As previously speculated, The NY Times is now confirming that Jimmy Fallon is officially slated to replace Conan O'Brien on Late Night, when Conan takes over for a retiring Jay Leno in 2009. According to the Times, the decision to go with Fallon doesn't come without it's risks: “It’s hard to know how well someone is going to do in these jobs until you see them in the chair,” said one longtime producer of late-night shows, who asked not to be identified because he did not want to sound as if he was either criticizing Mr. Fallon or giving him advice. “Jimmy is a likeable guy who has always been very nice, so at least he won’t be turning people off at the door. Beyond that it’ll come down to whether he has enough going on that he can entertain people five hours a week. That’s not easy.”
Is Jimmy the right choice for the job? Check out his comic chops in sketches from his SNL days and compare them with some of Conan's wacky clips and decide for yourself!