Jimmy Fallon: How he continues to dominate in the age of YouTube (and check out his 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' parody)
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
鈥�The Tonight Show鈥� host Jimmy Fallon continues to rule over the late-night TV landscape in the age of YouTube.
Fallon took the reins from Leno just about a year ago after having hosted NBC鈥檚 鈥淟ate Night鈥� since 2009. He was a member of the 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� cast from 1998 to 2004.
When Fallon debuted as 鈥淭he Tonight Show鈥� host, Robert Thompson, founder of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University in New York, told the Monitor that watchers were going to need to give Fallon some time.
鈥淟ate night has completely transformed since the early days of a single show聽dominating the time slot,鈥� he said, pointing out how many late-night hosts are on the air. In addition, reviews of Fallon鈥檚 debut weren鈥檛 all positive.
However, Len Shyles, a communications professor at Villanova University in Philadelphia, told the Monitor at the time that Fallon鈥檚 likeability could make his new show a success.听
And it has been. According to , ratings for 鈥淭he Tonight Show鈥� for the fourth quarter of 2014 were the best for the show's fourth quarter in six years for viewers 18 to 49 (a much-targeted demographic) and in viewers overall. In addition, Fallon鈥檚 show which followed the Super Bowl scored the biggest ratings for the show since his debut, according to .听
The Fallon incarnation of 鈥淭he Tonight Show鈥� has become well-known for its celebrity segments, including periodic lip-sync battles. A lip-sync contest during the Super Bowl episode that had Fallon, actor Will Ferrell, and actor Kevin Hart facing off currently has more than 14 million views.
Musical performances by celebrity guests have been the most popular on the 鈥淭onight Show鈥� 鈥� 鈥淏irdman鈥� actress Emma Stone鈥檚 lip-sync battle with Fallon is currently the most-watched video on the channel with more than 41 million views, followed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt of 鈥淪in City: A Dame to Kill For鈥� and "Hello Ladies" actor Stephen Merchant facing off against Fallon in a lip-sync battle, which drew more than 37 million views, and 鈥淗arry Potter鈥� actor Daniel Radcliffe rapping, which has more than 35 million views.
And now Fallon鈥檚 taking the show on the road. This week, 鈥淭he Tonight Show鈥� is being taped in Los Angeles, and Fallon kicked off the residency on Feb. 2 with a parody of the opening credits to Will Smith鈥檚 鈥�90s sitcom 鈥淭he Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.鈥� The video currently has more than 164,000 views.听
