Fallon Test-Drives "Late Night" on the Web

NBC's Late Night with new host Jimmy Fallon is scheduled to begin in the fall as an Internet test-run.

As we prepare for a wave of change that will significantly alter the face of late night television, NBC's Lorne Michaels is planning ahead. Michaels, the man behind Saturday Night Live and executive producer of Late Night, will run Fallon's Late Night on the Internet starting in the fall, reported the New York Times.

Episodes will be released nightly in an effort to simulate the rhythm of the show. The online version of Late Night, with episodes expected to run between 5 and 10 minutes, will serve as a warm-up for Fallon, allowing him the opportunity to get a feel for his new domain.

"Conan needed time to find his show," Michaels said. "I think this will help Jimmy to do that."

Fallon will begin work on the televised version of the show when he replaces floppy-haired Conan O'Brien next year, most likely in the spring. The move comes as Jay Leno prepares to leave The Tonight Show to make room for new host, Conan O'Brien.

Michaels believes that airing Late Night online for a while will be just what Fallon needs, he told the New York Times, allowing him "more opportunity for experimentation." The Internet, as a platform, will allow Fallon's Late Night to be more adventurous in terms of content; however, there will still be a structure to the show.

"I'm going to post them at 12:30 every night, so people will begin to look for Jimmy at that time," Michaels told the Times. It has not yet been determined which site the episodes will be posted on.