Jimmy Fallon’s ‘The Tonight Show’ Cuts Shows

It’s been announced that The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will now only air four new episodes each week. The change reflects the trend of cutbacks for late-night fare in recent years. That said, Fallon is expected to remain on the show for the next few years.

Four Episodes Per Week Is A Late-Night Norm Across Networks

New episodes of the series will air from Monday through Thursday. Fridays will now be reserved for reruns of the show. Other similar shows have also embraced a four-day work week. These include The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night With Seth Meyers, and The Daily Show.

Despite being the norm, late-night fare has seen a drop in viewership in the past few years, which have likely inspired the cutbacks. Notably, Late Night with Seth Meyers announced it would cut its house band, The 8G Band, back in June as part of a cost-cutting measure.

Fallon Is Expected To Remain On The Show Into 2028

In spite of the change, Fallon is still expected to remain on the series. According to TVLine, NBC has renewed its deal with Fallon and the series well until 2028.

TV Line had previously reported NBCUniversal Media Group chairman Mark Lazarus praised Fallon’s three-decade tenure on at 30 Rock at the time the extension was announced. As revealed in a statement:

 “It’s been a privilege to witness Jimmy at the helm of the The Tonight Show and we’re thrilled to see what innovations he and the incredible staff will deliver in the years to come at the network.”

For his part, in true comedic fashion, Fallon jokingly repeated much of what Lazarus said in a statement, while ending with, “No, I’m not changing my quote. Tell Mark to change his.”

Fallon had taken on the hosting gig back in 2014, having taken on the role from Conan O’Brien. In addition to a variety of “guest hosts” over the years, other comedians who’ve hosted the show include Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, and Jay Leno.

Fallon’s big break came as a cast member of the NBC sketch series, Saturday Night Live, starting in 1998 and leaving in 2004. While there, he was especially known for co-hosting the Weekend Update segments. After this he served as the host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, from 2009 to 2014, helping him break into the world of late-night talk shows. In addition to this, Fallon is also known for appearing in films like Taxi and Fever Pitch.

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