The news cycle has been dominated over the last few months by the cancelation of The Late Show. It’s been off the air for several months now, and people are still discomfited about it. Apparently, that even extends to the late night hosts. Despite evidence that Stephen Colbert’s TV exit has been good news for the Jimmys in terms of ratings, reports indicate Jimmy Fallon is not in a comfortable place.

In fact, while The Tonight Show seems on relatively solid footing (for now), it hasn’t been the world’s best year for Jimmy Fallon. His other NBC series On Brand With Jimmy Fallon was a spectacular flop. Critics didn’t like it. Audiences didn’t really watch it. NBC aired it erratically on the 2026 TV schedule before canceling it. Now, an insider alleges it all ties together for the late night host.

Speaking with In Touch, the insider also spoke about Fallon’s commitment to the now-canceled TV show, noting the efforts it took to get the competition series on the air. Unlike other newer game shows, including The Floor or 99 to Beat, the concept didn’t basically work right out of the gate, and the whole thing is reportedly upsetting.

Of course, the panned On Brand did not land a 2026 Emmy nomination, and I doubt even the late night host was that surprised given the trajectory of the show in Season 1. To clarify, though, Fallon has pitched shows that worked well before. He’s the mastermind behind Lip Sync Battle, the formerly popular series that Tom Holland still constantly gets asked about years later. (The show ran through 2019 before becoming one of the casualties of 2020.) He’s also an actor and a stand-up comedian, so I’m not really worried he’ll find another avenue if and when The Tonight Show ends.

However, the insider alleges if he wants to move forward with producing content, his next series can’t end like On Brand.

There’s been a lot of talk about where late night TV is going as The Late Show was replaced with Unleashed with Byron Allen and an entirely new distribution model. Meanwhile, it's been Kimmel’s series, especially, that has picked up in the weeks since CBS took a step back. The Tonight Show remains a solid performer, but as we know late night revenue was reportedly down to $220 million in 2024 after being at $439 million in 2018. It paints an ugly picture about the future of late night, and if the insider is correct, it sounds like Jimmy Fallon is trying to set himself up for the future. I wouldn’t blame him.

There’s been a considerable amount of excitement since the New York Knicks won the 2026 NBA Finals and brought home their first championship title since 1973. Not only have fans been expressing their elation, but celebrity fans as well. Timothée Chalamet has been living it up, and Jennifer Lopez has been pumped as well. Given all this positive energy around the Big Apple, I’m sad The Late Show isn’t still on so Stephen Colbert can get in on the fun. But, in the late-night realm, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon have been holding it down with that.

Over a year ago, The Late Show was formally canceled by CBS, which cited financial reasons for pulling the plug on the series. The final episode aired on May 21, with Colbert officially signing off after 11 seasons. In hindsight, it's a somewhat cruel irony that the New York-based talk show would end shortly before the Knicks hoisted that Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. Considering Colbert’s own sports fandom and athletics-centric segments he’s had, I think he very well would’ve found a way to hype up the Knicks’ win.

I truly wish Colbert would’ve had the opportunity to honor the beloved Knickerbockers in his own unique way, but there’s definitely a silver lining in that his peers haven’t dropped the ball (no pun intended). Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon hyped up the Knicks throughout their playoff run and even attended games. Before the team’s series with the San Antonio Spurs ended, the topic even prompted Fallon to make some Trump jokes. More recently, though, Fallon welcomed the entire team to the show, and it was fantastic:

Seeing so many audience members sporting Knicks gear is great, but the icing on the cake is the presence of filmmaker Spike Lee, a New York native who’s long rooted for the NBA team. Fallon and co. choosing to invite the whole team and coach Mike Brown instead of just a handful of players is also particularly admirable. Even as a Boston Celtics fan, I can more than admit these guys all deserve their time in the sun, and they’ve certainly been getting it.

With that thought in mind, Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s titular host celebrated the Knicks’ victory and poked fun at some of the chaos that ensued in N.Y. after it happened. Kimmel, who lived in Brooklyn as a kid, shared footage of people in the city getting a bit overzealous with public property. Not only that, but the quippy host also shared a video from a tourist, whose first day in the United States coincided with the Game 5 win. Check it all out in the Instagram post:

I’d expect nothing less from Kimmel, who’s known for having a twisted sense of humor. Overall, though, his comments and Fallon’s big to-do represent the unique ways in which talk show hosts can get in on the fun that coincides with a professional sports team winning a championship. So, given all that, it’s hard not to consider what kind of fun segments Colbert and his since-moved-out staff would’ve come up with.

Since The Late Show’s cancellation, the late-night landscape has changed, and that’s benefitted the Jimmys in a way. Both of their respective shows have seen gains when it comes to ratings, which seemingly indicates that viewers have been gravitating towards other talk shows in recent weeks. I could imagine that being bittersweet for Kimmel and Fallon, though, considering they’re both friendly with Colbert and were classy with him up through the end of his show.

There’s a firm chance we’ll never know how Stephen Colbert and co. would’ve commemorated the New York Knicks’ championship run. At present, though, let’s just appreciate that there are still some talk show personalities who are still in the position to celebrate this piece of sports history that now marks the 2026 TV schedule.

The New York Knicks’ NBA Finals run has sparked major buzz amid the 2026 TV schedule, as fans seemed hyped about the prospect of the beloved team winning a championship title. With that, various devotees have been making their way to Madison Square Garden to watch the games, including superfan Timothée Chalamet and the highly enthusiastic Mariska Hargitay. Most notably, U.S. President Donald Trump attended Game 3 and, after he missed Game 4, Jimmy Fallon surprisingly had some jokes.

Unlike some of his late-night TV cohorts, Fallon isn’t known for getting overtly political during his monologues, so it was somewhat unexpected to see him drop a few zingers at POTUS’ expense. Fallon addressed the Knicks’ latest matchup against the San Antonio Spurs during the opening monologue of the June 11th edition of The Tonight Show. Fallon set up his first joke by talking about the high cost of tickets before delivering the punchline:

President Trump’s trip to MSG initiated a lot of discussions about the merits of the Commander-in-Chief being present at such an event and how it might impact the proceedings. Trump went viral while taking in the game and, when introduced during the event, he was booed by other attendees. Ultimately, the Knicks lost that game to the Spurs, and some pundits, including sportscaster Stephen A. Smith, blamed that on Trump’s presence. As for Fallon, he merely joked about Trump’s absence from Game 4:

That jab referenced the fact that President Trump ironically fell asleep while taking in Game 3, which was actually a relatively tense game. Although Fallon took shots (no basketball pun intended) at the president, he didn’t spend too much time roasting the commander-in-chief. In fact, during that same episode, Fallon later spoke more about the Knicks, specifically his own experience sitting courtside at the event. Check out Fallon’s take:

As it stands, the aforementioned NBA team is doing what it can to keep the stars present at MSG, as the organization is apparently giving away free tickets to celebrities. The notion is that the presence of A-listers is meant to add to the entertainment value of attending a game. I could certainly imagine that team owner James Dolan and co. are getting their money’s worth, given we’ve reached the point where even Taylor Swift is showing up to root on the Knicks. It’s possible that more than a few Knicks fans could show up at Game 5 in San Antonio, as the New York-based team has the chance to clinch the title then.

Otherwise, the action will return to MSG for a potential Game 6 and, if the Knicks were to hoist the coveted Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy at home, that arena would be even more electric than it’s already been. Whether or not President Trump would make another trip to NY for that theoretical game is hard to say. If that happens, though, viewers may want to keep their eyes peeled in case Jimmy Fallon or other late-night personalities have thoughts (and jokes).

Game 5 of the NBA Finals airs Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Jimmy Kimmel would never say The Late Show’s cancellation by CBS was a good thing — quite the opposite, actually, as he has been outspoken in support of Stephen Colbert and proclaimed late-night is “being poisoned” — but the numbers don’t lie. Both Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC and Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show on NBC have seen their ratings increase since Colbert took his final bow. The Eye Network’s ratings battle with its fellow broadcasting giants doesn’t end there, though, with CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil seeing some interesting trends in the latest numbers.

This year has been quite a tumultuous one for CBS so far under new leadership, from the cancellation of two scripted series to a daytime staffing shakeup and the recent firings from 60 Minutes’ staff. So it was probably something of a relief to see some upward trends in the ratings. Tony Dokoupil’s CBS Evening News finished the week of June 1 with 3.8 million total viewers — 560,000 in the coveted 25-54 demographic, according to AdWeek (via TV Insider). That’s an increase over the previous week of 1 percent in total viewers and 14 percent in the demo.

That’s good news, to be sure, for CBS, but there’s a catch — CBS Evening News still fell in a distant third place behind its competition, with ABC’s World News Tonight, hosted by David Muir, taking the top spot. Here’s how last week's numbers broke down:

Compared to a week earlier, ABC was down 2 percent in total viewers but increased in the demo by 1 percent, while NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas closed the gap with ABC by increasing 6 percent in overall viewership, 12 percent in the demo.

Year-over-year numbers showed CBS’ evening news program falling 2 percent overall but increasing 8 percent in the demo, while ABC and NBC saw larger gains from 2025 — World News Tonight is up 9 percent overall, 7 percent in the demo, and Nightly News is up 16 percent in both total viewers and the 25-54 demographic (where the majority of advertisements are targeted).

Ratings are particularly important for CBS News right now amidst all of its staffing changes and rumors surrounding new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, but it’s not just the CBS evening program that’s keeping a close watch. The morning shows on ABC and NBC have been back and forth, with Good Morning America and The Today Show jockeying for the No. 1 spot. (CBS Mornings remains in a distant third place.)

Today has led more than not, due in part to the ratings boost it got in February in the days after Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother went missing. However, the morning show did not get the bump it expected when Guthrie returned to The Today Show in April, allowing Good Morning America to close the gap.

As for CBS Evening News, we’ll have to see if these latest numbers indicate an upward trend for Tony Dokoupil, after some backlash over the ouster of previous anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois (Stephen Colbert showed his feelings about it with his middle finger).

You can catch the evening news program at 6:30 p.m. ET weeknights on CBS.

The late night landscape is rapidly changing. Actually, if you were to ask Jimmy Kimmel, he’d say it’s “being poisoned” and he’s starting to feel “defeated” about his long-term prospects. However, while it was a sad day when Stephen Colbert officially said goodbye to The Late Show on the 2026 TV schedule, it’s actually been pretty good news for the Jimmys, AKA Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.

In fact, Colbert’s axing has been good news for both late night hosts. The numbers for the first week of the 11:35 timeslot after The Late Show ended are finally in. Both Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon are up in the ratings, and for one of those shows, the increase has been pretty significant.

It looks like a lot of viewers who were still tuning in for The Late Show did shift to Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week. Ratings reports indicate ABC’s late night show last Monday nabbed 2.185 total viewers. That’s a 53% increase from the same show in the same time period a year ago. (It’s worth noting though that numbers for late night are down a bit during the summer and Kimmel’s show averaged 2.56 million total viewers in Q1 this year.)

More intriguingly, Kimmel also saw 295,000 viewers in the 18-49 advertising demo, which marked an increase of 178%, per TV Insider. That's a huge number, percentage-wise.

Fallon also saw an uptick in numbers during last Monday’s airing, hitting 1.3 million total viewers. That’s up 10% over the same time last year. At 194,000 he also saw a 14% increase in the advertising demo.

It honestly checks out that Kimmel’s numbers would have increased compared to Fallon’s. Kimmel has been critical of the administration and very political in a way Fallon has said he will never be on his show. While Stephen Colbert felt a bit more measured in his late night efforts, what Kimmel is bringing to the table is discourse in a way that Fallon’s fun celebrity games will never be. It makes sense if there is a natural shift to Kimmel after Colbert's exit.

What Is Good News For ABC And NBC Is Less So For CBS

Before the show ended, Stephen Colbert’s Late Night was comfortably beating the competition in the 11.35 slot, though Kimmel had been seeing gains over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen is not carrying those numbers yet. The final episode of The Late Show landed 6.7 million total viewers – the highest numbers since Colbert was given the post Super Bowl slot way back in 2016.

Obviously, Comics Unleashed was not expected to hit those great heights. In fact, I don’t think anyone expected it would even bring in The Late Show’s Q1 2026 average, which was 2.7 million total viewers an episode earlier in the year. So, what did it bring in? Monday’s episode landed Byron Allen’s show 628,000 total viewers. That means the timeslot was down 65% in viewers.

Obviously, CBS had to know the numbers would drop after it switched formats, but as the network itself has told us, the powers that be don’t really care. Byron Allen’s show is actually paying the Eye Network for the timeslot, and has to fill its own ads. This gives Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen more control, while CBS no longer has a behemoth of a series to contend with.

Given The Late Show had a big staff and was a large production, in the end it was allegedly costing the network $40 million in losses a year. On the other hand, Allen taking care of business will net the network $15 million a year. CBS sees it as “a $55 million swing” when it comes to profit; Allen himself told CBS Mornings that number is more like $150 million all in.

Still, while I’m happy for the Jimmys and hope Allen and co. find a way to turn a profit, I do think it’s worth noting that for now it does seem like not all viewers are sticking with the late night scene in Colbert’s absence. Still, any numbers that are going upward and not downward when it comes to TV ratings is a huge win, and it's particularly a big deal given neither Live! nor The Tonight Show had to do anything to earn them.

Savannah Guthrie has had to deal with unfathomable heartbreak this year with the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother Nancy and, even though she’s returned to The Today Show, things reportedly aren't the same. How could they be? So many questions remain unanswered since the last time Nancy Guthrie was seen. For that reason it came as a surprise that Savannah has signed on to host the upcoming Wordle game show. And, apparently, the news has sparked concern amongst some of her NBC colleagues.

There is allegedly some fear from Savannah Guthrie’s friends and Today Show family that she’s pushing herself too hard, Naughty But Nice substack owner Rob Shuter says, especially after all she’s been through and the continued stress of both her personal and professional life. The gossip columnist reports:

It’s unfortunate that Savannah Guthrie would have to worry about ratings right now, as she and her family still don’t know what happened on the night of January 31, when Nancy Guthrie was reportedly taken from her home against her will. Nancy’s whereabouts and condition are still unknown.

Yet NBC didn’t get the ratings bump it expected from Savannah Guthrie’s return in April, and The Today Show remains in tight competition with Good Morning America for that daytime audience. One source said now’s not the time for other projects to start pulling Guthrie’s attention. They said:

Wordle aside, it sounds like the longtime NBC anchor has — quite understandably — had some rough moments on set since her first episode back on April 6, even sometimes getting emotional during commercial breaks. She also left suddenly from the May 6th edition of the morning show, returning the next day without explanation. Her emotional state allegedly has colleagues worried, as another insider reportedly told Shuter:

Remaining busy to keep from thinking about your grief is definitely something that many people do, and it’s hard to see this news about Wordle and not suspect that’s part of her reasoning for taking on more work. However, Rob Shuter says nobody at The Today Show doubts her abilities or blames her for taking a new opportunity, with yet another insider apparently saying:

Wordle will be produced by Jimmy Fallon, reportedly to air on NBC in 2027. Savannah Guthrie is apparently a dedicated Wordle player, so the decision to cast her as the new game show’s host makes sense in that regard. It just sounds like those around her want to also make sure she’s not taking on more than she can handle during these difficult times.

Stay tuned for more updates on Savannah Guthrie and Wordle.

One thing I will say about a monumental show ending is that I’ve been paying a heckuva lot more attention than I normally would. I’ve always been a viewer of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but more of the casual variety, popping in when he’d have on a-listers like Emma Stone and more. Now CBS has cancelled the series, however, I have been watching a whole lot more frequently, and I have to say Colbert has really been taking this ending with good cheer.

Colbert's Final Guests Continue To Roll Out

It probably helps he’s landing some great guests. This week, he talked with Don Cheadle (and worked in a funny out of work joke). More info about Colbert’s final guests also came down the pipeline this week, and it’s just going to be a murderer’s row of talent. Anne Hathaway is on tonight. Bryan Cranston is on next Monday. Then we have Anderson Cooper, Keanu Reeves, Andy Serkis, Meryl Streep, Mayor Pete, and more. On the music side, it’s guests like Jack Black and R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe also popping in. (Stipe is set to be interviewed, too.)

Which brings me to Barack Obama, who is also on the docket. Last night, Colbert also announced that on Tuesday, May 5th, he’ll be sitting down with the former President of the United States from the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, IL.

As I said, it’s going to be a run of heavy hitters before The Late Show makes its last appearance on the 2026 TV schedule on May 21st.

Colbert Is (Amusingly) Giving Away His Jokes To Jimmy Kimmel As Part Of His Exit

Colbert’s also been on a tear with jokes about The Late Show ending. Some of these have been emotionally devastating, and some have put a smile on my face, such as when Oprah took over The Late Show desk. This week Colbert pulled out a box of jokes he’d like to give fellow late night host Jimmy Kimmel. The box read “Iran War Jokes.” He went on to address it on air, writing on the box and telling the audience:

He was teasing, here, of course, but Kimmel will be taking up their shared bent on his own once Colbert is off the air. While Jimmy Fallon has stayed out of politics, the other two late night hosts have gotten more political in recent years on their respective networks. I certainly don’t fault Fallon for doing what he’s good at, but there is something about passing the torch that I found fitting about this bit. Kimmel and Colbert are a bit of kindred spirits, with the former defending the latter after CBS claimed The Late Show was losing $40 million per year.

If you are wondering how Stephen Colbert will ultimately say goodbye to the Eye Network, a former Daily Show writer has some thoughts about how he thinks the last episode will play out. Calling Colbert ‘classy,’ he also said the late night host got to go out on his own terms despite the series getting canceled. The final episode will doubtless reflect that. From all of us here at CinemaBlend, we wish Colbert “good night, and good luck.”

If you care about Survivor, I’m sure you have a lot of thoughts about Jimmy Fallon’s so-called One In The Urn twist. The whole community is currently screaming at each other about it on social media, as the reaction has been very mixed, but it turns out we didn’t actually get a full explanation of what the twist even was. There was a lot more to that note Christian got on the barge that we didn’t get any narrational content addressing. Let’s talk about it.

Obviously we’re going to get into very direct spoilers. So, if you haven’t watched episode 9 of Survivor 50 (“I Deserve All Of This”), then continue reading at your own risk.

Let’s walk through the basic sequence of what happened. After the immunity challenge, Christian and several other players volunteered to go on a journey. Christian won a series of rock, paper, scissors matches to beat the other castaways and took a boat to a barge. Once there, he was told if he completed a puzzle before the time ran out, he’d get a big advantage, and if he didn’t complete it in time, he’d get a big disadvantage.

Watching the episode for the first time, my understanding of the advantage was that if Christian won, he would get to put a vote in the urn for any player, essentially casting a secret extra vote against someone. If he lost, he would have to read a note at camp, which turned out to be a scarlet letter saying he had to vote for himself at the next tribal council. All of that is accurate, but it’s actually not the whole story.

Survivor gave us a brief camera shot during the episode that revealed most of the note, and there was more to the advantage if Christian won. After dropping a vote into the urn for whoever he wanted on the barge, he would then be given a secret choice of whether to vote at that night’s tribal council. If he elected not to vote, he would bank the extra vote to use at a future tribal council of his choosing. Check out a picture of the note below…

Now, obviously, none of this had any effect on what happened. Christian didn’t complete the puzzle in time and lost his voice. He had to read his note of shame back at camp, and since his name was already out there, everyone decided it was the perfect time to get rid of him. It’s likely that even if he didn’t have to vote for himself, he would have gone home because the players would have just rearranged their votes to give him an extra one since they split between him and Rick Devens.

From an analyzing whether it was a good twist or not standpoint, however, this extra wrinkle is very important. One of the biggest complaints from fans on social media was that the positive and negative outcomes seemed very imbalanced. One vote in the urn that you can’t even consult with your allies on isn’t that powerful, but having to tell everyone you are voting for yourself is a massive disadvantage. The choice to bank an extra vote that no one knows about to use at a later tribal council makes the positives a little more positive and at least shrinks the difference somewhat. It doesn’t balance the sides, but it comes a little closer.

Even Knowing The Nuances Now, I Still Have One Big Issue

My biggest issue with the twist is the whole having to tell everyone about it part. I want to see Survivor players have some room to maneuver. Would he have told people he was hit with a disadvantage to lower his threat level or would he have pretended that he won an advantage to try and keep people from voting for him out of fear? Would he have told his closest allies? Would Emily have spilled his secrets at camp? I would have loved to see Christian’s mind work. Instead, he just had to walk to his fate.

Fans have been mostly enjoying Survivor 50, but almost everyone would agree there has been an overreliance on twists. The show gave fans the ability to vote for whether they wanted advantages and twists prior to the season, but the vague wording essentially allowed the show to do whatever it wanted. Host Jeff Probst and the producers have jumped into the deep end and dropped something wild on a near weekly basis. Some have worked. Some have not.

You can catch new episodes of Survivor 50. The show is already teasing a huge beware advantage next week that involves Mr. Beast; so, expect for the entire fanbase to once again be arguing about whether a big surprise worked or not. Maybe it will. Maybe it won't. Either way, I'd rather be talking about all the returning players and watching them actually play Survivor. We know these people can and will create great television, whether they're being filmed or not. The show should trust them to do that.

The clock is ticking on the end of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. As the countdown continues until the show wraps for good in the 2026 TV schedule, the goodbyes are starting to roll in. This week, The Tonight Show's Jimmy Fallon decided to make his fellow late night host and friend feel special with two gifts as the host gets ready to get off what he calls his “flaming toboggan ride” of a job.

Jimmy Fallon Surprises Stephen Colbert With A Personalized Gift

When Jimmy Fallon guested on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Thursday, he made it bittersweet in how he commemorated his friend with two early goodbye messages. The first of two big gestures was gifting Colbert a personalized painting of the host on a boat with his dog Benny. Check out what Fallon said about arriving at the idea on the show:

Fallon plotted with Colbert’s wife of 33 years on landing on the specific photo to inspire the gift. As he continued:

How sweet is that? You can check out the painting below:

Fallon added that he had “Freedom” inscribed on the boat and noted that the painting could symbolize how “where you’re going is unknown.” He also added that the letters on the life preserver in the painting include the initials of his whole family. Colbert looked really touched by the gift, and what a great one it is. But that wasn’t it for Fallon’s early sendoff to his late night colleague.

Jimmy Also Serenaded Stephen Colbert

Fallon also broke into song on the segment to sing his own version of “I Did It My Way” by Paul Anka catered specifically to Colbert’s eleven-season run on his CBS late night show. You can watch it below:

It was announced that The Late Show With Stephen Colbert would end back in July less than 48 hours after the host criticized Paramount and President Donald Trump on the show. CBS has cited the cancellation as a “purely financial decision,” but many have claimed it could be politically driven.

Since the cancellation news, Colbert hasn’t stopped taking aim at CBS, such as through some comments he made about the network telling him not to air one interview he conducted with a Texas state representative James Talarico. As Colbert’s finale date of May 21 continues to approach, the late night show has been piling on wins and Colbert has been making a bucket list on what interviews he wants to conduct before he bids adieu.

For now, you can see new episodes of Colbert’s late night show on CBS on weeknights (and the next day on Paramount+).

Halle Berry has seemingly been living her best life lately, proving at 59 that age is just a number as she and longtime partner Van Hunt vacation in tropical locales, and the Oscar winner looks as happy as ever jumping on trampolines and drinking wine with her feet. There’s been some confusion regarding her relationship with the musician, though, and when she tried to set the record straight on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she experienced a bit of heckling from the crowd.

It was learned last year that Van Hunt had proposed to Halle Berry, but rather than saying "yes," she put the situation “on hold.” As she explained at the time, she has been married three times, and she didn’t feel like she needed to be married in order for her relationship to be validated. However, as she attempted to spill the tea to Jimmy Fallon, she encountered a bit of an interruption. Check out the video below:

Now, I can imagine this was a bit frustrating for Halle Berry. She was trying to give an important update on the state of her relationship with Van Hunt and correct any misconceptions that she’d rejected the musician’s proposal. I don’t think the heckler had bad intentions, and Jimmy Fallon tried his best, as always, to keep the mood light, but to me, Berry still looked a little uncomfortable.

As the Monster’s Ball star began talking about Van Hunt, saying she wanted to clear up some confusion, she mentioned that they’d been together for six years. At that point, you can hear from the audience a distinct:

Halle Berry hilariously responded, “No!” as Jimmy Fallon chastised the disruptors for being jealous. The actress continued:

Cue the audience member, who interrupted her again with a celebratory:

Halle Berry again gave an exaggerated, “No!” at the heckler’s sentiment, ultimately completing her story by assuring fans:

The actress — whose new movie Crime 101 hits the 2026 movie calendar on February 13 — had previously said she did not want to get married a fourth time, but sources indicate that was before she met Van Hunt. Despite putting his proposal “on hold,” insiders believed she would end up marrying the musician.

Marriage or no marriage, I think Halle Berry is right that we don't need a wedding to see how much she loves Van Hunt. She certainly hasn’t been shy about it, posting topless photos for Valentine’s Day, showing their “naughty or nice?” Christmases together and dancing to his music until her bottoms fall off.

She did, however, produce proof of her affirmative response to Van Hunt’s proposal, showing Jimmy Fallon her gorgeous engagement ring, as the late-night host took one more swipe at the disruptive audience member, saying:

Halle Berry and Van Hunt appear to have such a loving and healthy relationship that I wasn’t worried about the couple lasting, regardless of whether they ever made it official. However, I’m still over the moon for the actress and happy that she shared her big news with the world to clear up any confusion.

It's a thrilling time for Survivor fans, because the next season coming up on CBS (and streaming with a Paramount+ subscription) will finally bring back returning players. The long-running competitions series is arguably one of the best reality shows on the air, and some of the best Survivor seasons have featured repeat contestants. Survivor 50 will feature celebrity cameos from the likes of MrBeast and Jimmy Fallon, with host/producer Jeff Probst recently telling CinemaBlend the origin of this twist.

The cast of Survivor 50 is stacked, and in addition to the beloved contestants who will compete in Fiji, we'll also see a number of celebrities factor into the action. CinemaBlend caught up with Probst at SCAD TV Fest, where the Emmy-winner shared how the concept of bringing in celebrity cameos was came about. In his words:

Points were made. While we've seen some celebs like Mike White and Nate Moore play Survivor, names like Jimmy Fallon would have a hard time taking the time away from their jobs to try and compete in the epic game and the money that comes with playing Survivor. Additionally, someone that famous likely would end up being targeted early. I mean, who does't know who Jimmy Fallon is?

The upcoming 50th season is titled In The Hands of the Fans, and throughout 49 viewers were able to vote on various details related to the game. But no one expected to see folks like MrBeast in the sneak peek for the forthcoming season. Later in his same conversation with CinemaBlend, Jeff further explained how those cameos came to life, offering:

And that's exactly what happened. There will be a number of celebrity tie-ins so Survivor 50, including the aforementioned names and Zac Brown and even recording artist Billie Eilish. It's already been teased that the latter will introduce the "Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol" although the details about how this new twist will actually works remains to be seen.

Check out the first trailer for tne new season below!

Answers will start coming when Survivor 50 premiers on February 25th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. I'm just hoping that my favorite returning players don't end up having their games ruined by these mysterious celebrity-related twists.

Super Bowl LX is coming to the 2026 TV schedule, and while the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots are busy preparing to face off in the big game for the first time in over a decade, one of the stars of that past game is making his prediction. Rob Gronkowski made his official pick for the Super Bowl, and as a superstitious Patriots fan, I'm afraid he just ruined the game for me.

Rob Gronkowski has appeared on The Tonight Show a few times previously to give his prediction for the winner of the Super Bowl, and as host Jimmy Fallon pointed out, he's been wrong every time. After being presented with the footage of him being wrong, the former athlete took a moment to think about his decision, and gave the following prediction for Super Bowl LX:

I realize Fallon tried to set up Rob Gronkowski here, and he was put in an impossible position. History says that Gronk is always wrong with his Super Bowl predictions, so now would be the perfect time to confront him about that and try to get him to pick against his former team, the New England Patriots, so that his "curse" doesn't impact them.

The thing about Gronk, and most pro athletes turned sports analysts, is that they're loyal to their team. Rob Gronkowski was not about to pick the Seattle Seahawks to win Super Bowl LX, even if he secretly thinks they're gonna blow the Pats out of the water. He may go wildly off script about a lot of other things, but I wasn't surprised when I first saw the clip of what he said:

There's plenty of Patriots haters jumping for joy, I'm sure, but I'm over here wishing he would've offered a prediction on whether Cardi B would be in Bad Bunny's halftime Super Bowl show instead. Now I'm going to spend the rest of the week wondering if the former tight end just jinxed my team and sealed the Seattle Seahawks as the Super Bowl LX champions.

Am I crazy? Possibly, especially since I learned about sports superstitions from Bud Light's old football ads using the hit Stevie Wonder song. Since then, I've become the type of person who almost always wears a jersey on game day, and if I don't, and they lose, boy, do I feel terrible about it. All this to say while I'm writing this to be tongue-in-cheek, there is a part of me that truly believes Rob Gronkowski might've jinxed the New England Patriots.

The good news is there is plenty to keep me distracted in the meantime, like hilarious Super Bowl commercials starring Kendall Jenner, and Budweiser's eagle ad that will bring a tear to your eye. Hopefully, those ads mixed with a little of William Shatner hocking ads for Raisin Bran will keep my thoughts off of Rob Gronkowski, and the jinx he just put on my favorite team.

Super Bowl LX kicks off on both NBC and Peacock on Sunday, February 8th. We still have some time before game day officially kicks off, but with each passing hour, I just get more anxious for the big day to arrive.

Pete Davidson doesn’t usually mince words, and his latest take on Jimmy Fallon and the current state of 2026 television schedule late-night programming is no exception. Plenty of critics have spent years dragging late night for being stale, toothless, or aggressively upbeat, with Fallon often positioned as the face of that relentlessly sunny approach. But that’s not what the Staten Island comic was really getting at.

His straightforward observation skewed quite differently from other current conversations about late night, most of which are about exits and big changes being implemented. But it's what people in that chair probably think all the time but would never say out loud. In a clip from The Tonight Show, Davidson explained why he actually thinks Fallon has one of the toughest gigs in entertainment. It’s not the schedule or the audience expectations that come with hosting one of the most visible shows on television.

According to the SNL alum, the real challenge is emotional endurance. Or, in the meme-fueled comedian’s own words:

The crowd immediately laughed, and the longtime television personality jumped in with a cheerful defense, assuring everyone that he actually cares. Davidson wasn’t finished. The King of Staten Island star clarified that the job isn’t difficult when the guest is someone you genuinely like or already know. The problem is everything else. He continued:

The audience erupted, fully aware that Davidson had just said the quiet part out loud. He then doubled down by demonstrating exactly what the job requires, launching into an exaggerated impression right in front the SNL vet's face, copying his signature enthusiasm, adding:

It’s brutal, but it’s also accurate. Talk show hosts in general aren’t just interviewers; they’re often expected to perform as professional hype machines. Every story and guest has to feel deserving of sincere interest. And yet, the Trainwreck actor made it clear he holds a strange sort of respect for the Tonight Show host, turning to the crowd and saying:

What’s particularly great about this moment is that the Suicide Squad performer doesn’t take the easy road, mocking Fallon for being blandly positive. Instead, he acknowledged that maintaining that energy is a skill most people couldn’t fake for five minutes, let alone five nights a week.

Davidson’s visit to The Tonight Show was ultimately about more than just roasting Fallon’s job. He was there to talk about becoming a first-time dad, a life shift he’s clearly leaning into, minivan and all. From proudly embracing his fully tricked-out “dad van” to laughing about his massive VHS collection and the questionable pandemic logic that fueled it, the interview framed Pete Davidson in a rare, relaxed place. That easy, rambling energy made his late-night truth bomb land even harder.

You can see Fallon put in the emotional labor night after night on The Tonight Show weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC, or on demand via Peacock subscription. Meanwhile, check out who's set to host SNL in the coming weeks.

There was always going to pushback to the Survivor 50 cast. Too many fans were advocating for too many former players to possibly please everyone. Deep down, I think everyone sorta knew that; so, after we all got out our complaints about who was picked and who wasn’t, the general consensus turned back to excitement. That excitement has been steadily building and turning into fun speculation the last few months on social media too, but unfortunately, the trailer for Survivor 50 just dropped and fans are back on exile island. I’m right there with them too.

Once again, the collective frustration is about who is on the island, though this time, it has nothing to do with the castaways themselves. The Survivor 50 trailer features an alarming number of references to celebrities and even in-person appearances by multiple celebrities. Mr. Beast and Zac Brown are shown in the trailer, seemingly in Fiji, and there are references to Jimmy Fallon deciding someone’s fate and a Billie Eilish boomerang idol.

These are, of course, far from the first celebrity appearances on Survivor. Actor and White Lotus creator Mike White is literally playing on 50, and celebrities like Tyler Perry and Rosie O’Donnell have gotten screentime during episodes in the past. It’s not necessarily out of character for the show to incorporate stars they think will make the show more appealing to casual fans and/ or make it seem bigger, grander and more culturally relevant. This feels different though.

A lot of the trailer’s runtime is devoted to bragging about what random celebrities are going to be involved, almost as if the show thinks their involvement is what the selling point is. Maybe it is a selling point to fans they’re hoping will try out the show or return to the show, but for those of us who have been here the whole time, it kinda feels like our rice was just thrown in the fire. It feels like the season we have wanted for so long isn’t for us. It’s for trying to please randoms who probably won’t watch the show anyway.

Not surprisingly, there are a lot of extremely negative comments on social media from prominent fans and outlets that cover Survivor regularly. Many of these comments are getting liked by hundreds of even thousands of people. Here’s a sample of what I’m talking about…

That’s just one piece of the slide puzzle too. A tweet pointing out Mr. Beast has more screentime in the trailer than Genevieve has more than a thousand likes. A snarky tweet about how we’re going to lose a legend because he didn’t collect enough Mr. Beast tokens is approaching two thousand likes. Fans are shouting HOW DID WE GET HERE in all capital letters and dropping that awkward Jennifer Coolidge and Haley Lu Richardson gif from White Lotus to describe their reactions. It’s a fire out there.

But maybe host Jeff Probst and the other producers think the backlash is worth it because if you look around, there are tons of outlets covering the trailer and most of them are talking about the big celebrity cameos. In fact, that’s the lead in the headline for most of the stories I’ve seen, and they’re overwhelmingly positive or neutral. So, maybe the producers are gambling that the hardcore fans are going to watch the show regardless (we will) and the trailer is there for lapsed fans and casuals they want to get on board (maybe they will).

Ultimately, the trailer doesn’t matter. No one is going to remember what was or wasn’t in it once the show starts, but I think, as fans, what does matter is the content of the show. Producers billed Survivor 50 as ‘In The Hands Of The Fans’ and let us vote on some of the things we wanted to see or didn’t want to see in the game. All the celebrity cameos or references in the trailer feel like they’re not for us, and that makes it hard not to wonder whether the actual episodes won’t be for us either.

Whatever. I get all the negativity and part of me is concerned, but I’d rather just figure out a way to stay positive and act like Keith Nale on that reward challenge in Cambodia. Despite its celebrity fixation, the trailer also gives us an extended sequence of all-time legend Coach quoting all-time legend Magellan. It gives us Q continuing to be the wildest one-man hype train, and it gives us great content from Mike White, Jenna Lewis and more. Cirie previously called this the best season ever, and I’m going to choose to believe her.

If you want to take a wait and see approach after watching the trailer though, I get it. Believe me, I do.

Late night talk show hosts have had quite a bit to talk about as of late when it comes to world events. Someone who’s seemingly remained a fixture in the hosts’ monologues, however, is U.S. President Donald Trump. Most recently, POTUS has been making headlines due to his efforts to add a ballroom to the White House. Construction on the project is currently underway, and the plan has drawn the ire of fellow politicians, celebrities and more. With that, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers all shared thoughts while on air.

Jimmy Fallon Makes Jokes About President Trump’s Renovation Plans

While Jimmy Fallon historically hasn’t been too political on his show, he has been weighing in on President Trump’s exploits as of late. During an episode of The Tonight Show this past week, Fallon took a few jabs at the ongoing renovation. Fallon began by noting that the price of the president’s ballroom project – which has led to the demolition of the White House’s East Wing – is already proving to be more expensive than anticipated. With that in mind, Fallon (as seen on YouTube) said this:

Fallon also brought up the fact that President Trump mentioned that the new ballroom would be connected to the White House by a “glass bridge.” The host then poked fun at the notion by saying, “‘cause when women are dressed in a ballgown, they want to walk over a glass bridge.” During the monologue, Fallon also joked about Trump releasing the list of donors to the ballroom, which includes the likes of Amazon and Apple. However, Fallon quipped that that’s “not the list of names we’re looking for,” referring to the Jeffrey Epstein client list.

Stephen Colbert Skewers President Trump’s Ballroom Ambition

More critiques of the ballroom came from Stephen Colbert of The Late Show. Colbert discussed the news (via YouTube) during his monologue as part of what he referred to as the latest installment of “Trump Smash 2025.” Much of Colbert’s take focused on the destruction to the East Wing and the method that was taken to purportedly prevent journalists for taking photos, and he laid that out as follows:

Those comments above - as well as Colbert’s further critiques regarding the donors and more – come months after The Late Show’s cancellation. Throughout that time, President Trump also celebrated the news, though Colbert hasn’t held back from continuing to take POTUS to task on various topics. While the cancellation of Colbert’s show further signifies the changes in the late night landscape, he’s still focused on his goal to “land this plane” next spring.

Seth Meyers Shares His Thoughts On President Trump’s Ballroom

Someone else who’s talked about the ballroom – and the future of late night TV – is Seth Meyers. This past week, Meyers also approached the situation from the perspective of the demolition of the East Wing. Meyers ultimately joked that he believed this construction may indicate that President Trump doesn’t plan to leave the White House in 2028. As he shared in a compilation, which is on YouTube):

Conversations continue to surround the ballroom plans for the White House, with many questioning whether it’s truly necessary. It remains to be seen how construction will continue to progress and how media personalities might keep weighing in as time goes on.

The Tonight Show and Late Night all air weeknights on NBC, while The Late Show airs on CBS amid the 2025 TV schedule. All three shows can also be watched using a YouTube TV subscription.

Ever since Jimmy Fallon took over The Tonight Show in 2014 after Jay Leno retired, he’s brought his own brand of fun. From writing thank you notes to the oddest things to his viral lip-synch battles, Fallon has turned the late-night show into a playground of fun and humor, featuring sketches that harken back to his early SNL days. The talented host apparently even endears himself to celebrity guests so much that when they've visited his show, they've told him how their movies are “so bad.”

I've watched The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon amid the 2025 TV schedule, and I really enjoy his segment involving movie spoofs. Fallon has never been one to shy away from involving guests to spoof their own movies, like when he and Jamie Lee Curtis recreated her iconic aerobics scene from Perfect or when Michael Keaton reenacting his Birdman scenes rewritten by kids. The Primetime Emmy winner admitted to Forbes that behind the scenes, though, celebrities have even gone as far as to trash their own flicks while talking to him:

I’ve got to give Jimmy Fallon credit for his optimism. Given how entertaining his talk show is and all of the hilariously memorable lines he delivers, I’m sure he's always able to find the hilarity in even the most panned movies. I have a hunch that even if a celebrity guest warns Fallon off one of their films, he’ll probably watch it anyway whether to form an opinion for himself or simply to find humorous material for his show.

In general, fans may be surprised how many A-listers have admitted they’ve hated their own movies. A popular example would be Halle Berry hating on Catwoman after the critics did. (Berry even gave a funny Razzies speech after winning her Worst Actress Award.) Viola Davis has also constantly talked about regretting her role in The Help.

Most recently, Dakota Johnson said she doesn’t plan on seeing Madame Web, saying she wasn’t surprised that it got “ripped to shreds” by critics. I suppose a person has to appreciate the fact that some stars can be honest with themselves about their work and in turn, have no problem with Jimmy Fallon lampooning said movies as he sees fit.

I honestly wish I could be a fly on the wall when those actors speak to Fallon about the movies they're not so proud of. Still, whether an actor likes their film or not, that doesn't keep a devoted fan from like not only the film but the spoofs on The Tonight Show just fine.

See Jimmy Fallon bring laughs and celebrity fun when The Tonight Show airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT on NBC. New episodes are also available for next-day streaming with a Peacock subscription and can be accessed with a YouTube TV subscription as well.

The 2025 TV schedule has been full of late-night shake-ups — from CBS canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to ABC briefly suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live! before walking it back. But while the discourse about their shows and what is said on and about them continues, Jimmy Fallon says The Tonight Show monologue hasn’t really changed. The comedian has remained steady at the helm, steering one of television’s longest-running franchises through recent political upheaval. Despite the shifting TV landscape, Fallon insists his approach to the nightly monologue is no different from how Johnny Carson did it.

In a recent interview with CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, promoting his new unscripted series On Brand, which premieres on NBC this fall, Fallon addressed the current crackdown on comedian hosts and whether he worries about what he can (and can’t) joke about. The conversation had the SNL alum reflecting on his style and tipping his cap to comedy idol Johnny Carson. The pop culture fixture explained:

It’s a revealing statement, especially given how much late-night comedy has become synonymous with political commentary in recent years. Stephen Colbert has leaned heavily into satire aimed at Washington, John Oliver has taken home Emmys for his in-depth breakdowns of policy, and Seth Meyers regularly scores viral clips with his “A Closer Look” segments. But Fallon has carved out a lane closer to variety entertainment, with games, celebrity sketches, and a monologue that aims to keep the temperature dialed down.

Fallon's approach doesn’t mean the NBC star is ignoring the times. Instead, he says it’s about focusing on what The Tonight Show does best, and by his measure, that’s being a showcase for jokes and entertainment that can reach across divides. He continued:

It’s a philosophy rooted as much in broad audience appeal as in tradition. Johnny Carson had a ton of great quotes, but his era — often considered the gold standard for the best late-night hosts— thrived on a kind of middle-America accessibility. The comedian-turned-TV host seems to want to capture that same vibe, aiming to create a show that's enjoyable for everyone, even in a time when the most outrageous, divisive content receives a lot of attention online. Whether this approach will keep The Tonight Show competitive in today’s media scene is up for discussion. But for Fallon, the mission is pretty straightforward: just keep people laughing.

As for the talk-show staple’s new project, On Brand will air twice a week on NBC. Each episode follows participants from the On Brand Agency as they team up with major companies to craft fresh campaigns. By the finale, one creative will win a cash prize and the invaluable experience of the competition. Fallon serves as host, executive producer, and creator.

Meanwhile, his daily talk show and monologues will continue as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT on NBC.

Jimmy Fallon has been a mainstay on NBC going back far further than the 2025 TV schedule, but the host of The Tonight Show is on the verge of debuting a new primetime competition series. On Brand with Jimmy Fallon will see Fallon acting as the CEO of the On Brand Agency, joining forces with Bozoma Saint John as the Chief Marketing Officer. Ahead of the series premiere, the pair came together to hype their new project, and Saint John had a message for viewers.

The series could likely use all the hype it can get, as NBC went all-in on the premise to start. On Brand will air twice per week, with one episode on Tuesdays after The Voice at 10 p.m. ET and a second on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET. Fallon and Saint John teamed up for an Instagram video to promote their series, with Saint John psyching Fallon up to start. She said:

Well, social media in general is a platform where the advice of “Be nice” probably can’t hurt! Jimmy Fallon has been in the spotlight more than usual in recent months with late night television coming under fire, starting with the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS and continuing with the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC. The SNL vet picked up on Bozoma Saint John’s energy to continue their promo:

Streaming with a Peacock subscription seems like a solid alternative for any who are interested but can't necessarily carve out two nights per week for On Brand. The competition series will run for eight episodes from late September to late October, with ten creative contestants working to impress businesses with their branding ideas while also coming out on top of their fellow competitors. The grand prize is $100,000, as well as a feature in Adweek and a VIP trip to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and “Innovator of the Year” title.

Take a look at the video shared by the two On Brand personalities:

The team behind the scenes at On Brand connected with major brands to participate in the new series. The first episode on September 30 will feature the competitors facing Dunkin’ as their first branding challenge, with arguably more challenging scenarios to follow. Take a look at the full list:

• Episode 1: Dunkin'
• Episode 2: Southwest Airlines
• Episode 3: Marshalls
• Episode 4: SONIC
• Episode 5: Captain Morgan
• Episode 6: Pillsbury
• Episode 7: KitchenAid
• Episode 8: Therabody

Jimmy Fallon is on board On Brand as host, executive producer, and creator, working as the on-screen CEO of the On Brand Agency. Bozoma Saint John, who made an appearance on America’s Got Talent’s live Season 20 finale on NBC just last week, comes to the show to fill the role of Chief Marketing Officer as the former C-suite executive at Uber and Pepsi.

On Brand premieres on Tuesday, September 30 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following the latest episode of The Voice’s current Season 28. The next episode airs in the 8 p.m. ET slot on Friday, October 3. You'll also be able to stream the series on Peacock.

It’s hard to argue the effect that KPop Demon Hunters has had on pop culture since hitting the 2025 Netflix schedule in June. The animated hit has become the streamer's most popular film of all time, boasting the biggest soundtrack of the decade, thanks to hits like “Golden.” Well, if you ever hoped to see the members of HUNTR/X show us how it’s done, done, done in a live performance, you’re about to get your chance.

KPop Demon Hunters is centered around the girl group HUNTR/X, with Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami providing the singing voices of Rumi, Mira and Zoey, respectively. The trio is set to make their first televised performance on the 2025 TV schedule next Tuesday, October 7, on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

This is absolutely wild news, because I kind of expected the chances of ever seeing the animated K-pop group perform live were about as good as seeing someone actually walk the red carpet in a sleeping bag. (And I guess that turned out to be correct.)

HUNTR/X is expected to perform “Golden,” Deadline reports, and they will also join host Jimmy Fallon for an interview. You can see the late night host’s announcement below:

KPop Demon Hunters has caused a ton of buzz over the past few months, making a strong argument for being the movie of the summer. Not only are fans obsessed with the soundtrack — which, along with HUNTR/X, features catchy tracks like “Soda Pop” from the demon boy band Saja Boys — but the movie’s message about embracing your inner demons has really struck a chord.

Even people like me — who had no knowledge of (or interest in) animated fantasy flicks and only watched it for my kids’ benefit — have jumped on the bandwagon. I even contributed to KPop Demon Hunters Sing-Along Event topping the box office for its weekend in theaters, because we were not about to miss what might end up being the best big-screen experience of the year.

With the Netflix movie now generating Oscar buzz as a potential nominee for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, it’s hard to believe it originally didn’t have any music. I refuse to acknowledge that was ever a possibility. Instead, I’d prefer to look forward to what questions might be answered in a sequel — after watching HUNTR/X perform on Fallon, of course.

Next week is a pretty big one for NBC’s late-night host. Just one night before the KPop Demon Hunters group makes their live debut, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will host Taylor Swift on Monday, October 6, as she promotes her 12th album The Life of a Showgirl, which comes out Friday, October 3.

I couldn’t be more excited to see HUNTR/X come to life for their first televised performance, and I think there’s a pretty good chance I’ll be firing up my Netflix subscription to sing along to all the catchy tunes again before then. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airs at 11:35 p.m. ET weekdays on NBC.

If you thought that the only major shakeup in late night television before the end of the 2025 TV schedule would be The Late Show with Stephen Colbert being cancelled by CBS, ABC and Nexstar proved you wrong. Production on Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended "indefinitely" just hours before Kimmel's next new episode was set to film. A big question in the aftermath was how other late night hosts would react, especially after the strong reactions to Colbert's cancellation in July. Jon Stewart of The Daily Show and Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show were first up.

Their opening monologues were actually surprisingly similar, and not just because both hosts chose to wear red ties for the episodes that aired on September 18. Instead of sharing any hot takes on the situation like other celebs shared on social media about Kimmel's suspension, both took the approach of pretending to be – to quote Stewart – "administration compliant." The Daily Show episode was the first to air, so let's start there.

Jon Stewart On The Daily Show

Compared to Jon Stewart's rant when The Late Show was cancelled, he was downright restrained in his on-screen reaction to Jimmy Kimmel Live! getting suspended. In fact, he didn't even mention Jimmy Kimmel until about ten minutes in, and his approach was to deliver his monologue like he was in a hostage situation and forced to say what he was saying, to the mirth of the studio audience.

In fact, Stewart didn't even mention Jimmy Kimmel until about ten minutes in, but it was already clear that the Comedy Central was going to deliver something memorable by bringing Stewart in on a Thursday when he's usually the Monday host.

The broadcast largely used video clips of President Trump and other networks rather than Stewart making direct commentary. That's not to say that he leaned into the Daily Show style of comedy from start to finish, and he got more sincere when he noted that "it's not really about the specific words." He said instead that it's "about having a basic sense of humanity." Take a look for yourself:

New episodes of The Daily Show air Monday - Thursday on Comedy Central at 11 p.m. ET, with Stewart hosting on Mondays. As for The Tonight Show, Fallon's approach was similar to Stewart's in some key ways but quite different in others.

Jimmy Fallon On The Tonight Show

Jimmy Fallon wasted no time in explicitly addressing the late night TV elephant in the room, bringing up Jimmy Kimmel in the first moments of his monologue. His opening joke was:

Fallon went on to crack a joke about getting texts from his dad that was almost identical to a joke he cracked after The Late Show with Stephen Colbert got the axe. He clarified that The Tonight Show won't be censored and that he'd cover "the President's trip the U.K. like I normally would."

Somewhat similarly to The Daily Show, The Tonight Show's approach was to seemingly "let" Jimmy Fallon go off about the situation while dubbing over his words with gentler language. Based on the cheers from the audience, a crowd-favorite joke was when his joke about POTUS' hair was dubbed over with "–– better than Conrad's from The Summer I Turned Pretty."

Like Stewart, Fallon did have some very sincere moments, including what he said about the man who had been his ABC counterpart:

Most of the rest of the episode of The Tonight Show seemed set to go on as usual, but you can check out Jimmy Fallon's monologue below:

New episodes of The Tonight Show air on Monday - Thursday at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC. It remains to been seen if there any major new developments regarding the future (or lack thereof) of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in the coming days to be addressed in late night TV monologues.

At the time of writing, Late Night with Seth Meyers has not yet aired to reveal how one NBC late night host's monologue compares to the other.

Jimmy Fallon has been a familiar face on NBC from his earliest days on Saturday Night Live in the late '90s, continuing with The Tonight Show and soon with yet another show. On Brand with Jimmy Fallon arrives in primetime in fall of the 2025 TV schedule, just a couple of months after another late night TV host got bad news about his series. The Late Show will end for Stephen Colbert in 2026, and the timing of On Brand as NBC ramps up the promotion really makes me wish that Colbert had another project in primetime that could continue even after The Late Show ends for good on CBS.

On Brand with Jimmy Fallon premieres on NBC on Tuesday, September 30 at 10 p.m. ET before moving to its regular time slot of Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on October 3. He hosts the unscripted reality competition series, which will feature contestants working at the show's "On Brand Agency" with major brands that are looking for new ad campaigns. NBC has begun pushing On Brand during primetime broadcasts, with several ads airing during commercial breaks of America's Got Talent's latest live episode. (The network started to do the same with commercials for Peacock's The Paper earlier this week.)

And it's great for Fallon's biggest fans that he'll be on the small screen for an extra hour while On Brand runs this fall. Everybody's tastes in unscripted comedy are different, and I personally prefer Seth Meyers' interview style to Fallon's elsewhere in NBC's late night block. To each their own! (Both The Tonight Show and Late Night with Seth Meyers are likely safe from cancellation for now.) But seeing Fallon getting such a boost makes it sting a little harder that his late night counterpart over on CBS is running out of time.

The cancellation of The Late Show came as a huge shock back in July, with financial reasons cited for why the long-running series would end in 2026. Comedians across the industry spoke up in support of Stephen Colbert, including Jimmy Fallon, who wrote that the Daily Show vet is "one of the sharpest, funniest hosts to ever do it." The cancellation will seemingly remove Colbert from the network altogether, and any bridges between him and network execs may have been burned if rumors are to be believed.

The finale of The Late Show in 2026 could be the last time Colbert appears on CBS in any major way... unless we expect his upcoming appearance on Elsbeth to be ongoing, and celebrity guest stars on Carrie Preston's dramedy generally aren't alive and/or free from the cops by the end of episodes. In all seriousness, while I can't see Colbert as the host of a show quite like On Brand with Jimmy Fallon, seeing Fallon all over NBC just makes me wish that there was a series of some sort to keep Colbert on the airwaves on network TV beyond next year.

Who knows? Maybe Colbert could follow the examples of other Daily Show vets and adapt his comedy talents to a different medium, like Jon Stewart (who fiercely defended his friend after the Late Show cancellation) did on streaming with his Apple TV+ series for two seasons and John Oliver is doing with great success on HBO with Last Week Tonight. All I know for certain is that I'll miss having Colbert regularly on television, especially in contrast to NBC supporting so many Jimmy Fallon projects.

It's an interesting time for late night TV, as the genre is seemingly going through a number of changes. The internet was set ablaze with news of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert being cancelled, prompting plenty of responses from fans as well as support from other hosts like Jimmy Fallon. As things shake out, Donald Trump has been vocal about Colbert, and is now taking aim at Seth Meyers

Colbert has been joking about what's next after his show ends, but folks have been wondering if more late night firings might occur. While fans are sounding off about the cancellation, President Trump is taking to Truth Social to take shots at a number of the late night hosts. Case in point: the following post that criticized Seth Meyers. As he put it:

Trump taking aim at the SNL alum probably isn't all that surprising if you watch Late Night with Seth Meyers. During his presidencies Meyers and his team regularly filmed a segment called "A Closer Look", where he would criticize and poke fun at Trump and his administration. So this type of take down online was possibly a long time coming for the President, and follows suit given he previously commented on Colbert getting axed.

Of course, Meyers isn't the only one that Donald Trump is posting bout on Truth Social. In another post he also made claims about the talents of Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, the latter of which actually hosted him on The Tonight Show. As the Apprentice host put it:

Kimmel called out CBS after Colbert's cancellation, which may be another reason why the comedian has received the ire of Trump. But overall it seems like none of the late night hosts are exempt from the President's disdain, especially since many of them use their platform to publicly criticize him.

Donald Trump seemingly pays a great deal of attention to television, particularly how he's portrayed. South Park has been throwing a ton of shade at the president, which has been getting more attention given the late night changes and rumors that networks are backing off of the President. Colbert praised South Park for its portrayal, but only time will tell if any other late night hosts end up losing their gigs.

New episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert are still airing for the time being as part of the 2025 TV schedule. That series is expected to end in May of 2026.

Though a quick glance at the 2025 TV schedule may not immediately indicate the current in-flux nature of late night TV talk shows, recent headlines are pretty clear about laying out troublesome indications. CBS dropped the cancellation axe on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, causing its host (and South Park) to go semi-scorched earth on parent company Paramount Global’s merger with Skydance Media, with at least one more host possibly in the crosshairs. But what about his friendly rivals on other networks like Jimmy Fallon?

On the surface, The Tonight Show’s future looks pretty set in stone, as does Late Night with Seth Meyers, given that both shows are part of NBCUniversal and aren’t in the Paramount family. But considering Meyers has gone just as hard as Colbert has on political comedy and commentary in recent years, with Fallon taking more of a softball approach, is it possible the entirety of late night TV will come to a grinding halt before Donald Trump leaves office again?

Why The Tonight Show And Late Night Are Likely Safe (For Now)

Over a year before CBS' Late Show decision, both Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon negotiated contract extensions that, barring any major discreptancies, will keep them on the air for several more years. In May 2024, Meyers extended his deal to keep hosting Late Night through 2028, while also extending his and Mike Shoemaker's production company Sethmaker Shoemeyers' overall deal with Universal Studio Group.

Meanwhile, in June 2024, Fallon made a similar deal that will keep The Tonight Show going until at least 2028. At the time, the SNL vet voiced the wild hope that he aimed to stick around the late night scene for as long as Johnny Carson, who famously hosted The Tonight Show for 30 years. Granted, both of those extensions happened before Donald Trump returned to the White House and started getting litigious with TV networks.

Another reason why Jimmy Fallon's late night future seems fairly safe is that he's also invested in a pair of NBC's current and upcoming unscripted primetime offerings. He's an executive producer on the recently debuted and Martin Short-hosted game show Password, where he'll also be part of the celebrity panels.

As well, he's hosting the new reality competition series On Brand with Jimmy Fallon, which will pit marketing professionals against each other involving consumer-based challenges like commercial jingles, product designs and more. The show will debut in the fall and will air on both Tuesday and Friday nights.

Why Some Are Still Worried About The Tonight Show And Late Night's Futures

Perhaps the biggest factor here is just the worry that anything seemingly set in stone can suddenly get upended, as it went with The Late Show. But it isn't just the fates of other shows that has sparked concerns.

One of CBS and Paramount's biggest reported reasons for cancelling The Late Show is tied to the show's allegedly dismal financial situation. Colbert doesn't produce the kind of viral social media clips that bring extra eyeballs and advertisers to Fallon, Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel's shows. But while those do give the NBC shows an advantage, both series took money-saving creative hits in 2024 after contract extensions were made.

As one insider reminded Page Six, that was the point when NBC cut back on episode counts for The Tonight Show, with Jimmy Fallon no longer recording episodes five days a week.

What's more, Late Night with Seth Meyers' band members (as fronted by Fred Armisen) were given the pink slip in 2024 as a cost-saving measure. It would appear that both of those decisions were good enough to keep both shows running normally otherwise, but how long with that homeostasis stay intact before producers are required to find other elements to snip out?

Another element at play here is that Donald Trump's influence and outrage have largely revolved around CBS and Paramount in recent weeks. But if that attention should get redirected at NBCUniversal, it's possible that his actions could lead to NBC execs making difficult decisions with its two remaining late night staples.

Again, though, all seems safe for now, so there's no better time to celebrate it, even as Colbert's friends, former co-workers and current staffers are airing their grief about The Late Show ending in 2026.

Lindsay Lohan has been acting since her commercial and soap opera beginnings in the early '90s, and, of course, she broke big at the age of 12 when The Parent Trap came out in 1998. That means she has a whole fashion history filled with red carpet premieres, and each look represents a new phase in her career. So, while promoting the Freaky Friday sequel Freakier Friday, Jimmy Fallon busted out a picture of Lohan from the 2003 movie's premiere, and she was actually her own worst critic.

Being in the movie industry since childhood, Lindsay Lohan’s fashion journey has evolved dramatically from playful red carpet looks to a more adult, sophisticated style. When she appeared on The Tonight Show to promote her 2025 movie release, Freakier Friday, Jimmy Fallon busted out a photo of Lohan from when she attended the OG Freaky Friday premiere. Surprisingly, she was quite critical of herself, saying:

I happen to agree with Jimmy Fallon that I thought Lindsay Lohan looked great! In the throwback photo, the Georgia Rule actress wore a gold metallic dress and sported auburn hair with bangs. And the smoky eyeliner she had on really made her eyes stand out. Plus, when I grew up in the 2000s, many teen girls rocked the dark eyeliner look, including me, and honestly, I'm still here for it.

If you need a reminder of Lohan’s teenage Freaky Friday premiere look, check out her cute photo with Jamie Lee Curtis below:

Aww, I love seeing Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan hand-in-hand, head-to-head in the OG photo like a mother/daughter pairing would be. Their effortless chemistry made Freaky Friday as memorable as it was, and that's thanks to their heartwarming moments and remarkable comedic timing that came when they switched bodies.

Getting to see Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan back in action for the sequel is what I look forward to seeing in the new movie the most. The former child star told Jimmy Fallon that the idea of Freakier Friday began when Curtis was asked about it while promoting Halloween (2018), and that sparked questions for Lohan, too. Given the mother-daughter chemistry the pair had in the 2003 Disney flick, it’s no wonder fans were rooting for this movie to happen.

Now, the movie is almost here, and Lindsay Lohan is back on her red carpet A-game.

While she didn’t wear any thick black eyeliner for the Freakier Friday premieres, she still threw back to her nostalgic signature looks. At the UK premiere, she went full method-dresser, wearing a lavender dress that looked just like the one Anna wore in the final wedding scene of Freaky Friday. And that cute little guitar purse was the perfect homage to her character’s rocker roots.

Meanwhile, at the Los Angeles and New Mexico red carpet launches, Lindsay Lohan was fully embracing Barbiecore, wearing different shades of pink gowns. It was a playful nod to Y2K fashion that showed her mature, glamorous style while still having fun with each look.

Lindsay Lohan may have cringed at the black eyeliner she wore at the OG Freaky Friday premiere, but it perfectly captured the edgy, early-2000s teen spirit she embodied at the time. Fashion is always a good way to travel back in time and reflect on the trends, moods, and attitudes of a particular generation. Now that Lohan is an adult, I’m certain she’s got plenty of classy, poised looks she'll adorn at future premieres.

Make sure to see Freakier Friday in theaters on August 8th.

The 2025 TV schedule has been a tumultuous time for the world of late night television, including the quiet cancellation of After Midnight in the spring and the shocking cancellation of Stephen Colbert's The Late Show in July. In fact, that latter cancellation caused such massive waves that huge names in pop culture spoke up in solidarity with Colbert. Jimmy Fallon, longtime host of The Tonight Show, expressed support for the Late Show icon... not long before his new show got a premiere date, officially being set to air twice a week on NBC starting in late September.

How Jimmy Fallon Reacted To The Late Show's Cancellation

Just like Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s Jimmy Kimmel from ABC, NBC's Jimmy Fallon didn't hold back from showing support for the CBS host who was technically his competition in late night television. He posted in a since-expired Instagram Story that he was "just as shocked as everyone" about Stephen Colbert's Late Show and "really thought I'd ride this out with him for years to come."

He went a little farther when he joined the likes of fellow NBC late night host Seth Meyers as well as Jon Stewart, John Oliver, Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, Adam Sandler, and more celebs for a funny bit on The Late Show in one of the first shots back at CBS for the cancellation.

Basically, there was some serious solidarity between late night TV hosts when one of their own got the worst kind of news. For Fallon, however, his future on NBC is looking pretty good.

Jimmy Fallon's New Show Gets A Premiere Date

Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show isn't going anywhere for the time being, and he's in fact debuting a brand new show starting this fall. In the same announcement that confirmed Law & Order: Organized Crime is returning to NBC, On Brand with Jimmy Fallon received its premiere date(s). The new program's first night of the week will be Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET, starting on September 30. The second night of the week will be Fridays at 8 p.m. ET, starting on October 3.

The Tonight Show will continue to air Monday - Thursday, as has been the case since NBC cut the Friday night broadcasts last September. So, what is On Brand with Jimmy Fallon? Well, the unscripted series follows Jimmy Fallon after he starts a marketing agency and fills it with the most creative and competitive people he can find, with Bozoma Saint John as the "On Brand Agency's" Chief Marketing Officer to mentor and evaluate the participants.

In each episode, the participants of the On Brand Agency will work with a major brand that is looking for a new campaign, including Captain Morgan, Dunkin', KitchenAid, Marshalls, Pillsbury, SONIC, Southwest Airlines, and Therabody. By the end, one creative will be left standing and receive a cash prize as well as the experience gained from competition. Fallon is on board On Brand as host, executive producer, and creator.

What About The Tonight Show?

I don't want to claim that anything is guaranteed in late night TV after the shocker of Stephen Colbert's Late Show cancellation, but Jimmy Fallon renewed his deal with NBCUniversal as the host of The Tonight Show through 2028 last summer. It seems that he should be safely on the air for another few years if all goes according to plan. Seth Meyers also renewed his deal with NBCUniversal to continue hosting Late Night through 2028. Late Night follows The Tonight Show on weekday nights.

That may partially explain Meyers' somewhat optimistic take about the future of late night TV... but then again, he made those comments before The Late Show with Stephen Colbert got the axe. For now, though, there are indeed reasons to be hopeful about the future of late night on at least NBC. Plus, if you're a fan of his work on The Tonight Show, you can get more of Jimmy Fallon starting this fall on September 30 with the premiere of On Brand with Jimmy Fallon.

It's fair to say that Jimmy Fallon has accomplished a lot. He made his debut on Saturday Night Live in 1998 (which can be streamed with a Peacock subscription) and, eventually, he got the chance host his own late-night talk show in 2009. Needless to say, Fallon's hosting stints, film and TV roles and epic return to SNL after leaving have made him a household name. With that notoriety though, comes plenty of criticism, and the star just revealed how he deals with it.

The Tonight Show host appeared on the podcast, The Diary Of A CEO, on which he told host Steven Bartlett what it’s really like to be in the spotlight. When asked what he wasn’t prepared for in regard to fame, Fallon said “rejection” as well as getting his sketches cut and being told that he’s not funny by haters. Fallon pointed out that it was all before the age of Twitter, so it was a different ballgame:

Unfortunately, when it comes to celebrities, hate, criticism and bad press normally come with the territory. It may be commonplace, but it's still sad to see that some people make it their job to tear others down. However, it sounds like Fallon doesn’t listen to much of it and chooses to focus more on his work instead. The entertainer emphasized that as he continued to speak with Steven Bartlett:

Jimmy Fallon has a great way of looking at his circumstances. What he's basically saying is that he doesn’t really listen to all the criticism because if he doesn’t, it really has no effect on him. On the other hand, critiques can really tear a person up if they adhere to them too much. Obviously, there’s only so much that he can ignore. Still, Fallon is still one of the biggest stars Saturday Night Live has produced, he's appeared in some of the most beloved SNL sketches and is currently host of The Tonight Show. I'd say he's doing quite well despite what any haters might say.

At this point, the Fever Pitch star is over 11 years into his run with the aforementioned talk show. He's seen his share of ups and downs in that time, with NBC even having made some cuts to the show's budget in recent years. Still, Fallon doesn’t seem to be eager to leave anytime soon. He’s also been busy with Password and That’s My Jam, both of which also air on NBC.

Many of us would probably be wise to heed Jimmy Fallon's advice about blocking out negativity. There are certainly benefits to having thick skin, and one is that it certainly helps to deflect any kind of mean or unkind energy that comes one's way.

Jimmy Fallon has been one of the best current late-night hosts for 11 years now, appearing nightly on the 2025 TV calendar to converse with fellow celebs. With the host’s background on Saturday Night Live and his overall exuberant personality, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon often features games, skits and lots of laughter. Perhaps too much laughter? Fallon has been accused of faking his amusement with guests, and Blake Shelton totally called him on it.

The country music star visited The Tonight Show to promote his new album For Recreational Use Only. Blake Shelton is no stranger to Jimmy Fallon’s late-night show, as this marked his 10th appearance, so I’m sure it was no shock when the host cracked up multiple times, doubling over in laughter and grabbing Shelton’s arm. As the singer talked about working with Post Malone last year, he realized there were similarities — and one big difference — between Malone and Fallon. Shelton deadpanned:

Dayyyum. Now, when Blake Shelton was a coach on The Voice, he was known to be quite the troll, but this is not a new criticism of the late-night host. In fact, it’s kind of fair. I don’t think I’ve ever watched Jimmy Fallon interview anyone without, at some point, him throwing his head back in laughter, clapping his hands or banging on his desk.

I’m definitely not saying all (or even most) of his laughs are fake, but I might say “performative” is a fair adjective. Look at recent guest Young Mazino from The Last of Us, for example. The actor looks far less amused by what he said than Jimmy Fallon:

Jimmy Fallon is known for his own hilarious quotes, and I love that he’s not afraid to show appreciation for others’ humor, like when he shared a knee-slapper with Sofia Vergara.

I also wouldn’t feel too sorry for Jimmy Fallon following Blake Shelton’s quip. The country music star may dish it out, but he can also take it (just ask Adam Levine, who has talked about how far was “too far” to push his fellow Voice coach). Shelton definitely thought Fallon was setting up for a joke when he described the new album cover:

• Jimmy Fallon: I think the album cover is cool. It's mysterious. You're, like, a stranger in a bar.
• Blake Shelton: Stop.
• Fallon: No, no, no.
• Shelton: What are you doing? Just say your joke. I know you’re building up to something.
• Fallon: No, you're, like, thinking. You're in front of a jukebox, there's a map behind you with, like, a whip. You're like Indiana Jones. You're deciding, ‘What song should I play next?’

It was then that Blake Shelton asked the band to start playing something so that Jimmy Fallon would have to stop dissecting the cover of his record.

Jimmy Fallon definitely seems to have fun as he talks to his guests, but after so many years of people calling him out for fake laughing, I am dying over Blake Shelton’s takedown.

If you want to see more Fallon, tune into The Tonight Show at 11:35 p.m. ET each weeknight on NBC, and you can catch Blake Shelton on The Voice when he returns to perform on the Season 27 finale. Tune in at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, May 20, on NBC. Both shows are available to stream the next day with a Peacock subscription.

We’ve been living in the age of technology for years now, and with AI creeping its way into every facade of life, it stands out that some late-night hosts are still using cue cards in the year 2025. But there’s a good reason why Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and even Conan O’Brien have refused to retire cue cards in favor of teleprompters, and Saturday Night Live plays a big role in that decision.

Meyers addressed the popular question a few weeks ago during a question and answer session with one of his Late Night audiences. Via Instagram, the Weekend Update alum started off his answer by introducing the audience to Wally Feresten, the infamous cue card holder/writer, before saying:

The variety sketch show, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary, has been using cue cards since the show began. While SNL isn't without its own mistakes, rare is it ever the fault of the cue cards, which is probably why so many alumni and current cast members continue to swear by them.

It’s not just loyalty to Wally — who also works on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon — that keeps Meyers and other late-night hosts from ditching the cue cards in favor of technological advances like the teleprompter, but rather the safety net the cards provide. Meyers elaborated:

These are all very valid concerns that have caused problems for teleprompter-only productions like the 2017 Golden Globes, where the teleprompter broke on Fallon, and silence followed for several seconds until production could fix the problem. With such bad experiences stemming from teleprompters, it’s no surprise that these SNL vets rely on tried and true cue cards to get their shows done.

Of course, accidents can happen with cue cards, too, but it’s likely a much easier and quicker fix than having to wait for a teleprompter to be repaired while the cameras roll. After all, all cue card users have to worry about is human error, and a professional like Wally isn’t going to let that happen. And if something were to happen to him, well, Meyers can explain his backup plan:

All jokes aside, cue cards really do provide some comfort to those who work with them — especially when Wally is the one behind the giant cards. Next time you watch one of the late-night shows or even an upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live, keep your eyes peeled for Wally and his team of cue card holders.

You can catch new episodes of Late Night with Seth Meyers weeknights at 12:35 a.m. or next day with an active Peacock subscription.

From his days as a Saturday Night Live cast member from 1998 to 2004 to his self-reinvention as a late-night talk show host, emceeing NBC’s Late Night and The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon has had a pretty stellar career filled with spot-on impersonations, surprisingly good musical performances, and some really funny quotes. The following are a few gut-busters we have heard the comedian say on SNL and his talk shows over the years.

"This Is My Show And It's A No-Nonsense Show. I'm Not Gonna Take Any Crap From Nobody" - Saturday Night Live

Arguably, Jimmy Fallon's single funniest SNL sketch is "The Barry Gibb Talk Show" – a recurring bit in which he plays the Bee Gees frontman, who hosts a political discussion program alongside his brother, Robin (Justin Timberlake). Gibb opens every episode by reminding viewers that he takes his show gravely seriously and demonstrates it by berating and belittling his guests at the littlest disagreement or even for attempting flattery.

"I Don't Know What That's Like" - Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon is notorious for appearing in many SNL sketches that did not go as planned, particularly due to his frequent tendency to burst into laughter on stage. He poked fun at this reputation of his on Late Night after his guest Rose Byrne revealed that she struggles to keep from laughing when performing comedy.

"Move!" - Saturday Night Live

One of Jimmy Fallon's funniest recurring SNL characters is Nicky Burns – an arrogant IT employee with his own signature catchphrase. This was his rude way of signaling to coworkers that they should step aside so he could commandeer their computer and fix the problem himself.

"Thank You, Emails That Say, 'You Have Successfully Unsubscribed From These Emails,' For Completely Missing The Point" - Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

One of the best recurring bits that Jimmy Fallon introduced on Late Night and continued after he took over The Tonight Show sees him writing "Thank You" notes about various topics, from recent events to common annoyances. For instance, he once wrote a note that acknowledges the irony of receiving an email from the address you just requested to stop receiving emails from.

"Is It Hard To Get Into The Paris Hilton?" - Saturday Night Live

From 2000 to 2004, Jimmy Fallon co-hosted "Weekend Update" with Tina Fey and one highlight of that era includes his interview with Paris Hilton, which he began by agreeing not to talk about her then-recent scandal. However, when asking about her family's hotel chain and discovering that they have a location in Paris, France, he cannot resist the urge to use it as an opportunity for a series of hilarious double entendres.

"Thank You, Hand Sanitizer Pump In Public Restrooms For Supplying Me With 90% Of The Germs I Am Trying to Kill" - Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

In this funny "Thank You" notes segment from Late Night, Jimmy gives his audience a reason to carry their own portable bottles of hand sanitizer by pointing out how unsanitary the dispensers made available to the public must be.

"I Don't Come To Where You Work And Knock The Corndog Out Of Your Hand" - Saturday Night Live

Both Jimmy Fallon and host Sean Hayes could not stop laughing during an SNL sketch set at a clothing store called Jeffrey's after Will Ferrell's character enters the room on a scooter. Earlier in the hilarious classic, Fallon and Hayes' elitist employees take turns belittling their customers for their fashion sense but, mostly, just for being near them.

"Last Week, A Hunter In Kansas Shot His Friend Twice Because He Mistakenly Thought He Was A Turkey. After The First Shot, The Guy Said He Wasn't A Turkey. But, Come On, That's Exactly What A Turkey Would Have Said" - Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Honoring a decades-long tradition in late-night TV, Jimmy Fallon opened every episode of Late Night and, later, The Tonight Show with a monologue of jokes taking aim at that day's most popular or obscure and bizarre news stories. For instance, in this bit, he acknowledges how crazy it is that a hunter would not only mistake a human for a turkey but also shoot at them more than once... unless they suspected some fowl play.

"Does This Mean I'm Knighted? Or Did I Just Get Queened?" - Saturday Night Live

When Ian McKellan hosted SNL in Season 27, he appeared on "Weekend Update" as Maggie Smith, who ended her Oscar predictions segment by stealing a smooch from Jimmy Fallon. Fallon then wonders, considering McKellan is a knight and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community if he now reserves the right to call himself a 'Sir'... or a queen.

"Thank You, Hard Taco Shells, For Surviving The Long Journey From Factory, To Supermarket, To My Plate And Then Breaking The Moment I Put Something Inside You" - Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

For as fun as Taco Tuesdays are, they can also be quite annoying, particularly when your shell inevitably cracks into pieces while you are still preparing the meal. Fallon points out in a "Thank You" note that what makes this especially frustrating is how the shell managed to remain intact until that moment.

"Say Hello, You Old Cork Soakers" - Saturday Night Live

In a Season 29 sketch, SNL host and musical guest Janet Jackson starred as a woman touring an Italian winery, where the guides (played by Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz) explain that they make bottling their product easier by "soaking corks." However, in their accents, the phrase sounds like something a bit racy, which Jackson almost says on accident a couple of times.

“Steven Spielberg Is Going To Release A Biopic About Abraham Lincoln Next Year. Right, That's A Good Way To Honor Lincoln – By Sending People To The Theater” - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated by actor John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, during a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. So, while Steven Spielberg's 2012 biopic, Lincoln (for which Daniel Day-Lewis heavily altered his voice to the play the title role), turned out to be a critical and commercial success, Fallon has a point that a theatrical release might not be in the best taste.

"We Got A Freakin' Oxygen Molecule Joinin' With Two Hydrogen Molecules In A Covalent Bond Ovah Heah! - Saturday Night Live

One of the funniest SNL sketches featuring a professional athlete comes from Season 28 and stars NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon as a man who hires two aquarium repairmen (played by Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz) whose compulsion to make wisecracks distracts them from their job and, ultimately, kills his fish. They are then forced to attend court-mandated therapy where their psychiatrist (Fred Armisen) suggests a word association game. When he says the phrase, "I like water," Fallon's character's first reaction is to make a wisecrack that describes the liquid's elemental makeup.

"Researchers In Canada Say They Have Discovered The Part Of The Brain That Is Used To Make Decisions, And This Is Weird: If You're Married, It's Actually Located In Your Wife's Brain" - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

They say that, behind every great man, is a great woman – a common and certainly useful saying that must have inspired this Late Night monologue bit in which Jimmy Fallon pokes fun at a recent scientific update.

"We Only Had 'Tee Martoonis'" - Saturday Night Live

Jimmy Fallon starred in a series of recurring sketches with Chris Parnell as Kip and Wayne Bloater, who compulsively spew egregious puns at every person who bothers to have a conversation with them. One sketch sees the Bloater Brothers pulled over by a pair of police officers (played by host John Goodman and long-running SNL cast member Tim Meadows) and do not do a very effective job convincing them that they were, indeed, not driving under the influence because their explanation is, unsurprisingly, a barrage of wall-to-wall jokes.

"This Week, A 95-Year-Old Woman Married A 98-Year-Old Man To Become The World’s Oldest Newlyweds. They’re Registered At Bed, Sponge Bath And Beyond" - Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Sometimes, the best late-night talk show monologues take a story that is wholesome and sweet and bring them down a size with a joke of lewd and even morbid quality. This particular Late Night with Jimmy Fallon monologue bit is more on the lighthearted side but is still not so pleasant to visualize.

"Tommy, Please Tell Me You Got That On Tape!" - Saturday Night Live

In a recurring sketch referred to as "Boston Teens," Jimmy Fallon plays Pat "Sully" Sullivan alongside Rachel Dratch as his girlfriend, Denise "Zazu" McDenna. Every sketch is framed as if it is filmed with a camcorder by their unseen friend, Tommy, who always seems to catch some sort of Freudian slip, which Sully is always quick to make sure was on the record.

"Thank You, Guy Who Uses the Urinal Right Next to Me Even Though There Are Literally 10 Open Urinals. Why Not Put Your Arm Around My Shoulder While We're At It?" - Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

This Late Night "Thank You Notes" joke convinces us that Jimmy Fallon might be the type of person who would walk into a public restroom with only two urinals and, if one of them is in use, he would choose a toilet stall. If that is not available, we imagine he would just wait outside until the coast is clear.

"According To A Recent Bureau Of Justice Survey, Night Is The Most Dangerous Time For Law Enforcement Officers. Second Most Dangerous Time: Day" - Saturday Night Live

First of all, night can be a potentially dangerous time for anybody to be out in public. Second of all, was there a specific time of night that the Bureau of Justice had in mind when conducting this survey? Third of all, whatever the outcome of this study, it led to one of Jimmy Fallon's most hilariously snarky "Weekend Update" bits.

"Do You Like It Better Than Sleep?" - The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

During a 2017 appearance on The Tonight Show, Louis C.K. told Jimmy Fallon that his favorite thing in the world is to take a nap. When the host asked if he preferred naps oversleeping, the comedian did not hold back in telling him how stupid he believed that question was. We cannot say we really blame him.

"If You're Just Joining Us, Yes, These Are My Real Shoulders" - Saturday Night Live

Whenever Jimmy Fallon impersonated a public figure on SNL, he aimed to match the voice as well as the look of the individual but in a more absurd fashion. Case in point, when he portrayed TV personality Larry King with an exaggerated demonstration of his signature hunched-over stance with fake, unusually high shoulders.

"Thank You, The Phrase 'The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread' For Making Me Seriously Wonder Who Is In Charge Of Deciding What The Greatest Thing Is" - Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

We have no doubt that sliced bread was an absolute game-changer upon release. However, as Jimmy Fallon acknowledges during this "Thank You" notes joke from Late Night, there are more important inventions.

"New Scientist Magazine Reported... In The Future, Cars Could Be Powered By Hazelnuts. That's Encouraging, Considering An 8-Ounce Jar Of Hazelnuts Costs About $9" - Saturday Night Live

Jimmy Fallon's punchline for this "Weekend Update" bit is that he has "an idea for a car that runs on Bald Eagle heads and Fabergé eggs."

"Happy Birthday To Arnold Palmer, Who Turned 82. That’s 41 Years Iced Tea And 41 Years Lemonade" - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

A drink that combines sweet tea with lemonade is often referred to as an Arnold Palmer, after the legendary professional golfer who is known to have requested it on many occasions. Thus, this was a pretty clever and funny way for Fallon to wish the late athlete a happy birthday in 2011.

"I'm Pat O'Brien. I Don't Breathe Through My Nose Ever" - Saturday Night Live

Former sportscaster and Access Hollywood host Pat O'Brien is known to speak in a nasally voice, which is something that Jimmy Fallon regularly brought attention to when impersonating him on SNL.

"A New Study Found That Women Gain More Weight After Marriage But Men Gain More Weight After A Divorce. Yeah, The Divorce Usually Takes Place After Men Point Out That Women Gained More Weight After Marriage." - Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Thankfully, Jimmy Fallon was still married to his wife, film producer Nancy Juvonen, after making this joke in his monologue on Late Night.

"Plus, We're Letterboxed" - Saturday Night Live

One of Jon Hamm's funniest moments sees him and Jimmy Fallon playing Ace and Gary in a special live-action version of the recurring, animated pre-recorded SNL bit, "The Ambiguously Gay Duo." Their transformation into three-dimensional characters is brought upon by a raygun that also, as Fallon's Gary points out, changes the aspect ratio to 16:9.

"Thank You, Socks with Sandals For Being A Look That Proudly Declares To The World, 'The People I'm Friends With Now Are The Only People I Ever Want To Be Friends With'" - Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

This Late Night era "Thank You Notes" joke might be a little harsh as we are sure there are people who wear socks with sandals and still maintain decent social lives. Though, the question is, how?

"Georgia's Board Of Education Approved A Plan That Allows Teachers To Keep Using The Word 'Evolution' When Teaching Biology. Though, As A Compromise, Dinosaurs Are Now Called 'Jesus Horses'" - Saturday Night Live

This "Weekend Update" joke gives us a great idea for a sci-fi revisionist history thriller.

"Now Why Would An Angel Want To Get High? They Wouldn't Need To, Would They? They're Already In The Clouds, That's Kind Of Their Thing" - Saturday Night Live

Jimmy Fallon returned to host SNL's 2011 Christmas show, in which he appeared as multiple celebrities alongside musical guest Michael Bublé for a fake Christmas duets album ad. As comedian Russell Brand, he interrupts the singer's cover of "Angels We Have Heard on High" with a commentary about celestial beings needlessly taking illicit substances, which he ends by recalling memories of an addict coincidentally named Angel.

"Back At Hampshire College For Junior Year Numero Tres" - Saturday Night Live

Jarrett of "Jarrett's Room" was a character Jimmy Fallon could continue to play today if his SNL tenure continued because that webcaster was destined to never graduate.

"Thank You, People Who Say, 'Have A Safe Flight,' For Basically Saying, 'Hope You Don't Die’" - Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Well, thanks to this "Thank You Notes" joke from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, we are going to be thinking this every time we board a plane.

It’s hard to believe The Night Agent Season 2 is finally right around the corner. We went months and months with little to no word about the series outside of a few filming notes and Season 2 location change, but then Netflix dropped a January release date and we were off to the races. Now, series lead Gabriel Basso is finally doing promo for the new season, and he confirmed one cool thing about filming the show I personally didn’t realize: he’s like Tom Cruise filming (the majority) of his own stunts.

During a late night appearance this past week, Basso spoke about the new episodes of the series hitting the Netflix schedule on January 23rd and explained the real reason he feels like it’s important to do as much as he can stunt-wise on the series. It all boils down to him wanting the audience to have an authentic experience:

Basso was talking to Jimmy Fallon in a Tonight Show clip about the upcoming episodes when he waxed about doing his own stuntwork, but we’ve seen him working hard in the past, both in the gym and while filming the series. I find the whole thing pretty admirable.

For example, as the show was wrapping, he shared a pic of an insane “escape” stunt and has shared other moments while on location while filming Season 2 of The Night Agent, as well.

He’s very clear he does as much as he can even when it's painful and he’s not just making the point to sound cool. He thinks when quick cut-tos are utilized, it often feels false, or as he puts it, “like lying.”

There are plenty of stunts that are deemed too dangerous for actors and actresses to attempt themselves, and I’d never begrudge a performer who got some help on a set. On the other hand, if Basso can manage to do at least a large chunk, if not the majority of his own stuff, it does make for a more realistic portrayal onscreen, and may be one of the big reasons the Netflix action-thriller has resonated with audiences so far.

In fact, Netflix is already so bullish on the series the streamer has renewed it for Season 3, so those of you with a Netflix subscription can binge in full confidence of there being more episodes – and I’m hoping it means the Season 2 ending is a doozy as well. We’ll have to wait and see when the show returns in less than a week.

C'mon Netflix, bring on the cliffhangers!

Saturday Night Live still stands as one of the best sketch comedy shows ever because of its ability to deliver original and hilarious sketches that make audiences laugh uproariously. However, I've always wondered if the cast knows they are making a hit as they perform it live from New York. Well, now, Jimmy Fallon has addressed that, as he explained how they realized they were "cooking" with the legendary "More Cowbell" sketch.

It’s hard to look back at classic Saturday Night Live moments and not think of “More Cowbell.” In the great SNL sketch featuring A-list host Christopher Walken, he played music producer Bruce Dickinson as he requested the band he was working with to add more cowbell to "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." Will Ferrell played the cowbell player, and in the back, you can see Jimmy Fallon working really hard to not laugh. In the moment, the sketch worked well, however, in the years since, it's become legendary.

In a sneak preview video of the four-part docuseries SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night (which is set to air on the 2025 TV schedule), Fallon explained how he could tell the hilarious sketch was working as they performed it, explaining:

You can tell that Jimmy Fallon had a lot of fun being featured in that sketch. The part that gets to me is seeing the Tonight Show host hide his face away as he breaks out in laughter. However, seeing Will Ferrell as Gene Frenkle wearing a small shirt and aggressively defending his use for more cowbell also gets me chuckling. Clearly, the audience felt the same too, because they were laughing throughout the sketch.

One of the important things about shooting with a live studio audience, according to Gabriel Iglesias, is getting audience feedback to know what works and what doesn’t. That's true for SNL too, as Jimmy Fallon continued to say he could feel the energy in the room and he knew they were “cooking” during the “More Cowbell” sketch:

I can totally picture what he's describing, especially since Studio 8H is small, I imagine that you can take the temperature of the audience quickly during any given sketch. So, feeling the room shake with laughter must be the best feeling in the world as well as a telltale sign that you have a hit on your hands.

You can thank Will Ferrell for this iconic sketch because he wrote it. After writing a few skits a week back when he was a member of the sketch comedy troupe The Groundlings, the Elf actor lent his writing and acting skills to Saturday Night Live. Penning and starring in so many well-written sketches, like "More Cowbell," paved the way for Ferrell, and he became one of the show’s most successful alums. What can I say, he knows how to play a room.

Jimmy Fallon and the cast of SNL knew “More Cowbell” would be a successful sketch after feeling what was “cooking” in the room. With Will Ferrell’s commitment to that cowbell and Christopher Walken’s deadpan delivery, you can’t help but laugh hysterically at the silly premise and you'll probably never hear “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” the same way again.

All four episodes of SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night will be available with a Peacock subscription on January 16th. And if you’ve got a fever and need “more cowbell,” you can find the memorable sketch there as well.

Martin Short is a comedy legend, full stop, no questions. If you need any evidence of that fact, just check out the 2024 TV schedule’s contribution to the Hulu original comedy Only Murders in the Building (which has gotten a number of Golden Globe nominations). But if you were looking for some fresh carnage dealt by the sharp and snarky Canadian-American icon, then prepare to unwrap some fresh hell, courtesy of a clip showing Short roast Jimmy Fallon.

The occasion that brought these two chaps together was the return of one of SCTV’s finest to Saturday Night Live’s hosting duty. And the man didn’t waste time dropping timely references for both Luigi Mangione and the ongoing Diddy scandals in this clip from The Tonight Show’s YouTube channel.

I’m surprised this segment hasn’t been flagged for violating YouTube community standards, as this could metaphorically be considered footage of a brutal murder. But judge for yourself, as you can watch the entire battle of wits and physical comedy below:

You can never go wrong with Mr. Short's brand of smiling jabs, delivered at a rapid pace. This latest round of target practice has me thinking that the upcoming SNL host’s episode could help close out the 2024 TV season in style. And Jimmy Fallon wasn’t the only personality in the crosshairs, as friend and Only Murders in the Building co-star Steve Martin was also subject of good natured ridicule.

On the more serious side, the former SNL cast member did discuss his difficult tenure during one of the series’ most controversial seasons. Describing the program as “nerve wracking,” Short and The Tonight Show’s host bonded over their unique cases of anxiety linked to the comedy institution.

Aficionados of the Lorne Michaels-produced series would agree with the man some know as Ed Grimley. That being said, as you saw in the YouTube posting submitted as evidence, that didn’t put an end to the shenanigans.

Closing out this eventful talk with several comedic brawls over seemingly petty squabbles, the end result only further convinces me that the argument against Mr. Short’s “annoying” schtick continues to be debunked by the man himself.

Fellow Martin Short fans can celebrate his return to SNL this weekend, as it airs live on NBC this Saturday at 11:35pm ET. But if you miss the show as it goes out, you’ll be able to watch the insanity the next day through a Peacock subscription!

Either way, I’d keep a close eye on social media that night, as I find it hard to believe that Steve Martin won’t be making an appearance, as Martin Short had claimed. Seeing as one of SNL’s craziest Christmas sketches featuring the pair is something we’re still talking about, passing up that sort of opportunity would be lunacy.

One of the most memorable musical acts on Saturday Night Live was The Blues Brothers, which were actually Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Of course, they are not the only great SNL cast members who have surprised audiences with their musical talents. See for yourself by taking a look at this list of comedic geniuses who can also sing, dance, and play instruments.

Fred Armisen

Fred Armisen has demonstrated his skills with multiple musical instruments on SNL on various occasions, from playing guitar as Prince, drums as Fericito, or piano as Joshua Rainhorn. Outside of Studio 8H, he would perform on his other great sketch comedy TV show, Portlandia, and even served as Seth Meyers' bandleader on Late Night for a while.

Maya Rudolph

Arguably the single funniest SNL sketch led by Maya Rudolph sees her demonstrate her amazing pipes as a woman who overdoes it a little bit with her World Series National Anthem performance. The daughter of famous soul singer Minnie Riperton and composer Richard Rudolph also made a great Beyoncé on the "Prince Show" sketches and, speaking of the late artist, she is part of a cover band called Princess. She even started in music before SNL when she was a keyboardist and backing vocalist for the '90s band The Rentals.

John Belushi

Not only did John Belushi perform with Dan Aykroyd as The Blues Brothers on the Studio 8H stage but the duo also had a record deal, a hit concert tour, and led one of the best SNL movies ever as Jake and Elwood Blues. The late comedian also performed a striking impersonation of Joe Cocker, including once with the "Feelin' Alright" singer himself.

Melissa Villaseñor

One of Melissa Villaseñor's most impressive impersonations on SNL was a spot-on Dolly Parton but she had been matching the vocals of artists like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears during her earlier stand-up days. Since her SNL exit in 2022, she has continued to demonstrate her singing talent, such as with her collaboration with Wolves of Glendale for the song "Life's Better in Spanish" in 2024.

Dana Carvey

Dana Carvey debuted his character Derek Stevens in an SNL sketch featuring a ridiculous song called, "The Lady I Know," which is concluded with the repeated lyric, "Chopping broccoli." Then and any other time he would appear as the vapid pop star, Carvey would actually play the song on piano, which he would also incorporate into his early stand-up and demonstrated in his audition for the show.

Jimmy Fallon

Before becoming a "Weekend Update" co-host, Jimmy Fallon had a recurring segment with acoustic parodies of hit songs commenting on various topics. He would go on to incorporate his musical talents into his career as a late-night talk show host and has since released a few musical comedy albums.

Eddie Murphy

After his skillful impersonations of artists like Stevie Wonder and James Brown helped save SNL in the 1980s, Eddie Murphy would later prove that his musical prowess was not limited to comedic imitations. He scored a hit single later that decade with "Party All the Time" and became an Oscar-nominated SNL alum with his performance in the 2006 musical, Dreamgirls.

Andy Samberg

Golden Globe-winning former SNL star Andy Samberg is also known as a member of the comedy hip-hop trio The Lonely Island, alongside Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer. Many of the best SNL Digital Shorts, which the group was in charge of, are their music videos, such as "Lazy Sunday" and "I'm On a Boat."

Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler would perform music often on "Weekend Update," whether it was as himself debuting original tunes like "The Hanukkah Song" or as Opera Man, recalling the week's biggest headlines in melody. The Uncut Gems actor continued to make music a part of his career with movies like The Wedding Singer and the musical grown-up animated movie, Eight Crazy Nights, as well as in his stand-up routines.

Dan Aykroyd

If Dan Aykroyd had not introduced John Belushi to the blues, The Blues Brothers would have never taken the Studio 8H stage and experienced the success they had. Outside his performances as Elwood Blues, the Ghostbusters actor also participated in the chorus for the iconic 1985 recording of "We Are the World."

Martin Short

Martin Short's most notable musical contributions to SNL happened after his one-season stint at Studio 8H when he would return as a host. However, the comedian has numerous musical accomplishments outside the show, from his Tony Award-winning performance in Neil Simon's Little Me to an insult-filled duet he and Steve Martin performed while on tour.

Kate McKinnon

While known better for her hilarious physicality and characterizations, Kate McKinnon has had a number of chances to show off her pipes on SNL. For instance, she had host Ariana DeBose in awe when she joined the future Oscar winner for a medley of songs from West Side Story.

Christopher Guest

During his sole season on SNL, Christopher Guest could be seen playing guitarist Nigel Tunfel in one of the best movies about music, the 1984 mockumentary This is Spinal Tap. The fictional English heavy metal group would reunite for subsequent performances and album recordings, namely 1992's Break Like the Wind and 2009's Back from the Dead.

Taran Killam

Very rarely did Taran Killam, who was also a MADtv cast member for a little bit, have much opportunity to sing on SNL. However, he took many opportunities to carry a tune on Broadway, performing in shows like Hamilton and Spamalot.

Ana Gasteyer

Only a singer as talented as Ana Gasteyer could impress Celine Dion with her impersonation of the French-Canadian diva enough to be invited to join her in concert. The SNL star, also known for performing with Will Ferrell as married music teachers, The Culps, has performed on Broadway as well, such as when she played Elphaba in a Chicago production of Wicked.

Kenan Thompson

Many recurring characters played by Kenan Thompson – one of the longest-running SNL cast members – are musically inclined, such as What Up with That? host Diondre Cole. The former All That and Kenan & Kel star for co-writing an R&B parody song called, "Come Back, Barack," which he also performed with Chris Redd and host Chance the Rapper.

Harry Shearer

Harry Shearer, who was on SNL from 1979 to 1980 and once more from 1984 to 1985, has demonstrated his musical talent in movies like This is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind. The Simpsons star has also co-written a satirical stage musical called J. Edgar! The Musical and released five solo musical comedy albums.

Garrett Morris

Before he became a Not Ready for Primetime Player, Garrett Morris was a Julliard-trained singer who performed with Harry Belafonte and did various Broadway shows. He utilized these talents in various memorable moments on SNL, such as when he performed a particularly risqué tune as an inmate auditioning for a prison theatre program.

Robert Downey Jr.

Perhaps if Robert Downey Jr. was given a chance to show off his vocal range during his short SNL tenure, he could have lasted a little bit longer. The Oscar winner and Marvel movie star recorded an acclaimed rendition of Joni Mitchell's "River" for a holiday album called Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas and released a studio album in 2004 called The Futurist.

Paul Shaffer

There is really no surprise that Paul Shaffer is musically talented, given his tenure as part of Studio 8H's house band and The Blues Brothers Band and as the bandleader for David Letterman's late-night TV career. What might be surprising to some – despite making history as the show's first F-bomb dropper in an infamous SNL moment – is that he was actually part of the cast during Season 5.

Pete Davidson

Given his popularity, Pete Davidson could probably release a hit album, having debuted some surprisingly good rhymes on SNL and impressed fans with his viral parody of Barbie's "I'm Just Ken," called "I'm Just Pete." The comedian once had the opportunity to perform his favorite song, "Gangster's Paradise," with the legendary rapper who crafted the song, Coolio, for a Comedy Central event.

Jim Belushi

Years after John Belushi's death, Dan Aykroyd teamed up with John's younger brother for an album called Have Love, Will Travel. Jim Belushi would also perform with a more recent iteration of The Blues Brothers Band as "Zee Blues" and he also composed and performed the theme song for his sitcom, According to Jim.

Christine Ebersole

Somehow, SNL never really figured out what to do with Christine Ebersole, whose one-season stint is much forgotten. Luckily, she would still achieve much notoriety for her Tony Award-winning performances in Broadway musicals 42nd Street and Grey Gardens.

Cecily Strong

Before Cecily Strong left SNL in 2022, she had demonstrated her singing talent as one of the main stars of Apple TV+'s musical fantasy comedy series, Schmigadoon! Thus, audiences knew to expect some special when she ended her Studio 8H tenure singing "Blue Christmas" with host and Elvis star Austin Butler.

Chloe Troast

It is a shame that Chloe Troast only lasted one season on SNL because she has one of the strongest singing voices of almost anybody to join the cast. She wowed audiences with songs she performed as a woman posing as a young orphan named Cassidy and as Mama Cass in fake footage from the recording of "Make Your Own Kind of Music."

Michael McKean

Before he joined the cast, Michael McKean appeared on SNL as Spinal Tap's David St. Hubbins and, when he hosted in 1984, was joined by Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest for a special musical performance as their other fictional band, The Folksmen. Speaking of, when The Folksmen reunited for the 2003 mockumentary A Mighty Wind, McKean won a Grammy for its title song, and another track from the film, "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow," earned him an Oscar nomination.

Will Ferrell

Probably Will Ferrell's most famous musically inclined character is Marty Culp but we also know from a certain legendary SNL sketch that he can play the cowbell like no one else. The actor also did all of his own singing in the final act of StepBrothers.

Chevy Chase

There is a great cold open from the first season of SNL in 1976 starring Chevy Chase as future president Ronald Reagan, who tries to prove that the conservative politician and actor could still be "hip" by playing keyboard in a jazz band. The comedian actually plays the keys pretty sloppily in the sketch but that is by design, as he is a very talented piano player in real life. While in college, Chase played drums in a band called The Leather Canary, alongside his college friends Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, a band that would go on to become Steely Dan.

Billy Crystal

Despite blessing SNL with many "mahvelous" memories as a host and brief cast member, none of Billy Crystal's most memorable moments from Studio 8H are particularly musical in nature. However, there are plenty of memorable musical moments throughout his career, such as when he hosted the Oscars and honored the Best Picture nominees with parody renditions of popular songs or when he and John Goodman performed "If I Didn't Have You" for the Monsters Inc. soundtrack.

Phil Hartman

The late Phil Hartman had a million-dollar voice that he put to grand use throughout his time at SNL and in other notable credits from his career but not for anything related to music. However, at the end of his very last show, he participated in a The Sound of Music parody, singing the final "Good night" lyric in such a genuine and endearing fashion.

Jason Sudeikis

During his seven years as an SNL cast member, very rarely did Jason Sudeikis make any musical contributions in a sketch, save when he played possessive '80s pop star "Ocean Billy" in a Worst of Soul Train DVD ad or one-half of Bon Jovi rip-off band, Jon Bovi. He has since gotten more use out of his musical talent on an annual basis by hosting a charity event called Thundergong.

Nasim Pedrad

We heard Nasim Pedrad's singing voice in a few SNL sketches, such as a music video for a song about getting busy with your significant other in your childhood bedroom while staying with family for the holidays. It is a wonder why she never got her own song in Disney's 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin.

There were probably two events anyone who follows John Krasinski couldn’t have foreseen. The first of which is despite Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan not being on the 2024 TV schedule, the series is about to pick back up with a feature film continuation. Our second event, and the one we’re about to discuss, is The Office vet’s new title as People’s Sexiest Man Alive. That’s not a knock on the man, but rather something that even late-night host Jimmy Fallon can be both sweet and snarky about in his own take on the situation.

Speaking with People itself, The Tonight Show talent has made it pretty clear that he totally buys Krasinski’s recent coronation by the popular publication. Working the more sentimental side of the coin, Jimmy Fallon offered the following:

That literally is the whole package when it comes to John Krasinski’s career and public image. I mean, I didn’t mention Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan without reason earlier, as the best-selling Boy Scout has been well suited by the Massachusetts native. Not to mention, I dare people not to feel heartbroken when that scene comes up in A Quiet Place. You know the one I’m talking about.

At the same time, we are dealing with Jimmy Fallon here. And as sure as you can bet on the SNL vet breaking into goofy laughter at the drop of a hat, he flipped the metaphorical coin and tossed out a joke connected to John Krasinski’s good fortune. Here’s how the sillier side of Fallon presented itself in the moment:

Jimmy Fallon isn’t too far off the mark with those remarks there, as he was actually nominated for “Sexiest TV Host” for this year’s honors! Come to think of it, I’m rather surprised that this was his first time being on the shortlist, as he pointed out in this Tonight Show clip from earlier this year:

While my Universal Orlando ride rankings may have Jimmy Fallon and his gang sitting toward the bottom, I can acknowledge that the man is popular. I can also see why him not scoring the prize he’s apparently seeking is a bit frustrating; even if winner Mark Consuelos rightfully won that “Sexiest TV Host” trophy fair and square. Perhaps with some training from John Krasinski, Mr. Fallon can get just that much closer to his dream.

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon airs weeknights on NBC, at 11:35 p.m. ET on the 2024 TV schedule. And don’t worry about that big Tonight Show cut down to a Monday - Thursday schedule, as Jimmy has re-upped his contract to the delight of his fans. And should you miss those new episodes (or if you want to watch Kraskinski in The Office), you can always stream them with a Peacock subscription!

When a performer says goodbye to the Saturday Night Live cast, it does not necessarily mean forever. Often, the sketch comedy TV show will invite an esteemed alum to appear in an episode either as a special guest or as a headliner, sometimes resulting in a hall-of-fame hosting gig. The following are some of our favorite times a former SNL star made a grand impression when they came back to Studio 8H.

Eddie Murphy

After leaving SNL in 1984, Eddie Murphy came back to host (actually his second time, having hosted while still on the cast in 1982) for an episode later that year, on which he debuted, arguably, his best SNL sketch, "White Like Me." After being honored at the 40th anniversary special, the Academy Award nominee came back to host a third time, resulting in one of the most acclaimed episodes of Season 45.

Ben Stiller

You might have forgotten that Ben Stiller was a cast member since he only lasted four episodes in 1989, which he acknowledged when he first came back to host in 1998 after becoming a bigger name in comedy. He would return to host again 2011 in, followed by a series of recurring appearances as Donald Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, in 2018.

Norm Macdonald

Famously, Norm Macdonald was fired from the SNL cast in 1998 for, as the NBC executives at the time claimed, not being funny. Just a year and a half later, he came back to host an episode, during which he joked in his monologue that he had not gotten any funnier but the show had gotten "really bad" since his exit.

Robert Downey Jr.

Before becoming one of the most beloved A-list actors in Hollywood, Robert Downey Jr. was one of the most heavily criticized cast members from one of the most heavily criticized seasons of SNL from 1985 to 1986. He only came back to host once in 1996, during which he proved was the supremely talented performer we know and love and, eventually, became the first former SNL cast member to win an Oscar for Oppenheimer in 2024.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus would not become a comedy icon until after her three-year stint at Studio 8H from 1982 to 1985 when she joined the Seinfeld cast as Elaine Benes. In 2006, fresh off her Emmy win for The New Adventures of Old Christine, she became the first female former SNL cast member to return as a host, which she would follow with two more gigs.

Jimmy Fallon

After a successful six years at SNL from 1998 to 2004, Jimmy Fallon would return for three hosting gigs and countless cameos. Each time the late-night TV host comes back to Studio 8H tends to be a celebrated affair, especially because there is a good chance that his friend, Justin Timberlake, will show up to participate in a new edition of "The Barry Gibb Talk Show" or some other sketch.

John Mulaney

While he was never part of the SNL cast, John Mulaney would perform a few funny segments on "Weekend Update" during his five years on the writing staff. He would later become one of the biggest names in stand-up comedy and such a beloved host that he joined the Five-Timers Club within only four years.

Dan Aykroyd

Sometimes, for a cast veteran, the key to a memorable hosting gig is to wait an exceptionally long time to come back as an SNL host, much like Dan Aykroyd did. The legendary, Canadian-American comedy star, known for sketches like “The Coneheads” and “Super Bass-o-Matic ‘76” from his tenure as a Not Ready for Primetime Player, headlined an episode in 2003, more than two decades after leaving the show.

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman is actually one of several SNL cast members who only lasted one season but still ended up becoming a huge success in the end. Two decades after she was let go from the series, the acclaimed comedian hosted a funny episode from Season 40.

Martin Short

It is hard to believe that a performer like Martin Short was only an SNL cast member for one season but he has, luckily, continued to demonstrate his dynamic comedic talents through memorable hosting gigs. His first hosting gig from 1986 was shared with his Three Amigos co-stars, Chevy Chase and Steve Martin – the latter of which he would co-host with again in 2022.

Adam Sandler

Surprisingly, despite making a couple of cameos over the years, Adam Sandler would not host SNL until 2019, which resulted in an instant favorite episode in which he sang two memorable songs. The former "SNL Bad Boy's" first tune (including a Chris Rock appearance) was during his monologue and discussed how he was fired after four seasons in 1995 and the other was a tribute to Chris Farley.

Kate McKinnon

After 10 wonderful years at SNL, the great Kate McKinnon would return a year and a half later to host the last episode of 2023, which proved to be a very successful episode, and not just because it featured cameos by Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and her Barbie director, Greta Gerwig. Also, in Season 49, she would also come back for one more appearance as alien abduction victim Colleen Rafferty to make host Ryan Gosling laugh uncontrollably once again.

Chevy Chase

Only two weeks after his final episode as an SNL cast member, Chevy Chase made a hilarious, self-mocking cameo in the cold open as himself, performing music for tips outside of 30 Rock. He would continue to return for more cameos and eventually became the first host to join the Five-Timers Club before the idea of it had been suggested by Tom Hanks.

Billy Crystal

In a unique twist on this topic, Billy Crystal was actually meant to appear on the very first episode of SNL in 1975 but was ultimately cut for time, as depicted in the 2024 movie Saturday Night. As his notoriety increased, the comedian was asked to host twice in 1984 before being hired later that year as a cast member, during which he lit up the screen with his impersonation of Fernando Lamas and other notable characters.

Tina Fey

Having served as both "Weekend Update" host and head writer near the end of her nine-year tenure, Tina Fey was a true SNL MVP but some of her most memorable moments on the show occurred after her 2006 exit. Prior to her Five-Timers Club induction, the 30 Rock creator and star made numerous appearances as Sarah Palin that earned rave reviews.

Dana Carvey

A key element to SNL's new golden era from 1986 to 1993 was Dana Carvey and his wonderful talent for impressions, which he would continue to lend to Studio 8H in the years since his exit. The Wayne's World star is one of the most frequent returning cast members, especially in Season 50 as President Joe Biden.

David Spade

Many of David Spade's funniest quotes originate from his six years on SNL in the early-to-mid-1990s. His blunt, sarcastic, and sometimes unapologetically brutal delivery of mockery at other celebrities' expense would serve him well in his hosting gigs – the first of which included a cold open featuring Brad Pitt as his therapist.

Kristen Wiig

The final episode of SNL's 37th Season was the final episode for a few notable cast members but it ended with a grand send-off purely dedicated to Kristen Wiig's esteemed seven years, which included some hilarious quotes. It was not long before the Oscar nominee was asked to bring back her famous characters as a host and her Season 49 episode saw her induction into the Five-Timers Club.

Chris Farley

After becoming one of SNL's most esteemed icons during his five-season run and proving to be a box office draw with movies like Tommy Boy, Chris Farley was at the height of his fame when he came back to host two years after leaving. However, his October 1997 episode is now remembered more somberly because, only two months later, he would pass away from a drug overdose at the age of 33.

Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph proved herself as an all-time great during her seven years on SNL in the 2000s. She would return for multiple hosting gigs and an innumerable amount of special guest appearances, most notably as her Emmy-winning portrayal of Kamala Harris.

Pete Davidson

For his clever "Weekend Update" commentaries, fascinating personal life, and title as the youngest SNL cast member on record, Pete Davidson was one of the series' most talked about performers when he left at the end of Season 47. He was initially meant to return as a host for the following season but, due to the Writers' Strike, he instead returned for the Season 49 premiere, which featured a viral pre-filmed bit poking fun at his post-SNL career inspired by Barbie's "I'm Just Ken."

Tracy Morgan

Impersonations of the likes of Al Sharpton and Oprah Winfrey and hilarious original characters like Brian Fellow and Astronaut Jones made Tracy Morgan a force to be reckoned with during his seven years on SNL. As a result, each of the 30 Rock cast member's returns to the Studio 8H stage as a host or guest have been warm celebrations of his best moments as a cast member.

Paul Shaffer

Starting off as a member of Studio 8H's house band, Paul Shaffer later made history as the first person to drop the F-bomb on SNL during his 1979-1980 stint on the cast. Of course, he bounced back from the incident without issue and would make cameos on the show and host an episode from 1987 after being David Letterman's bandleader greatly increased his notoriety.

Damon Wayans

One of the most infamous SNL cast firings is that of Damon Wayans, who changed the nature of a character on the fly in the middle of a broadcast in 1986. The comedian would find even greater success as a member of the In Living Color cast and, in 1995, was asked to come back as a host.

Phil Hartman

It is easy to understand why some argue that Phil Hartman is the greatest SNL cast member of all time and why, just two years after his exit, he was asked to host twice in 1996. We have no doubt we would have seen more of the Emmy winner gracing the Studio 8H stage again if not for his untimely murder in 1998 at the age of 49.

Chris Rock

The first "Bad Boy of SNL" to return as a host was Chris Rock in 1996, which was three years after his departure. At that point, the comedian had found decent subsequent success by making appearances on the show's biggest competitor at the time, In Living Color.

Jason Sudeikis

While he would make several post-exit guest appearances, Jason Sudeikis' first time hosting in 2021 was eight years after he left the show, which was actually a year later than he had intended. The gig was a big moment, given his Emmy-winning success on Ted Lasso at the time and his heartfelt opening monologue celebrating his time as a writer-turned-cast member.

Will Ferrell

Despite a hiccup or two in his early days on the cast, Will Ferrell became one of the most beloved SNL cast members of the 90s and early 2000s. His many appearances since, including five hosting gigs, have resulted in some of the show's most celebrated moments in recent years.

Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler's impeccable skills of impersonation and arsenal of uproarious characters made her seven years on SNL a one-of-a-kind era. Her many notable appearances since include co-hosting with her friend and one-time "Weekend Update" co-anchor Tina Fey in 2015 and making cameoing as Leslie Knope alongside her fellow former Parks and Recreation cast member, Aubrey Plaza, in 2023.

Darrell Hammond

One of the all-time longest-standing SNL cast members is Darrell Hammond with 14 seasons but his time at Studio 8H would not stop there after all. In addition to making special appearances – most notably in "Celebrity Jeopardy!" sketches as Sean Connery – the actor would succeed Don Pardo as the show's announcer when Pardo passed away in 2014.

Molly Shannon

Three-time Emmy nominee Molly Shannon is the driving force behind one of the most iconic SNL characters to earn their own movie, Mary Katherine Gallagher. The misfit Catholic high school student is just one character she has brought back for her numerous appearances on the show since leaving in 2001, including two hosting gigs.

Bill Murray

After Chevy Chase left in 1976, stepping in to join the Not Ready for Primetime Players was Bill Murray, who hilariously acknowledged his struggle to make an impression on SNL early on in a famous sketch. Of course, the Oscar nominee would quickly achieve wild notoriety in the 1980s, which made his subsequent five hosting gigs and additional cameos much-celebrated occasions.

With NBC on the verge of bringing its biggest primetime series back in the 2024 TV schedule, the network has made a big decision about the future of its flagship late night talk show. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is having one episode cut per week, matching what NBC had done with Seth Meyers' Late Night already. That doesn't mean Fallon is going anywhere, though.

NBC's Major Cut For The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon previously aired five new episodes per week, with only the weekends off, but Variety now reports that NBC is cutting that total down to four new episodes per week. New installments will continue airing at 11:35 p.m. ET Monday - Thursday on the network. The move isn't entirely shocking; NBC not only already airs Late Night with Seth Meyers four nights per week, but recently cut Late Night's budget to remove the house band.

Other networks have made similar decisions as well. Over on CBS, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is down to four nights a week, as is Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC. Kimmel recently addressed retirement, which comes not too long after he spoke about the future of late night TV.

Cable late night shows aren't unaffected either; The Daily Show doesn't air new episodes on Fridays, although that's not a new development for the Comedy Central mainstay. NBC will air reruns of The Tonight Show on Fridays in Fallon's usual time slot.

What The Future Holds For Jimmy Fallon

While there may be less new content with Jimmy Fallon per week moving forward, the host himself isn't going anywhere. Back in June, he renewed his deal with NBCUniversal to stay on as host of The Tonight Show through 2028. So, he won't be turning 50 the same year that SNL turns 50 just to leave the network's post-primetime lineup. Seth Meyers also renewed his deal for Late Night through 2028, so NBC is sticking with what evidently works... just less of it per week.

Fallon also has separate gigs on NBC to keep him busy. He executive produces and frequently appears on Password and hosts That's My Jam. It's also possible that cutting a Friday broadcast won't feel too different for him, as The Tonight Show often would tape two episodes on Thursday rather than a new episode on Friday.

At the time of writing, it's not clear when precisely the change to exclusively reruns on Fridays will take place, although it's likely to begin with the fall season. The series is already airing repeats all five days of the week to close out the summer. Jimmy Fallon celebrated his ten-year anniversary as The Tonight Show host back in May with a two-hour primetime special.

For now, you can find Fallon in nightly reruns of The Tonight Show on weeknights starting at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC. You can also revisit earlier episodes streaming via a Peacock Premium subscription now.

Saturday Night Live’s 50th Season has been the talk of the town as its premiere approaches on the 2024 TV schedule, and anticipation is high as we wait to see who ends up hosting and how they'll celebrate this big anniversary. Coincidentally, that is not the only 50th milestone that former cast member Jimmy Fallon will be celebrating, as I just found out his 50th birthday is in September. So, of course, he has plans for both.

What Jimmy Fallon Really Wants To Do For His 50th Birthday

The Tonight Show host’s big day is on September 19, which comes nine days before SNL's premiere on the 28th, and he has been thinking about what he wants to do.

Turning 50 is a big deal, but Fallon may not be celebrating in the way one would think. He told E! News his plans, and while he knows he should celebrate, he kind of wants to do the complete opposite, and I can’t say I blame him:

He's so real for that answer. To me, celebrating a birthday by doing nothing and sleeping might possibly be the best way to commemorate the day. That's because you don’t feel pressured to do anything, and that can be very freeing. Maybe binge a TV show and just have a quiet dinner with friends. It really sounds like the life, and I hope Fallon is able to live out his birthday wish.

However, when it comes to partying it up for SNL's 50th he has a different kind of plan.

Will Jimmy Fallon Be Involved In SNL 50?

As for the other big 50th celebration, Jimmy Fallon's plans for Saturday Night Live’s big anniversary are totally different from how he wants to spend his birthday.

The long-running variety sketch series' 50th season will be premiering in September. Specific details surrounding the big season have not been revealed. However, Fallon -- who was one of the youngest SNL cast members and was on the show from 1998 to 2004 -- alluded to his possible involvement and that there are plenty of surprises in store:

It wouldn’t be surprising if SNL was planning on bringing back a variety of former cast members or fan-favorite hosts. For example, OG cast member Molly Shannon got real about big names popping in. Additionally, Maya Rudolph is set to return as Kamala Harris for the upcoming election. Plus, I'm sure we all remember what it was like when SNL celebrated 40 years, so I'm sure Season 50 will be a really big party.

Also, from the way Fallon was talking about it, it certainly sounds like there are plans for him to return to Studio 8H in some way. Of course, he can’t talk much about it or hard confirm his involvement, but it’s not hard to read between the lines and assume that he will be coming back at some point. At least, that’s the hope.

It's quite a big year for Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live, and celebrations are definitely being planned, both big and small. Fallon’s 50th birthday is on September 19, while SNL’s 50th season premieres on September 28 on NBC. Those with a Peacock subscription can celebrate SNL and Jimmy Fallon early by watching all 49 seasons now.

Halle Berry is no stranger to late night TV. The actress and social media star is a regular fixture on talk shows, mostly because she has great stories and is always up for anything. She proved that first part again this past week on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon when she got to talking about the Olympics. Fallon himself was seen throughout the Games and did commentary on the Closing Ceremony, but apparently she has him beat. Berry carried the Olympic Torch ahead of the Paris Games, and I’m a little rattled at one of her admissions.

You know the torch people pass off and carry from one host city to another? Well, apparently it’s not nearly as sturdy as you’d think. When Berry was asked about carrying it, its weight was the first thing she talked about. Here’s what she said…

Fallon pushed her further during their interview and asked if it was made out of plastic. She said it’s not but that it doesn’t have nearly as much weight as you’d guess. That’s surprising, given how solid it looks on television. She never estimated its actual weight during the interview, but I did a little research and found each torch is designed differently and varies based on the specific Olympics. All of the torches, however, are fairly light, and the one from Paris only weighed 1.5 kilos or 3.3 pounds, if you live in the States.

It must have been a tremendous honor for Berry to be a part of history and carry the flame, but she admitted during the Fallon interview that it wasn’t her first dream. She apparently grew up wanting to be a gymnast and had a snarky little comment about what happened…

Biles, of course, once again captivated the world with a fantastic performance during the Women’s Gymnastics Events. She won the All-Around, the vault and the team competition alongside her fellow female gymnasts from The United States. She was, by far, the most successful gymnast in Paris, but viewers were also captivated by some others, most notably her main rival Rebeca Andrade from Brazil, as well as breakout pommel horse star Stephen Nedoroscik, Tokyo All-Around Champion Suni Lee, medalist Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles, who is still in the midst of a legal tug of war over her disputed bronze medal thanks to a gymnastics rule that needs to be changed ASAP.

On the whole, the Olympics drew a huge crowd for NBC. Ratings were almost double what they were for the Covid-ridled Tokyo Olympics, and across all its platforms, more than 23 billion minutes were streamed. Numerous events saw a big spike in interest, though not surprisingly, the gold medal game in men’s basketball proved to be a shining moment, as more than 20 million tuned in, making it the most watched since 1996 in Atlanta.

The Olympics will return to The United States in 2028. At this point, we have no idea if Halle Berry will once again carry the Olympic Torch, but it’s very likely we’ll see numerous celebrities involved, as it’s being held in Los Angeles. Tom Cruise participated in the Closing Ceremonies in Paris, and his theatrics feel like just a small taste of what we’re going to get in four years. I can’t wait. 

Last night, the Olympics closed on the 2024 TV schedule with a high-octane performance from Tom Cruise, a throwback performance from France’s own indie darlings Phoenix, and sunny performances from Snoop, Dre, Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the homefront. Peppered throughout this was commentary from Mike Tirico and Jimmy Fallon, who shared his Top 5 Moments from the 2024 Olympics. Weirdly, only one of them made my own list.

To be clear, there are a lot of moments that happened over the course of the last several weeks that made national news, so I see how it was difficult to kick down to five big moments. But the five Jimmy Fallon – or the NBC writing team – chose are simply baffling to me for the most part.

1. Leon Marchand & Katie Ledecky Swimming
2. USA Synchronized Swimming Does The Upside Moonwalk To Win Silver Medal
3. Steph Curry’s “night night” pose after sinking a 3-pointer in the men’s final against France.
4. Hilarious not-so-great presenter drops medal and normal guy where’s wild bikini to retrieve swim cap
5. Pommel Horse Stephen Nederoscik’s epic specialist performance for Team USA.

I think pretty much universally Olympics fans in the United States can agree that pommel horse guy and his Clark Kent and Superman glasses on glasses off trick enamored the nation. In fact, even Elmo came out to talk about how he wanted to be “a specialist” after Nederoscik helped Team USA to a bronze medal in the team event and the same in the individual apparatus event. To me, he’s a clear 1 or 2, but definitely should make anyone’s Top 5.

From here, Jimmy Fallon and I diverge quite a bit though. There were so many epic moments that came out of the Olympics, even for comedic value I fail to see how Fallon’s No. 4 slot could go to moments that went viral in a bad way. Hate that. Sure, these moments were funny, but there were some legitimately amazing performances from US men and women that stood out so much more.

If I had a Top 5, here’s how it would go. First of all, I’d pick moments, not themes for some of these and moments for others. For me, while there were some amazing moments from a slew of countries, my Top 5 is filled with US triumph, sorry to Leon Marchand, who was absolutely a beast in the water. (Or to other competitors like Netherland distance runner Sifan Hassan or Brazil’s amazing gold floor routine medalist Rebeca Andrade, who were splendid to watch.)

Finally, I would not waste a top five on any not-so-great moments. That should have been a funny aside, and not the no. 4 slot. I still don’t really get that choice. Though my Top 5, which, again, does include pommel horse guy's big W.

1. Bobby Finke swimming to a world record in the 1500m.
2. Grant Fisher comes from behind to win a bronze medal in the men’s 5000m, changing the trajectory of American racing forever.
3. The ladies 4X400 wins with an insane nearly 4-second lead, crossing the finish line with a new American record.
4. Kristen Faulkner comes from behind to win the Women’s Road Race by a whopping 37 seconds
5. Pommel Horse guy clinching the bronze for Team USA.

Other standouts definitely included Curry sinking four three-pointers in the last few minutes of the US men’s basketball final to clinch the gold and Ledecky’s impressive distance performances, so it’s not like Fallon’s list was horrifically bad or anything, I just feel like it missed some of the more pivotal moments of the games. And I’m not even getting into the tense US and Brazil Women’s soccer final, Noah Lyles’ surprise 100m win, or Sha’Carri Richardson’s blistering look when Great Britain tried to sneak up in the 4X100 race. All great answers.

Fallon’s closing ceremony performance was not exactly beloved by fans watching the NBC Sports program, so this Top 5 list sort of fits in perfectly with the rest of the narrative. A bunch of tweets pointed this out recently, with fans pointing out some flaws in the closing coverage, namely having Fallon on.

• I swear NBC has spent so much money effort and money trying to convince the world that Jimmy Fallon is funny.
• The Olympics really did unite us. I’ve never seen so many people talk about women’s sports and I’ve never seen so many people talk about how much they dislike Jimmy Fallon.
• When you enjoying #ClosingCeremony and then Jimmy Fallon shows up.

Honestly, I did enjoy a lot of what NBC attempted via Tirico and the regular announcers, as well as some outside-the-box programming from the likes of Kenan Thompson, Kevin Hart and Colin Jost, who eventually was wounded and removed from Tahiti. Fan-favorites Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir made notable closing ceremony appearances, which people liked, and even if Laurie Hernandez wasn’t the most polished or critical announcer this season, I did enjoy her coining “ghost deductions” during gymnastics coverage.

There was a lot to like, and Fallon did inject his particular energy into the games several times in ways that totally made sense for the Olympics. But did I need him sharing a Top 5 on closing night? No, no I did not.

Family Feud is undoubtedly among the best game shows of all time, but in its current era, I’m tuning in to see Steve Harvey and his hilarious interactions with the contestants as much as I am for the game itself. The most recent episode of Celebrity Family Feud pitted Robin Thicke against Anthony Anderson to win money for charity, and Harvey was certainly set up for an ego boost when one question asked about TV hosts people had romantic fantasies about. His reaction was, of course, A+, but we have got to talk about some of the other answers.

It does seem like a no-brainer that when Steve Harvey asked: “Admit it — What TV host, past or present, have you had romantic fantasies about?,” someone would name the Family Feud host, and Team Robin member Ava did not disappoint. Neither did Harvey’s immediate response to the answer, as they had this exchange:

• Steve Harvey: Watch yourself right there. Watch yourself. How old are you, Ava?
• Ava: I’m sorry! 24.
• Steve Harvey: Oh God no. Please don’t be up there.
  

However, Steve Harvey was actually the No. 1 answer, and I’ve got to say — in my humble opinion — he didn’t have much competition. Robin Thicke’s friends and family went on to strike out immediately with guesses of Pat Sajak, Alan Thicke and Nick Cannon.

Robin Thicke naming his colleague from The Masked Singer I get, because with the number of Cannon children running around, there are apparently a lot of people having romantic fantasies about him. I even love how they honored Robin’s father, Alan Thicke, who passed away in 2016. Pat Sajak? Sure, he’s not a bad-looking fellow by any means, but I’ve personally never gotten all hot and bothered when he suggests players “give the wheel a spin.”

Anthony Anderson’s team was able to bring home the steal by guessing the No. 2 answer — Jimmy Fallon. Really? Is Jimmy Fallon the best we can do there? I love Fever Pitch probably more than most, but I never considered the talk show host to be on the level of romantic fantasy. No shade, though, to each his own. The rest of the list included some of the best game show hosts of days gone by — Alex Trebek (that sexy, mustachioed silver fox), Bob Barker and Regis Philbin. You can check out the full clip below:

I'm going to have to assume the 100 people surveyed were just trying to think of any male TV host they could think of, rather than tapping into their actual fantasies.

That wasn’t the first time a Family Feud question set Steve Harvey up to be flattered. In a 2023 celebrity episode, he asked the contestants which female celebrities they’d set him up with if he weren’t married. Let’s just say his reactions to the Beyoncé and Oprah responses are worth checking out for yourself.

When it comes to fantasizing about TV hosts, maybe I was wrong for thinking more Ryan Seacrest than Donny Osmond, but hey, it bought us another classic Steve Harvey reaction, and that’s at least part of the reason we’re all here, right? You can see new episodes of Celebrity Family Feud at 9 p.m. ET Tuesdays on ABC, and check out what other premieres are coming soon with our 2024 TV schedule.

TV viewers can still catch David Letterman on sporadic episodes of his Netflix talk show, Jay Leno on the stand up circuit, and Conan O’Brien on his critically acclaimed Max series Conan O’Brien Must Go, but it’s clear we’re quite far-flung from the late night talk show wars of yesteryear. (In as much as Leno’s feuds with Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel may never fully subside.) Master of satire Stephen Colbert acknowledged the burgeoning camaraderie among nightly talk show hosts, but couldn’t help taking an amusing shot at his former Daily Show colleague John Oliver.

Colbert took the stage at the 2024 PaleyFest for its annual TV festival, where he had an insightful conversation with Sonic the Hedgehog and The Afterparty star Ben Schwartz (via THR). There, he talked about possibly returning to the world of acting, which paid his bills for the majority of his career before he shifted into Late Show mode in 2015. He also addressed his personal thoughts about late night talk show competition, saying that while he doesn’t take issue with the way hosts butted heads in the past, he doesn’t see it as a necessary evil these days. According to Colbert:

While there are no doubt TV viewers out there who thrive on cross-network ratings battles in late night the same way they do for primetime series, modern audiences just don't consume television or talk shows in the same way anymore, with more people likely to watch an episode clip on social media or YouTube instead of viewing an entire episode. So the audience pieces that hosts like Jimmy Kimmy and Seth Meyers are fighting for are quite smaller than they used to be, so why fight over them at all?

Stephen Colbert freely admitted he'd rather hang out and drink in a non-descript watering hole with his biggest competitor, The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, rather than constantly enter into the grind of trying to achieve ratings supremacy. Definitely not a sentiment that can be applied to every kind of industry, but certainly fitting here.

And also fitting is the amusing shot fired at Last Week Tonight's John Oliver, whom Colbert jokingly says he doesn't have a friendly relationship with. It's malarkey, of course, with John Oliver joining The Daily Show in the year after the former's shift to The Colbert Report. Of course, Oliver went on to join the HBO family with Last Week Tonight, which has won out at the Emmys each year since 2016, which has been a source of jokey contention among other late night hosts. As well, the two joined up with Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers for the strike-focused podcast Strike Force Five in 2023, so there's no bad blood.

The way Stephen Colbert sees it, being a late night talk show host is a rare privilege in the entertainment industry, and he sees no reason to waste anytime being antagonistic about it instead of just celebrating his time in the limelight. And he does indeed mean celebrating, even if they don't get to break out the good stuff that often. In his words:

Unfortunately for fans hoping to see new episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the week following PaleyFest is filled with repeats, though with guests worthy of rewatching, as noted below:

• 4/23: Matt Damon, Hannah Waddingham (Originally aired 4/1/24)
• 4/24: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Tyla (Originally aired 4/8/24)
• 4/25: Carol Burnett, Waxahatchee featuring MJ Lenderman (Originally aired 3/26/24)
• 4/26: Steve Buscemi, Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Originally aired 4/4/24)

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m., and episodes can be streamed the next day with a Paramount+ subscription. Head to our 2024 TV schedule to see what else is heading to the small screen soon.

The Summer Olympics slated to air on the 2024 TV schedule will be shaking things up a little this year. NBC will still be delivering really good and entertaining announcers like sportscaster Mike Tirico and Snoop Dogg, who did hilarious recaps with Kevin Hart for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This time around, celebrities, including Jimmy Fallon and Kelly Clarkson, will be playing a bigger role in hosting the legendary event. Now, as we get closer and closer to the games, the singer has revealed what excites her about her new gig.

Kelly Clarkson’s career trajectory is clearly going nowhere but up. Along with being a famous American Idol contestant who has sold out albums and concerts, she has proven to be an excellent host with her own talk show on NBC. 

The Grammy winner’s next gig will take her hosting skills one step further as she helps cover this year’s Summer Olympics for the first time with Jimmy Fallon, Mike Tirico, Peyton Manning, and Snoop Dogg. Through The Kelly Clarkson Show, we've seen the “Stronger” get excited when guests share their incredible stories, and she expressed to Variety that she hopes to have that same experience at the Olympics.

History has given us a number of Olympic contestants who have inspiring stories to tell about their journey toward a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Austrian cyclist Anna Kiesenhofer's first time at the event led her to win a gold medal after accomplishing a 40-kilometer solo breakaway. Oksana Chusovitina may have been more than twice the age of her competitors, but the Uzbekistani gymnast competed in her eighth Olympics in Tokyo where she received a standing ovation. I can imagine Kelly Clarkson will be thrilled when she gets to hear motivating stories like these. 

As NBC will be streaming the Olympics live on Peacock, the studio is hoping that fans seeing stars commenting on the games will draw in larger crowds. Peacock subscribers will be a new audience watching the games through their streaming service where they’ll have access to interactive stats, athlete profiles, and more. 

Subscribers will even get access to a new show called Gold Zone where they will see the most exciting Olympic sports moments as they're happening. Considering the 2021 Summer Games were delayed by over a year because of COVID and it prevented fans from being in the stands, I can understand NBC trying to come up with fresh new original ideas to draw more people in.

With NBC looking for new ways to increase the ratings of the Paris Summer Olympics, bringing in NBC hosts like Kelly Clarkson and Jimmy Fallon will definitely do the job. Hopefully, Clarkson gets her wish to cover inspiring stories from athletes and show the world that this singer can ultimately rank among top hosts like Ryan Seacrest, Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Kimmel, and more. 

Make sure to watch this summer’s Olympic Games with your Peacock subscription, NBC, and Telemundo from July 26th-August 11th.

Saturday Night Live is known for consistently delivering the laughs with its combination of hilarious comedians and celebrity guests (just look at the talented upcoming hosts for SNL’s Season 49). The schedule that the NBC sketch comedy’s cast members and writers keep is notoriously intense, and one can imagine the tight bonds that form amongst the colleagues. Inevitably, though, people move onto different projects, which apparently can be an extremely emotional event, and Maya Rudolph and Jimmy Fallon recalled the tearful goodbyes they gave to Will Ferrell on his final day on set.

Will Ferrell is one of SNL’s top cast members, in creator Lorne Michaels’ opinion anyway, and it’s easy to see why, with seven years starring in some of the series’ most beloved sketches. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Maya Rudolph recalled the Elf star’s last day on set in 2001, explaining the tradition they had for departing members. She said: 

What a special parting gift to leave your colleagues with. I can’t think of anything more meaningful or appropriate for the Saturday Night Live cast than to have their friends write sketches just for them. Jimmy Fallon joined Maya Rudolph in her song before recalling his own memory of that day: 

Saturday Night Live definitely sounds like a fun place work, especially with comedy actors like Will Ferrell keeping things interesting. Maya Rudolph and Jimmy Fallon laughed as they remembered the characters Ferrell would play, showing up to pitch meetings as “Chip Kudrow” or “Ron.” They said they were so lucky to have had that experience, where practicing improv all day and doing weird bits were the norm.

But just like Maya Rudolph, who exited Saturday Night Live in 2007, and Jimmy Fallon, who left in 2004, Will Ferrell has returned to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, serving as the host for a handful of episodes, so at least it wasn't goodbye forever.

I love hearing about these fond memories that SNL’s past cast members made on the set of the show, and I can’t wait to see who might pop up and what hijinks might happen when they go “live from New York.” Up next, Ramy Youssef will host at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday, March 30, on NBC with musical guest Travis Scott. Episodes can also be streamed with a Peacock subscription, and be sure to check out our 2024 TV schedule to keep up with all of the upcoming premiere dates. 

It’s a well-known fact that Camila Alves and Matthew McConaughey have been together 17 years, after meeting back in 2006. By 2008, they’d welcomed their son Levi. By 2012, they’d tied the knot in a super secret wedding ceremony, and added two more kids to the brood. But it was only recently that the actor shared how his first date with his future wife actually revolved around… tequila. 

Who knew Matthew McConaughey was such a solid bartender? He crushed the task so much he convinced the Brazilian model to go on a second date with him. (Although I’d be willing to bet his charming personality also helped.) 

He told Jimmy Fallon the night long ago eventually led them to think about making their own tequila brand, some “juice” the wanted to become their “own favorite tequila.” It took 47 tasting tests and a couple of years to land where they wanted, but McConaughey also explained why their tequila is so playful and personal. 

Not only are the two having fun, the actor also told Southern Living the venture gives people a chance to see how he and his wife work together in real life. They live out of the public eye in Texas these days, but she’s often working behind-the-scenes to help the McConaughey brand. This time she gets to be front facing, too, said McConaughey.

Matthew McConaughey has joined a growing faction of celebrities touting their own alcohol brands. It’s a club that’s not to be sniffed at, no matter how much “fun” McConaughey says he was having. George Clooney sold his own tequila Casamigos for a billion dollars. Ryan Reynolds sold his Aviation gin for hundreds of millions. In recent months, to gain a competitive edge celebrities like Jason Momoa and Kylie Jenner have toured with their alcohol brands to land new fans. 

It’s too soon to tell if Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves’ joint venture will yield the same sort of momentum, but there’s one thing that’s for certain: they’ve absolutely woven it into their personal story very well.

Back in the '80s and '90s, long before he was Iron Man or a 2024 Oscar nominee for his staggering supporting work in Oppenheimer, Robert Downey, Jr. was known to dabble in the rom-com genre. There was 1987's The Pick-Up Artist and '89's Chances Are and, of course, that early-'90s fan-favorite Only You, opposite Marisa Tomei. But allegedly, his poor accent work kept RDJ from appearing in one of the genre's most beloved titles: The Holiday.

Kate Winslet, who memorably portrayed house-swapping Brit Iris Simpkins in that 2006 Christmastime romantic comedy, revealed as much during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The actress and the talk-show host reminisced about how both Fallon and Downey had actually auditioned to be part of The Holiday cast, for the male lead parts that would end up going to Jack Black and Jude Law. Jimmy told Kate:

Winslet remembered the audition with the famous funnymen, but said that at the time, she didn't realize that both Fallon and Downey were actually auditioning for specific parts in the movie: 

After Jimmy assured The Regime actress that she was kind to him all those years ago, she also shared that she remembered that he was sick at the time and acting like a bit of a germaphobe, continuously reapplying his hand sanitizer. Kate also remembered how Downey's "English" accent sounded way more Down Under than it should have: 

Fallon gamely tried to support RDJ, saying that maybe the character was meant to be Australian, but Winslet was unrelenting in her roasting of Robert: 

Of course, everything happens for a reason—maybe an Australian-accented Robert Downey, Jr. simply wasn't meant to be in The Holiday? However, if the self-proclaimed "obsessed" actor becomes tormented by the memory of that failed audition, maybe Winslet can give him a second chance in the much-rumored The Holiday 2? 

Sure, both writer-director Nancy Meyers and the original cast have repeatedly shut down those sequel rumors, but Jack Black has an iconic idea for a second one and it would be awesome to see him back onscreen with his Tropic Thunder buddy Robert. Make it happen, Kate Winslet! (Maybe just let Downey use his real accent though?)

Sydney Sweeney is on a tear in Hollywood. Not only has Anyone But You been breaking box office milestones, but she’s also already been in Madame Web this year, and her new movie Immaculate is heading into theaters soon. In the latter film she plays a nun who miraculously ends up pregnant, and Sweeney recently dressed up in the cutest mini dress maybe ever, whereupon she then admitted to Jimmy Fallon that having a fake pregnancy belly on set did have perks. 

Unlike Deadpool’s skintight superhero costume, playing a nun came with a nice hollow space for Sweeney to hide out some snacks. Yes really. During her interview with Jimmy Fallon she noted she took major advantage of playing a pregnant character in a movie. 

I was already amped to be scared thanks to Immaculate's memorable trailer, but this story made me realize how over-the-top and ridiculous the sets of some of the best horror movies can be. It seems Sweeney took it in stride and made the most of playing a pregnant nun, however. She produced the movie herself, and even flew over both of her grandmas to Italy, where Immaculate filmed, and let them appear as extras in the flick. 

She may have gone through a phase where Sour Patch Kids were ever-handy, but I don’t think there’s a place to hide snacks in this gorgeous black and white strapless dress. The look's a little reminiscent of what Halle Bailey wore during her Actors on Actors interview earlier this year, but Sweeney jazzed up her white mini choice with a tighter corset bodice and a bit of black trim at the top. 

Backless dresses and cutouts have been in for the last few years, but honestly, the nice thing about strapless dresses making a comeback is they really do provide support in ways some of the flowier looks that have been fashionable don't. That's a boon to a large swathe of the female population, the actress included. (Ms. Sweeney has spoken about self-image plenty in the past.) It's no wonder actresses such as Rachel Zegler have favored strapless looks in recent months, as well. 

Expect more fun looks to come down in the pipeline in the coming weeks. Immaculate will officially hit the 2024 movies release schedule on March 22, so the actress certainly has a few weeks of press looks and red carpet dresses in her future.   Not a bad way to spend the first part of one's year. 

Jimmy Fallon accomplished way more than most cast members during his fantastic six season run on Saturday Night Live. He hosted Weekend Update. He developed several long-running characters fans looked forward to seeing. By the end, he was easily one of the show’s most recognizable faces, and yet, if you were to ask many fans about his tenure, chances are most would probably bring up his propensity to laugh in sketches. As brilliant and magnetic as the comedian was and still remains, he developed a reputation because of several high profile giggly moments. Well, let the record show he appeared in a sketch on SNL last night that easily could have gone south and was an absolute pro.

The sketch in question was The Barry Gibb Talk Show, which is, perhaps, Fallon’s most well-liked recurring bit. In it, he and Justin Timberlake, playing Barry and Robin Gibb, interview thought leader style guests and ask them political questions while singing in their trademark falsetto voices. The whole thing is utterly absurd, and you can tell, during several moments, Timberlake and host Dakota Johnson are actively trying not to laugh, which was picked up on by many YouTube commenters. Each let out at least one little laugh and are rocking a nervous, on the edge of losing it smile at other moments, but Fallon keeps it together throughout the whole hilarious runtime. You can check out the magic below…

The chemistry between Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake is just off the charts here, which is no surprise given their history. Everytime they do one of these sketches, it somehow both feels perfectly rehearsed and completely off the cuff. It’s a testament to their timing and how in sync they are with each other. Officially, this is the seventh time they’ve done the characters together on SNL, but they’ve showed up on The Tonight Show too.

And with good reason. These sketches are always a fantastic balance between utter silliness and sharp writing. They’re, of course, acting goofy, but they’re not just out there making noises and random references. Some of the things they’re saying are quite funny, as exemplified by the bit where he talks about intentionally watching Saltburn with his family, which is next level outrageous for obvious reasons. 

Justin Timberlake is no stranger to being in SNL sketches either (and no stranger to breaking character). He’s a member of the illustrious Five Timers Hosting Club and also made a ton of additional appearances. In fact, anytime he’s involved as a musical guest, I assume we’re going to get at least one sketch appearance and potentially something with his longtime buddy Jimmy Fallon. Fans always love seeing the two together, though when they do, there’s always a risk of at least one of them breaking character.

You can check out a fantastic montage of the top ten moments Jimmy Fallon broke character below. That’s right. He’s broken character so many times on SNL that Mojo was able to put together a top ten list that even left some high profile moments off. 

Saturday Night Live has an exciting upcoming hosting schedule. It will return next week with Ayo Edebiri, who should be fantastic. Also, Jennifer Lopez is the musical guest; so, chances are you’ll probably see her in at least one sketch too. Fingers crossed they’re both able to get through the show without laughing mid-sketch. 

In its several decades on air, Saturday Night Live has made icons out of many of its cast members. For some — including some of SNL’s one-season wonders — you might argue that the sketch comedy series is the peak of their careers, until you remember the acclaimed and widely beloved movies and TV shows they would go on to star in. Take a look at our picks for the finest work some of our favorite SNL stars have put out beyond their time at Studio 8H.

Eddie Murphy (Coming To America)

48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop made him a movie star, but Coming to America might be the absolute best Eddie Murphy movie, especially as the first to show just how far the comic’s extraordinary talents extend. He gives his most heartfelt performance as an African prince searching for love in New York City, but that is far from his only role in this dazzling romantic-com from 1988.

Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids)

Along with her writing partner, Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig joined the club of Oscar-nominated SNL stars for penning this 2011 instant classic comedy. She also transcends what made her a Studio 8H all-star by leading the Bridesmaids cast with her most down-to-earth performance yet as a baker suffering an existential crisis after her best friend (played by Maya Rudolph) gets engaged.

Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)

Some argue that an SNL star who should have been nominated for an Oscar is Adam Sandler for his performance in one of the best A24 movies, Uncut Gems. If self-destructive jeweler Howard Rattner had been played by anyone else but the guy behind “The Hanukkah Song” and movies like Happy Gilmore, it might have been tough to root for the protagonist of Josh and Benny Safdie’s anxiety-fueled, 2019 crime drama.

Kate McKinnon (Barbie)

After previously working with Margot Robbie in Bombshell and making the A-lister laugh uncontrollably in an SNL sketch, Kate McKinnon reunited with the Australian actor in the Barbie cast in 2023. The Emmy-winner is perfect as “Weird Barbie” — now a real doll in Mattel’s catalog — in co-writer and director Greta Gerwig’s cleverly satirical and surprisingly moving blockbuster based on the legendary toy.

Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)

We love Will Ferrell in funny movies like Elf and Talladega Nights, but never has he given a performance as tender, reserved, and relatable as his Golden Globe-nominated role in Stranger Than Fiction. That is only one reason director Marc Forster’s inventive 2006 dramedy is his best movie in our eyes.

Molly Shannon (Wet Hot American Summer)

The Wet Hot American Summer cast is full of actors who went on to become superstars, but one of the biggest names among that ensemble at the time was SNL great Molly Shannon. She stars in the 2001 cult-favorite summer comedy classic as camp counselor Gail, who seeks consolation for her second divorce from surprisingly mature adolescent campers.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

To this day, many believe that Bill Murray should have won the Academy Award for his performance in one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation. Also one of the best movies produced by Focus Features, he stars in writer and director Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning sophomore effort as a disillusioned actor who strikes up a unique bond with a young woman (played by Scarlett Johansson) who is also struggling to navigate her life after meeting in Japan. 

Tina Fey (Mean Girls)

From her time on SNL as a cast member and head writer to her development of beloved comedies like 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Tina Fey has had one of the most impressive careers in comedy, let alone show business in general. However, her one credit that has best stood the test of time is her sharply satirical high school movie, Mean Girls, which she adapted from Rosalind Wiseman’s book and also stars in as Ms. Norbury.

Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers)

Dan Aykroyd may have a Best Picture Oscar winner under his belt (Driving Miss Daisy, for which he also received an acting nomination) and also wrote and starred in one of the beloved Ghostbusters. However, the movie that he will always be best known for is 1980’s The Blues Brothers, which is arguably the all-time best movie based on SNL characters (Ayrkoyd and John Belushi’s brotherly musicians, Jake and Elwood Blues) and one of the most important movies set in Chicago as well.

Gilda Radner (Haunted Honeymoon)

Highlights of Gilda Radner’s post-SNL career included sharing the screen with her husband, Gene Wilder, such as 1986’s Haunted Honeymoon, in which they play a couple staying in a spooky house to cure the groom’s anxieties. Unfortunately, the fun horror-comedy movie would also be her final film before she passed away in 1989.

Chevy Chase (Community)

After making a huge impact in so little time on SNL (not even two full seasons), Chevy Chase had a memorable film career (especially with National Lampoon’s Vacation movies), but it was his return to the small screen in the late 2000s that really had us especially impressed. He starred in the Community cast as Pierce Hawthorne — one of many Greendale Community College students experiencing often strange circumstances and meta pop-culture references in creator Dan Harmon’s inventive sitcom.

Chris Farley (Tommy Boy)

Perhaps the most influential ‘90s SNL actor was the late Chris Farley, whose one-in-a-million, energetic comedic talent made him a legend. He also made an impeccable team with fellow SNL actor David Spade in the hilarious road trip comedy, and one of the funniest and most iconic movies of the ‘90s, Tommy Boy.

Jimmy Fallon (Almost Famous)

Jimmy Fallon has had a stellar career, from his memorable SNL stint to hosting The Tonight Show, but most of his movies did not quite have the same impact — save his Oscar-winning feature-length debut in 2000. Fallon starred in writer and director Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous cast as the touring manager for Stillwater, Dennis Hope.

Amy Poehler (Inside Out)

Amy Poehler is the kind of performer who brings a sense of joy to everything she does, from her SNL days to the Parks and Recreation cast as Leslie Knope. Thus, it only makes sense that she would star as the personification of “Joy” in one of Pixar’s best movies: 2015’s Inside Out.

Will Forte (Nebraska)

We all know and love the masterfully goofy Will Forte from the “MacGruber” sketches and as the star and creator of a show canceled too soon called The Last Man on Earth, but 2013’s Nebraska showed a rare side of the actor we cherished seeing. He gives a somber, yet beautifully endearing, performance in director Alexander Payne’s Oscar-nominated drama as a man accompanying his estranged father (played by Bruce Dern) on a trip to collect a supposed million-dollar prize.

Maya Rudolph (The Way Way Back)

Maya Rudolph’s career outside SNL has been nothing short of impressive, but we were most impressed by her work in 2013’s The Way Way Back. From the Oscar-winning writing duo behind The Descendants (Nat Faxon and Jim Rash), this winning dramedy features Rudolph as Caitlin, a manager at a water park where teen protagonist Duncan (Liam James) works to escape a miserable summer at his mother’s boyfriend’s house.

Bill Hader (Barry)

Bill Hader never failed to surprise audiences with his impeccable impersonations and excellent commitment to character on SNL, but he surprised us in other ways with his first major small-screen follow-up. He played the title role of HBO’s Barry cast (in addition to co-creating the very dark comedy series), who is a hitman trying to reinvent himself as an actor.

Cecily Strong (Schmigadoon!)

One of the greatest surprises of John Mulaney’s SNL musical sketches was Cecily Strong’s smashing singing voice. It would also come in handy when she and Keegan-Michael Key led AppleTV+’s Schmigadoon! cast as a couple trapped in a world that looks and sounds like a lavish musical production.

Chris Rock (Nurse Betty)

In 2000, Chris Rock teamed up with Morgan Freeman as hitmen searching for a delusional widow (played by Renée Zellweger) convinced she is engaged to a soap opera character in director Neil LaBute’s sharp, quirky dramedy, Nurse Betty. We will, however, give an honorable mention for one of the best sitcoms starring an SNL vet, Everybody Hates Chris, which the comedian created and narrated.

Jane Curtin (3rd Rock From The Sun)

Years after playing an alien in, arguably, her single funniest SNL sketch (“The Coneheads”), Jane Curtin played one of the few human series regulars on a series also about otherworldly visitors trying to blend in. The former “Weekend Update” anchor starred on NBC’s hit sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun as Dr. Mary Albright, a colleague, and later fiancée, of Dick Solomon (John Lithgow) at Pendleton State University.

Andy Samberg (Palm Springs)

There is only so much that we are actually willing to reveal about our pick for Andy Samberg’s best effort outside of SNL, Palm Springs, for anyone who has not seen it yet. What we will say is that the 2020 rom-com — and one of the best movies on Hulu — stars the Lonely Island member and Golden Globe-winning Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor and Cristin Milioti as wedding guests who become embroiled in a very strange predicament.

Mike Myers (Shrek)

We love almost all of the characters Mike Myers has created or portrayed, from Wayne Campbell to Austin Powers, but picking his true all-time best work outside of Studio 8H is easy. Myers put on his best Scottish accent to voice the title role of 2001’s Shrek — the first movie to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar, for its sharp send-up of fairytale tropes and heartwarming unlikely romance.

Pete Davidson (The King Of Staten Island)

There have been some great Pete Davidson movies and TV shows over the years, but the former SNL star’s best work might also be one of his most personal. The Bupkis cast member based The King of Staten Island (which he co-wrote with director Judd Apatow) on his own life as the son of a firefighter who tragically passed on 9/11. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ time on SNL often goes forgotten, but you cannot say the same about the career she had after the show, which includes Emmy wins for shows like Veep and joining the MCU. However, she really blew up when she joined the Seinfeld cast as Elaine Benes, who was the focus of many classic and hilarious moments on the legendary sitcom.

Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)

Jason Sudeikis is the kind of SNL performer who could make the Devil himself seem likable, which is why he was the perfect choice for the charming lead of the Ted Lasso cast for Apple TV+. Indeed, his Emmy-winning performance as the titular American football coach hired to manage an English football (a.k.a. soccer) team is key to its jubilant success.

Norm Macdonald (Dirty Work)

In 1998, the same year that the late Norm Macdonald was infamously fired from SNL, the actor came out with one of his best movies, Dirty Work. Also written by Macdonald and directed by Bob Saget, the comedy about a man who literally becomes a specialist in the business of revenge has gained a cult following despite getting bad reviews in the 90s.

Kenan Thompson (D2: The Mighty Ducks)

Before he became one of the longest-running SNL cast members, Kenan Thompson was part of Nickelodeon’s more kid-friendly sketch comedy, All That. However, before then, the Emmy winner made his acting debut in one of the greatest hockey movies, D2: the Mighty Ducks as the inventor of the Knuckle Puck, Russ.

Ana Gasteyer (Happiest Season)

As the creator of beloved sketches like “NPR’s Delicious Dish” and the astonishing ability to hide when sketches don’t go as planned, Ana Gasteyer’s SNL days do not get talked about enough. In 2020, she appeared alongside the Happiest Season cast in a brief, but memorable, role in the acclaimed LGBTQ+ romance dramedy.

Fred Armisen (Portlandia)

While he was still on SNL, Fred Armisen was the driving force of a whole different kind of sketch comedy series called Portlandia. In partnership with non-SNL sketch comedy actor Carrie Brownstein, the pair poked fun at life in Portland in a Monty Python-esque style of quirky and bizarre bits.

Tim Meadows (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping)

Despite his impressively long tenure, Tim Meadows is one of the most criminally underrated SNL actors and his big-screen presence is no different. Case in point: even one of his most prominent movie roles is from a vastly underrated, mockumentary-style comedy, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, from 2106 as Harry, manager to conner4real (Andy Samberg).

Tracy Morgan (30 Rock)

How fitting that one of Tracy Morgan’s greatest successes after being a sketch comedy show performer was playing a sketch comedy show performer. The comic stole every scene in creator and star Tina Fey’s brilliantly surreal broadcasting satire, 30 Rock, as over-the-top actor, Tracy Jordan.

Aidy Bryant (Shrill)

Even before she left SNL (a bit later than she anticipated as a result of Covid-19), Aidy Bryant had already ventured on with a series of her own called Shrill. The actor received an Emmy nomination for her performance on the Hulu original comedy (which she also co-created) as an overweight journalist aspiring to change who she is inside without changing who she is outside.

Even if Saturday Night Live is what these actors are remembered best for, that does not mean it will always be the best thing they are remembered for.

Usually, when you think of people who get their start in show business early, you think of famous child actors. However, the same could be said about SNL cast members — many of whom can say they first got hired onto the show when they were just in their mid-20s, or even younger. The following are some of the youngest performers to grace the stage Saturday Night Live yet.

Anthony Michael Hall

According to The Independent, when Anthony Michael Hall became an SNL regular in 1985, he set the record for the show’s youngest cast member at just 17 years old. By then, he was already a teen idol from starring alongside fellow Studio 8H vet Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Vacation and standing out in now-iconic ‘80s movie classics like Sixteen Candles and Weird Science.

Dan Aykroyd

One of the youngest members of SNL’s original run from 1975 to 1980 was Dan Aykroyd, who became a Not Ready For Primetime Player at 23 years old. His high-energy performance style and bizarre ideas — he wrote beloved sketches like The Coneheads, among others — ensured a glorious Studio 8H tenure and his lasting legacy as an esteemed comedy icon.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Despite her unforgettable, Emmy-winning performances in the Seinfeld cast as Elaine Benes and Selina Meyer in the Veep cast, an actor you may have forgotten was on SNL is Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The sketch comedy series was the multi-Emmy winner’s big break in 1982 when she was just 21.

Pete Davidson

When Pete Davidson made his “Weekend Update” debut in 2014, the then-20-year-old was aptly referred to as SNL’s “Resident Young Person” and would frequently appear in sketches as a very convincing teenager. The comedian, who left the show in 2022, would soon grow up to be one of the biggest stars of his day, from co-creating and leading his own series, Bupkis, to joining blockbuster franchises like the Fast and Furious movies and the Transformers series.

Eddie Murphy

An often credited for coming to SNL’s rescue during its struggles in 1980 was Eddie Murphy, who was the first cast member hired while still under the age of 20 (19, to be exact). With unforgettable characters like Mister Robinson or his iconic take on Gumby, he showed a voracious talent way beyond his years that soon secured his place as one of Hollywood’s brightest stars. 

Joan Cusack

As she recalled to Terry Gross on the Fresh Air podcast, Joan Cusack did not have the best experience when she was cast on Saturday Night Live from 1985-1986 (not considered the show’s best season either) at age 23. Fortunately, after becoming the first SNL actor nominated for an Oscar two times (for Working Girl and In & Out), getting the chance to act alongside her siblings (including John Cusack) multiple times, and other memorable achievements, it seems things got better for her.

John Belushi

One of the first faces that most longtime fans picture when they think of SNL is John Belushi, whom you might assume already had decades of comedic work under his belt before being hired on the show in 1975 based on his staggering talent. As it turns out, the future star of The Blues Brothers — one of the greatest SNL movies ever made — was only 26 at the time.

Jay Pharoah

A then-22-year-old Jay Pharaoh quickly made a grand impression on Studio 8H when he appeared on “Weekend Update” with a spot-on impression of Will Smith in 2010. This would be only the first of many hilarious impersonations he demonstrated week after week until he, unfortunately, was fired from SNL in 2016.

Aidy Bryant

When Aidy Bryant was first hired in 2012, the then-25-year-old would often play teenagers, such as in one of SNL’s most popular sketches on YouTube in which she plays a high school student unaware she is an adult film character. The Shrill star would continue to play younger roles throughout her decade-long SNL tenure (which was actually longer than she had intended, due to Covid).

Robert Downey Jr.

Talk about starting early — Robert Downey Jr. earned his first IMDb credit at 5 years old when his father cast him in a bizarre avant-garde drama called Pound in 1970. Fifteen years later, after the future MCU star turned 20, he joined the SNL cast for just one season, during which he realized sketch comedy was not really his game, as he revealed to Sam Jones on Off Camera later.

Jimmy Fallon

Even as the host of The Tonight Show from 2014 on, Jimmy Fallon has, impressively, looked around 24 years old the entire time. However, that was actually the age at which the skilled impressionist, whose tendency to laugh often caused some sketches to not go as planned, joined the SNL cast in 1998. 

Sarah Silverman

With two Emmy Awards, a Disney franchise (the Wreck-It Ralph movies, as the voice of Vanellope), and an acclaimed stand-up career, Sarah Silverman has done a pretty good job navigating show business. According to her interview with Perri Nemiroff for Collider Ladies Night, she credits her brief SNL tenure, from 1993 to 1994, when she was just 22 as a great help in that area.

Kenan Thompson

Kenan Thompson got his start in sketch comedy even earlier than many can say, having been cast on Nickelodeon’s All That at age 15. About a decade later, in 2003, the then-25-year-old graduated to Studio 8H and went on to become one of the longest-tenured SNL actors in the show’s history.

Chris Farley

Chris Farley is a prime example of a showbusiness icon who achieved much in little time. The high-energy comedic talent, known for characters like motivational speaker Matt Foley and, later, movies like the fan favorite 1995 classic, Tommy Boy, was hired on SNL in 1990 at 26 and passed away just seven years later.

Laraine Newman

Arguably, one of the most underrated Not Ready For Primetime Players is Laraine Newman, who might be best known as Beldar (Dan Aykroyd) and Prymaat’s (Jane Curtin) daughter, Connie, from the “Coneheads” sketches. She was also one of the original SNL cast’s youngest members, having been hired in 1975 at 23.

Chris Rock

His blistering, hilarious satirical commentaries on “Weekend Update” made Chris Rock, easily, one of the sharpest ‘90s SNL cast members. Those appearances also stood as proof that he was wise beyond his years, having joined the cast in 1990 at age 25.

Gilbert Gottfried

Before the late Gilbert Gottfried became known for movies like Beverly Hills Cop II and 1992's Aladdin (as the voice of Iago), one of his first (and lesser-known) gigs was Saturday Night Live. The comedian started his 12-episode stint as part of the cast in 1980 when he was 25.

Abby Elliot

Abby Elliott was already 7 years old when her father — future Schitt’s Creek cast member, Chris Elliott — joined the SNL cast for the 1994-1995 season. Fourteen years later, in 2008, the future member of FX’s The Bear cast became part of Studio 8H's legacy at age 21.

Damon Wayans

Years before performing bits like “Homey D. Clown” and “Men on Film” in the In Living Color cast made him a comedy all-star, Damon Wayans was hired on SNL 1985 when he was 25. As he recalled in a Weekender interview, his stint only lasted 11 episodes because he decided to go off-script while a sketch was live in progress.

Andrew Dismukes

Andrew Dismukes is one of those SNL cast members who can be seamlessly inserted into a sketch set at a high school or as a family’s teenage son. One might even be surprised to learn that the actor — who also shined as a Joker-obsessed wedding bestman in a sketch that is somehow both terrible and amazing — was as old as 25 when he joined the show in 2020.  

Ben Stiller

Five weeks after joining the SNL cast, then-23-year-old Ben Stiller quit the show, wanting to just create short films instead of perform live sketches, according to an interview with Howard Stern from 2018. The actor and filmmaker later would do exactly that on the short-lived The Ben Stiller Show — also starring non-SNL sketch comedy performer, Bob Odenkirk — but eventually came back for a few SNL hosting gigs and a recurring role as Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Yvonne Hudson

Yvonne Hudson officially became the first Black female SNL cast member (and third Black cast member overall after Garrett Morris and Eddie Murphy) when she was 25. According to a Vulture interview with fellow Season 6 cast member Mitchell Kriegmann, Hudson was actually Studio 8H’s receptionist before she was brought onto the ensemble in 1980, which may explain why she has no other acting credits to her name.

Marcello Hernandez

One of the underrated Marcello Hernandez’s most popular SNL sketches — which spawned a sequel featuring Bad Bunny — saw him playing a college student bringing his girlfriend (Chloe Fineman) home to his overprotective, Spanish-speaking mother (Pedro Pascal). The comic’s college days were actually not too far away from him when that bit aired during his introductory season, having been hired in mid-2022 when he was 25.

Adam Sandler

Before Adam Sandler’s movies started to really launch him toward icon status in his 30s, the comic was making a name for himself on SNL while still in his 20s. The actor behind characters like Opera Man and songs like “Lunch Lady Land” first came onto the show when he was 25 in 1991.

Ellen Cleghorne

Ellen Cleghorne, SNL’s second Black, female cast member, was hired in 1991 when she was 26 and stayed on until 1995. Outside of Studio 8H, she is known for appearing in blockbusters like Armageddon as well as several comedies featuring fellow SNL veterans, such as Little Nicky opposite Adam Sandler and Old School with Will Ferrell.

Jay Mohr

Highlights of Jay Mohr’s two-year SNL stint, which began in 1993 when he was 23, include his impressive impersonations of celebrities like Christopher Walken and Billy Idol. Highlights of the comic’s career since include his antagonistic role in Jerry Maguire, his Emmy nomination for executive producing Last Comic Standing (which he also hosted, originally), and appearing in the Air cast for Amazon.

Melanie Hutsell

Best known for playing Jan Brady in “Weekend Update” segments and Di for the Delta Delta Delta sorority, Melanie Hutsell came on to SNL as a featured performer in 1991 when she was 23. Some may also recognize her from her small appearance alongside the Bridesmaids cast, a recurring role on Netflix’s Lady Dynamite, and more.

Brad Hall

According to People, when Brad Hall joined the SNL cast in 1982, the then-24-year-old had already met his co-star and future wife, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as students at Northwestern University. The couple would go on to work together again when he created her first follow-up to Seinfeld, Watching Ellie.

Laura Kightlinger

Laura Kightlinger was 25 when she joined the SNL cast in 1994, during the show’s 20th season. After a year, she found even greater success as a producer of sitcoms like Will & Grace and 2 Broke Girls, on which she also made guest appearances.

Gary Kroeger

Al Franken is not the only SNL cast member to go into politics later on. According to the Des Moines Register, Gary Kroeger, who was hired in 1982 when he was 25 years old, ran for Congress in his home state of Iowa in 2015.

Tom Davis

Tom Davis was actually hired at SNL as a writer during the first season when he was 23, but would not be brought on as a cast member until two years later in 1977. Before he passed away in 2012, he also made a cameo in the sort-of Christmas movie classic, 1983’s Trading Places, alongside Al Franken, helped write the Coneheads movie from 1993, and more.

Peter Aykroyd

When Dan Aykroyd and the rest of the Not Ready For Primetime Players left the show in 1980, his then-25-year-old younger brother, Peter, briefly joined the cast the following season. Also an Emmy-winning SNL writer and former member of the Second City comedy troupe, Aykroyd sadly passed away in November 2021 at the age of 66.

Sometimes the brightest SNL stars turn out to be among the youngest as well.

It's the big question following Jenna Lyons' breakout debut on The Real Housewives of New York City Season 14: is she coming back next season? 

The Loveseen Lashes founder and former J.Crew creative director was the sole notable name going into the premiere of The Real Housewives of New York reboot last season (which you can catch up on with a Peacock subscription), but was reluctant to be as frank and forthcoming as you'd expect from a reality star having their lives filmed for national television, routinely not wanting to share personal details like her relationship status through the season. 

Rumors of Lyons' future on the series have been swirling ever since RHONY Season 14 ended in October 2023, and now the fashionista has finally addressed the gossip during a visit to visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, November 21. 

"Are you coming back?" the late-night host point-blank asked Lyons, but she initially dodged his directness, replying as if he was asking her to return to The Tonight Show: "When do you want to me come?" But Fallon kept pressing: "No, Real Housewives—are you doing it? Are you doing another season?"

If it was a cut-and-dry answer you were after, Lyons may have been leaving you frustrated:

However, based on the applause from the Studio 6B audience, fans are looking forward to seeing more of Lyons on RHONY, one of the best reality TV shows. "They want you to do it. They love you!" Fallon affirmed. 

Lyons also revealed on the late-night show that, despite how "hard" she found filming the reality franchise alongside castmates Jessel Taank, Sai De Silva, Ubah Hussan, Erin Lichy and fave newbie Brynn Whitfield, "people have been lovely" about her and the new cast. 

You can see the full back-and-forth in the late night video, below. 

Speculation about Lyons' participation next season, or lack thereof, circulated after the Bravo personality appeared alongside RHONY executive producer Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

Notably, Lyons didn't join the rest of the New York Housewives in Las Vegas earlier this month during BravoCon fan convention, the explanation for her absence being that she was "at an event." 

And she also was pointedly missing during a recent reunion dinner of sorts between the RHONY women. On Sunday, November 19, co-star Sai De Silva posted an Instagram Story of the rest of The Real Housewives of New York cast—sans Lyons—out to dinner, with the caption "The cackling hags club,” a reference to a Jessel Taank quote from this past season.

So, is Jenna Lyons in or out of RHONY season 15 when it hits (hopefully) the 2024 TV schedule? We'll all just have to stay tuned!