After a report yesterday in The New York Times confirmed that NBC is planning to replace Jay Leno with Jimmy Fallon as Tonight Show host next year, the situation crept into both hosts’ monologues last night. Fallon kicked off his show by saying, “Before we get started, I have to talk about the rumors that came out today that I’ll be moving up to 11:30 – or as my parents call it, ‘Eh, still too late.†He added, “Actually the rumors are true; NBC is turning the Tonight Show into a diving competition.†That’s the only reference Fallon made to the Tonight Show handover. Leno steered clear of Tonight Show talk but did take another light, light jab at NBC: “According to several reports, scientists say they are getting closer and closer to being able to do Jurassic Park-style cloning of extinct species. Imagine that? Things that were once thought to be extinct could bow be brought back from the dead. So there’s hope for NBC. It could turn around.†Both monologues are embedded below in case you wanna see Leno and Fallon’s lips make those words.
In other Leno/Fallon news, THR reports that Fallon called Leno to smooth things over and that Fallon’s producer Lorne Michaels is worried they’re rushing the transition.