Jimmy Fallon Ratings Win: "Late Night" Tops, Besting Conan Average

From the AP:

NEW YORK — Jimmy Fallon enjoyed a healthy win in the ratings his first week on the air.

NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" attracted an average 2.4 million viewers the week of March 2, against CBS' "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," which averaged 1.9 million viewers, according to final Nielsen figures released Thursday.

In their opening night clash, Fallon scored 2.9 million viewers against Ferguson's 1.9 million.

On that March 2 debut, Fallon also beat ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" during their overlapping half-hour by 100,000 viewers. "Jimmy Kimmel Live" begins 30 minutes earlier.

Fallon has taken over "Late Night" from longtime host Conan O'Brien.

--

Variety's Daniel Frankel reports that Fallon is already beating Conan's average viewer total:

Jimmy Fallon finished his first week as host of NBC's "Late Night" franchise on top, beating all cable and broadcast competition while also besting incumbent Conan O'Brien's season average.

In addition, Fallon's was the most watched premiere week for a latenight yakker in the last decade, bettering the bows of "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" (2 million viewers in January 2005), ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (1.7 million in January 2003) and "The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn" (1.5 million in March/April 1999) ....

The total viewer count for Fallon's premiere week was 21% higher than O'Brien's 991,000 "Late Night" average this season and 11% above his adults 18-49 season rating.

Comments

[goozer66]

Jimmy Fallon looks awkward and uncomfortable on his show. Conan O'Brien is the man. I feel sorry for the people who don't find him funny. Leno is absolutely horrible. Top 2 are Letterman and Conan.

[florestanchi]

No significance whatosever should be ascribed to these numbers.

It did not take Nostradamus, Sherlock Holmes, or Miss Cleo to prophesy that Conan O'Brien's numbers would be abysmal. He was seen as culpable in the ouster of David Letterman. If anyone deserved blame for Letterman's defection, it was the NBC execs who hired Leno (who should be blamed with tireless zeal). Even if Conan had not been obligated to dodge stray bullets, he went on the air without name recognition. He was a writer with limited on-camera experience, who was hired as a seat warmer fully expected to fail. His humor is not to all tastes, but he has cultivated a loyal following, is well-liked by guests of his show, and won a few awards along the way.

Fallon sauntered into this job with few obstacles. He won't take heat for stealing Letterman's job, and he's a known entity. Whether as the least distinguished player at a time when competition for "SNL's most useless cast member" was unprecedentedly fierce, or the hack out-acted by Giselle Bündchen in the crappiest movie ever made, people have grown acclimated to his face. For the less visually inclined, he makes CDs that are perfect stocking stuffers for children and adults looking to shed a few chromosomes.

Those who embrace these numbers and figure that Fallon will come into his own should stop watching "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and try watching "Taxi" instead.

[ReelBusy]

It's all about week 26 not week one ratings.

[delphinium]

I'm sorry, but people are tuning in for the sake of curiosity. Just let the novelty wear off then we'll see his rating decline.

[43P04T34]

The disbelief of Conan's fans notwithstanding, the truth is that the public simply like's Jimmy Fallon's style, his manner.

It's completely comprehensible to me.

[BobsNotWorking]

Me too! Conan will flop at the Tonight Show. His pull is just to sophomoric for the time slot. His audience too small. Could it be anything beyond 18- to 22- year old males?

[alnc]

I dont see it, get it, understand it. Fallon has never been funny to me. So, I continue to pass. What is really confusing is that Letterman did all the orginal things everyone is doing on these shows now.

Letterman was the pacesetter for the format you see now, Leno ripped him off. As for Conan he was ok, but I think NBC is making a BAD mistake by have how many shows each night? By the time ......poor boring Carlson Daly comes on who could want more chatter from self obsessed phony D listers.

[ReelBusy]

Letterman was the pacesetter for the format?
You have heard of Johnny Carson right?

[lovsn12b]

I have NEVER watched Conan and yet watch Jimmy after watching David Lettermen

[Mitch rite]

Tragic.

Conan was the best. Looking forward to the Tonight Show not sucking so bad anymore

[BobsNotWorking]

You had better look fast 'cause he won't last long in a time slot where he has to draw some adults.

[ebanks84]

Anybody would be better than Conan. He was very childish and his opening was stupid. He look totally ridiculous doing that body routine and jumping in the air like a kangaroo. Fallon is like window dressing compared to Conan.

[jlab]

Let's just enjoy the end of Leno for a minute before ganging up on Conan.

[cubbywan]

My preference is CBS, Letterman & Ferguson, the best of the best! Leno has never been funny & he's been stealing other host's material for years. O'Brien is like a wired fratboy - hard to see how his sophomoric humor will translate to 11:30 (I find it ridiculous that NBC didn't think a seasoned pro like Letterman, Carson's personally groomed choice to replace him, could work at 11:30, & now they think the juvenile O'Brien can). Kimmel is hit & miss but he's gotten much better over the years. Fallon is very likable & will probably continue to do well, if not stay on top. Let's just all thank God that NBC didn't hand the show over to the supreme lameass Carson "the Tool" Daly.

[mapleaforever]

Yeah. Ratings = quality. Sure did sell a lot of pet rocks.

[jchurchjr]

Fallon was painful to watch. He'll be toast soon.

[Steve Magruder]

Craig Ferguson beats them all. He's gut laughter funny, consistently.

That said, Leno has never been funny, except to people with dull wit who will laugh at any wink/nod. Conan is good in an avant-garde sort of way -- in other words, his comedy is always edgy and you have to be hip or smart to get a lot of it. Fallon will be successful because he's like a friend all of us have -- we want to see him and laugh with him.

[jayceejaysee]

I totally agree that Craig Ferguson beats them all. He's the funniest!

I like Jimmy Fallon ------as an actor. He was great with Drew Barrymore in "Fever Pitch". Why doesn't he do more movies and leave the other alone! These are just my perceptions.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

You know, a lot of people respond to a subject like this by just tossing out thier opinions as if they were from the Delphic oracle, but you offer up your opinions and tack on a self deprecating disclaimer. I like you for doing that and that is my perception.

[debb17055]

Craig Ferguson is far and away the cream of the crop of late night shows, bar none, He is better than Leno or Letterman, not to fault either of them. Craig is just so witty and charming and smart that I cannot avoid his allure.

Craig is #1.

[Imagevision]

It's a sad day when NBC's best choice for Leno replacement is Conan - you gotta be kidding, this should last long...(not!) Conan, the man is simply boring unless you use the show to... fall asleep?

[ignorantwillyharper]

Conan has always been about as funny as a sore toe. I would hope that between New York and L.A. his drummer gets lost somewhere around Kansas. These guy's have been losers from day one.