Well, if the New York Times is indeed correct, when Conan O'Brien leaves his 12:30 AM late night slot to occupy Jay Leno's vacating-11:30 AM timeslot in 2009, former SNL comic Jimmy Fallon will replace him.
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Jimmy Fallon Said to Be in NBC’s Late-Night Plans
By BILL CARTER
NBC may be quietly looking to put some possible late-night reinforcements in place for its big transition two years from now when Conan O’Brien replaces Jay Leno as host of “The Tonight Show.”
One move is expected to involve signing Jimmy Fallon, a former star of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” to what is known as a holding deal. It would bring him back to the network and put him in position to be a prime contender for Mr. O’Brien’s job as host of NBC’s “Late Night” show, at 12:35 a.m.
Executives aware of the negotiations said NBC had been in talks with Mr. Fallon and his representatives for a deal that would make his television services exclusive to the network. One of those executives, who did not want to be identified because the deal has not yet been signed, said the deal could include a crack at the “Late Night” host role, though it was by no means guaranteed.
As with all job openings in the late-night arena, names emerge as stars (and their agents) begin positioning themselves. NBC already has an in-house candidate, Carson Daly, who since 2002 has been the host of another successful late night show, “Last Call,” which follows “Late Night,” at 1:35 a.m. Mr. Daly has said he would like to be considered for that show.
NBC executives and representatives for Mr. Fallon declined to comment on their negotiations though they confirmed they were discussing a holding deal.
Such a deal would essentially secure Mr. Fallon for future, unspecified television work. He could, for example, develop other shows for NBC, like a situation comedy, and not move into the network’s late-night lineup.
But having a familiar comic star like Mr. Fallon available to take over Mr. O’Brien’s show would be consistent with the pattern NBC has established in previous late-night lineup changes. In the early 1980s, before NBC produced a 12:30 show, it signed David Letterman to a holding deal that retained his services after the morning show for which he was the host failed. Mr. Letterman was then available when NBC decided to expand its late-night programming with a new show in February 1982.
Not every holding deal has led to a spot in late night. In the early 1990s with Johnny Carson’s retirement nearing, NBC signed deals with several comics, including Dennis Miller (who like Mr. Fallon had been a “Saturday Night Live” star) and a well-regarded stand-up named Jerry Seinfeld. Mr. Seinfeld got a deal to develop a sitcom, though the network was mainly interested in him as a potential late-night star.
Later NBC offered Dana Carvey, another former “Saturday Night Live” star, a job that would have placed him in the “Late Night” chair after Mr. Letterman left for CBS. Mr. Carvey ultimately turned down the offer.
That’s when NBC turned to Mr. O’Brien, who was not a comic but a comedy writer. He too had connections to “Saturday Night Live,” where he had served as a writer before moving on to “The Simpsons.”
Mr. Fallon, 32, fits the pattern of late-night host-in-waiting in several respects, beginning with his work, from 1998 through 2004, on “Saturday Night Live,” which made him familiar to millions of late-night comedy viewers. He emerged as a breakout star when he was made the co-host of that show’s “Weekend Update” segments with Tina Fey.
By all accounts Mr. Fallon remains close Lorne Michaels, the executive producer of “Saturday Night Live” and an executive producer “Late Night,” who was instrumental in choosing Mr. O’Brien for that show. Mr. Michaels will be deeply involved in choosing a successor to Mr. O’Brien. Mr. Michaels has said he is still “a big fan of Jimmy’s.”
Mr. Fallon made a surprise guest appearance on “Saturday Night Live” earlier this season, when Justin Timberlake was the guest host. Mr. Fallon recreated a memorable sketch in which he played, as it happened, a late-night talk-show host, only in this case he was impersonating the singer Barry Gibb.
All sides in the negotiations emphasized that the deal had some elements still to be resolved, including a question of when Mr. Fallon would be available to begin any projects for NBC. He is about to begin filming “Eliot Rockett,” an independent movie with Sharon Stone and Lucy Liu in which he will star as the title character.
Mr. Fallon also has a deal in place to star in a comedy for Universal, which is owned by NBC. A close associate of Mr. Fallon’s said yesterday: “Anything can still happen here. This deal is about bringing Jimmy back to NBC. But he could have a hit movie and not want to jump back into television.”
As to the possibility of succeeding Mr. O’Brien, that associate said: “That’s a couple of years away. There are so many shoes to fall in this thing between then and now.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/22/arts/t...ad3&ei=5070---------------------------------
You know, why is it that the option between Fallon and Carson Daly feels like you're asked to suffer a terrible disease, and your choices are AIDS or Cancer?
The correct answer is, you rather have Neither.
I think of 3 suitable replacements for Conan:
ANDY RICHTER - His new private-eye sitcom (an accountant working next to a vacant P.I. office inadvertedly becomes a sleuth) that Conan is producing might be fun...and it might tank. Richter has had a few sitcoms that died in the ratings, so if his new sitcom curls up and dies, he would be a suitable candidate in 2009 to take over his former boss's show.
JIM GAFFIGAN - His sly dry humor has served well on the stand-up circuit for years, but he's been gaining career heat in the last few years. His Sierra Mist soda ads have appeared on more than one Super Bowl telecast. Plus, he's been producing the awfully fun PALE FORCE flash animated web-series with Conan.
ROBERT SMIGEL - Yes, another former Conan collaborator, but so what? He's been a SNL performer in the past outside of his great cartoons. Hell, he came up with the legendary SuperFans series of skits. Anyway, don't forget his criminally short-lived TV FUNHOUSE, which was some insane stuff, but damn funny. I say give him a shot at playing himself, instead as an animator or Triumph the Insult Comic.
Thoughts folks?
