YouTubeJimmy Fallon is back at 30 Rock.
Amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, Fallon, like many late-night hosts, had been filming his show remotely. On Monday night, however, Fallon and band The Roots returned to Rockefeller Center for the first time in months, along with the show's crew. As the 45-year-old explained in his opening monologue, there will be no audience and guest interviews will continue to be virtual to ensure everyone's safety.
"As you can see, we are back in the studio at 30 Rockefeller Plaza here in New York City," Fallon, one of the first late-night hosts to return to a studio, told viewers. "And as a New Yorker, I want to say thank you to everyone who helped get us back to where we are now, wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands, quarantining, it all helps."
"And to all of the states going through the tough parts right now, our friends in Florida, Arizona, Texas, California, all over the south, I know how hard it is and I'm not gonna lie to you, it's rough," Fallon continued.
Fallon went on to say that he's here to show that "there is a light at the end of the tunnel" if we all do our part to "keep each other safe."
"I don't know if anyone else feels this way but normalcy, any type of normalcy, feels great," Fallon told viewers. "So hopefully we can put a smile on your face for an hour every night and let you sit back and relax while we try to bring you just a little bit of normal."
Fallon said that these are the "hardest times" to do comedy but they are also the times when "we need it the most," before trying out a few jokes for his band.
In order to keep Tonight Show staff safe, Fallon explained, everyone in the studio "tested negative" for COVID-19.
"And all of our crew are wearing masks and face shields and we're all six feet apart," Fallon said, thanking NBC in ensuring everyone's safety. "Just to walk you through my day, when I got in this morning, I had a temperature check, I did the nose swab test, the one that goes all the way up into your brain."
"I didn't know that at the same time you could get a COVID test and a colonoscopy," Fallon joked. "Anyway, once I was cleared, I could go to my office and get ready for the show, and every part of the office has a little slip of paper saying that it's been disinfected. This was truly done the safest way possible.
Take a look at the video above to see Fallon's return to 30 Rock!
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)