Grading NBC's Late-Night Carousel, Part II: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
To most everyone’s surprise, Fallon has been solid in his new gig and continues to get better. Could this possibly turn out to be (oxymoron alert!) a good decision by NBC?! Fallon’s first week was nothing short of horrendous, when he seemed utterly overmatched by A-list guests like Robert DeNiro. But ever since, he has found his footing and proven himself to be very likeable—even when a monologue joke falls flat, which is roughly 75 percent of the time. His strong suit isn’t laugh-out-loud comedy but rather a combination of energy (possibly even more so than that of his predecessor) and lack of pretension, but the fact that he's also relatable—he's enthusiastically embracing his digital-age viewers—gives NBC a one-of-a-kind late-night personality. And the Roots as Late Night’s house band is the icing on the cake.
Grade: B+ KEEP READING: Must-Own DVDs