Fallon Replaces Leno Next Year

Those murmurings about Jimmy Fallon replacing Jay Leno next year? OK, they're still rumors, but three different outlets—the New York Times, the LA Times, and the Hollywood Reporter—now say it's a done deal, with the only question being the timing. The best bet seems to be September 2014, when Leno's contract expires. The New York Times says the Tonight Show will move from the West Coast back to New York, adding that NBC is building a new studio for Fallon inside 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Fallon already hosts his 12:30 show from the city, so he'd be staying put.

Leno still rules the late-night ratings, but Jimmy Kimmel is chipping away at the 18-to-49 demographic, and the network reportedly wants to get Fallon settled into the 11:30 slot before it's too late. Though Leno has been taking potshots of late at the network in his monologues, prompting a memo from NBC entertainment boss Bob Greenblatt, he is on board with the transition this time, reports the LA Times. (More Jay Leno stories.)