Originally published Monday, July 21, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Fallon to start on "Late Night" online, not on air
Jimmy Fallon's debut as the new host of "Late Night" will come online, not on television. Fallon, who will take over the NBC show when its...
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Jimmy Fallon's debut as the new host of "Late Night" will come online, not on television.
Fallon, who will take over the NBC show when its current host, Conan O'Brien, replaces Jay Leno on "Tonight" next year, will hone his approach in brief Internet shows, "Late Night" producer Lorne Michaels said Sunday.
Fallon, a former cast member of Michaels' "Saturday Night Live," will appear online for several months before beginning his stint on the broadcast show.
Michaels knows that seasoning can be valuable: The producer picked O'Brien out of obscurity to fill Letterman's old slot at NBC, then stuck with him despite savage early reviews.
Michaels spoke to reporters attending the Television Critics Association's annual summer meeting, where NBC on Monday could announce the timing for its late-night musical chairs.
Despite its prime-time woes, NBC has managed to maintain its late-night ratings dominance, although O'Brien has been challenged lately by Craig Ferguson on CBS. Now NBC is attempting a tricky transition based on a promise made nearly four years ago that O'Brien would succeed Leno.
Leno continues to be the king of late-night, and the network is trying to keep him at NBC Universal with some job other than "Tonight" host.
However, Leno said recently that he's done with NBC next year, and networks and syndicators are poised to woo him when he's free to open contract talks.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Outdoor-theater season kicks off at Volunteer Park
Quincy Jones remembers "the biggest entertainer on the planet": Michael Jackson
Book review: "Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion:" a portrait of cycling's king
Best bets for summer arts events
Carole Lombard's slapstick legacy shines at Seattle Art Museum

2009 fireworks time lapse
With strict parking rules enforced at this year's July 4th celebration on Wallingford Ave North, less cars and more spectators filled the streets.
Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech
shopping

events for Sunday, Jul. 5th
- Nordstrom Men's Half-Yearly Sale
- Posh on Main Semiannual Sale
- Karan Dannenberg Clothier Progressive...
- Kuhlman Summer Sale
editors' picks
More shopping guides- Plasma and LCD beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
- Former NFL MVP McNair killed
- Russell Branyan, Mariners fight off the Red Sox
- Landmark Smith Tower mostly vacant
- Palin takes to Web for hints of political future
- Property taxes: Appeals shoot up in King, Snohomish Counties
- Fourth of July festivals and fireworks in Seattle, the suburbs and beyond
- Palin links resignation to 'higher calling' and blasts media in Facebook posting
- The Blotter | Man pistol-whipped after argument at nightclub
- Desert-lobster dispute turns pair into sagebrush heroes
- Palin resigning as Alaska governor
776 - Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox: 07/05 game thread
246 - Palin links resignation to 'higher calling' and blasts media in Facebook posting
145 - Hatred for the NBA runs deep, but don't take it out on the players
110 - Former NFL MVP McNair killed
107 - Tukwila residents rally against light-rail noise
101 - Property taxes: Appeals shoot up is King, Snohomish Counties
87 - Tent City on campus: UW stalls decision
69 - Anti-tax rally in Olympia attracts about 1,500
48 - Seeking your questions
42
- Plasma and LCD beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
- Property taxes: Appeals shoot up in King, Snohomish Counties
- Merchant Marine veterans fight for recognition
- Hard times for tourist towns means good deals for travelers
- Landmark Smith Tower mostly vacant
- Close-up | Prison guards intercept carrier pigeon with a cellphone
- Concert Review | Green Day blasts off 4th weekend with KeyArena show
- Pre-grill drill: marinate steaks
- Amtrak cleared for 2nd daily train to Vancouver, B.C.
- Lake Washington's sockeye run may hit a record low
