Here’s why we’ll be seeing less of Jimmy Fallon and ‘The Tonight Show’

Jimmy Fallon is getting a lot of three-day weekends.

The Tonight Show will no longer tape new episodes on Fridays, dropping its production schedule to four days a week, Entertainment Weekly has learned. The show, which has been on a four-day production schedule all summer, will continue to produce new episodes every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It will air a repeat episode each Friday.

The move isn’t unusual for late-night television, however — The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Daily Show, and Late Night with Seth Meyers also all only produce four new episodes per week, so Fallon’s show was unusual for keeping its five-day schedule as long as it did.

In June, NBC renewed its contract to keep Fallon and The Tonight Show on the network through 2028. Fallon began hosting the show in 2014 following Jay Leno‘s second departure from hosting duties, making him the sixth host of the show since it began in 1954. The show was previously hosted by Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Leno, and Conan O’Brien (and then, of course, Leno again). Fallon had previously hosted Late Night when O’Brien was promoted to The Tonight Show, ultimately hosting the later program from 2009 to 2014.

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“For nearly 30 years, Jimmy Fallon has brought laughter into the homes of millions and charmed audiences from the stages of 30 Rock,” NBC Universal’s Mark Lazarus said in a statement as Fallon’s contract was extended. “It’s been a privilege to witness Jimmy at the helm of the The Tonight Show, and we’re thrilled to see what innovations he and the incredible staff will deliver in the years to come at the network.”

“For nearly 30 years, I’ve brought laughter into the homes of millions and charmed audiences from the stages of 30 Rock,” Fallon said. “It’s been a privilege to be at the helm of the The Tonight Show, and I’m thrilled to see what innovations me and the incredible staff will deliver in the years to come at the network. No, I’m not changing my quote. Tell Mark to change his.”

In 2024 alone, some of The Tonight Show‘s most notable guests have included Will Smith, Dwayne Johnson, Ariana Grande, Hillary Clinton, Justin Timberlake, Eddie Murphy, Emma Stone, Chappell Roan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jennifer Lopez, Whoopi Goldberg, James Corden, Doja Cat, Kevin Costner, Kevin Hart, Sydney Sweeney, Bill Murray, Halle Berry, Jerry Seinfeld, Glen Powell, Tiger Woods, and Kim Kardashian. It seems that the list of people who won’t go on The Tonight Show is far smaller than the list of those who will.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airs new episodes Monday through Thursday at 11:35 p.m. on NBC.