NBC has named Jimmy Fallon as the new host of "Late Night" when Conan O’Brien moves to "The Tonight Show" in 2009.
The announcement was made by Marc Graboff and Ben Silverman, Co-Chairmen, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, at a press conference at the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center.
"We couldn’t be happier to have Jimmy back on NBC and to have our number one-rated late night team fully in place for the future," said Silverman, "Jimmy is more than just a likeable guy and a great comedian, he is genuinely interested in what people have to say."
Fallon first garnered attention in 1998 when he joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" and quickly became an audience favorite for his memorable recurring characters and spot-on impressions and in 2000, Fallon became the co-anchor of the "SNL’s" signature segment "Weekend Update" alongside Tina Fey.
Fallon ventured off into other television roles, including Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg’s Emmy award-winning miniseries "Band of Brothers." A favorite among the MTV audience, Fallon hosted the MTV Movie Awards twice and hosted the MTV Video Music Awards in 2002. Fallon made an impressive turn guest hosting "The Late Show" for an ailing David Letterman in 2003.
The premiere date for "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" will be announced at a later date.
