'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' Recently Underwent Major Change
There have been several changes on the talk show front in recent weeks. Both The Wendy Williams Show and The Nick Cannon Show were canceled within days of one another. Rumors of The Real ending after its 8th season are also floating around, with comedian Sherri Shepherd, and singer and Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson getting their own talk shows. Late night talk shows are also seeing some major changes. According to Deadline, Jamie Granet-Bederman is stepping down from The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and will be replaced by The Drew Barrymore Show executive producer Chris Miller.
The announcement came right before James Cordon announcing the end of his show following an eight-year run. The show will end in 2023. "When I started this journey, it was always going to be just that. It was going to be a journey, an adventure. I never saw it as my final destination, you know?" he said in a statement, per NPR. "And I never want this show to overstay its welcome in any way. I always want to love making it." Though the reason for walking away from the show is unknown, Cordon did say the show "has changed my life... I am so proud of what we've achieved. It's been beyond my wildest, wildest dreams."
As far as Fallon's changes, Granet-Bederman, who has worked on the show for 13 years and has been running the NBC show since November 2020, when she took over from Gavin Purcell. "These last 13 years working with Jimmy have been such a gift. It's been an honor to have helped him launch not one but two late-night shows, and I will be forever grateful to my amazing Tonight Show family," she said in a statement to Deadline. "And as lucky as I've been to have had this experience, I'm even luckier to now explore new horizons with Jimmy. Watching his rise firsthand has been such a privilege, and I can't wait for what's next."
As far as Miller, outside of The Drew Barrymore Show, he also previously worked with Barrymore, who starred with Fallon in 2005 film Fever Pitch, at her production company Flower Films. He starts at Fallon in May. He has a long list of credits in television, including VH1's Tough Love, Esquire Network's Knife Fight and Netflix's Santa Clarita Diet at Flower, and movies including Happy Camp, Whip It, Animal and upcoming The Stand-In.
"It has been an absolute joy to work next to Drew for the past 23 years," he said. "She will remain one of my closest friends and confidants as I start this incredible journey with Jimmy and The Tonight Show. I am beyond grateful to be welcomed into the most iconic television institution in history," Miller told Deadline.