The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to premiere in Africa on MTV

Youth entertainment channel MTV (DStv channel 130) has acquired exclusive African TV broadcast rights to US talk show ratings winner The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon from NBC Universal International Television Distribution.

Starting Wednesday, 24 September 2014, MTV will air a daily dose of Fallon’s trademark chat, humour, superstar guests, audience participation and more at 5pm WAT (weekdays). An omnibus edition will run on the weekends from 4pm to 6pm WAT, Saturday and Sunday.

Having taken over the reins of The Tonight Show from late night legend Jay Leno in February 2014, Fallon has refreshed and reinvigorated the late night fixture, bringing a high energy feel to the franchise.

Commented Dillon Khan, Channel Director, MTV & VH1, South Africa, “MTV and Jimmy Fallon have a long history of collaboration, going back to 2002 when he hosted the Video Music Awards. We are delighted that Jimmy will be joining our line-up as star of The Tonight Show, and thrilled to be introducing this entertainment phenomenon to new audiences in Africa. We expect The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to form a staple part of our audience’s daily viewing, with each show driving conversations among fans from the swings in the playground to the water cooler at work and everywhere in between.”

Five months into his new job, Fallon has already made a firm mark on his audience with his unique comedic wit, on-point pop culture awareness, welcoming style and impeccable taste in music. The Emmy and Grammy Award-winning comedian, actor, musician and author infuses The Tonight Show with a good-natured and endearing “welcome to the party” vibe, packed with silly games, pranks, sketches and funny anecdotes, all involving A-list stars.

Where else will you see Michelle Obama hamming it up with Will Ferrell; Charlize Theron and Josh Hartnett playing Charades; Morgan Freeman being interviewed on helium; Broadway star Idina Menzel belting out the Academy Award-winning song Let It Go accompanied only by classroom instruments; or a laughing Julia Roberts being hit in the face with a giant transparent beach ball? And whoever thought they’d see the day that Tom Cruise would smash raw eggs into his glossy mane of hair…?

A US television institution for almost 60 years, The Tonight Show is home to big-name celebrity guests and a stage for top musical and comedic talent. Taking a cue from his unforgettable predecessors, including hosts Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, Fallon has carried on the tradition that audiences know and love – kicking off every show with the iconic Tonight Show monologue.

Known for his huge online presence, Fallon also includes many of the popular segments, celebrity sketches and musical parodies that fans have grown to love including #Hashtags, Thank You Notes and Slow Jam the News, with many clips from the series going viral online after the show.

The critically praised/Grammy-winning group, The Roots, serves as The Tonight Show house band; The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is taped in front of a live studio audience at Studio 6B, Rockefeller Center, New York.