Jimmy Fallon moved to the adult table on Monday when he joined the ranks of Johnny Carson, Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien as the sixth host of "The Tonight Show."
His arrival was full of anticipation and hype especially with, Leno's track record of not really leaving the show. Stepping up from "Late Night," Fallon now has an earlier time slot with the same blue curtain, band and announcer with a slightly more elaborate studio and longer monologue.
The biggest question the promotion presents is where exactly the line is between old Fallon and new Fallon. Fallon, who got his start on "Saturday Night Live," was most recognized for his time on the Weekend Update segment before being in a few movies and eventually moving on to host "Late Night" in 2009.
The premiere was a mix of old and new. Fallon was given money from celebrities who said he would never make it to "The Tonight Show" and his monologue was longer, but he also made sure to include a few familiar segments. He featured superlatives and did the evolution of hip hop dancing with Will Smith.
There are some features from "Late Night" that viewers would be sad to see go, so these next few episodes will show what is gone for good and what has crossed the threshold into "The Tonight Show's" line-up.
"I would love for Fallon to keep all his musical skits," senior Regan Newcomb said. "Especially slow jams of the news."
Sophomore Savanah Watts said she would like to see most of the skits performed with musical guests carry over.
"The Tonight Show" airs weekdays at midnight on NBC.
Seth Meyers is moving down the hall from "Saturday Night Live" to the "Late Night" studio on Feb. 24.
Meyers' stint on SNL began in 2001 and ended on Feb. 1. In that time he had a few recurring characters and was head writer but was most recognized for anchoring the Weekend Update. Here, Meyers anchored with Amy Poehler, by himself and, most recently, Cecily Strong.
Time Magazine featured Meyers on the cover in January with an article about his time on "Saturday Night Live" and his transition to "Late Night." This, along with clips and commercials, are sure to bring in an interested crowd when his show airs.
Meyers' transition to "Late Night" will be a little smoother with his first guest being his former co-anchor, Poehler. Keeping SNL familiarity, the bandleader of his house band, "The G8 Band," will be another previous cast member, Fred Armisen.
Meyers' take on "Late Night" can be seen on NBC weeknights at 12:35.
