Suddenly and very unexpectedly it seems that variety shows have been successfully resurrected. With the success of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and the recent premiere of The Maya Rudolph Show it seems that variety shows are making a comeback.

Variety shows were always big in the 70s with programs such as The Carol Burnett Show and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. Each show was full of skits, singing, and dancing. Other than Saturday Night Live which has been going strong since the 1970s, a variety show format never really worked on modern television until now. People are eating up these shows because of their new and exciting format.

Jimmy Fallon took over the world famous Tonight Show on NBC for Jay Leno. Jay Leno had hosted the show for nearly 20 years, so people were ready for a change. No one knew what Jimmy Fallon had to offer. He was going to be the first host from a younger generation, and the first host who was an experienced SNL actor. Since 2009 Fallon hosted Late Night, which has a much smaller audience since it airs at 12:30 AM. However, Fallon’s show had always been a success. Much of his success he could credit towards his YouTube channel. Since the beginning Fallon uploaded short clips of about five minutes. Many of these sketches were with other stars. These videos received millions and millions of views. Fallon gained followers and supporters by being the first to take advantage of a different medium in which he could publish content.

Since Fallon took over The Tonight Show earlier this year he has been riding a nonstop ratings wave. He is doing more sketches than ever, and yes still posting them online. No longer are nighttime talk shows purely interviews and monologues. Because of Fallon it is now interviews, monologues, sketches, performances. This is the basic format of a variety show, not as much a nighttime talk show. Call it what you will but there is no debating this format sells. Fallon in less than six months has completely boosted the ratings of a talk show that was accustomed to an older more traditional act.

It is curious and surprising that this show is selling. Things have been done the same way for over half a century, so who would be crazy enough to change the system? Many believe that it is because the younger generation think, and are entertained differently. They aren’t interested in watching a twenty-minute interview. That is boring. They are more entertained by short five-minute segments. This is much more stimulating. The constantly differing environment is more exciting and entertaining. Especially since the younger generation gets most of their entertainment from offline, Fallon’s format is perfect. It is easy to watch his short sketches online without needing to watch the entire show. With the help of Fallon, late night became a young man’s game.

Earlier in May, The Maya Rudolph Show aired to an eager audience. Maya Rudolph is also a famous Saturday Night Live alum. Which has given her experience with sketch comedy. Rudolph’s new show is a self-described variety show, and if it works it will be the first successful one in years. Her show is very similar to the classic variety shows of the 1970s. She started with a musical number with some dance breaks. Then she sprinkled in some celebrity cameos and a few sketches. All that combined with a clap happy studio audience was all she needed to captivate millions of Americans. Each segment was no longer than seven minutes. Then suddenly an entirely different sketch would begin. This is exactly what Americans look for nowadays, quick easy comedy.

Saturday Night Live has ushered in a new age of late night comedy. Gone are the days of basic talk shows. Now in order to have success in a live comedy setting, there is a need for quick sketches consisting of differing yet entertaining storylines. Perhaps variety shows are the programs of the future. With the help of YouTube, there is a high demand for vignette comedy. Comedians like Jimmy Fallon and Maya Rudolph are happy to be the suppliers of the new America’s comedy.