Is the Late Night television war over? Or is it a two man race?

It has been over a month since Jimmy Fallon toke over “The Tonight Show” from Jay Leno and the ratings are ever in his favor. Fallon’s ratings numbers have stabilized over the past few weeks and has a strong lead over competitors, David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel. Fallon dominates the social media aspect of the job with millions of hits from his sketches with celebrities, whether it be games, history of hip hop dancing, lip sync battles, etc.

Jimmy Kimmel is an interesting case study in this war because his show does not have the history and legacy of the NBC and CBS programs. However, he has built a strong west coast following in his ABC time slot and is the only other late night show that has the chance of competing with Fallon. Kimmel understands the importance of getting great guests that draw viewers into the show (ex. Rob Ford, what a get!), but also has managed to build a strong presence on social media, it may not be as strong as Fallon’s presence but it is noticeable and paying dividends.

I guess we can examine David Letterman. In my opinion, the man is five years past his prime and just holding on for dear life. He lives and dies with the monologue because the rest of his show has become hard to watch. He has trouble connecting with most of his guests, and no I’m not saying this because he is old (which he is) but because it seems he rarely takes an interest in what they are saying and very rarely does any background research before they arrive. I think we don’t even need to discuss his presence on social media, there is none, and I’m not 100% percent sure he knows what Twitter and Instagram are or mean.

My assumption is that Letterman is done in this war, CBS may have a fighting chance if he is replaced in the near future, but I do not see that happening or know who would be able to fill that slot. The war, race (whatever you want to call it) is between Fallon and Kimmel. They will fight for lower demographic numbers for the next decade. It will flip back and forth, but it may come down to who can maintain what they are doing and their persona to the audience. Either way, for us viewers, we are in for a treat because will keep doing everything they can to win us over.

A New Era of the “Tonight Show”

Last night, Jimmy Fallon began his run as the host of the “Tonight Show”. The show was riddled with cameos of some of the biggest names in pop culture, U2 performed on top of 30 Rock, and the first guest was none other than movie star, Will Smith.

It was a fantastic opening show for Fallon, and I am here to tell you that Fallon will continue to deliver in the new time slot. For many individuals this was their introduction to Fallon in late night television, unless you have insomnia and stayed up for “Late Night” (myself). So if you are new to Jimmy Fallon and his entire crew, welcome to a fun, entertaining hour of television.

Fallon has hilarious writers for an awesome opening monologue. As he introduced last night with “The History of Hip Hop Dancing”, Fallon and the guests will participate in sketches and games that will put a smile on your face or laugh out loud. So how does Fallon get his guests to participate in such ridiculous sketches? He is kind and funny, which draws them in and it will be the reason he will have the 11:30 time slot locked down for many years.

Top 5 TV Dramas of 2013

1. Breaking Bad  (AMC) – What else can I say about this show? Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and the entire cast and crew are the best in the business. The drama does not get any better than this and not enough praise can be placed upon Gilligan and the writing crew for the way they brought the series to an end, pleasing audiences.

2. Homeland (Showtime) – Ferociously wanting to scream at the television to explain to Carrie Matheison (Claire Danes) that she is crazy? Sounds about right. In my opinion, the producers, writers, and directors go into each filming period trying to figure out how much they can stretch the audience’s patience. I only joke (but seriously!), Homeland supplies heart pounding excitement that will keep you glued to the screen.

3. The Newsroom (HBO) – I placed the Aaron Sorkin drama at number three on the list, because the other two shows are great television, but this is my favorite on the list. The incorporation of the problems that are currently antagonizing the broadcast media with heart gripping drama between the characters make Aaron Sorkin’s best work since West Wing. Jeff Daniels has really surprised most viewers from his transformation from Dumb and Dumber to the hard nosed anchorman is remarkable every time he walks onto the screen.

4. The Blacklist (NBC) - Halfway through its inaugural season on NBC, the James Spader crime drama is the perfect drama added to NBC’s slate for Monday night. So far, each episode delivers a unique storyline with surprise twist that will keep the audience wanting more, which hopefully leads to a second season.

5. Ray Donovan (Showtime) - The new Showtime series has come out of the gates swinging and wastes no time providing what the entire show revolves around, crime and drama. Put your seatbelt and sit back and let Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight take you down a journey through the behind-the-scenes looks of crimes and coverups.

Top 5 TV Comedies of 2013

1. The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - This Chuck Lorre sitcom is steamrolling through their seventh season and it has no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The show sticks to its strengths, even with adding two series regulars this season (Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch), which is a character driven comedy with quick wits and humorous situations. Every time you sit down to watch (even syndication) expect to laugh and laugh some more.

2. New Girl (Fox) – I was hesitant to trust this comedy from the beginning considering the cast choices, but I could not have been more wrong, the entire cast is perfectly selected to portray their characters. Zooey Deschanel may want to make you throw your remote at the screen some times, but the ever enduring one-liners and long monologues from Schmidt (Max Greenfield) allow the show to blossom into thirty minutes of fun and laugh out loud moments.

3. How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - Midway through their ninth and final season, the cast of How I Met Your Mother along with the crew (directors, producers, and writers) are finalizing the legen…wait for it…dary tale of Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) quest to find his wife. This season began with the introduction of the mother (Cristin Milioti) and the journey has veered in several directions since then, but humor and laughs have ensued along the way. Although this may be a legacy pick, nine season in, the show stills draws laughs and high ratings.

4. Hello Ladies (HBO) – The new HBO comedy from Englishmen, Stephen Merchant, derives from years on the UK version of “The Office” and the similar comedic situations ensue and provides the awkward situations which just make you laugh and feel terrible for the fearless main character.

5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox) – I had my doubts about the new Fox comedy led by SNL alum, Andy Samberg, but my worry of running out of washed up story lines was false. Samberg and the rest of cast have gone so far outside the box of normal cop shows that it works with the balance of straight lined station chief, Ray Holt (Andre Braugher). Hopefully, we will get to see a second season to see if they can keep the fresh plot stories coming.

I will finish my story on Walter White and the entire crew of “Breaking Bad” at some point in the near future. As with the show, writing pertaining to the show is complex and exhausting.

The Love/Hate Relationship of Walter White

As AMC’s hit show, “Breaking Bad”, nears its end, I want explore the character evolution of Walter White. Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad Executive Producer) and the writers have done an amazing job throughout the series of creating a character evolution which moved from an understanding father to a volatile, gruesome meth empire lord. The massive viewing audience of Breaking Bad has experienced and felt the change of Walter White through the series, which evolved from love to deep hate.

The audience is understanding in the beginning of the series because the show has painted the picture of Walter’s actions being for the benefit of his family. However, as his actions begin to unfold and the money takes full control of his life, the status quo changes. The standing by as Jane dies, the bombing of Gustavo, the poisoning of Brock, the murder of the young boy on the dirt bike, (…A work in progress…)