[2] He introduced his supporting stars and gave a brief history of his life and career, thanking his parents (who were in the audience) and the 5 previous Tonight Show hosts (Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, and Conan O'Brien) and explaining how his nightly monologue would work.
[5] The rooftop staging was devised by executive producer Lorne Michaels the previous Wednesday, with its odd placement in the middle of the show to take advantage of the sunset.
[8] The New York Times's Alessandra Stanley referred to the show's premiere as "more sweet than sassy," calling Fallon "the grateful heir, the eager freshman, the class clown with top grades and a good heart, someone older viewers can embrace without fear of being mocked or overlooked.
"[9] Steve Johnson of the Chicago Tribune wrote that "If he didn't exactly come roaring out of the gate, Fallon did demonstrate the mixture of old-world courteousness, junior-high-school goofiness and seemingly unending enthusiasm that has charmed audiences, network bosses and fellow stars.
"[15] The debut episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon averaged a 3.8 rating in adults 18–49 and 11.31 million viewers overall in Nielsen's fast-national estimates.
[1] This made it the second-largest audience for The Tonight Show since May 2009, behind Leno's final farewell two weeks earlier, and the transition to Conan O'Brien nearly five years prior.