‘Tonight Show’: Producer Mike DiCenzo to Exit Late-Night Series

Jim Bell reportedly eyed to take over as showrunner

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Andrew Lipovsky/NBC

Mike DiCenzo, one of the trio of producers overseeing “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” announced his departure from the NBC late-night series on Monday.

“Today is my last day at the ‘Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.’ It is also the exact 10-year anniversary of my first day at Late Night. What a dream decade at my dream job,” said DiCenzo on Twitter, at the beginning of the lengthy thread on Monday.

https://twitter.com/mikedicenzo/status/1054385941073129474

DiCenzo was part of a team of three producers who led “Tonight Show,” following the departure of former showrunner Josh Lieb in 2016. DiCenzo ran the show creative with Gerard Bradford, while Katie Hockmeyer had oversight of production.

“I’m planning to take the rest of the year off to take a breath and mentally decompress from a decade in late-night,” DiCenzo continued. “And then, who knows? Maybe a new show. Maybe moving to the woods and writing poetry. Maybe I’ll write a Pixar movie about lost luggage trying to find its way home.”

According to Deadline, former “Today” executive producer Jim Bell is being eyed to take over as showrunner. Bell has been president of NBC Olympics production & programming since 2017. NBC declined to comment, but an insider with knowledge of production told TheWrap that Bradford and Hockmeyer will remain in their current roles.

If Bell were to take over, he wouldn’t be the only executive to make the jump from morning to late-night. Over on CBS, “Late Show” executive producer Chris Licht used to run his network’s morning show, “CBS This Morning.”

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