2024 is coming to an end, and so is The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, at least for this year. The fan-favorite host invited his last batch of celebrities last week and dropped the curtain for the year with some giveaways, parodies, and fun songs. With the crew having taken off for the holidays and the season officially over, one might have questions regarding the future of the show.
So is that it for Jimmy Fallon and his binge-worthy show? Read on to know what the future holds.
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As of now, NBC is airing repeat telecasts of previous episodes and while it is true that The Tonight Show is done for the year, the good news for the fans is that it will not stay off-air for too long as the show will be back. The 50-year-old host is expected to return with brand-new episodes on January 6, 2025, and until then, viewers can watch reappearances from DJ Khaled, Gwyneth Paltrow, Martin Short, and more.
Furthermore, Jimmy Fallon will continue to be the host of the show until 2028, and maybe even longer provided NBC extends his contract.
As per Variety, the first extension came right after Jimmy Fallon’s 10th anniversary as the host. NBC celebrated the occasion with a two-hour primetime special on May 14, 2024. Jimmy Fallon expressed his gratitude to his viewers and NBC for this milestone. In a snippet shared on The Tonight Show’s YouTube channel, he said,
” It’s hard to believe, when I got the job, President Biden was just a fresh-faced 71-year-old. We’ve been on the air for one pandemic, two elections and 300 Fast and Furious movies. Of course I want to say thank you to my wife, my kids, and most of all, my lawyer, Michael Cohen.”
Fallon’s journey with NBC goes beyond his work on The Tonight Show. He has been with the channel for over 25 years. His story begins with Saturday Night Live and he has been a mainstay since 1998. He also hosted Weekend Update with Tina Fey from 2000 to 2004. Later on, Jay Leno passed the torch to him and he has been the face of the show since then. Reflecting on his journey, Fallon continued,
“Good things keep happening to the show, and I just want to keep it rolling, keep everyone having fun,” he said. “Our whole goal of the show is to make people laugh and to make people happy, and if I can do it for as long as I can, that’ll be the best thing for me.”
Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, has also praised Jimmy Fallon, saying, “For nearly 30 years, Jimmy Fallon has brought laughter into the homes of millions and charmed audiences from the stages of 30 Rock. It’s been a privilege to witness Jimmy at the helm of the ‘The Tonight Show’ and we’re thrilled to see what innovations he and the incredible staff will deliver in the years to come at the network.”
