Episode 28

TWENTY-EIGHT!

Saw an Instagram picture today from Saturday Night Live. It’s Wednesday, so on the SNL week it mean’s its read-thru day, but what struck me from the picture is that Higgins was still in his suit he wore on the Tonight Show. Just goes to show how busy that man is behind that scenes that no one really knows about. 

MONOLOGUE: First thing’s first, glad to see Arthur back doing these strange remotes with people willing to do anything. Tonight, Arthur had people talk about their Russian views whilst dancing. Usually, he has people answer questions in their highest pitch voice. Questions and Danswers: Ukraine-Russia Conflict

Of course… Another Dancing with the Stars drop with Billy Dee Williams. The P.Diddy/Puff Daddy, names were terrific… I personally think we should go with Kyle. 

CELEBRITY WHISPERS was a bit I have never been a fan of and quite frankly wish I he was left it on the Late Night show. It’s almost too off the rocker for me.

TONIGHT SHOW SCREEN GRABS is hilarious. Much like Headlines from Leno’s Tonight Show, its pictures people have taken on their phone and sent in, yet another reason why Fallon is ahead of the game and going to online. Jimmy getting mad at the audience and standing up with a certain screen grab was the highlight of the segment. Jimmy just has a way of making you feel like you’re his friend. Screengrabs: Thinner Arms, Bob Dylan Sighting, Chee…

GUESTS: Bill Cosby… One of the greatest guests Jimmy ever has. In carrying on with his old Late Night tradition, he never immediately sits down. Words don’t do this man justice. I think the best part of this is that it is all improvised. Jimmy has no clue before hand what Bill Cosby is going to do. This whole first segment with Cosby looks like something we’d see on a blooper reel. Cosby just loves having fun with Jimmy and giving him crap, as well as giving the audience crap too. This is gold. And he calls him Jim… So great. Jimmy Fallon Impersonates Bill Cosby to Bill Cosby

Jimmy jumps on Bill Cosby’s back as he tightropes across the studio… Well that’s new. Bill Cosby Tightropes Studio 6B

Up Next, Joby Ogwyn, one of those wing suite daredevils. Jimmy asks the perfect question about climbing Everest… “Can’t you just fly there?” He’s asking this guy everything everybody would ask him if they were talking to him. That poor camera crew that’s following him for a LIVE telecast on Discovery channel… Serious question. How are they going to film that?

WHAT!? The show’s over?! That’s the quickest show ever. Time completely flew by! What a night!!

(Melissa's Note: If any of you Fallon fans love King of the Nerds, please read this!)

Episode 27

TWENTY-SEVEN!

Nothing like an excited New York City crowd!!

MONOLOGUE: When Jimmy loves a TV show he sure does talk about it! The Bachelor had some great moments and now Dancing with the Stars. The first four minutes of the show were fully devoted to Dancing With the Stars and even went back to the Billy Dee Williams Star Wars dance after a string of other jokes. Billy Dee Williams Dances, Chris Christie's Weight L…

This so thin line of jokes had to come from Jay Leno. Leno did that all the time, a string of jokes that always questioned “How…” before the punchline. Ford Mustang Turns 50, Joni Ernst Campaign Ad -…

Got the scrunchies?

Jimmy definitely having fun out there. It is amazing to see the transformation of his monologues from his days on Late Night. Not only has it moved form 6 minutes to 12-15, but he implements more video elements and full screen graphics filled with jokes. Just shows the different between10:30 and 11:30… Yeah I went central time… Well… Because I can. 

BILL COSBY TOMORROW!? Oh what great fun that will be! Cosby is the absolute best guest Jimmy has. He wastes so much time and he absolutely kills the Roots. So watch tomorrow! Plus any time Jimmy can do his Cosby impression is a win-win!

TRUCK UPDATE 2014! Awww but we have to wait till Friday!

PRO’S AND CON’S: Good set of Pro’s and Con’s this week, timely with March Madness. The remembering childhood puppies was funny and we have another Air Bud reference. Pros and Cons: March Madness

GUESTS: Jude Law has got full Dave Matthews hair going on right now… Yes, that’s kind of a dig, but it’s true!  Jude Law is two things. The first, he’s got one of those names where you have to say the full name. Who calls him Jude? Or Law? He’s Jude Law! Second, he’s got a British accent and he’s a terrific actor. Technically, that’s 3 but they are all true. He’s got the voice of an actor and he’s tremendous in everything he does whether it’s on stage or in movies. 

Funny Face-Off was a great idea. Jimmy told us last week to send in clips and didn’t tell us what for and this was it! Another example of Jimmy turning the show over to the audience and making them feel apart of it all, which is why he’s so great! "Tonight Show Funny Face Off" with Jude Law

Shakira: What is this, Voice Week on Fallon in New York? Last night Carson Daly, tonight, Shakira? Carrying on accent night on Fallon, Shakira brings a funny face and performance. She’s a delight. 

Her singing voice; however, to me, is not a delight. Haven’t been a fan since the beginning, but it is true, her hips do not lie.  

Episode 26

TWENTY-SIX

We are all into a good string of shows right now. Twenty-six straight without a break; usually they tape two shows on Thursday, but based on topics in the monologue it seems like Jimmy has done a show every Friday. So credit him, staying busy, but also wonder how many shows NBC wanted him to do before he took a break… To establish a solid fan base on top of those Late Night FalPal’s that made the move with him.

MONOLOGUE: Not a bad set for a Monday. A lot of topical/political stuff with Russia and President Obama Do’s and Don’t’s list for the Pope. Jimmy has let the KTLA earthquake anchor have the night off, but he continues to rip Billy Dee Williams and his dancing. Rightfully so. The Jimmy Carter talking about the NSA reading his emails was funny. I can totally relate because I feel like my grandma sends me emails all the time and I don’t reply to them… Does anyone reply to their grandparent’s emails?!*

*Mel, you know what I’m talkin’ about! (Melissa's Note: I plead the fifth).

Storytime with Jimmy and his weekend adventure on a beach. An earth rover? Jimmy, do you own a Range Rover? I imagine Jimmy stress driving in the sand is similar to all appearance with Jeff Musial. YEP! Picture proof. Jimmy drives a red range rover. http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/segments/3166 …

GUESTS: Arnold Schwarzenegger. First let me say the Roots are the only band in Late Night that really takes into account who the guests are and what song to play as they walk take the stage. Tonight’s a perfect example. Schwarzenegger’s new movie is called Sabotage and the Roots played Sabotage from the Beastie Boys. Well done Roots! Arnold Schwarzenegger Takes Jimmy to Cigar Sch…

There’s definitely a difference in Schwarzenegger from his Leno Tonight appearances, as a governor, versus now. He’s much more relaxed, and looser. He’s a lot more enjoyable to watch, plus he’s not only talking about politics. Instead, he’s talking about how he got a tank, I mean, c’mon! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGLhBC9Q3F4) Arnold Schwarzenegger Crushes Things with Tanks

These next bits are my favorite thing Jimmy does. Much like Jacob’s Patience and the Point Pleasant Police Department, (WATCH IF YOU HAVENT: Jimmy Fallon & Alec Baldwin's 80's Cop Show (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)) it’s when they play a video clip while Jimmy and the guest run over to get in place on set for their bit. In this bit, Schwarzenegger and Jimmy are sales people on QVC. Jimmy sells a blender and Schwarzenegger is trying to sell a chopper… Yes… You know where this is going and it’s awesome Arnold Schwarzenegger on QVC: "Get to the Chopper!"

Carson Daly: I love how Carson talks about his mini-van so much. He did this last time he was on the show. I always loved Jimmy’s impression of Carson Daly on SNL… “I’m Carson Daly… and I’m a massive tool”!  All that said, Carson is really passionate about music and about his job. He’s not quite on the Ryan Seacrest level, although sometimes it sounds and looks like he’s trying. All that said, Carson seems like a pretty decent guy.

Musical Guest: Vampire Weekend. Is the new thing in musical ‘concerts’ to project video behind them? Seems like every show I go to now a giant LED board is back there playing some kind of video… And I LOVE IT. It totally adds to the experience on top of the lights. You gotta have a great light show, which is why Dave Matthews Band is so awesome. Just do a quick google image search. Oh, Vampire Weekend was terrific as always!

Episode 25

TWENTY-FIVE!

Will there be any hangover from last night’s show? It remains to be seen, but all signs point to no. As mentioned, Thursday’s show with Billy Joel was in my top 5 favorite shows Jimmy has done in his tonight show era. Between the monologue jokes, the hashtag banter and everything Billy Joel, it was just great. Onto tonight’s show!

MONOLOGUE:  Another solid set from Jimmy with a few zingers including taquila, a diabetic shot people would enjoy, and Walmart greeters smoking. Not to mention a bit that looks very similar to what Conan does, in that, he takes phrases spoken on the news from all over the country on different stations and puts them all in one video. It’s funny for sure, but almost sad so many new stations take the copy that’s given with the video! 

Also, love Jimmy’s fake hatred towards Jeff Musial, but at the same time, you can get the feeling Jimmy really doesn’t like some of what Musial does. 

Thank You Notes: If you like this segment, I highly recommend you purchase the Thank You Notes book! There are two volumes of it and it’s just a little coffee table book, but it has every Thank You Note ever written. Thank You Notes: Spring, Brunch, Tooth Fairy

GUESTS: Kevin Bacon!! What a great sport to come in early on Friday and do all that work to make the Footloose video. A lot of production work went into that and it paid off; very well executed! Even with the stunt double, who, by the way, total Happy Days moment with him leaning against the wall, slick back hair and a white tank top. Kevin Bacon's Footloose Entrance 

Jeff Musial: I love animal segments on Late Night Shows. Jay Leno was always great with Julie Scardina from Sea World. David Letterman was always awkward with Jack Hannah. Conan was absolutely tremendous with Jarod Miller. Here’s one of my favorites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jog5nkI14Y. As great as Conan was with Miller, Jimmy is really amazing with Jeff Musial. There are times Jimmy is straight up scared to death with what Musial brings on the show and it’s hilarious. Tonight was no different. THEY GOT BEARS! Jeff Musial Shows Off His Bear Cub and Lizards! Jeff Musial Feeds Buffalo Wings to a Lizard 

*(Melissa's Note: Stephen Colbert would NOT appreciate Jimmy's tolerance of BEARS! lol)

Music: Ty Dolla $ign is the second hip hop musical guest, first being Rick Ross. You don’t see a lot of this genre of music on the Tonight Show. Can’t help, the greatness that is the Roots, are a draw for some of these artists. 

Episode 24

TWENTY-FOUR!

Speaking of 24… What a great, great show…

MONOLOGUE: What a great set from beginning to end, mixing in a whole bunch of elements. We start with Jimmy presenting some President Obama tweets to Michelle since she and the girls are away to China for the week.* From that, we move onto Jimmy once again, throwing in the LA earthquake anchor video clip. It was strategically placed and funny yet again. Then Jimmy ended the set with some Tonight Show Superlatives. Ya done good Jimmy…  Ya done good.

* It does seem strange the wife and kids leave the White House at the same time March Madness beings… Hmmm

Thirteen years since Billy Joel’s been on a late night show??!?! The power of Jimmy Fallon, folks…

HASHTAGS: CHANGE THE THEME BACK! #makesmemad… Ironic and fitting really. That first tweet was so true… 24 months for a baby, is TWO YEARS!!! Why do parents always use the months? I can’t convert that quickly! I was a broadcast major! All my numbers and such are given too me on a screen! Moving on… We once again see the great improv between Jimmy and Higgins during Hashtags. It’s one of the great things on the Tonight Show. Plus, anytime Jimmy can break out a Tom Brokaw impression, it’s a good day. Hashtags: #MakesMeMad, Part 1, Hashtags: #MakesMeMad, Part 2

DEE VEE DEE is back, for another Tonight Show appearance… These guys have way too much fun. Oh, now there’s an old timey phone… Brilliant from Jimmy and Higgins here, just brilliant. 

Jimmy’s told that Food & Wine magazine story about his mom before on the old Late Night Show before, but it’s worth repeating. “Hey, can you get a recipe from your mom so we can put it in our magazine?” Sure…hey ma! Got a recipe?! Sure..HEY MA! Where’d you get the recipe?! Food & Wine… Perfect!

GUESTS: Billy Joel! Sing us a song, piano man! Ok, maybe later. Crazy to find out he’s sold out all his Madison Square Garden shows, once a month, for the rest of 2014. Not only that, but he has his own Sirius Radio Channel… The guy is an incredible musician. Billy Joel Is Getting His Own Radio Channel

Jimmy Fallon and his dad delayed a Billy Joel concert… Awesome. 

This doo-wop app with Billy Joel and Jimmy signing The Lion Sleeps Tonight  might be the coolest thing Jimmy has ever done on this show… And that’s saying something. It was really, really good. And you could see Jimmy was so, so nervous. His hands were shaking the entire time. Billy Joel and Jimmy Fallon Form 2-Man Doo-Wop Gro…

Good luck to Chelsea Clinton following up behind Billy Joel!  Much like the Billy Joel interview, Jimmy dominated the interview by telling stories, which, for him, works, but at the same time, it’s not really traditional when the interviewer talks more than who he/she is interviewing. When Jimmy gets around the cute baby story of his wife he allows Clinton to talk about their family’s initiative. 

MUSIC: Billy Joel returns for a song with who else, but Jimmy Fallon! You never saw Jay Leno sing with any of his musical guests! Very cool to see and very cool Billy Joel allowed Jimmy to join him on stage, let alone lay on his piano! What a great performance and a great show overall. Easily in my top 20 of show’s he’s done!

I think what this show showed is that Jimmy Fallon isn’t your typical talk show host. He’s a bit obscure and that’s 100% okay. He’s willing to step out of that mold, be goofy with his guests and even make a fool of himself on occasion. He’s always said he wants to put a smile on his audience’s faces before they go to bed and he certainly accomplishes that daily.

Big Friday show with Animals and Bacon… Those two aren’t related… At least I don’t think…

Episode 23

Twenty-Three!

Monologue: Jimmy now doing physical comedy with the stair master bit. Now Higgins quoting Air Bud! Off to a good start! Jimmy is WORKIN’ tonight!!! Goes back to the side chair, fly-off and then goes back to the earthquake musical! Well put together monologue from beginning to end! Wasn’t as much of a downer as last night where half of it was Russian talk. New Global Warming Website, White House N…, LaGuardia Considers Slots, Yankees Battle Bees - Mo…

I must admit, I almost tuned into Law & Order SVU to watch Questlove play a dead guy, but good thing I didn’t, because Jimmy played the clip, and of course, made fun of Quest after, calling for a holding your breath contest, big ratings!

These President Obama phone calls with Jimmy doing an impression of someone are always usually a success and tonight’s was no different. In a way, it’s how we want these conversations to go! Obama & Putin Phone Conversation on "Tonight…

GUESTS: Buck Kinnear! I can’t look at this great actor without thinking of Little Miss Sunshine. Jimmy was having so much fun with Greg Kinnear tonight and give Kinnear credit for having fun back! It shows on air and gives for a great interview!

The fun continued with Buck Kinnear after the break with random object three-point shootout! Fantastic bunch of objects and it really looked like Kinnear was having fun with it! Random Object Shootout with Greg Kinnear

Emilia Clarke, I don’t watch Game of Thrones, so I’m not familiar with her work. I’ve heard great things about the show though!

COOKING SEGMENT!!! Cooking segments are always fun and seem to be what makes Late Night talk shows so great. Random fun-ness these segments are. 

Episode 22

TWENTY TWO!

Welcome in! I came across an interesting article today showing just how well the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is doing. Here’s a hint… It’s doing real well!  http://qz.com/188345/just-one-month-in-jimmy-fallon-is-already-king-of-late-night-and-youtube/

MONOLOGUE:  This is one of the heavier Putin/Russia joke related monologues we’ve seen Jimmy do. The random placement of a Mitt Romney not being able to do the wave at a sporting event was rather funny.  Jimmy goes on to make fun of the LA news station that ducked for cover under the desk she the 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit while they were on the air.  I didn’t laugh as much as I may have used to since I’ve recently dealt with a lot of earthquakes living in Oklahoma City. Laugh as you may, but we just had a 4.1 magnitude about a month or so ago and it freaked the snot out of me. I got a whole new appreciation for earthquakes… But I digress. 

Continuing on with the monologue, The Two and a Half Men happening after the Big Bang Theory was one of the better jokes of the night, followed by Jimmy reacting by pitching to a video of the news anchor in LA dramatically looking to the camera. Good placement there and a CBS TV joke that pretty much wrote itself. 

PROS AND CONS: It was real quick tonight…They must have been running over on time; clearly they rushed through it. There was no witty banter between Jimmy and Higgins, just straight pros and cons and on to the next one. Pros and Cons: Going on Spring Break

One thing I do love, and it’s very subtle, is when the Roots play out to break with the Pros and Cons song they seamlessly transition into their commercial break song, and it’s a beautiful thing.  I SEE YA ROOTS!

GUESTS:  Lena Dunham…I don’t watch Girls, but I watched her SNL and I didn’t think she was that great, but she is more naturally funny than she was, forced on SNL. She’s got this adorable quality to her, and fun fact, SHE ADORES JIMMY FALLON! For some reason, I think Jimmy and Lena would do great on the Broadway musical “Earthquake.”

I LOVE when Jimmy plays old (real) game shows like Password, (seeing him play with Betty White as a guest was a bit surreal), or in tonight’s case, Pyramid. You may be asking, “Butt Clinton, you weren’t around when these shows were on TV!” You may be right, but I grew up watching Game Show Network for like 15 years; Card Sharks, one of my favorites, and not the Bob Eubanks version, but the Jim Perry version. Yep, dropped some Card Sharks knowledge on you there didn’t I!? Pyramid with Lena Dunham and Hugh Dancy

Steve Higgins plays the role of game show host WAY to well. He could actually be a successful host. I also really like when Questlove steps out from the drum set and plays games or does cooking segments with Jimmy.  Ah, and the Roots even played the Pyramid theme song on the bump to break! What a great night for the Roots !

Next, Hugh Dancy… Never heard of him nor watched his show. What I took from this interview is that Jimmy really loves that Rob Ford picture and loves to do his impression of it, and now likes making others do an impression.

MUSIC: Foster the People was great… The end.

This continues to be a good week of shows and only promises to be better later on!

Episode 21

TWENTY…0 1!

Happy St. Patricks Day and a pleasant Hangover Tuesday!

MONOLOGUE:  What a great decision to come out with a giant green hat on Jimmy! Shows how much fun he has on the show! Tariq!! I love when he comes out with the mug and interrupts Jimmy’s monologue! Just hilarious! Good to know he can do more than just sing! “Drunken Donuts!” it makes him funkin’ go nuts! St. Patrick's Day 2014 -- Monologue 

Nice to see a close to hometown Wichita St. shout out and he’s right, not a lot to do there! Based on that reporter running away and falling video, I don’t think the band see’s the monologue or some of the video elements in rehearsal. Quest laughed way too hard at that video if he was seeing for the 2nd time. Crimea Holds Election, Basketball Reporter Tak…

Ya know… I’d be perfectly okay with Jimmy speaking in an Irish accent for a whole show. 

I swear… Tonight’s show just proves that Jimmy and the gang couldn’t care less if they make other people laugh, because they make themselves laugh more than any other TV talk show. 

YES!!! Friday Jeff Musial makes his first Tonight Show appearance!!! I love how much Jimmy acts that he hates this guy. Each one of his appearances on Late Night were hilarious!

Popular Mathematics! A new segment on the show that’s a winner! Much like Seth Myers’ Venn Diagrams, it take’s two different topics or people and combines them into hilarious. Fun bit that I hope gets in the rotation. This show has so much already, just take a look at the Wikipedia game page for the show: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jimmy_Fallon_sketches But here’s the new segment: Popular Mathematics: Michael Moore, Rob Ford,…

GUESTS: It’s amazing how an actor’s character from the past can just stick with you, and that’s all you can remember him by. For James Spader, it’s Alan Shore from Boston Legal. That show was so good, and he was beyond great in it. One of my favorite TV shows ever. Easily in my Top 5 list.* More truck talk! The day Jimmy finally gets a truck, he better show us what he gets! I’m so invested in this!

*Thats a different blog for a different time.

But back to Spader… What a great story this is about his childhood and the BMW motorcycle. Not only is he a great actor, but a great storyteller. James Spader Had the Ultimate Truck

KERMIT: Jimmy loves the Muppets. They were all on last show of Late Night, and now Kermit is back tonight! Gotta love the Muppets. The story of the Muppet Pipes and it being in Max’s dressing room when Conan was on the Late Night show, and then how Jimmy exposed the pipes behind glass, and made it apart of the NBC tour is all quite nice. There was a great moment on Jimmy’s last show where he talks about the Muppet Pipes and how Frank Oz came to the show once and saw the pipes for the first time in probably 50 years, and he teared up, forgetting that he and Jim Henson drew those. It’s an incredible story and explains why Jimmy and the Muppets have such a great relationship. But this gift… Awesome Kermit the Frog Has a Gift for Jimmy

And if Kermit wasn’t cool enough… He sings with Jimmy! He had to right? Kermit the Frog and Jimmy Fallon: It's Not Easy Bein…

Finally the musical guest Black 47 seems like the perfect fit to close St. Paddy’s day and they rocked it. Expect anything different?!

Episode 20

TWENTY!

Monologue: Classic Friday night monologue from Jimmy. Solid, but nothing that really stands out except this turtle joke: Russia Increases Troop Presence, Sen. McConnell…  It was interesting to find out Chuck-E-Cheese might buy Dave & Busters for 10 trillion ski ball tickets… Let me do the conversion here real quick… Looks to be 1 billion US Dollars…

As much as I disliked the studio at the start of Jimmy’s tenure, twenty shows in, it’s really starting to fit in my brain, and I’m okay with it now. 

Ah yes, Thank You Notes. What a great start! Alcoholics Awareness month and then Sbarro more money complete with Jimmy and Higgins walk offs… Hilarious. Hilarious. Hilarious. Thank You Notes: Sbarro, Nike Swoosh, Llamas. Can’t say it enough, Higgins is a comic genius. He drives a lot of this show whether we want to admit it or not.*

HOT SAX!!!!!!!!!!! It took 20 shows, but we got! We finally got it! This made me so happy. I do hope the next time they do the hot sax bit the actual saxophone player gets tossed the sax and really plays it… On his sax

* 2 D-.V-D’S!

GUESTS: Franco! This guy has a TON of stuff going on. Can you imagine being this busy? This is the Tonight Show, Damnit!

Some of my favorite videos the Tonight Show posts is “during the break” videos. They did one where Seinfeld and Jimmy did previews for the new stations, but this one with James Franco isn’t bad either. It’s real talk and real emotion and stuff we never get to see. During the Break: James Franco and Jimmy Fallon … More importantly after watching this link, I learned when Will Ferrell breaks character. Good inside scoop here.

Andy Cohen is the Ryan Seacrest of the Bravo Network. The man does everything!  Andy Cohen is an interesting character, because you look at him and he’s so happy, like Jimmy, and you wouldn’t think he’s the Executive Vice President of Development and Talent for the Bravo Network…aka… He’s a baller… And he’s on Tinder. Andy Cohen Joined Tinder

Larry Webster: I wonder if he was a last minute guest because of how often (every night) Jimmy and Higgins talked about trucks. Pumpkin season comes once a year and Jimmy needs a truck!  “I like this truck because it looks like it’s wearing khaki’s!” I was actually hoping he would straight up tell Jimmy what truck to get, but if you watch closely as they go to break you can slightly hear Jimmy ask him “So I should get a Chevy”? Then you can read Larry’s lips as he says, “yeah, get a Chevy”. Kudos to the show for making any sponsor happy by not disappointing the other and cutting Jimmy’s mic as he says “get a Chevy”.

The Shot Ski was incredible! The fact that not only Jimmy and Andy Cohen did it, but Larry Webster did it too! “And you thought a truck was manly”!

Musical Guest: Jake Bugg. Jimmy wasn’t kidding at the top of the show when he said this kid looked like Justin Bieber. He really does, but his music is far better

All in all, a decent friday show! See ya Monday! 

Episode 19

NINETEEN!

Someone is about to have his final show in the teens! Let’s make it a good one!

Monologue: Hot crowd!!!*  Jimmy has a love for puppies and its fantastic. First Lick: A Film by Jimmy Fallon. First, puppy predictor’s now First Lick! Way to go Jimmy! Why do I totally see Higgins’ Instagram handle being Whiz and Nips…I see it!  I sound like a broken record here, but Higgins and Jimmy’s banter to each other is a thing of beauty. Hearing them talk after a Best Buy joke was hilarious. They are perfect for each other. WHAT?! Jimmy goes out into the crowd and randomly talks to a girl who cheered for the Tender App? The love doctor Fallon in the house. “Get the Frozen DVD together.”  And then Jimmy complains about them later, (in a joking matter), hilarious. Oh goodness, Higgins now talking about how much he loves caulk. Can’t believe they got away with this. Funniest stuff of the monologue. Jimmy Sets an Ice Cream Date -- Monologue

* With some hot sax?! Jimmy! When are you bringing the hot sax back!?

Hashtags! Ugh… Same new theme… LAME! But I love this segment! This segment, when Jimmy and Higgins go so off the map, has to be a producers nightmare in terms of timing out the show… Gotta keep the talent on track, but, my goodness, it’s got to be so hard to hold them back. What’s better than some of these people’s tweets, are the twitter handles for some of these people! Hashtags: #BadSpringBreak

Date update! I can vouch for Late Night Snack from Ben and Jerry’s. It’s pretty good, but man, that ice cream is expensive!

Guests:  Julianna Margulies was a classic Tonight Show guest. Told some great stories from her life, and made us laugh. Good stuff... That very well may be one of those Tonight Show segments I could do without. There’s some winning one-liners, but mainly its just goofy lines. 

Patton Oswalt is a fun comedian. Loved him on King of Queens and how could we forget Ratatouille… It’s always interesting when standup comedians go on talk shows, because their six or so minute segment next to the host is always a tiny stand up show session in talk show form. I hope you follow me here. There was a time Jim Gaffigan was on Conan, and 90% of what he said on the couch, was material from his standup show I saw him perform, but on the show, the host, strategically asks questions to lead him into something the comedian talks about in his show. 

For me it’s hard to give a stand up comic I’ve never heard of a chance on these Late Night shows.* I understand that if you make it on the Tonight Show, you will be funny. Maybe I’m just particular with my comedians. All that said, Nate Bargatze had a pretty decent set.

*(Melissa’s Note: Clinton! That’s why comedians are booked for late night shows – they are funny enough to make the cut and it’s like Jimmy is saying: “Here, Clinton, if you think I’m funny, I think this person is really funny too so, give him/her a chance”. And speaking of… NickCallas, everyone. He’s a great up and coming comedian based in NYC. Check him out.)

Episode 18

EIGHTEEN!

On paper this looks like one of Jimmy’s weakest show, but I’ve been surprised before on shows that I have zero intention that I’ll like. So let’s see what Jimmy and the ensemble have in store for us!

Monologue:  I wonder if other late night comedy hosts dream of having the chemistry Higgins and Jimmy have. In all honesty, Craig Ferguson and Josh Robert Thompson aka, “Geoff the Robot Skelton” come real close in on air improv chemistry. It’s just that a lot of people don’t watch their show. Thompson really does drive the Late Late Show and their banter is quite funny, but its nothing like what Higgins and Jimmy have.

Time to Rhyme, an awesome new bit, that I, for a second, was going to be Slow Jamming the News.* It turned into a bit that Jimmy does at the end of “Dance Your Hat and Gloves Off” where he always stares into the camera and rhymes…for example:

Thank you, all you boys and girls and friends and fans out there in TV land. Just grab your gal and tell your pal about the crazy game with the crazy name, making a scene on your boob tube screen. No way to lose when you get the news, when all you gotta do is wear your dancing shoes. And you got no need to frown when it all goes down, just dance around when you hear the sound. Just move your feet, when you feel the beat, cause it’s your only duty to shake your booty…. Yeah you get the idea… I could’ve just sent you a link, but I’m devoted to the craft of transcribing.

*Which I am waiting for to arrive on the Tonight Show…

Audience suggestion box wouldn’t be complete without an appearance of Simon and Garfunkel. Suggestion Box: Black Simon and Garfunkel Si…

YAHOO ANSWERS!!!! I loved this the first time (Audience Suggestion Box: Yahoo! Answers (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon) ) and even better the second. Suggestion Box: Yahoo! Answers with Audra McD… Really, it’s amazing! They got 5-time Tony Award winning Audra McDonald to play along with this bit. 

GUESTS: We’re going to combine the guests tonight because, lets be honest, these aren’t really A-List people. I do like the hand hug though… I do it all the time… Maybe. Shailene Woodley doing her best Food Network impression with raw garlic and horseradish, which looks much like something else, but if it clears your sinuses…. My goodness does this girl not look like Emma Watson!? Just throw an English accent on her and the two are one. 

When was the last time we saw 2 in 1 sweater ping pong on the Tonight Show?! This is why this show is great and not like any other talk show! They play games that we all are jealous of, and want to play. Double Turtleneck Ping Pong with Shailene Woo…

Here are my thoughts on Artie Lange… He’s looking and acting more and more like Drunk Uncle…

Beck was solid on SNL and he was solid again tonight on Jimmy. Really liked the stage setup on this too with the stage lights on the side - Very cool feel to it.

Episode 17

SEVENTEEN!

MONOLOGUE: Jimmy is rockin’ it tonight! He once again showed us how off the cuff and off script he can go, and it’s hilarious. The art of a true comic we’re seeing here tonight folks. From the undercover boss talk, to a banana talk to Keshaaaaaaa, it was all great. Nothing got more of a laugh out of me than the Nasa discovering 3000 stars joke by just turning the telescope left, and then they all brought it back to the banana. Monologue Pt. 1: The Bachelor Finale, Undercover Boss, Edwar… Pt. 2: Kesha, Spelling Bee, Manholes -- Monologue Both worth watching!

Truck Talk Watch: It continues…

PROS AND CONS: Another week, another great ad lib in-between with Higgins and Jimmy. Pros and Cons - St. Patrick's Day 2014

DO NOT READ LIST: So they keep this theme song as well, but change Hashtags?! Anyone have an answer for this? Do Not Read list is basically headlines, which was my favorite part of Leno’s Tonight Show. These books, how are they real!? That being sad, I would totally buy that Stylish Napkins book… Complete with Harrison Fold* and Zack Galifinapkin. Jimmy's Do Not Read List: March 2014

*(Melissa’s Note: Ben Folds would have been better! That's his actual name!!! :)

TYLER PERRY’S TONIGHT SHOW… That’s all I got here really. Pretty simple interview, but cool he gave Oprah a birthday cake though.

Up next was Billy Eichner. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know the name at all, but the second Jimmy showed a clip of his show on FUSE I went, OH! He’s the guy from Parks and Rec!* Literally, he’s the same guy, he doesn’t change character one bit. He’s crazy, and here’s how: Billy in the Audience

*(Melissa’s Note: Which Parks and Rec character???)

Musical Guest: Juanes… Never heard of them either, but I imagine they are a huge hit in Miami. They have that spicy Latin music vibe going!

Episode 16

SIXTEEN!

Interesting factoid you may or may not know: Each day, the Tonight Show runs a monologue rehearsal and they give tickets out to it! Thus, the age old debate continues, would you rather go to a dress rehearsal or the real show? I’ve struggled with this on SNL specifically. So much get’s cut in that time in between. Dress for SNL is at 8pm eastern with the live show at 11:30. At dress, you’re likely to see the actors break and crack more jokes with themselves.* But if it’s just the monologue dress for Jimmy, I don’t think I could do it. I’d want to see the whole show.

* You can see this on the SNL Best Of’s, one that comes to mind is the Amy Poehler episode.

MONOLOGUE: As a viewer of The Bachelor, I was a big fan of “there’s only Juan, Pablo joke with Higgins”. Would you be a fan of Batman and Robert? Palin's Dr. Seuss Speech, Rob Ford Mixes Up Daylig…

No wait here just one gosh darn minute… Jimmy is sorta taking the Tonight Show w/ Leno idea of the photo booth, but adding that Jimmy twist and it was pure greatness! Jimmy with the help of John Hamm had me laughing the entire bit. This actually seemed like the first thing Jimmy’s done that felt like the old Tonight Show. I hope to see this done more often with different celebrities!* Watch it here… NOW! It’s too great: "Tonight Show Celebrity Photobomb" with Jimmy…

* Justin Timberlake!?!?!

GUESTS: Kristen Bell is amazing. House of Lies, if you haven’t seen it is just tremendous. It’s a smart well written comedy-drama on Showtime. “The show was on UPN and then CW… Guys, remember those?!”  Haha! 

I swear, Demi Lovato comes on the show for more games than any other celebrity, but Pictionary is one of my favs. Steve Harvey… You are awesome. Can I play Pictionary with you?! GOT YO HANDS ON A LOLLI POP! Here’s Pt. 1 Pictionary with Kristen Bell, Steve Harvey and Demi … And Pt. 2 Pictionary with Kristen Bell, Steve Harvey and Demi …

HARVEY: The mouse comes out, NO JOKES! Haha! I can’t look at Steve Harvey and not think of Keenan Thompson’s impression on SNL. What’s great about this interview with Harvey is Jimmy is genuinely laughing at Harvey’s stories and jokes. This is some laughter and emotion you never saw with Leno and rarely see with other Late Night talk show hosts. You see insincere laughter from Letterman, and you kinda see it with Conan every once and awhile, but there’s nothing like seeing Jimmy laugh and really enjoy himself on some of these interviews. 

Bobby McFerrin: My goodness the Roots are awesome. Great backup for skatter Bobby McFerrin. This was a funny jazzy musical performance tonight! JIMMY!!! Never seen a musical guest get the host involved in the song. Fallon has got some skills!

Episode 15

Fifteen!

MONOLOGUE: Quick quiz before we start; how do you spell Respect? Good set from Jimmy on this Friday show. Good stuff when it came to Jimmy’s vast knowledge of Youtube celebrities. Who knew!? The highlight came when he was talking about slow internet and they had the buffering icon pop up on screen, followed by what had to have been an inside joke when Jimmy said Joe Biden said “I’ll take two Snapples”.

Also funny was when Jimmy was talking about turning off your phones for Saturday to conserve energy. There was a guy in the crowd that said “NOPE!” but you could barely hear it, but it was hilarious. Easy SAT Questions, Slow Internet -- Monologue

TRUCK SAGA CONTINUES! Hemi-Fallon engine! I love it! How is this not a thing? I am loving this truck talk with Toby. Almost half of this show Jimmy and Higgins are just having a chit-chat and no one knows what’s going on, and it’s hilarious 

THANK YOU NOTES: The Montana note was hilarious. Plus, Chester Cheta is totally the Pink Panther’s stoner cousin. This and more here:  Thank You Notes: Mardi Gras, Frozen Margaritas,… 

COLBERT!! I love the Colbert Report. The character he has on that show is unbelievable and the fact he stays in it so well for every part of the show is tremendous. The Colbert we’re seeing on the Tonight Show is Stephen himself and not the Colbert Report character, and that’s rare. Not too often do we see Colbert as Stephen. 

When Colbert told this story of the First Lady at the the State Dinner, it was incredible… Even better on Fallon: Stephen Colbert Sits Next to the First Lady

Back from break… An honest game between Jimmy and Colbert Truth or Truth with Stephen Colbert Complete with the music from Water War. Truth or Truth… Is your underwear Men’s or Women’s… No.

I think Keri Russell wasn’t wearing enough leather, but the wig was hilarious! Keri Russell Makes Jimmy Wear the Felicity Wig

Broken Bells, never heard of them until Tonight, but they weren’t half bad. Based on some of the band Jimmy’s had on Late Night, this group is right up his alley!

See ya Monday!