On Super Bowl Sunday, Jimmy Fallon stole the spotlight when he did a lip sync battle with Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell, dancing to the tunes of everything from Beyoncé to Kelly Clarkson. The trio left audiences in hysterics, making it the most memorable part of the night for many viewers across the country.
Fallon began hosting “The Tonight Show” about a year ago, filling the shoes of his legendary predecessor Jay Leno. Since then, millions of viewers have tuned in every night to watch the lovable comedian.
Guests have included everyone from modern celebrities like Chris Pratt and Seth Rogen to legends such as Clint Eastwood and Barbra Streisand. But no matter who he brings on, Fallon never stops at just an interview. He’s had his guests play catch phrase, do football- throwing contests and even play Family Feud.
What separates Fallon from other “Tonight Show” hosts and late night comedians in general is the energy he brings. Whether he’s cracking jokes at politicians during his monologues or doing a face mash-up with one of his guests, he has that youthful liveliness which makes the show so wildly entertaining.
Some sketches of his that have become fan favorites include “Tonight Show Superlatives,” “Tonight Show Hashtags” and his longstanding “Thank You Notes.” Through the superlatives segment, he and his writing staff have delivered some of the most hilarious and clever jokes about almost everyone in the NFL.
Fallon also makes great use of both his announcer Steve Higgins and go-to band The Roots. He often incorporates them into his sketches and never draws too much attention to himself.
One of my favorite moments in the show so far is when he played “Wheel of Impressions” with Kevin Spacey. Watching Spacey deliver lines from “Ghostbusters” in a Bill Clinton voice had everyone rolling. And who can forget the months Fallon spent making fun of Toronto’s former mayor Rob Ford.
Fallon came to “The Tonight Show” with plenty of experience already under his belt. Between “SNL,” “Late Night” and a fair amount of film roles (“Fever Pitch” being my personal favorite), his resume made him more than capable to host such an iconic series.
But Jimmy didn’t stop at just his credentials. Building off what he did in “Late Night,” his work on “The Tonight Show” has been even funnier and more innovative. A sketch he created several months ago called “Popular Mathematics” allowed him to deliver one of his best Justin Bieber jokes in years.
Probably my favorite thing he’s done so far is a series of spoofs of popular TV shows. These have included “Game of Desks,” “Joking Bad,” “House of Cue Cards” and “Downtown Sixbey.” Especially for fans of these shows, the angle and humor of these sketches make them easy to appreciate.
Each host of “The Tonight Show” has brought something unique to the table. No one can truly replace Leno or the legendary Johnny Carson, but Fallon came in at just the right time. He appeals to younger audiences as much as he does longtime viewers. Now with almost a full year in, I’m eager to see him take the show to even greater heights in the future.
