Fallon's New Studio is Sue Simmons's Sloppy Seconds

Original Photo of WNBC by Toby Von Meistersinger

Jimmy Fallon talked with us this afternoon about his foray into Late Night which, believe it or not, is less than two weeks away. We were wondering how he was able to get his show up and running with its premiere coming a mere week after Conan goes off the air (his final Late Night in New York is tomorrow night). Fallon told us that he won't be moving into Conan's digs at Studio 6A inside 30 Rock, but rather into 6B, home until recently of WNBC 4 New York—or as Fallon put it, house of "the great Chuck Scarborough and Sue Simmons" (not to mention Matt Lauer and Ira Joe Fisher).

With WNBC recently moving into new "high-tech" digs upstairs, Fallon says his team jumped at the chance to take over the studio, which was also home to the Milton Berle-hosted Texaco Star Theater once upon a time. But the new space doesn't exactly sound like it's going to be nostalgia-laden. Fallon says that plans are to have three rows of benches pull out where rabid fans (who are not in the audience for the rest of the show) will come into the studio and be on camera during musical acts (à la the Super Bowl Halftime Show). The incoming host said they'd have it set up for first week's musical guest Santigold, but was debating how out of place swaying teens might look for opening night act Van Morrison.

Throughout the Q&A session, we learned who his dream guest would be (the Queen of England—they'd Wii Bowl together), that he and band leader ?uestlove have already taken a road trip together and he confirmed that The Roots would be writing original entrance music for the guests rather than pay royalties for existing songs—meaning as he put it, "You're not gonna hear The Roots playing The Wind Beneath My Wings."

When we told Fallon that there were rumors that he and a stalker cousin of his once injected steroids into each other in the Dominican Republic, he didn't miss a beat and broke into A-Rodesque bad acting with fake sobs saying, "It's been a tough time for my family, but Late Night is bigger than Jimmy Fallon."

When asked if he was either a Yankee or Met fan from his childhood growing up in New York, Fallon revealed that he's actually a member of the Red Sox Nation—as a result of starring in the movie Fever Pitch. We thought that all the haters out there would be happy to hear that one.

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By Billy Parker in Arts and Events on February 19, 2009 7:00 PM

Comments [rss]

cucarachita

It's gonna be Teletubbies for adults.

robingee

Ira Joe Fisher!

Guest

With the estimable Fallon (The Entrepreneurs, SNL Fanatic) manning the desk, we can expect this retooled Late Show to be more "TV Funhouse" than run-of-the-mill talk show! Expect dark corridors, light-up skulls, tipping floors and an airjet at the exit! Guests won't be able to trust their senses, the couch won’t stay put under their bottoms...even gravity won't be completely reliable!

It'll be the thrill of a lifetime!

aspiringrapper

I hope Van Morrison gets disgusted, throws a fit & walks out. Fallon is terrible.

NannyState

Even the acoustic tiles are groaning at the thought of absorbing Fallon's unfunny banter.

organicg200

Billy Parker,

You are a true idiot, and I suppose maybe upset you failed the NBC page test

by misspelling the name of the network on the application.

Studio 6B is one of the best studios at 30 Rock... both technically and acoustically.

It's also the studio that Johnny Carson broadcast The Tonight Show from for 30 years, with over 4500 shows and 2500 guest.

Pretty good karma for Fallon to get that studio, as opposed Conan's studio 6A. No comparison.

EastRiver

It's also the studio that Johnny Carson broadcast The Tonight Show from for 30 years,

Carson was in New York for approximately 10 years. He took over hosting the Tonight Show in October 1962. The show moved to Burbank, CA in May 1972 where it stayed until Carson left the show in May 1992.

The Edge

It's a fucking studio, not Ghandi.

babyhitler

this is the equivalent of losing Bar Rafaeli on the Sports Illustrated cover and getting Whoopi Goldberg instead! wtf!!!! NY is getting screwed again.