When does The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon return?
By Matt Moore
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon‘sreturn has been scheduled. The NBC late-night TV show announced its plan to get back on the air following the Writers Guild of America strike.
Jimmy Fallon and his team went on hiatus at the end of April following the WGA strike. But earlier this week, the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers struck a new deal that will get writers back to work across Hollywood.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will return with brand-new episodes beginning Monday, October 2. The show made the announcement official with a Twitter post on September 27.
Fallon had been keeping busy during the hiatus. He posted several videos to social media giving fans an inside look at his home life. Then, he collaborated with fellow late-night TV hosts Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers to co-host the Strike Force Five podcast.
What to expect when The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon returns
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon managed to make headlines during the strike, but for all the wrong reasons. A Rolling Stone report included comments from past and present staff members claiming Jimmy Fallon created a toxic work environment at The Tonight Show.
Fallon held a Zoom meeting in the article’s aftermath in which he apologized to his staff. He may have to address this issue on air when The Tonight Show returns to make good with his returning writing staff. On the other hand, NBC may prefer to keep everything in-house and move on now that the focus is on the show itself.
Fallon may have a harder time adjusting than his more politically-focused counterparts at other late-night TV shows. So much of The Tonight Show‘s appeal comes from Fallon’s celebrity interviews and games.
But the Screen Actors Guild remains on strike. Members are limited in what they can do on camera and cannot promote any new or upcoming projects. The Tonight Show will likely have to adjust its approach to guests since so many popular actors and actresses won’t cross the picket line.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon returns to NBC on Monday, October 2 at 11:35 p.m. ET.