Jimmy Fallon hosted the first episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2014.
The program premiered on February 17, 2014, with Fallon taking over NBC’s flagship late-night franchise. Before becoming host, he had presented Late Night on NBC from 2009 through early 2014 and had been a cast member of Saturday Night Live.
Fallon’s first Tonight Show episode featured a lineup built around comedy, celebrity conversation and music. The transition restored the program to New York City after a period in which it had been based in Burbank, California, during Jay Leno’s later tenure.
The title also distinguishes this series from earlier Tonight Show editions hosted by Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien. Fallon’s version began in 2014 and remained part of NBC’s late-night schedule afterward.