We last wrote about the upcoming Jimmy Fallon show quite some time ago, noting that NBC would be using THE INTERNET to create “buzz” and a “following,” so that when the show launched—the first episode of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon airs this Monday night—there would already be some sort of audience. We’ll see how that turns out; NBC and Conan O’Brien look to be fairly confident he’ll succeed.
There’s another reason why some of you guys may want to give the show a chance: one of the co-producers there, Gavin Purcell, is a huge nerd. In fact, he’s a former producer for Attack of the Show, which, well, I wouldn’t exactly advertise, Peter Ha’s amazing appearances notwithstanding. (It’s a strange, silly show, that appeals (?) to a different audience than one of which I’m a part, I mean to say.) With him pulling the strings, the show will leverage things like Twitter and Facebook to interact with the audience, and to make them a part of the show, so to speak. And owing to the show’s overall nerd-friendly spirit, expect guests other than celebrities hawking their latest movie. If it’s Kindle 2 week, why not talk to Amazon’s Jeff Bezos? A new Grand Theft Auto coming out—why not have Dan Houser or Lazlow on the couch next to Jimmy? Things like that.
So, yeah, we’ll see how the show tries to stay relevant in this age of instant YouTube girl fights.