The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Hits Pause — For a Reason Fans Will Love

NBC is pressing pause on one of its big hitters next week, and it’s not because of a scandal or technical snafu. 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon' is actually stepping aside on Thursday, May 21—and get this—they’re doing it just out of respect for another late-night legend’s swan song.

Why Is Jimmy Fallon Going Dark?

So here’s what’s happening: Thursday, May 21 is the final episode of CBS’s 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'. Fallon and NBC have decided to essentially take the night off, airing a rerun instead of a new episode. Why? To let Colbert have the night to himself, no late-night chat show dogfight. It’s strangely rare for a show to sit out a night just for a rival, so if you’re thinking, ‘Wait, does this happen often?’—nope, this is a pretty big deal.

ABC’s 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' is also doing the same thing—no new episode that night, just a tip of the hat to Colbert’s run. There’s a sense of late-night unity here that you don’t see too much. Fallon put it perfectly when he appeared on 'The Late Show':

'Late night is one of those things that’s been around our whole lives where it kind of it’s just part of our lives... People wanna go to sleep, have a good laugh and go to bed happy.'

That’s a Lot of History

'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' has been running since September 2015—11 seasons, over 1700 episodes, and now, one last bow. CBS isn’t just saying goodbye to Colbert; they’re shelving the 'Late Show' franchise entirely, so this is it for the show’s long, weird, often surprising legacy.

Who’s Showing Up For the Farewell?

• Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver will all join Kimmel on Colbert’s finale for a Strike Force Five podcast reunion. (If you missed it, Strike Force Five is their podcast baby from the last writers’ strike—yes, it’s as self-referential as it sounds.)
• David Letterman, the guy Colbert took over from, is also dropping by. So, yes, expect a lot of nostalgic banter.

Colbert isn’t just disappearing into a retirement cave, by the way. He’s reportedly working on a 'Lord of the Rings' project—writing it with his son, Peter. Pretty on-brand, if you ask me.

When Is 'The Tonight Show' Back?

Don’t worry, this is just a one-night break. 'The Tonight Show' returns May 22, and they’re coming back with A-listers: Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Maluma will all be guests. So, take the night off on the 21st, but don’t get too comfortable.