Report: Jimmy Fallon closing in on ‘Tonight Show’ deal; Seth Meyers talk continues

It appears as though we are now getting closer than ever to the latest “Tonight Show” saga being over, at least when it comes to confirming the talk that Jimmy Fallon will be taking over the show in the future.

According to The Hollywood Reporter,  NBC and the “Late Night” host are closing in on a deal now that will allow him to become the host of the long-running late-night host at some point next year. What is confusing, however, is when the network is actually going to launch the new show. Some sources claim that executives are interested in trying to launch Fallon’s new show during next February’s sweeps period, mostly so they can capitalize on some of the lead-ins from the Winter Olympic coverage. However, there is a major downside to doing this: Jay Leno is under contract as the current “Tonight Show” host until 2014, and they would be forced to pay him a large sum of money to walk early. (Plus, “Late Night” executive producer Lorne Michaels is interested in having a little more time for the transition.)

The same report also confirms the rumors that right now, it is Seth Meyers’ race to lose when it comes to being the host of the new “Late Night” program once Fallon makes the jump forward. He already has a relationship with Lorne, interviews goofy (albeit fake) people on “Saturday Night Live,” and is accustomed to being in front of an audience. The only change is that Meyers comes across as more of a straightforward comedian than a sketch artist, which is what Fallon and Conan O’Brien were known for.

This news comes less than 24 hours after Leno and Fallon performed a duet together at the start of “Late Night,” which was a show of solidarity between the two men.

Photo: NBC