He Didn't Cry, But He Got Huge Ratings

NBC set another record this week! Late Night scored a series high last night with Jimmy Fallon's final night as host, while also breaking the record that the Jay Leno's final night as host of the Tonight Show set the night before.

Nielsen's ratings do the talking: The Tonight Show had a final rating of 4.6/12, and Late Night scored a final 4.8/12, which is the best the show's done since Fallon's debut back in March 2009. Not to mention, the show aired right after the Sochi Olympics Opening Ceremony, which had disappointingly low ratings (more #SochiProblems, perhaps).

Fallon's final episode featured guest star Andy Samberg and The Muppets, because what better way to have a send-off to an awesome host than with Muppets!? Fallon even got a little emotional (and this was before he found the explosive ratings). During his farewell monologue, he said, "I want to thank you guys. I want to thank the fans. I can’t believe it,” he said. “This didn’t exist five years ago. There was no such thing as this show five years ago. Isn’t that crazy to even believe that? It means the world to me. You make me so happy. Thank you so much."

But he refused to resort to tears! In his monologue, he said, "I’m really gonna miss being on TV at 12:37, especially in this battle for late-night ratings with my fierce rivals — Craig Ferguson and a vegi-chopper infomercial. [...] I’m not gonna cry, but I’m getting really close. Because we’re not going anywhere – we’re just going to The Tonight Show.”

You know, just movin' on up in the late night NBC world. Fallon will take the seat at the desk for The Tonight Show on February 17, and Seth Meyers will take over for Late Night, proving that former Weekend Update hosts perhaps do transition the best into late night hosts. It's a common opinion: we've already been talking about how the two can reinvent late night television on NBC for the better and for the more hilarious.

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