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The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is undoubtedly one of the most popular late-night talk shows on network TV. Starting in 2014, it is the seventh iteration of The Tonight Show from the house of NBC.
The show originally started airing in 1954 with Steve Allen as its host and has since had six different hosts. Jimmy Fallon took over from Conan O'Brien in 2014 and has since hosted 10 seasons with over 1800 episodes.
The Tonight Show has been a huge success during Jimmy Fallon's tenure. The show has yielded multiple viral shorts and also received multiple Primetime Emmy nominations, even winning two of them. With a revamped structure, the show featured comedic skits, fun games, and musical performances alongside its signature interview segments.
However, there have been recent controversies surrounding the show and how Jimmy Fallon created a not-so-fun working environment. Rolling Stone did a piece on this that talked about how the host was susceptible to going into fits in front of his employees and creating a toxic workplace environment.
With the kind of negative publicity surrounding the show right now, this article goes down a different path and remembers some of the best episodes that Jimmy Fallon has given us. If you have been a fan of The Tonight Show and love Fallon's style of hosting, this is the perfect article for you.
5 favorite episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
1) The one with Barack Obama
If we are remembering some of the most iconic episodes on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, then what could possibly be more apt than the one that featured an interview with then-President of the United States, Barack Obama.
The P.O.T.U.S. talked about his time in the office, his take on the upcoming 2017 presidential election, and how his family was preparing to leave the White House after living there for eight years. The episode also featured a performance from the Queen of Pop, Madonna.
2) The one with Emma Stone's lip sync battle
The 46th episode of season one featured Emma Stone and Seattle Mariners' Robinson Cano on the couch, with a musical performance from Keith Urban.
Emma Stone made an appearance before the release of her film, The Amazing Spider-Man 2. She talked about unfazed New Yorkers in front of exploding cars as well as her new-found interest in blogs by young mothers. Stone went on to participate in one of the most iconic lip-sync battles on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The episode then featured former Yankees player Robinson Cano, who was set to make his first appearance at Yankee Stadium since joining the Seattle Mariners. It even featured a segment of him pranking Yankees fans into booing him on the streets of New York. The player talked about how his life changed with his move to the West Coast.
3) The episode with Will Ferrell and Chad Smith's drum-off
Season one of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon featured some of the best episodes that the show had to offer. Episode 64 aired on May 22, 2014, and had Amanda Seyfried, Will Ferrell, and Chad Smith on the guest list, along with a surprise performance from the whole band of Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Amanda Seyfried talked about her new movie, A Million Ways to Die in the West, which was set to release at the end of the month. Among other things, they also talked about the striking similarity between her then-partner, Justin Long, and RHCP's lead vocalist, Anthony Kiedis.
However, the highlight of the episode was definitely the segment with Will Ferrell and Chad Smith. The episode brought the two guys together to decide who the better drummer was among them. This was in reference to the uncanny resemblance the two shared, which had given rise to a hilarious ruse amongst netizens that it was Ferrell playing the drums for RHCP.
The two faced off in an epic drum battle that culminated with a full performance by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
4) The episode with Jamie Foxx
Another notable episode on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon was the 45th one of the first season that aired on April 25, 2014. Fallon hosted Jamie Foxx for the first time on the couch, days before the release of his new film, The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Jamie Foxx talked about his love for the show's in-house band, The Roots, and the show itself. He went on to showcase his beatboxing talent, dropping a fire beat and even performing a number on the piano.
Alan Cumming also made an appearance on the show as a guest, just two weeks after performing on the same stage with the cast of Cabaret. The episode also featured a musical performance from Alicia Keys and Kendrick Lamar, along with Hans Zimmer and others.
5) The episode with Bryan Cranston's Word Sneak
The final episode on this list also hails from the first season. The 51st episode that aired on NBC on May 5, 2014, featured Bryan Cranston and Brie Larson alongside the Museum of Discovery's scientist, Kevin Delaney.
Bryan Cranston talked about his work in the Broadway show All the Way, which had gotten him a Tony nomination. He also did a southern accent to mimic President Lyndon B. Johnson, hilariously convincing Jimmy Fallon to drink frozen margaritas on Cinco de Mayo in the process.
Cranston and Jimmy also participated in a fun game of Word Sneak, which led to a whole funny segment. The episode also featured a very interesting science experimental segment with Kevin Delaney from the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Since Rolling Stone released the report on his behavior on set, Fallon has apologized to his employees, both former and current, and expressed his embarrassment for causing the fiasco.
"I’m sorry if I embarrassed you. I never set out to create that type of atmosphere at the show. I think sometimes I’m working with the best of the best, you guys are the top of the game."
NBC has also released a statement saying how they encourage their employees to report any misdemeanors or violations of policy and how they have also worked on their end to minimize something similar.
“We are incredibly proud of The Tonight Show, and providing a respectful working environment is a top priority. As in any workplace, we have had employees raise issues; those have been investigated and action has been taken where appropriate. As is always the case, we encourage employees who feel they have experienced or observed behavior inconsistent with our policies to report their concerns so that we may address them accordingly.”
With the Writer's Guild still on strike, the show has yet to resume with new episodes. If you're looking to get your daily dose of talk shows, then older episodes are the only option you have.
