then. Again, this came to a head during the whole finger thing.

Regardless, kitchen floors can be unexpectedly slippery, and you don’t have to be drunk or even tipsy to have a freak accident in a kitchen. It always makes me sad because he used to include guitar playing in the skits before all that. 

Edited September 6, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Babalooie]

23 hours ago, Kromm said:

But I bet it's not that, or crack, but cocaine.  Which I wouldn't get the use of stars with. 

I was using the short version of the name, like the soft drink.  Sorry for the confusion.   From now on I'll cite the articles.   I'm a big fan, so I read a lot about him.  I would hope it's not true, but here's just one example.   

 

Edited September 6, 2020 by Babalooie
added content

[Kromm]

44 minutes ago, Babalooie said:

I was using the short version of the name, like the soft drink.  Sorry for the confusion.   From now on I'll cite the articles.   I'm a big fan, so I read a lot about him.  I would hope it's not true, but here's just one example.   

 

A lot of what I've thought on this (or just the booze rumors) were based on people claiming they actually witnessed him acting crazy/manic.  That fits coke even better than booze admittedly, but since it was usually at bars, perhaps it was both at once.  

I will admit, at least during the SNL period of his career, there's Tina Fey to fit into this, because she wasn't JUST his partner in the news segments, but his direct boss (as head writer).  She's so no nonsense I can't even imagine her putting up with this (there's certainly no way she herself was ever part of that party mindset).  Lorne Michaels, on the other hand, has a proven track record of looking the other way, as long as they show up for work and don't break down on camera.

Here's ONE clip of him bombed out of his gourd in 2015.  I will say this feeds more into the drunk theory than the high one, because he's excitable and such, but more slurring and stumbling than high.  Of course this doesn't really prove anything in isolation.  Most people who drink at all have been publicly drunk at least once or twice.  He's certainly a happy drunk here, not an angry one.

 

 

[shapeshifter]

Chris Rock is scheduled to be on tonight. 


Day after:
Ugh.
Disappointment.
Both technical and common sensical.
But still looking forward to Chris Rock in Fargo on Hulu next Monday.

Edited September 25, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Kromm]

An earlier version of this article is linked off the Primetimer front page as well. 

Deadline.com: ‘The Tonight Show’ Head Writer Rebecca Drysdale Exits

The text of the article has changed quite a bit though. It looks like Deadline republished it and changed the main thrust of it quite a bit.  A major point of the earlier version was that she disagreed with the show making jokes about the current President.  The update changes that and specifically says that she didn't leave for that reason.  

[Axie]

I’m fine with the head writer leaving.  I’ve never heard Jimmy Fallon say anything funny so it might be a nice change.

[dvr devotee]

I tuned in tonight for the first time since probably July, and caught Jimmy "Playing A Round with Michael Strahan." I surprisingly really enjoyed the entire segment and laughed at quite a few spots. However, Strahan's "Irish" accent sounded like he was doing a bad impression of Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem in "Coming to America." Has Strahan ever even heard an Irish accent? I get he's not exactly known for his impressions so it'd be hard to expect him to do a perfect one right off the bat, but you'd think that after hearing Jimmy doing a decent one Michael might get...slightly? closer? to the Irish accent.

[shapeshifter]

9 hours ago, dvr devotee said:

I tuned in tonight for the first time since probably July, and caught Jimmy "Playing A Round with Michael Strahan." I surprisingly really enjoyed the entire segment and laughed at quite a few spots. However, Strahan's "Irish" accent sounded like he was doing a bad impression of Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem in "Coming to America." Has Strahan ever even heard an Irish accent? I get he's not exactly known for his impressions so it'd be hard to expect him to do a perfect one right off the bat, but you'd think that after hearing Jimmy doing a decent one Michael might get...slightly? closer? to the Irish accent.

Thanks for mentioning this. I watched the segment online and was genuinely amused, which is more than I can say for anything else I've watched in the past few months on any show, and better than any other of the stupid (IMO) games Fallon usually does. 
Michael Strahan is pretty much a sweetheart, and Jimmy tends to reflect those around him. 
Parts of Michael's Irish accent were pretty spot on, but others sounded Hispanic, LOL. 
The pool cue shots were a great idea, IMO. 

 

[Kromm]

On 11/7/2020 at 5:12 PM, Axie said:

I’m fine with the head writer leaving.  I’ve never heard Jimmy Fallon say anything funny so it might be a nice change.

The head writer was a recent hire.  She'd only been in place for 6 months.

They also just changed showrunners too, in addition to the head writer.  

[Kromm]

While all network TV, and all late night network TV continue to fall in ratings, the numbers are really starting to show Fallon's weakness. He's struggling to get even a million viewers. 

https://www.thewrap.com/tonight-show-jimmy-fallon-record-low-ratings-viewers-audience-colbert-kimmel/amp/

I'm thinking if this continues, even though NOBODY gets huge numbers anymore, good ol' Jimmy might be out of a job, as soon as it's contractually feasible. 

The counterbalance could be YouTube. At one point he was clearly the late night host most able to go viral with videos there. Not sure if that's still true... 

[Crashcourse]

I like Fallon's opening monologue better than Colbert's or Kimmel's.  Then I change the channel unless there's a guest I want to see, and that's been rare lately.  I like Fallon's bantering with the band.  The only segment I don't like is "Go on Git" which is awful and he should ditch it and come up with something new.. 

[opus]

52 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

The only segment I don't like is "Go on Git" which is awful and he should ditch it and come up with something new.. 

So you’re saying “Go on, Git” to Go on, Git.

[catlover79]

3 hours ago, opus said:

So you’re saying “Go on, Git” to Go on, Git.

I think that's his take on Seth Meyers' "Ya Burnt".

[cinsays]

On 1/14/2021 at 12:20 AM, catlover79 said:

I think that's his take on Seth Meyers' "Ya Burnt".

ha

i dislike both of these segments

[iwantcookies]

Jimmy giggles too much and he is not a good host.

I enjoyed Simon from Bridgerton on his show. Hubba hubba.

[Axie]

Jimmy seems to do the show solely for his own enjoyment.  Viewers be damned.  He interrupts his guests to tell stories about himself, breaks into song whether it makes sense or not, there's frequently no rhyme or reason to what he's doing.  And, he's never, ever, funny.   Just hyperactive.  Now he's including The Roots in the unfunny stories.    I rarely watch it anymore.

[Kromm]

27 minutes ago, Axie said:

Jimmy seems to do the show solely for his own enjoyment.  Viewers be damned.  He interrupts his guests to tell stories about himself, breaks into song whether it makes sense or not, there's frequently no rhyme or reason to what he's doing.  And, he's never, ever, funny.   Just hyperactive.  Now he's including The Roots in the unfunny stories.    I rarely watch it anymore.

Someday maybe the members of The Roots may tell stories of if it was worth their pride to get a steady gig pretending to think Jimmy is funny... 

[SunnyBeBe]

I love this show and Jimmy.  I started watching right after covid and think he’s awesome!  I loved the episodes he did from his home and like the transition back to a studio even more.  The Ugly  Christmas Sweater drawing was a lot of fun. He makes me laugh every night.  I recall hearing some stories of a alcohol problem some time ago.  I hope he’s okay.  He sure seems to be doing a good job in my opinion.  I’m thankful for the entertainment and having this little celebrity crush.  It is a welcome distraction for right now.  

[SunnyBeBe]

I never tire of this performance!

 

[cinsays]

15 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I love this show and Jimmy.  I started watching right after covid and think he’s awesome!  I loved the episodes he did from his home and like the transition back to a studio even more.  The Ugly  Christmas Sweater drawing was a lot of fun. He makes me laugh every night.  I recall hearing some stories of a alcohol problem some time ago.  I hope he’s okay.  He sure seems to be doing a good job in my opinion.  I’m thankful for the entertainment and having this little celebrity crush.  It is a welcome distraction for right now.  

I think you and I are in the minority here. Lots of people don't seem to think he's at all funny or sincere. I am liking the new segments with Tarik and the other band guy too.

[SunnyBeBe]

I’m wishing Jimmy well.  It has to be difficult to maintain a show like his during covid period. He’s inspired me and lifted my spirits.  My favorite for sure right now.

[possibilities]

I don't watch as often as I watch other shows, because I'm a hardcore political junkie and this show isn't as focused on that as some of the others are. But generally I do enjoy it when I watch. I love the musical bits, and I always try to catch the Xmas Sweater extravaganza every winter. I don't even know why I like that so much, but I do. And I usually hate Christmas stuff! 

I don't know anything about his off-stage life, and I don't take him seriously as a reviewer because it's clear he just gushes over whatever his guest is doing. he's not the most interesting interviewer because he doesn't really ask real questions. But for lighthearted creative fun, especially with musical elements, he's really good.