Jimmy Fallon's Hurricane Sandy Cold Open, One-Person Audience (VIDEOS)

"Imagine laughter, imagine fun, imagine excitement..."

Both Jimmy Fallon & David Letterman went ahead with their shows as usual Monday evening from their respective studios in midtown Manhattan, but the tapings were anything but normal. With Sandy nearing landfall, the two hosts made jokes, did comedy segments and talked to guests with no one in the audience.

Fallon opened "Late Night" with a cold open from 50th St., explaining as he made his way inside and up to Studio 6B, that they sent the audience home and but still had a great show for everyone. Letterman opened "Late Show" from the street as well, standing in front of the Ed Sullivan theater with sidekick and band leader Paul Schaffer, discussing whether to go ahead with the show or not.

That the mostly quiet studios didn't make for the most energetic broadcasts seemed beside the point; the overall message being that if the show must go on, New Yorkers are the people to do it. Watch Jimmy Fallon's cold open above and his bit with the Mets Bucket Hat Guy (aka writer Mike DiCenzo), the only person in his audience.