It's prime time for Jimmy Fallon

Emmy host hints at what to expect.

August 28, 2010 at 10:31PM

In its first year on the air, "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" failed to land a significant Emmy nomination, but its host did wind up with an equally juicy gift: Hosting duties. The former "Saturday Night Live" star follows in the footsteps of Raymond Burr, Ellen DeGeneres and Angela Lansbury as emcee for the TV industry's biggest night. Fallon shared some insight into what we can expect:

Don't expect the Roots. The band may be a staple of his late-night program, but as Fallon points out, "It's not 'The Prime Time Jimmy Show.' It's not really about me. It's more about celebrating television and getting all of those celebrities face time." That said, don't be surprised if Fallon ends up playing some guitar.

The show will be computer-savvy. Winners who get played off the stage will have a chance backstage to finish their speeches, which will be streamed on the Internet. Fallon also plans to Twitter when he's not doing introductions.

He'll still be Mr. Nice Guy. Past hosts, most notably Garry Shandling and Johnny Carson, used the occasion to poke fun at big stars. Don't expect that from Fallon. "We do throw away a lot of jokes sometimes if they're a little bit too mean. When I hit people, I do it in the nicest way, because I don't dislike anybody. I love everybody and I love the whole business that we're in. So I think, you know, just a little playful jab here and there."

NEAL JUSTIN

about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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