Nice guy, Jimmy Fallon.
Clever website, an avowedly geeky interest in all things high- tech and an acceptably low-key manner on old-style television.
The former “Saturday Night Live” stalwart is suiting up to take over Conan’s spot. Nice, geeky, low-key.
That doesn’t add up to a winning formula in late night’s intense competition — a minefield that’s overpopulated and getting more so.
Brace for another round of late-night wars in coming months as Jay Leno moves to prime time this fall (starting late night early?), Conan O’Brien takes over “The Tonight Show” on June 1, and Fallon enters “Late Night” next week, going up against Jimmy Kimmel and Craig Ferguson.
When “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” debuts Monday, locally at 11:30 p.m. on KUSA-Channel 9, he’ll be playing to viewers young and old. First guests are Robert De Niro and Van Morrison, a nod to the boomer audience (most of whom fall asleep partway through Leno’s monologue an hour earlier).
But he’ll also host Justin Timberlake Monday and Fallon has said he’ll be as excited about video- game releases as movie openings, a nod to the 18-year-old target audience whom advertisers pinpoint.
“I’m interested in tech, and I’m interested in gadgets,” he told critics, “and I want people to come on my show, whether it be Bill Gates or the guy who designed the new Palm Pre and talk about the new inventions. I just want to know what makes it so great. I want to see new video cameras. I want to see new technology. I think it’s interesting to people who will be awake at 12:30 at night.”
Good luck with that.
In his self-deprecating wit, there is a hint of the tremendous challenge ahead. Fallon told a gathering of TV critics, “What’s great about me is you’ll have Leno at (9 p.m. locally). You’ll have the news. And then you’ll have Conan. After that, you’ll be ready for another hour of talk.”
He’s being facetious.
He should be scared.
Nice guys finish somewhere behind “Nightline,” you know. After watching Fallon nervously take questions and attempt to charm a crowd, I concluded he’s more comfortable in the writers room than in the host’s chair. Maybe he’ll grow into the job.
Phil Keoghan in Denver.
“The Amazing Race” host Phil Keoghan will take an amazing cross-country ride, biking and doing publicity across America.
He’ll spotlight the fight against multiple sclerosis.
Keoghan will leave Los Angeles on March 28 and arrive in New York on May 9, the day before the CBS series’ season finale, the network said Wednesday. He’s due in Denver in early April, exact date to be announced.
Alec Baldwin on TCM.
Emmy winner Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”) joins Robert Osborne as co-host of “The Essentials” on TCM beginning March 7. The weekly signature essential-movie showcase begins with the 1935 Marx Brothers classic “A Night at the Opera.”
CW shows signs of life.
Acting just like a network, the CW this week gave pickup notices to “Gossip Girl,” “One Tree Hill,” “90210,” “America’s Next Top Model,” “Smallville” and “Supernatural.” All will return next season.
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
