The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

I was one of the very few people who thought Jimmy Fallon wasn't really that bad on SNL. He could be funny when the material was right. In his talk show, he's funny *only* when he breaks out of script and goes with the flow of the conversation, which happens rarely. When he sticks to the questions and talking points on his cards, you're in for the same dull snorefest mediocrity that passes for a talk show nowadays.

I realize that the days of Johnny Carson, or even David Letterman, are gone. This is a different era. I also realize that American talk shows are different from the others, e.g. British talk shows, where the guests are the real stars, and the hosts only guide them and try to bring out the best in them. No, in American talk shows, the hosts are the stars (remember Ellen, anyone?) and the guests are only seen as a nuisance who steal from their airtime.

I say talk show, and there is indeed a lot of talk (about nothing, mostly) but what annoys me is how superficial it all comes off. An actor comes on, for instance, someone you like, to talk about his latest movie. But after 10 minutes of chit chat, you never get any insights about the actor, or his movie, or anything at all. It's just a lot of pointless nonsense. If these guests are coming on to promote their stuff, they should be aware that they're not promoting anything.

If you watch regularly for a few episodes, you notice quite a few patterns as well, and they're not good: A good many minutes every episode is "Thank you for coming here." "Thank you for having me." Thank you for thanking me." Thanks for saying that." etc.

Then you have the incredible amount of (not-so-)hidden product placement. Jimmy makes a joke about a brand of candy, let's say. For two weeks, sometimes for a month in a row, you'll hear jokes, songs, chat, stories, sometimes even memories that contain references to that particular candy.

It could still work, of course, if they showed a bit of effort to make the talks interesting. I mean, it's a "talk show" after all, at least that's what they call it. So perhaps it's pointless to expect much else, and settle for a few minutes of so-so entertainment. But one struggles to find even that. Jimmy comes off like a wide-eyed, rural 12-year old who is having his first trip to the city, and is surprised to hear the name of any celebrity: "Oh my God! You talked to Rihanna?!" "No way! You met Brad Pitt?! He's the most incredible human being, isn't he?!"

It's really inconceivable. They spend so much money on production, a great band, sets, staff, bring on stars and famous faces etc.... yet you don't remember anything about it 5 minutes after you watch the whole thing.

Final word, not just for Jimmy, but for all talk shows: please get rid of the games.

It started a little slow but it is a great show. I think even the guests love going. I find it funny and refreshing and you really get to know a different side of the guests. Some of the games are really silly but for the most part he is incredibly funny and respectful with both, the audience and the guests. I frankly don't see anybody competing with him. We love Conan and have for years but since Fallon started airing, we don't watch Conan anymore. On a different note, Fallon is updated and seems to be more in the loop and in the know with younger audiences.. His interaction with the Roots is very funny and the games with the celebrities are creative. I assume he has a much bigger budget than other late night talk shows for the quality of his sketches and games. He really brings it in terms of having very current guests. The segments like #hashtag, or the books to never read are hilarious. I don't love the thank you notes but it seems like people do.

Jimmy Fallon has a modicum of talent and can pull off some funny bits but hosting the 60 minute TONIGHT SHOW 5 nights a week is obviously more than he can handle. He seems like an okay guy but he's an example of The Peter Principle in play.

Johnny Carson was the Gold Standard for hosting this show. He had charisma and depth. He could do political and social commentary, do comedy skits and handle all kinds of interviews from the serious to the silly. I still watch him on DVDs - stuff I've seen and enjoyed before.

Leno was good and usually worth staying up to watch. Politically, he leaned left but Obama was easy fodder for his jokes. Leno's interviewing skills didn't match Carson but he could handle man-on-the-street stuff and showed us how ignorant too many Americans are.

I've given Fallon about 10 tries but concluded he's not worth staying up for or even setting the DVR. The band is absolutely awful. Don't know what Fallon's ratings are or how long his contract runs but I will not be among his viewers.

Agree with reviewers who say that Fallon can pull off some funny bits but doesn't have the stuff to produce a consistently funny and entertaining full show night after night. Understand that a younger guy is supposed to appeal to a younger audience but the incessant giggling/shouting/screaming/hiding under the desk makes it unlikely that he will ever graduate from the third grade. He doesn't engage very well with guests on the show; the silly games are not a substitute for either serious or comic interaction with those appearing on the show. He might consider letting some of his accomplished guests, Seinfeld for example, do a comedy bit on their own. Also agree that the band doesn't add much to the show; would be better just to have higher quality musical guests and have them do two performances as on SNL. Bottom line - Comedy has a lot of staying power but silly gets old in a hurry; Fallon doesn't seem to know the difference between comedy and silly. At the end of the day (haha - get it?!), Jimmy seems to have succumbed to the same problem that plagues SNL; maybe he spent too much time there - take a one-time clever and humorous idea and then repeat it over and over until viewers are sick of it.

Fallon doesn't have the raw guttural humor of someone like Ferguson, nor should he expected to be. Fallon's semi-worship of guests has actually toned down a bit....it may drop as he ages, or not.....sometimes people just don't change.

He does not have writers that create some of the inspired bits of other shows....maybe it's not that easy to find people like that. This show is more like a very conventional show than something created with a niche audience. He'll find a way to survive.

As for people making political accusations here, you sound like very grumpy people who can't watch anything on TV without demanding that everything should be your way.