NBC celebrates 10 years of Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show with special tonight, May 14

Jimmy Fallon next to The Tonight Show 10th Anniversary poster
Jimmy Fallon next to The Tonight Show 10th Anniversary poster (Image credit: Theo Wargo/NBC)

What do you get someone for hosting The Tonight Show for 10 years? Well, if you're NBC, you give them a primetime special revisiting many of the classic moments from the previous decade. That's the plan on Tuesday, May 14, as NBC is airing The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon: 10th Anniversary Special at 9 pm ET/PT. 

Don't worry, this isn't replacing a new episode of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon; a new one is set to air at its usual 11:34 pm ET/PT timeslot.

It was February 17, 2014, when Fallon made his first appearance as the sixth host of The Tonight Show. Fallon is the third-longest tenured host on the late-night talk show program behind Johnny Carson (30 years) and Jay Leno (two stints that combined for about 22 years).

The special is going to look back at many of the iconic, laugh-out-loud moments that highlight the first 10 years of Fallon's time on the show. This includes many of the fun, creative games and sketches/interviews with iconic stars and memorable musical performances. There's a lot to cover, which is why the special is airing for two hours.

In order to watch the 10th anniversary special, you must have access to NBC through a traditional pay-TV service, TV antenna or live TV streaming service (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV all carry NBC), or you can watch it the next day on-demand with a Peacock subscription.

Prior to getting one of the most iconic late-night talk shows, Fallon had a five-year stint hosting Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. And before that, he was a long-time cast member on Saturday Night Live, as well as appearing in many TV shows and movies. But he has truly settled in on The Tonight Show, making up one-third of this generation of talk show hosts along with Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Stephen Colbert on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

As for The Tonight Show's Tuesday, May 14 episode, Fallon is set to have Robert De Niro and Chelsea Handler as guests, while the show will also feature a musical performance by Lauryn Hill & YG Marley.

Watch a preview of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon: 10th Anniversary Special right here:

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Michael Balderston
Assistant Managing Editor

Michael Balderston is What to Watch’s assistant managing editor and lead movie writer, covering movies coming to theaters, writing movie reviews and highlighting new and classic movies on streaming services; he also covers a range of TV shows, including those in the Taylor Sheridan universe, Slow Horses, Only Murders in the Building, Jeopardy!, Saturday Night Live and more, as well as the best ways to watch some major US sporting events.

Based outside of Washington, D.C., Michael's previous experience includes writing for Awards Circuit, TV Technology and The Wrap.

Michael’s favorite movie of all time is Casablanca, while his favorite TV show is Seinfeld. Some 2025 favorites include One of Them Days and Black Bag for movies, and The Pitt on TV. Follow on Letterboxd to keep up with what I'm watching.

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