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

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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?

Great, so this means that we have to listen to his hyena laugh after every response his guests will make to his sardonic questions?

As far as I'm concerned there's no way to fully replace Conan.

Yeah, but I'm glad to see Conan is getting the Tonight Show. I don't really enjoy Leno too much.

I'm assuming Max Weinberg and the rest of Conan's band will be coming along on the time-slot swith too, right? I've been asking myself this from the start. I can't imagine Conan without his band. And Besides, I hate how Leno's band has to laugh after every lame joke made. It's like a high school jock and his cronies.

I agree completely and have been wondering the same thing about the band. I would even prefer him to keep the same look of his studio. The main thing I'm worried about though is that, because he will be on earlier, he might not get away with as many of his jokes that people overlook now because he is on so late. Like the masturbating bear, etc... I just don't want Conan to change because of the time slot.

I think, hopefully, people have gotten used to his sense of humor by now. Besides, alot of his jokes are accidental and improved, it's kind of hard to censor him. I get the feeling he's the kind of guy who will get a good joke, and not be able to hold it in, and then feel a little bad seconds after cracking an offensive joke.

I don't think he'll change, I just hope his format doesn't get altered.

Exactly. We should start a Conan Thread since we are obviously more worried about him than we are interested in Jimmy Fallon

I think Blibbleblabble might actually be onto somethng...

Anyway, you all are concerned so here is the facts:

*Its roughly expected by NBC that Conan to ascend to TONIGHT SHOW in maybe September 2009. Dates may change, but its the favorable date.

*Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg 7 will be brought along, including the long cast of characters(FedEx Pope included) and yes, Joel Goddard and his Asian man-slaves as well.

*Conan so far, if the reports I've gotten are accurate, will have the creative freedom and control that he and his crew has right now on 12:30 AM...and he'll continue it at 11:30PM. Maybe he might scale back, but its not a castration. More like we will see slightly less of Masturbating Bear, but the Hairy Wanker will lurk around in the background...

*The downside of all this good news that should comfort you? TONIGHT SHOW has been in Burbank, California since the 1960s, and NBC will continue it. Conan and gang will leave New York City for southern California, which sets up for the schmuck Fallon to have his show in NYC.

*On the upside, Conan will get a tan. Downside? Is this the end of PALE FORCE?

Anyway, don't worry folks. Feel positive for 2009.

BTW, I'm sure this Fallon deal will set up a metro-bitch fight between him and Carson Daly. Which lame personality would win in a slapping fight?

It will kinda suck to see Conan in the 'prime' spot though. One of the funniest parts of his show is when he talks about how it's on at such a late time that no one is watching. Or the way that he creates 'dead air' to make fun of himself, and just the overall 'slap nuts' style that he is able to use b/c the show comes on so late. Now that he's in the prime spot there will be a LOT more ppl who will be watching, including a lot more OLD ppl!!! I wonder if he will have to tone down and clean up some of his humor. I wonder whether or not he will still be as care free and have enough of the 'I don't give a fuck attitude' to stare at the camera for 10 seconds while saying nothing!!! And then of course following it up by talking about how the show will be canceled the next day b/c it's so horrible!!! Plus, I don't know if he will be as inclined to viciously make fun of some ppl such as Simon from Idol. Let's face it, if you watch some of the material(especially some of the Triumph material) it seems pretty obvious that he's going to have to tone it down a bit.

Basically, I just don't think the show will have the same feel. It's almost as if he will have to act professional w/ the new show. One of the best parts of Coney is watching him make fun of himself and watching him make fun of the fact that his show sucks and is on way too late.

It's like everyone is going to find out about our little club. I don't want my parents watching Conan! Ugh!!! NO WAY, GO AWAY MOM!!!

It's not gonna be the same, I have been dreading this the past few yrs. Maybe I'm wrong though. Perhaps Conan being in the prime spot will signify a new 'age' of TV.

Letterman went through the same thing in the early 90s when he moved from the 12:30 slot to 11:30. Letterman's NBC show was more groundbreaking than Conan's. But Letterman changed from the casual guy, who spray painted Bryant Gumbel's ankles, when he moved to CBS.

Conan may be more compelled than Letterman to conform because, unlike Letterman, who created a new show at CBS, Conan will be moving to an established institution in the Tonight Show, whose history goes back to the early 50s with Steve Allen and the 60s with Jack Paar. The show really reached iconic heights with Johnny Carson, perhaps the largest figure in television entertainment history.

The show is a fixture, and while Conan, like Leno, will certainly add his personal comedic talents to it, NBC will certainly expect him to conform to the established tone and expectations of the show. While it's only an hour difference, the 11:30 PM slot has a much different audience than the 12:30 AM slot.

Screw Fallon, the show will be terrible. Can't they find anyone better?

I usually watch Letterman, then switch over to Conan at 12:30. NOW I'm gonna have to choose.

I think that if Andy Richter isn't going to work with Conan anymore, then I think he should come back to replace him. I miss Andy on Conan's show...

Conan and I share a similar complection, and let me tell you something I've learned from hands on experiences. People like us don't tan. We go from pale white to burnt-red after five minutes on the beach.


It kind of sucks that he'll be leaving New York though. New York served for a great setting for the show. And, I feel like whenever a comedy show is doing a "hits the streets" type of thing to mess with civilians, I've always thought the New Yorkers were a bit better to watch than the Los Angeles crowd. They seem a bit more used to it in L.A. The New York stuff is always a bit more raw. And New York just kicks L.A.'s ass... I believe you have a smaller chance of being, how do you say, "clipped by da crips, cracka'".

I know it was announced long ago about Conan inheriting TONIGHT, which is great, he's paid his dues.

Is L.A. set in stone or is there still a slight chance it will be in New York ?

Good point. The change from NYC to LA will certainly impact the show.

Like you and Conan, llc, I too am one that can burn to a crisp in a short period of time. I've spent most of my beach vacations slathering sun screen like there's no tomorrow.

The lack of any pigmentation in the skin is what I call the curse of the Irish.

Yeah, it's funny how I'm only a quarter Irish and have much more Italian in me than Irish, but I still got the undesirable physical traits of an Irish-man. I'm so pale that my skin can reflect rainbows, and I weigh less than one of the Olsen twins.

My wife is Italian and my older son inherited her skin. My other two kids need the sun screen. Oh, well. All our problems should be so small.

Just stay on CBS and check out Craig Ferguson. For my money, he's the best by leaps and bounds now that Letterman's getting old/slow

Yeah, that seems to be the case with most of the hosts now. I don't watch TV, but I'll throw it on late at night when I am having trouble sleeping, and Conan seems to be the only one who can muster a laugh from me. Like I said, I haven't really watched television since I was about 14 or so (unless something rare of interest is on) but in the summer, when I have no school and no set schedule, and my internal-clock is all fucked up and I get really bad insomnia, and I find myself usually catching Conan every night. Kills dead-hours and makes me laugh.

Thank you. Guy who never watches TV but finds time for Conan. Why? B/c Conan's humor is smarter and he has waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better improve w/ his guests than ANYONE else. Plus, oh yeah, he's funny.

Conan's improve is the best part of the show. That's another problem with all the other hosts. They stick to a routine, and it gets tiresome and recycled.

Yeah, the only reason I turn on the bottomless pit of cable is to watch Cones and keep up with politics. Oh, and Fox News is absolutely hilarious.

Why is Jimmy Fallon, a former SNL hack, getting the late late night shift?

Look at who's a producer of LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN....Lorne Michaels, that same producer of SNL for decades.

This isn't a coincidence.

Everyone agrees here that Fallon and Carson Daly sucks?

As long as Carson Daly stays on television in the middle of the night he can suck all he wants.

Carson Daly is the un funniest host ever, ever. But he kind of knows it, I've seen him rip on himself before for being soooo NOT funny. His improv skills are decent, but again, not funny. He's got a lot of other 'jobs' that he does though, this late night talk show host thing is not his ultimate career path. I think they chose him for host b/c he has the networking and connections to get lots of different guests. Still, worst show ever.

I'm not as diametrically opposed to Fallon as you guys. He is very zany and has the slap-nut, I don't give a fu*k type humor like Conan does. I don't think he will any problems running around like an idiot and doing stupid sh*t, that's what the late show is all about(atleast Conan's version of it is). His antics on SNL DO make me laugh, again, he has a very zany and free flowing type of humor and is not afraid to be stupid or make fun of himself. Plus...I would have to imagine that his improv is pretty decent too. We'll see how well he can carry on a conversation w/ his guests, but I think his background as a comedian will make his improv w/ the guests really good. We'll see.

I'm pretty pissed about this whole thing though. Conan's show will NOT be the same on The Tonight Show. He's gonna have to tone it down a bit. Or, like I said earlier, perhaps he will still be able to do the EXACT routine he does now. Maybe this will represent a new age in TV. It's 2009 for fu*ks sake, it's time to get a funny host that 'we' like on the Tonight Show. I think a lot of ppl in their 50's won't wanna watch Conan, but even ppl in their 40's who were in their 30's when Conan started might very well be ready for a new and better type of humor. I doubt it though, Conan's style is too 'edgy' and strong for the older crowd in general. I've found that certain types of humor just don't translate well to the older generations. Of course, I had a philosophy professor in his 70's who had a huge montage of Conan on his office door, so....we'll see.

What Jimmy Fallon is this Ice?

The only Jimmy Fallon I knew was the smug comic that he and his co-workers had good fun with his work, but left most of the audience feeling cold.

I still remember a flash cartoon that pissed on his WEEKEND UPDATE days with Tina Fey:

"Don't quit watching us! We promise we'll be decent funny next week! Give us another chance PLEASE!"

Ya, he's probably going to suck, you're right. But it's not like Chris Rock, Bill Mayer or Steve Carell are gonna take over. Jimmy should have good improv w/ the guests, but I would not be surprised if the show cycles through hosts for a while like The late show on CBS did.

Nothing can nosedive faster and harder than Chevy Chase when FOX gave him a late night show in the 90s. I don't know if you guys were old enough to remember that fiasco. I think it lasted about a month. Magic Johnson did better with his own show.

Kly, in the 80's I used to sneak into the TV room to watch Letterman after my parents went to bed. I'm not that young. And my opinion of Chevy Chase has been SEVERELY damaged ever since that CBS show/fiasco.

BTW-I remember thinking that Magic was pretty good. I mean, not in a witty way like Conan or Dave, but I thought he had great improv w/ his guests and I always enjoyed the conversations. Of course, if I watched the Magic Johnson show today my opinion could be COMPLETELY different.