Proving themselves a light in the dark amid coronavirus confinement, late night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon have found a way to telecommute to audiences as they find their shows off the air. Confined to their homes like the rest of the world, the Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live! hosts have not forgotten an important step to healing: laughter.
Both Fallon and Kimmel turned to YouTube amongst their confinement, prompted by both NBC and CBS suspending production of various live programming including The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Late Night With Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as well as ABC suspending production of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
In the first “at home” edition of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the host telecommuted via YouTube to post the latest episode of his long running late night show. Beginning by confronting the pandemic head on, Fallon emphasized he wanted everyone to “have some levity in these bizarre times.” Armed with his wife as camera operator and his dog Gary as “first guest,” the ten minute clip goes on to show the host performing a song in honor of St. Patrick’s Day before asking those who can to donate to Feeding America.
Kimmel found his own akin approach, delivering a six-minute “minilogue” through YouTube. The host, refreshingly stripped down while reporting to his laptop camera, takes out his boredom by discussing hot topics such as Tom Brady leaving The Patriots and how the US government is handling the pandemic, before joking that audiences should festively dye their hand sanitizer green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. He also found a way to tie-in his own fundraising efforts, encouraging viewers to donate to No Kid Hungry and affirming he will personally make a donation each day during the quarantine.
Additionally, The Late Show host Stephen Colbert released his own “social distancing” edition of the series, updating audiences on current events from the comfort of his own bubble bath.
No word has come from NBC, CBS, nor ABC regarding when their various late night programs will resume production.