The TV Zone

Tired of all this Sarah/Dave business?

Me too!

So: Beer pong with Betty White instead.

-Check out this past week's post about Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack Morris) visiting with Jimmy Fallon.

Remember Zack? "Saved by the Bell" fans certainly do...He is Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and whatever MPG has done since ("NYPD Blue," "Commander in Chief," currently "Raising the Bar," back last night), he will always be Zack.

NBC tells me Zack made a return last night, on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." I just saw - amusing, and he hasn't changed a bit. Agrees to do a "Late Night" reunion...He claims Elizabeth Berkley (Jessie) is in too.

Has anyone called Mario Lopez yet?

Take 'er away...

First up, let's show you the un-sanctioned-by-NBC clip of Jimmy's monologue from the very first show...Also, the Timberlake interview, in which they do a brief duet from Fallon's old "SNL" Gibbs routine. Plus, an added bonus: a John Mayer impersonation. Now, Mayer's gotta do Justin.

And a very very curious element of this new show from the Timberlake clip: An in-show promo for an advertiser.

Did Conan ever do this? If he did, I don't remember. Here Jimmy asks JT to do Michael McDonald, singing a Bud Light Lime jingle. Justin's game...

(Thanks to XVersusY for posting, and to David Chen.)

Finally, NBC pulled this third one outta the show after taping yesterday and....as soon as I get more (assuming I get more) will post those as well. This is a brief snippet from the De Niro interview...

My first impression of this new show based on this through-the-straw view?

Honestly, probably the same as yours: Some of the stuff is OK, some not OK.The De Niro bit: Lame-o. The monologue, serviceable, with a joke that was almost - oddly enough - very similar to a joke Dave Letterman did in his monologue last night. Timberlake? A very good guest to have on tthe first show...

Can I do ANYTHING else for Jimmy Fallon to remind readers that his new show starts Monday, and that I even wrote a piece on the whole thing for Sunday's Fanfare?

Anything...? Yes! Post this last vlog before the big show, which went up yesterday. This one's noteworthy because it features an interview with the Boss Himself, Mr. Lorne Michaels...Check it out...

We've got the full line-up of first guests on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."

Here it is, with commentary:

**Monday, March 2 – Show 0001 - Guests include Robert De Niro, Justin Timberlake and musical guest Van Morrison [Timberlake, announced yesterday, to draw in the young 'uns...]

Tuesday, March 3 – Show 0002 - Guests include Tina Fey (NBC's "30 Rock"), Jon Bon Jovi, and musical guest Santigold [Tina is one of the favors Jimmy F said he was calling in ... maybe Bon Jovi owes him a few hundred bucks, too ...]

**Wednesday, March 4 – Show 0003 - Guests include Cameron Diaz, Billy Crudup, and musical guest Clap Your Hands Say Yeah [Cam's getting married to that Brit model; maybe they can be the first contestants on the new Jerry Seinfeld show...]

Thursday, March 5 – Show 0004 - Guests include Donald Trump (NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice"), Serena Williams and musical guest Ludacris [Uh-oh, just four days in and Jimmy has already been enlisted to flack for the primetime schedule.]

**Friday, March 6 – Show 0005 - Guests include Drew Barrymore, Chace Crawford, and Mario Batali [Barrymore's got that new reality show for VH1 about tough love, or somethin'; and Chace is on hand of course to talk about/promote those new episodes of "GG."]

**Monday, March 9 – Show 0006 - Guests include Rose Byrne and musical guest The Lonely Island [Rose, splendid Rose, is welcome on any talk show any time, as far as I'm concerned; the LI guys are pals of Jimmy's and have already done a funny vlog for him...]

**Tuesday, March 10 – Show 0007 - Guests include Emily Blunt, Michael Stipe, and musical guest Pussycat Dolls ["Devil Wears Prada" babe Blunt is eye-candy for all the young dudes Jimmy needs to succeed here..]

**Wednesday, March 11 – Show 0008 – Guests include Russell Brand, Kevin Rose &
Alex Albrecht, and musical guest The Virgins [Diggnation, Attack of the Show dudes Rose and Albrecht play to Fallon's tech/geek fascination, which you'll see a lot of here...]

**Thursday, March 12 – Show 0009 – Guests include Tracy Morgan (NBC's "30 Rock") and Malin Akerman [Tracy, another favor. Hope he arrives sober..no, hope he doesn't...]

**Friday, March 13 – Show 0010 – Guests include Brian Williams (NBC's "Nightly News with Brian Williams"), Kristen Wiig (NBC's "Saturday Night Live"), and
musical guest Trace Adkins [A pure gift to the mother network; looking forward to Wiigy though...]

[Pix: Frazer Harrison of Getty captures Emily...]

Very good group interview with Jimmy Fallon, now on-going, and I thought you might care to learn of some highlights:

What about the show?

"We're different in the fact that we're younger, we're into tech stuff, gadgets, video games - we'll treat video game premieres like a movie premiere..I want to be honest with what I like. Not going to hide the fact that people are on the Internet all day. Most kids come home from school, don't go to the TV but go to the Internet...then they watch TV; other people work all day, 9 to 5, watch clips [on the Web]...I'm like that and I'm not going to hide that fact. We're going to try and be as interactive with our fans as possible. On flickr and digg...tape at 5:30 and ask people to tweet us..."

Hey Jimbo [I'm kidding - no one called him Jimbo, but how long before someone DOES?], what about those great guests you got coming up - De Niro, Van Morrison, Tina Fey...?

"De Niro, just the quintessential New Yorker and legendary actor. I worked with him once - we're not friends per se, but we like each other...He is just so cool and a really nice guy to work with. He also comes off as a tough interview, and it's kinda good to have my first guest a tough interview. It might be terrible, it might be awful, but he represents New York more than anyone.He's the king...

"Van is performing the full album of 'Astral Weeks' [really??!!] Thats' a phenomenal record. I also grew up an Irish kid and he comes on your iPod in your brain when you're born. One of my favorites of all time so the fact he was in town was pure luck...Tina? I figured I'd call in my favors early....I love her. She's just the nicest person...she said she'd do anything for me..."

D'ya worry about all those failed talk shows, like Magic's and Chevy's Etc.?

"This is a hundred percent what I'm doing...I'm putting everything into this. It's not like I was in twenty great comedy movies before this, not a legendary NBA basketball star, though I get mistaken for that a lot. I really wanna be around a long time time, and I'm really focused..."

Will you do remotes?

"Yes, more than shows in the past. New York is a huge playground. We'll be more New York centric than the show in the past..."

Conan give you any advice?

"Said you just gotta do it. Just keep doing it. Get up there and start swinging and you'll figure it out...It's good advice. You can prepare, and get great writers, directors, but if you don't get these interviews right down, it can get weird. Even a writer can't save you. The more I do it, the more comfortable I'll be..."

Anybody else give you advice?

Leno, and "Jimmy Kimmel, Ellen DeGeneres, Garry Shandling...they were great to me. But Colbert told me something that Conan gave to [him] that Carson gave to Conan...In the show you'll use everything you know. That's the truth. You'll use everything you've ever known."

(Pix: Peter Kramer, AP)

All this endless chatter about poor Conan and how difficult life will be for him at "The Tonight Show" (see below) has bored me so deeply that - honestly - if I see one more story about how difficult life will be for Conan at "The Tonight Show" I will reach through the computer screen and strangle the pixels.

(Unless, of course, I write one of these stories, in which case I will feign interest.)

Let's all get this straight: Poor Conan will do just fine.

But there IS one very interesting development in late night and it's gotten virtually NO ATTENTION, but I'll rectify that right now: The Roots.

Did you know that his very fine Philly band is going to be Jimmy Fallon's late night backup? Lucky Jimmy. He barely even needs to talk with this act as his wingman. They are a veteran Philly band, and I guess they're usually referred to as "hip-hop," but it seems to me that their sound is broader, deeper and more eclectic than that.

But what the heck do I know?

What are theirs names? Unforgettable: Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson (drums), Owen Biddle (bass), Kamal Gray (keyboard), Frank “Frankie Knuckles” Walker (percussion), Kirk “Captain Kirk” Douglas (guitar) and Damen “Tuba Gooding Jr.” Bryson (saxophone).

These guys are terrific, and if you don't believe me, go to the jump for a 'tube clip of an old Letterman performance... And more stuff about the roots of the Roots...

Continue reading ""Late Night:" The Roots" »

Am gonna pay as much attention to Jimmy Fallon as reasonably possible in the next few weeks as he gets ready to move into late night, and I just noticed that yesterday he did that "viewers calls" promo again.

I now understand his strategy: He's gonna go after viewers one by one. At this rate, he should have covered all of 'em by (say) 5039. Good luck, Jimmy. Go get 'em.

Here's the viewer mail from last night...

Okay, here's the first vlog from Jimmy Fallon's new "Late Night," which'll roll out on the web, then actual launch day in early March.

Coupla, few, questions:

1.) Why is this so short?

2.) Is that REALLY the greatest band on late night TV?

3.) Tubas - what EVER happened to tubas?

...And ahead of schedule.

Jimmy Fallon? Blog? Tonight? Whaaa?

Good questions. You know that a.) He's replacing Conan next year; and b.) Lorne Michaels had the idea of getting him before the audience way ahead of time to...1.) familiarize him with said audience; 2.) So he's not a Complete Unknown next year; 3.) To get him used to this nightly thing.

And now, back to c.) Lorne was going to do this early next year but now he's doing it tonite!

Here's the website, and check back tomorrow for Jimmy's first posting (p.s.: Ignore the Jan. 8 stampdate down in the corner. This is up and running in just a few hours.) These will be video posts, and a forward glance to the new show and host...