Tuesday, July 22, 2008

NBC's next "Late Night" host will start with webcasts

The face of NBC's "Tonight Show" changes in May 2009, when Jay Leno will be replaced by current "Late Night" host Conan O'Brien. To prepare for the transition, NBC is already grooming its newest talent, Jimmy Fallon, to replace O'Brien's slot.

Starting this fall, Fallon will host nightly minisodes, 5-10 minute webcasts, where he will interview celebrities and experiment with new material. According to NBC comedy producer Lorne Michaels, who developed stars such as Mike Meyers and Will Ferrell, the minsodes were created to afford Fallon the opportunity to find his style. 

NBC isn't the only network to experiment with the idea of teaser episodes. FX's hit show "Rescue Me" is placating its fans with weekly minisodes this summer. The producers wanted to salvage any fans that may have strayed away during the 19-month gap between the fourth and fifth season. Producer and writer Peter Tolan's quote from the USA Today article: "The minisodes don't connect to the new season, but they do answer fan calls for more comedy. We miss the guys talking in the kitchen about sex, their lives, and foolishness in the (fire) house."

Currently, the main goal of  a minisode, on its surface, is  gap-filling, but the tactic also serves as a sobering reminder of the persistently shrinking attention span of Americans.As online viewership numbers continue to explode, don't be surprised to see more shows opt for the same tactic during the offseason, when viewers can be saved or lost.

Posted By Matt O'Hern at 08:56 AM
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