Jimmy Fallon kicked off his “Tonight Show” hosting gig last night with a bevy of celebrities including Will Smith and U2. Fallon is now the sixth host in the late night talk show’s history (if you only count Leno once and don’t pretend as though Conan never hosted).
Below you’ll find a gallery of several notable moments from last night, including a few featuring the long parade of personalities who dropped $100 on Fallon’s desk, ostensibly to payoff a bet Fallon had with each of them. We haven’t included all the celebrities here, but the full clip can be found in this piece on the episode.
Fallon did not eschew the familiar elements with which he found success during his stint on “Late Night.” One of the unquestionable highlights of last night’s premiere was Fallon and Will Smith performing the “Evolution of Hip-Hop Dancing.” That clip you can find below and enjoy to your heart’s content.
Perhaps one other notable element of the series is that the show has reverted back to the titling it had under Johnny Carson, utilizing the word “Starring” as opposed to “with.” That is to say, the show now bears the name “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” while when Jay Leno hosted it, the name was “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Carson and those who preceded him had “Starring.”
So, tell us, did you watch, and if so, what did you think of the premiere?