- 1 hour ago
As late-night television declines, The Tonight Show host is preparing for tomorrow by building an entertainment empire based on his irrepressible joy. With the launch of his new marketing competition show, On Brand, Jimmy Fallon's getting down to business.
In his 11 years as host of The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon has always been an idea machine—constantly dreaming up new comedy segments, new products, even entirely new programs. He once pitched NBC a drama about a murderous priest who takes his own confession, thus absolving his soul of sin. “They didn’t like that,” Fallon says, with a characteristic giggle. “So off-brand for me, but you got to take those swings, man.”
The 51-year-old comedian’s own personal brand—hotwiring an encyclopedic love of pop culture with his hyper-enthusiastic positivity—has defined his late-night talk show, and in recent years, become an even more natural fit on game shows he has produced such as Password and That’s My Jam. It’s a collection of jobs for which NBC has made him one of the highest-paid hosts on TV, with a contract that Forbes estimates at $16 million annually.
That doesn’t mean Fallon is immune to the pressures of television’s structural decline. While Johnny Carson was the undisputed King of Late Night as the Tonight Show host for nearly 30 years, Fallon ranks third in viewership in his time slot (behind Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel), averaging 1.2 million viewers per night, and the show’s ad revenue is down 35% from 2022 to 2024, according to ad data provider iSpot TV. The abrupt cancellation in July of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert—which CBS claimed was losing $40 million per year—prompted many to declare the imminent demise of late night, adding a level of urgency to Fallon’s side hustles.
Into this turbulent landscape he is launching On Brand with Jimmy Fallon on September 30, a new NBC reality competition show in the mold of Shark Tank and The Apprentice in which contestants with no marketing experience pitch campaigns for major brands such as Pillsbury, Dunkin’ and Southwest Airlines. The winning ad campaigns will appear in real life the day after an episode airs, creating what Fallon hopes is a symbiotic relationship with brands that makes the show a profit center. “It’s a new type of show,” he says, “and I think it’s a new type of business model, too.”
Read the full story on Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattcraig/2025/09/28/jimmy-fallon-on-the-future-of-late-night-and-being-a-super-marketer/
Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.
In his 11 years as host of The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon has always been an idea machine—constantly dreaming up new comedy segments, new products, even entirely new programs. He once pitched NBC a drama about a murderous priest who takes his own confession, thus absolving his soul of sin. “They didn’t like that,” Fallon says, with a characteristic giggle. “So off-brand for me, but you got to take those swings, man.”
The 51-year-old comedian’s own personal brand—hotwiring an encyclopedic love of pop culture with his hyper-enthusiastic positivity—has defined his late-night talk show, and in recent years, become an even more natural fit on game shows he has produced such as Password and That’s My Jam. It’s a collection of jobs for which NBC has made him one of the highest-paid hosts on TV, with a contract that Forbes estimates at $16 million annually.
That doesn’t mean Fallon is immune to the pressures of television’s structural decline. While Johnny Carson was the undisputed King of Late Night as the Tonight Show host for nearly 30 years, Fallon ranks third in viewership in his time slot (behind Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel), averaging 1.2 million viewers per night, and the show’s ad revenue is down 35% from 2022 to 2024, according to ad data provider iSpot TV. The abrupt cancellation in July of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert—which CBS claimed was losing $40 million per year—prompted many to declare the imminent demise of late night, adding a level of urgency to Fallon’s side hustles.
Into this turbulent landscape he is launching On Brand with Jimmy Fallon on September 30, a new NBC reality competition show in the mold of Shark Tank and The Apprentice in which contestants with no marketing experience pitch campaigns for major brands such as Pillsbury, Dunkin’ and Southwest Airlines. The winning ad campaigns will appear in real life the day after an episode airs, creating what Fallon hopes is a symbiotic relationship with brands that makes the show a profit center. “It’s a new type of show,” he says, “and I think it’s a new type of business model, too.”
Read the full story on Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattcraig/2025/09/28/jimmy-fallon-on-the-future-of-late-night-and-being-a-super-marketer/
Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00Straight from a taping of The Tonight Show.
00:10Jimmy Fallon, you're here with us.
00:12Thank you so much.
00:13Nice to see you.
00:14Thanks for doing this.
00:14Absolutely.
00:15So, as I mentioned, coming straight from a taping.
00:17You've been doing The Tonight Show for 11 years now,
00:20four or five more on the late night side.
00:22What's different about doing the show now
00:25versus 10 or 15 years ago?
00:26Oh, my gosh.
00:28So many things have changed.
00:29I sweat less.
00:31I was really sweaty the first season.
00:33We didn't have the air conditioning figured out the first
00:37because we planned on the lighting and stuff,
00:40but we didn't plan out all the people in there.
00:41So my first couple of interviews,
00:43I was just like dripping flop sweat, just like, oh, my gosh.
00:46So that has changed.
00:47But the whole landscape has changed.
00:50I mean, with social media and everything now,
00:52it's just completely different.
00:54But it's exciting.
00:55It's just always changing every year.
00:57Yeah.
00:57I'm sure most people are familiar with you first from Saturday Night Live
01:01or Almost Famous, a personal favorite of mine.
01:04As the story goes, Lauren Michael said, you know,
01:07the day you left, he thought you'd be good at doing this talk show thing.
01:11It took you five years to then step into a role like that.
01:14When did you know that you could be good at something like this?
01:18I mean, it takes a while to get your brand and your footing and know who you are.
01:24So I think just the more you practice.
01:27It probably wasn't until like probably year three or year four
01:31where you start figuring things out and you go, oh, yeah, I'm comfortable with this.
01:35Or I can have a conversation with someone without, you know, worrying about how much time do we have
01:39or we don't have enough time.
01:41Like I remember when we first started, I would just talk so fast.
01:45I'd be like, where are you from?
01:46What's the movie about?
01:47And cool, let's show a clip.
01:48And the whole thing would be 30 seconds.
01:50I'd go, dude, you've got to slow down, man.
01:52So now I'm just comfortable and I can talk for an hour if we have to.
01:55Yeah, I saw an interview that you did in 2009 when you launched the late night show.
02:00And it was obviously a very crowded late night landscape at that point.
02:03But there was a quote that you had that said, Jimmy Kimmel has his own thing.
02:06Craig Ferguson has his own thing.
02:08Everyone has their own thing.
02:09Eventually, I'll have my own thing.
02:11I guess now, like what is your thing that differentiates you from the other shows?
02:15I mean, I think, you know, our show's more sketch-based, musical, more poppy.
02:25You know, we're very positive on our show.
02:29I think that's really kind of what's on brand for me.
02:34You know, family-friendly, that's kind of, you know, but just enough edge to know that it's still have a little edge to it.
02:44And you don't want the flag touching the ground, but you can get close.
02:47Yeah, you know, it seems like some late night hosts kind of got their humor from being a little grumpy, crotchety.
02:52With you, it's like joy of being with all your guests.
02:55You know, you're calling them pal, right?
02:57Yeah, I mean, that's been the way it's always been since late night days, yeah.
03:00I think that the thing that people always say is like, there's no way he is really that enthusiastic with everyone that comes on, with every topic.
03:07Is that strategic at all for the interview, or is that just natural, like who you are?
03:11I like it.
03:12I like things.
03:13I like pop culture.
03:14I like, you know, I like that shopping cart.
03:17I like the purple.
03:18I just, I also know how much work goes into everything, you know?
03:23I've done a few movies, you know, and you spend months filming these movies, and then they spend months editing the movies.
03:29Then you do press for two months, and it comes out, and they go, it sucks.
03:32And you go, wait, what?
03:34No, there was so much work.
03:35So many people worked so hard on this.
03:38So I just know from that side how much work goes into all that stuff, or making an album, or, you know, any of that stuff.
03:45It's a lot of work, so I just want to let everyone kind of shine and everyone kind of decide if they like it or not.
03:50How do you maintain that level of enthusiasm?
03:53I mean, you do the show four nights a week.
03:54How do you maintain that?
03:55It's different.
03:56Every show is completely, you know, if you have ADD, it's perfect for you because it's a different musical guest,
04:01or it's a stand-up comedian, or, you know, you're talking about a serious subject or a movie coming out or the number one show on Netflix.
04:10And it's like every night is completely different, and, you know, sometimes you're meeting new people,
04:16but sometimes you're meeting old friends that have been on the show for, you know, going back 15, 16 years.
04:22It's kind of fun to watch everyone rise and, you know, who they're dating and who they dated and who they're married,
04:27and now they have kids, and it's like, oh, yeah, I know you.
04:29So we can talk about things, you know, for the movies.
04:33I've had guests on where they're like, I hope you didn't see this movie.
04:36It's bad.
04:37It's so bad.
04:37I go, it's good.
04:39You know, usually I have seen the movie, and I'm just like, we don't have to get into details.
04:45There's always something good about every project.
04:47Yeah, it seems like, you know, your show's always done really well with a younger demographic,
04:50and I feel like at least part of that is your embrace of the Internet, you know,
04:53whether it's doing the trends and the dances on the show or having creators on as guests.
04:59I guess in 2025, how does the Internet shape how you do your TV show?
05:04I mean, you know, I think we're always looking for new things and next, you know,
05:09that's the thing that keeps the show current, you know.
05:11I think I learned that from Saturday Night Live.
05:13You know, if they stayed with the same sketches and the same cast, it wouldn't be around today.
05:19You know, you have to change things up, and you have to think of a new bit or try something new
05:23and try something that flops and doesn't work and try stuff that, you know,
05:27I have no idea if it's going to work or not.
05:29I think there's some type of spontaneity that you need to have that spark of the show and keep it exciting.
05:36How much time are you spending online?
05:38Like, are you, you know, keeping up with those trends and those kind of things?
05:41I mean, that's where I, you know, get my news.
05:44I mean, you know, I check out a bunch of sites and all that stuff.
05:48And, you know, if you're on TikTok and just or Instagram and just seeing what people are talking about,
05:54you know, I think it's just all around me.
05:58You know, it's at my desk at work, but it's on your phone.
06:01It's everywhere.
06:02You know, so I think you have to, I'm not on it too much to the point where I'm like,
06:07I need a break from it, but I'm on there just enough.
06:10Has what you find funny changed over the course of you doing the show?
06:15I mean, yeah, totally.
06:16There's so much new talent out there and new people doing things in different ways of attacking a sketch.
06:22You know, now people do things that are funny in 15 seconds.
06:26And there's the most popular thing in the world.
06:28And they go, did you see that?
06:29And they go, yeah, that's so interesting that that's, you got that laugh in 15 seconds that back in the day would probably be a five minute sketch where I was hoping that someone laughed.
06:39I think it's cool for writers and also comedians to have their stuff live on the Internet.
06:45Because, you know, I think of Johnny Carson and, you know, when they threw the tomahawk and, you know, and that landed on that thing.
06:53It was the funniest thing ever.
06:54But there was no Internet.
06:56So you either had to see it or you didn't see it.
06:59You know, it's interesting.
06:59You just, you had to kind of be there.
07:01Now you could miss it and still see it.
07:04You go, oh, you got to watch it now.
07:05You know, but back in the day, you'd have to choose what show you watch.
07:09And I'm going to watch Mary Tyler Moore.
07:11You know, well, I'm going to watch, you know, some other show.
07:14You have to be that person.
07:16Now you can watch everything.
07:17Yeah.
07:17And kind of people expect you to see everything.
07:19It seems like one of the things that your show is best known for are for the segments that it's birthed.
07:24You know, like a lip sync battle or, you know, a box of lies or, you know, a wheel of musical impressions.
07:30I guess how important have branding those segments been to the success of your show?
07:36You know, we never thought about it as like, oh, this will do well online, you know.
07:42But we just happened to break the show into like six-minute chunks or seven-minute chunks.
07:48It's always been like that.
07:49And that works better online than, you know.
07:52But it pays off to have it branded and have it be called something like lip sync battle or something like that.
07:57But sometimes you have to do it three or four times and be like, oh, we should probably call this something.
08:00Because we've been doing it now four times, you know.
08:02If it's thank you notes or hashtags, wherever it is.
08:06When they first start out, they're just bits.
08:08And then after probably five or six times, then you should put a name on it and go, we should call it something because we keep doing it.
08:13Sure.
08:14One of the things that occurs to me is how over that past decade, the Internet has been now filled with these sort of nontraditional celebrity segments.
08:22Whether it's like a Hot Ones, Chicken Shop Date, or Lie Detector.
08:25Like, you know, I feel like the Jimmy Fallon bits are now what YouTube is in some ways.
08:29How have those being online changed how you think about creating them on the show?
08:34You've got to keep moving, you know.
08:35I mean, when we first started, I remember we were kind of doing...
08:40Sorry, that's my assistant with my derp bike.
08:43He takes it out all the time.
08:45I let him do it just for fun.
08:47Again, you've got to keep him happy, you know.
08:49He loves it.
08:50And he's almost 32 now.
08:54So he's excited about those things.
08:55He'll get a talking to you.
08:56Yeah, he will.
08:58I think, you know, I think when we first started the show, we were doing, like, game shows and kind of spoofing game shows.
09:05And then maybe we had a guest on and said, hey, I want to do one of those game shows.
09:09And I go, it's just kind of a joke that we're doing.
09:11They're not real game shows.
09:12But then, well, it could be fun to just play a game.
09:15Like, okay.
09:16I would be interested to see how, you know, Meryl Streep plays Pictionary.
09:20Does she get mad or does she cheat?
09:22I don't know what's going on, but it's weird, but let's try it.
09:25And then you just started doing that.
09:26And then you're like, oh, we're at the show.
09:28There are people who play games.
09:28And then we're like, oh, let's not do that anymore.
09:30It's like, now, do you want to sing something?
09:34Okay.
09:35And then we have people singing or doing impressions.
09:37And it's like, you know, you don't have to.
09:39We don't force anyone to do anything.
09:41People just kind of come to us and go, I got this idea.
09:43Do you want to do this?
09:45You know, or we pitch in.
09:45You can always say no and just do a straight interview.
09:48It's up to you, really.
09:49Yeah.
09:49It has changed because now it's more the norm where people are just doing things and odd interviews and stuff like that.
09:57So it's like, now we've got to think of another thing because this show is doing exactly what we did.
10:01They're calling it something different, but it's exactly what we did.
10:04We're like, let's just change.
10:05It's easier that way.
10:06Well, speaking of branding, outside of your day job, I think you've collaborated on so many things.
10:12I have a short list here.
10:14Children's books, pocket squares, pajamas, shoes, Ben and Jerry's ice cream, a roller coaster, a Christmas album.
10:21All those are sort of branding exercises in their own way.
10:25Everyone should have their own roller coaster.
10:27I would like a roller coaster.
10:28Not many talk shows have the roller coaster, yeah.
10:31Yeah, yeah.
10:31When did you start thinking of yourself, I guess, as a personal brand that could be exported to other things?
10:38I don't know.
10:39I'm trying to think of when.
10:40I just think, I remember when we first got Late Night, it was NBC Universal.
10:45And that was not the case when I was on NBC when I did Saturday Night Live.
10:49So I was like, Universal, we should have our own ride.
10:51So I remember, I go, can I have a meeting with the ride people?
10:55And they were like, no, who are you?
10:58But we'll try to set it up.
10:59And they set me up with a meeting.
11:01It was a teleconference meeting, pre-Zoom.
11:04And I met with these guys that were great.
11:06And I pitched this idea for a ride.
11:08I go, it's like Soarin' at Disney, but it's more nighttime and funnier and darker and faster.
11:14And they go, that's great.
11:15And I go, so you like it?
11:16And they go, yeah, we're not going to do it.
11:18But good luck with your show.
11:19And, you know, I hope all the best, you know, and we're going to miss Conan, you know.
11:23I think so.
11:24And so then the show started doing well.
11:26And then I got the Tonight Show.
11:28And then I got a call from the ride people.
11:31And they were like, yeah, do you remember pitching?
11:32I was like so nervous.
11:33I'm like, yeah, I totally remember.
11:34And they're like, oh, we want to do it now.
11:36So I go, love it.
11:37I just think try something new and seeing how much you can do and how big you can make the show.
11:42I mean, I think the internet helps with that too.
11:44But also, you have so much opportunity.
11:47You go, yeah, this is great.
11:50You know, if you just got a weird invention or something, you know, I had an idea for these sweatshirts.
11:58I originally called them pits was the name of it.
12:00Because, you know, when your team wins or scores, what do you do?
12:05You go, yeah.
12:06I mean, this is great real estate.
12:08Why are we not doing something with this?
12:10So this should be like New York Yankees or something, you know, and call them pits, you know.
12:16And no one liked the name.
12:18And no one really even liked the product that much.
12:20But we made it.
12:22They called it Hands High and actually made my own sweatshirt.
12:24Oh, really?
12:24Yeah.
12:25And we sold it for a couple years, three years.
12:28It was okay.
12:29Okay.
12:30I think it just kind of, you got to be really behind it and change it and go with it.
12:35But I thought it could be like people go to concerts, you know, you can have Charlie, XCX, I mean, whatever.
12:40You can do whatever you want.
12:41Because when something's exciting or winning, your hands are always up.
12:45And I think that's a good photo of, you know, if Yankees win and you just see some Hands High sweatshirts in there or whatever.
12:51But I think pits is a better name.
12:53Yeah.
12:53But you come up with that and you go, if I can make that happen, I can make, you know, just think of anything.
12:59Right.
12:59I was online once at Starbucks just spinning my sunglasses and I go, what if they had like ball bearings or something in the arm so that you can get a good whip?
13:10Like a fidget spinner.
13:11Yes.
13:11So you can get a good whip to the sunglasses.
13:13Okay.
13:13Like.
13:14And so I came up with Spinneys and talked to Warby Parker because I listened to them on a podcast, How I Built This, maybe.
13:22And I like their vibe.
13:23And I go, would you want to do this?
13:24We'll give them money to charity, you know.
13:26And so we invented Spinneys and we sold out in like five minutes or something.
13:29It was like crazy inventions.
13:31My wife still wears it.
13:32Are these like other ways to use your creativity?
13:36I mean, they seem so disparate, right?
13:39Like sunglasses, pajamas.
13:41Yeah.
13:41It's just whatever you think.
13:45If you have an idea, I write it down and I go, is there anything?
13:49I remember my, one of my first meetings with my lawyer, I go, we're talking about the show and he's like, well, we'll talk about negotiation.
13:56You go, yeah, yeah, I go, I got this idea for an app.
13:59It's an oyster.
14:01And then you just put different things on it, like a mini nut sauce or cocktail sauce.
14:05And then you like, and you slurp it up and 99 cents.
14:08And he goes, no, we're not making the oyster app.
14:12Just focus on the show.
14:14They go, yeah, I know.
14:15But the oyster would be such a fun app.
14:16Just to slurp an oyster out of an iPhone would be kind of funny.
14:20Coming soon, 2026.
14:21I don't know if oyster's ever going to, I don't think we'll ever see oyster.
14:24Well, I think that brings us to your new show on brand, you know, about branding.
14:29So excited about the show.
14:30Yeah.
14:31It turned out fantastic.
14:33I had this idea for a show and I wrote it out on my iPad.
14:40And I was like, it's called, I think, branded was what I called it originally.
14:45And I said, the idea is like, let's see the people behind the brands, you know, and have
14:49them tell us what they want.
14:52You know, they go, look, people under the age of 27 don't know who we are.
14:55So we need something, you know, for women under the age of 27.
14:58Like, good, tell us.
15:00And then we'll make it.
15:01And whoever has the best idea, that wins.
15:03And so it started off with that idea.
15:06And then it came, then it's kind of split into like, there's 10, there's 10 contestants
15:11from all walks of life.
15:13There's professors, there's people not necessarily within a background in advertising, real estate
15:20agent, swim instructor, but they're all creative.
15:24And we had a great vetting process of getting a good cast.
15:28Just like, we gave them fake brands and say, pitch us the new Ronald McDonald.
15:33What would he look like if he wasn't a clown or whatever?
15:36You know, just pitch us.
15:37And so we got the best brains.
15:38And it's really funny and different.
15:41And I think what's cool about the show is we have these, you know, CMOs and brand managers
15:49and presidents that come on.
15:50You get to see the people behind the brand.
15:52And they're honest.
15:53And they're like, here's the deal.
15:55We had eight brands.
15:57So I'm assuming Dunkin' Donuts.
15:58It's like, we have more than donuts.
16:01We actually have breakfast meal deals in the morning.
16:04So how do we pitch that?
16:06I'm like, great.
16:06So we came up with some great pitches.
16:09Two of them win.
16:10They go head to head in an actual Dunkin' Donuts.
16:13And we let the Dunkin' Donuts fans decide which one works or doesn't work.
16:18It's pretty obvious when you see it.
16:20It's like, this one's, I don't know if it's going to work as well, but it's exciting.
16:23And then the next day, after our show airs, it will be, it will be in Dunkin' Donuts.
16:29It will be in, it's actually going to happen.
16:32Right.
16:33So the ideas that you're seeing on the show are real life next day on billboards,
16:37you know, on television commercials, spots.
16:39It's all happening, which I don't think has happened in television.
16:44I don't think it's something new.
16:46It's a new type of show, and I think it's a new type of business model, too.
16:50So in recent years, obviously, you've added to the Tonight Show, like, Password,
16:55That's My Jam, now On Brand, you know, more game competition shows or other kinds of shows.
17:00How do those, I guess, like, exercise your creativity in a way that talk show is maybe not doing?
17:05I kind of got into the whole game show of it all.
17:11I'm trying to think of what it was.
17:12I think probably because all the bits we do on the show is so much of a variety show is what I think the Tonight Show is more than anything.
17:18We do talk, but it's variety, you know, which I don't even know if that really exists anymore, a real variety.
17:25But we always did musical things or games or sketches and stuff like that.
17:30And so I think maybe that's my jam was the first thing that came out, which was just a singing competition game for fun.
17:38And then Password, we used to have Betty White on the show all the time, and that was, you know, her show.
17:44She married the host.
17:45And so we used to play with Betty all the time, and it was super fun.
17:49And I think during COVID, I was like, this could be something that we could do cheaply on even phones and make the show work just to give people entertainment while we're all freaking out in our house.
18:02And it was hard to get off the ground at the time because there's too much.
18:07A lot of people get involved.
18:09Money gets involved in studios and audience.
18:11I go, just make it and it'll work.
18:13But we ended up making it, and then it was a hit.
18:16And thank God for Kiki Palmer.
18:19It was just amazing.
18:20Won an Emmy for hosting.
18:21She's awesome.
18:22We just did another season of that last week.
18:26So it's been, that was fun.
18:27And then I think I'm kind of good in that game show if I have an idea for a show.
18:32I also have bad ideas, too, that I pitch to NBC that they say no to.
18:38Like, I had one called Priest where it's about a priest who kills people and then confesses his sins to himself.
18:45So he's free from sin, but he's a murderer.
18:49And they didn't like that.
18:50But again, it's up for grabs.
18:52226.
18:53If anyone wants to make Priest, it's a great idea.
18:55It's like a Dexter type of vibe.
18:57Yeah, yeah.
18:58So off-brand for me.
18:59But, you know, you've got to take those swings, man.
19:02Sure, sure.
19:02Yeah, I tried.
19:03So all those shows, obviously, are on TV.
19:07TV, as much talked about in the business, is declining viewership, revenue, those kinds of things.
19:13Into that landscape, I guess, how does that change how you think about launching a new show or continuing to do the show you're doing now?
19:19I mean, there's certain things that you don't worry really about the ratings.
19:22It's more like, I think The Tonight Show has just been around for 70 years.
19:27It's just part of your television.
19:29That's the way I looked at it when I was a kid.
19:30I realized it was a job.
19:32I just saw Johnny Carson on this box.
19:35I go, oh, that's where you live.
19:36Or that's whatever.
19:37I didn't think of it as a job.
19:38So I think that is just part of, it's just a staple of culture.
19:43And I think it'll be around for as long as TV's around.
19:47This show, like, On Brand, I think, is more of a ratings thing.
19:50And you kind of want it to rate and do well.
19:52It's also airing the next day on Peacock.
19:54So, again, I don't know how that works either.
19:58Like, I don't know if Nielsen ratings, do they?
20:03They have, yeah.
20:04In recent years, they've found ways to, like, integrate a airing plus three, plus seven, you know, with digital viewership as well.
20:11But it's messy, I would say.
20:13Yeah, they haven't figured, like, Netflix not involved.
20:15No, they don't give any data on stuff other than, like, hours engaged every six months.
20:20Yeah, so I hope a lot of hours get engaged with On Brand.
20:24But I think it's a family show.
20:27I think it's, people can go back to watch.
20:30And we have a great Tuesday night lead-in.
20:32It's The Voice.
20:32We're following The Voice.
20:33So hopefully people will hang around after The Voice and watch On Brands on Tuesdays.
20:38And then they're experimenting with going Tuesdays and Fridays, new episodes.
20:42So it's not a repeat.
20:43So Tuesdays and new episodes.
20:44Friday at 8, we're launching.
20:46So that's the one I'm hoping.
20:48That's the experimental thing.
20:50I don't know.
20:50But I know that Shark Tank worked there.
20:52And Shark Tank's not on Fridays anymore.
20:54So if you're in that business competition, Friday night deal.
20:58There it is.
20:58We got it for you.
21:00But again, I hope, I don't know what it's going to be like.
21:04I'll find out, you know, probably a couple weeks in, you'll realize if it's working or not.
21:09I think also what might help this show is seeing the needle move for these brands.
21:16And I think that will be exciting.
21:18Like, I don't know how to do it right now, but I want every company that we're working
21:22with to write down where they're at right now and then see where they are after On Brand
21:26happens because I think they're going to, their numbers will go up and that'll prove
21:31that the show is working.
21:32And I think doing a reality show is different than the other game shows I've done because
21:36I'm the host of this thing and I have an earpiece and I have to look at a certain person
21:41and go, talk to BT, okay, yep, and talk to Raj, yes, you know, and I'm not the best at that.
21:47So I think I'll get better, you know, season two, you know, and I think, you know, I'll
21:53understand more of, because my brain's always kind of thinking like, wait, how,
21:56how is this going to work?
21:58And you can't, you just have to be on and be like, okay, everyone, here's what we're
22:02doing today.
22:02And, you know, I don't know if this, I'm not good at this.
22:04I'm like watching Top Chef episodes, like looking at Padma going, oh God, I hope I
22:09can do this, man.
22:10It's harder than you think.
22:11If you can do it like her, you'll be in a good show.
22:12That's what I'm saying.
22:13I shoot for the, yeah, shoot for the moon.
22:15It's interesting what you said about the Tonight Show because obviously the conversation
22:19after the Colbert cancellation was they're getting rid of the Late Show franchise.
22:24And so maybe that spells the end of, of late night TV.
22:28I guess, do you think you'll be the last host of the Tonight Show?
22:33Oh gosh, no, there'll, there'll be someone else.
22:37There's probably someone else watching right now.
22:39Like, I hope that he retires so I can take over or, you know, I don't think it'll be a
22:45robot.
22:45I, I think it has to be a human being that is, you know, makes mistakes and has a real
22:51conversation with people.
22:52And, you know, that's the kind of fun of it and the, the, the liveness of it, you know,
22:56with the audience.
22:57And it's, you can hear reactions and laughter and it's all, it's a, it's a, it's like old
23:03school or putting on a show.
23:04I think you'd get that from Saturday Night Live, which I think, you know, and I think
23:07you get that from sporting events.
23:09It's the crowd and you've got to be there and you, you feel it and you go, yeah, or
23:13you want to watch a couple of things to make you laugh or you fall asleep.
23:16I think it'll be around for a long time and I don't think I'll be the last host.
23:19There's a lot of talent out there.
23:21I don't know who that is.
23:23Uh, I don't, I don't think.
23:24Break some news.
23:25Yeah, I know exactly.
23:26There's like a, there's like a Jerry Fallon backstage.
23:30You feeling sick today, Mr. Fallon?
23:32Right.
23:32I think I can maybe try that for you.
23:34Yeah.
23:34Do you, do you still get the same charge that you're mentioning?
23:37I want to do it more.
23:39Yeah, we're down to four days a week just because of budget cuts and the way life works.
23:44But I was bummed.
23:45I want to do it five days a week.
23:46I love doing it.
23:48I'm excited by it.
23:48I go in and go, yes, what do we have?
23:51What do we have to do?
23:52Let's do this.
23:52Let's try something different.
23:53You know, this fall we're going to do shows on Sundays after football, which is great because
23:59that's kind of the only show people are watching on television right now.
24:03Right.
24:03You know, so we actually get that audience and I want to have new eyeballs and have kids
24:08go, what is this show?
24:09I don't know what a talk show is.
24:11Maybe they don't know what it is.
24:13And somebody goes, what is a stand-up comedian?
24:15What is rock music?
24:18You know, what's reggae music?
24:20There's people that don't know what that is.
24:21They're growing up.
24:22And so that's the kick I get out of the show.
24:24It's like, I get to influence these new artists.
24:28And I have people on the show now that are like, I grew up watching you.
24:32Some people say, I learned English from you.
24:35Can you imagine that?
24:36I mumble when I talk.
24:38I'm like, you learned how to speak English from me?
24:40Poof, good luck, man.
24:42But it's, you know, it's fun to watch people just grow and rise.
24:46And they go like, we had Bad Bunny on the show.
24:48And he goes, I had to show you this.
24:49This picture of me with your wax figure.
24:52And I said, one day I'm going to be on The Tonight Show.
24:54And it's Bad Bunny next to a much younger version of me.
24:59Less waxy, believe it or not.
25:02But more personality.
25:04And so we recreate that photo every time he comes on.
25:06And now he's Bad Bunny.
25:08But at the time he was Benito and wanting to have a dream.
25:11And I think The Tonight Show is kind of one of the things that you get.
25:15If you win a gold medal, that's amazing.
25:18But you also get to go on The Tonight Show.
25:20It's part of like the cool thing of this country.
25:23And you go, wow, yes, dude, I did it.
25:26Look, you know, a lot of people bring their parents.
25:28Because their parents are like, yes, my kid made it.
25:30They're on The Tonight Show.
25:32Right.
25:32And I've seen bands that are like the coolest, you know, coolest looking bands.
25:38And right about where we're about to start, the guitarist will look back on the drum and
25:41they're like, we're on The Tonight Show.
25:43And they go back to being cool, you know.
25:45It's like everyone's still got that energy.
25:47And they get pumped up.
25:48And it's the most exciting thing.
25:50I'm really lucky and I love my team and I'm lucky I get to do it every night.
25:54Yeah.
25:55Is there some, I guess, responsibility with an institution like that?
25:59Like, I guess one thing I think about is obviously a super politically charged atmosphere and
26:03really has been since you have started doing the show.
26:06You know, and I remember there was a quote that I read like in 2017.
26:10You said, essentially, people who voted for Trump watch us too.
26:14You know, like, is The Tonight Show as an institution give you some, I guess, responsibility
26:19to try to appeal to everyone?
26:22I think so.
26:23I think everyone has to be able to laugh.
26:25I mean, on both sides of whatever, whatever your political beliefs are, religious beliefs.
26:29I think funny is funny, you know, and you've got to make jokes and sometimes it's too close
26:34to this side, sometimes it's too close to that side.
26:36But if you can keep kind of a balance, I mean, you know, it's different in these times.
26:43You know, it feels like it's one-sided, but this guy's given us a lot to play with, you
26:48know.
26:48So there used to be people that go like, you won't believe what's happening.
26:52And I go, now, I go, yeah, I probably will believe what they're doing, what's happening.
26:58It's just, and it's our job to make people laugh about it and go like, okay, we're going
27:02to be all right.
27:02It's going to be okay.
27:04And we have the smartest writers in the world working on jokes to make you like, ah, good.
27:08Okay, everyone's feeling this too.
27:10We can all relax and we'll get through it.
27:13It's okay.
27:14He just fell off.
27:15That's my, I gave him some explosives.
27:18Yeah, yeah.
27:19I shouldn't have done that.
27:20But, you know, you get fireworks cheap nowadays.
27:23Can't get good help anymore.
27:24No, no, no.
27:25It's bad, but it's all right.
27:27He'll figure it out.
27:28He's got good insurance.
27:29The last thing I want to ask you is about, so obviously, like, you started this thing.
27:33You were 34, late night, 39, and you've had a long career in it.
27:38Oh, my gosh.
27:39Are you taking over The Tonight Show?
27:40Is that what you're telling me?
27:41This, I'm here to announce it now.
27:43No, but no, you're only 50 and you have obviously like a long career ahead.
27:47Are there still things in TV or creatively or in business that you still want to accomplish?
27:53Always.
27:53Yeah.
27:54Yeah.
27:54I love trying new things and seeing what I can do and pushing myself and going, yeah,
28:00can you make a Christmas album and write 25 new Christmas songs?
28:07That's impossible.
28:08They've all been written.
28:10What other songs do you need?
28:12I don't know how many.
28:13It's already done.
28:14She's the queen.
28:14Yes, she did it.
28:15I mean, I can't rhyme the word snow with glow.
28:18I don't know.
28:18I can't do it anymore.
28:19My brain broke, but it's a good challenge to try to do it, you know?
28:23And so I do that.
28:24So that was just, you know, every year you think of a new thing.
28:27You're like, oh, this is fun.
28:29Or, you know, you get an opportunity like, hey, do you want to be in the tortilla chip business?
28:33And I go, I really will try that.
28:37I mean, I actually eat these chips, so I'll play with that and just see if I can get it
28:42to the next level.
28:42It's exciting for me to see that side because, again, I'm a comedian.
28:47I'm not, I'm lucky to be anywhere near what I'm doing now.
28:50I'm having as much control, you know, control freak, you're probably, you know, perfectionist.
28:57But I do, I started as a comedian, so I really have no business in doing any of this, you
29:04know, but I'm in it now.
29:05I've done this for, I think I've been on NBC 26 years or something like that, 25 years.
29:11Long time.
29:12Same building.
29:13I'm so lucky.
29:14I love it.
29:15I go in, I go, yeah, I know where that elevator goes to.
29:18I know that thing.
29:19And I've had so many experiences in that building and in show business for so long.
29:24I think I know what I'm doing now, where I go, yeah, I can do that.
29:28And I'm more calm, but I'm still excited.
29:31I'm still like, nope, that's in the wrong spot.
29:33All right, you're going to keep the camera there?
29:35I guess so.
29:36It would be better there, but he wanted to put it there.
29:39It's fine.
29:40No, I'm just kidding.
29:41I like it there.
29:42You're good.
29:43Awesome.
29:43Well, Jerry Fallon, thanks for joining us on Forbes Live.
29:45Yeah, thanks for doing this.
29:46I appreciate this.
29:47All right.
29:47Yeah, let me know when you want to take over.
29:50Jesus.
29:54Jesus.
29:55Jesus.
Recommended
0:59
|
Up next
Be the first to comment