• by Wayne Friedman , May 13, 2008

Saving one high-profile announcement for upfront week, NBC revealed that former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Jimmy Fallon would take over the "Late Night" show.

The announcement, long expected, was short on details. Lorne Michaels, executive producer of "SNL" and of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," said he expected the Fallon era to start some time in the "first six months of 2009, or the six months after that."

"We have no idea," added Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, at the New York City press event.

NBC executives were unsure of the launch, because they are unsure about what happens with Jay Leno, whose contract ends in 2009 with "The Tonight Show." Four years ago, NBC announced that O'Brien would be taking over "The Tonight Show" in 2009. NBC executives are still looking at ways to keep Leno "in the family" on other TV projects.

Fallon, a cast member of "SNL" from 1998 to 2006, went on to do movies. He said he missed the immediacy of TV. "You spend six months doing a movie and wait another six months, and then they say it stinks," he said. "[With TV], you can find out if this joke stinks immediately."

What will the show look like? Michaels isn't sure yet, nor for that matter, when it debuts. "We'll go in with lots of planning for the first show, and then the second show will be a reaction to the first show," he said. Michaels believes that young viewers--big late-night show fans--like the "process" of a developing show where performers can be good and bad.

Fallon said: "I'm not going to reinvent the wheel for late night... You don't want to make guests look bad."

The demanding five-night-a-week job, Fallon said, will no doubt change his life. On receiving the news NBC was giving him the job, Fallon said, "My wife left me a note: 'Nice knowing you.' It's going to be hard work."