Lauren ZimaJimmy Fallon made his big debut in an old institution, premiering on "The Tonight Show" Monday night. But was it all just the same old song and dance — literally? Watch this bit.
That was "The Evolution of Hip-Hop Dancing," featuring Fallon and his first-ever guest, Will Smith.
It's the same "evolution of" sketch Fallon started on his former show, "Late Night" — his "Mom Dancing" with first lady Michelle Obama went viral almost a year ago. (Via The New York Times)
Moves like Monday night's have Fallon's debut getting headlines like "new show, old Jimmy." (Via CNN)
The Kansas City Star's Timothy Finn writes, "It was more of the same ... amusing but hardly riveting."
Still, Entertainment Weekly had praise for Fallon, summarizing: "Fallon is much younger than [Jay] Leno and much less weird than [Conan] O'Brien. ... He's confident; he's casual; he's well-adjusted; he's got the Roots."
Love it or disappointed in it, this was the premiere — just one episode of, hopefully for Fallon, many to come. Fallon recently gave his pal, Seth Meyers, advice for taking over "Late Night."
"Be patient. This is a marathon job, not a sprint, so you want to try to set out to do what you want to do and not over course-correct based on the first couple of nights." (Via Bravo / "Watch What Happens Live")
So hopefully Jimmy takes his own advice. He's consistently called one of the nicest guys in show business, and it's safe to say both the celebrity and ordinary-people worlds are rooting for him.
So is Fallon the next Johnny Carson, as many have said? Can he bring back "The Tonight Show"'s storied charm after some dramatic recent years, or did the premiere prove it'll just be more of "Late Night"? (Via Time, NBC)
Well, Fallon says he's more so modeling himself after Steve Allen, the show's first host, who relied on his musical skills and sketches. Sounds right. And Fallon could be right, too — he might just need a few more nights.
