Jay Leno leaving 'The Tonight Show,' Jimmy Fallon taking over in 2014

NEW YORK –  Conan O'Brien will believe it when he sees it.

Jay Leno is officially leaving "The Tonight Show" in 2014, NBC announced on Wednesday. 

Comedian Jimmy Fallon will replace the long-time "Tonight" host, in a move that has been rumored to be in the works for several weeks. 

Back in 2009, Leno stepped down when O'Brien hosted the show for several months, but the veteran late-night star eventually reclaimed his hosting gig in 2010. 

But this time, it seems Leno will be done with "Tonight" for good. 

In a statement sent to FOX 411 he said: “Congratulations Jimmy. I hope you’re as lucky as me and hold on to the job until you’re the old guy. If you need me, I’ll be at the garage.” 

Fallon, 38, released a similar statement, saying: “I’m really excited to host a show that starts today instead of tomorrow.”

The 62-year-old Leno took over "Tonight" from Johnny Carson in 1992. 

Steve Burke, Chief Executive Officer of NBCUniversal, called Leno an "entertainment icon" and said the timing of the move couldn't be better. 

“We are purposefully making this change when Jay is #1, just as Jay replaced Johnny Carson when he was #1," he said. "Jimmy Fallon is a unique talent and this is his time."

Over the past several weeks, many speculated Leno was on the way out as he mocked NBC execs on air, leaving viewers wondering if tensions were running high behind the scenes at "The Tonight Show."

"You know the whole legend of St. Patrick, right? St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland -- and then they came to the United States and became NBC executives," Leno joked on on a recent episode of the show.

In the announcement on Wednesday, NBC confirmed rumors that the show would move from Burbank, Calif., to New York City and be filmed once again in the 30 Rock studios. 

"As part of the transition, 'The Tonight Show' will be returning to its original home in 30 Rock in New York and will be executive-produced by Emmy Award winner Lorne Michaels ('Saturday Night Live,' '30 Rock')," the NBC announcement stated. 

In the April issue of GQ magazine, "Late Night" producer  Michaels said a transition to Fallon had "an inevitability to it," adding that he was "the closest to Carson that I've seen of this generation."

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Jimmy Fallon reportedly taking over 'Tonight' show for Jay Leno

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  This Feb. 21, 2013 photo released by NBC shows Jimmy Fallon, host of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," on the set in New York.AP/NBC

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  This Jan. 13, 2013 file photo shows Jay Leno, host of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," left, and Jimmy Fallon, host of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" backstage at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif.AP/Invision

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LOS ANGELES –  As Jay Leno makes jokes about ratings-challenged NBC in his "Tonight" monologues, speculation is swirling the network is taking steps to replace the host with Jimmy Fallon next year and move the talk show from California to New York.

NBC confirmed Wednesday it's creating a new studio for Fallon in New York, where he hosts "Late Night." But the network did not comment on a report that the studio may become home to a transplanted, Fallon-hosted "Tonight."

The New York Times reported the plan Wednesday, citing unidentified network executives. The Hollywood Reporter had a March 1 report about a Fallon-Leno switch, which the network denied.

Looming over NBC is its messy, failed effort to replace Leno with Conan O'Brien, which ended in 2010 with Leno regaining "Tonight" and NBC losing O'Brien -- who got a $45 million exit deal -- to TBS.

Leno's current "Tonight" contract expires in September of 2014.

That occurred under a different regime, before NBCUniversal was taken over by Comcast Corp., which has a reputation for discipline. While NBC dithered and backtracked on its "Tonight" succession plan involving O'Brien, Comcast is likely to be more decisive.

The 38-year-old Fallon contacted Leno in an effort to help smooth the potential switch, according to a Hollywood Reporter story Wednesday.

The 62-year-old Leno, who took over "Tonight" from Johnny Carson in 1992, did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment. But he might be taking advantage of other ways to communicate -- the "Tonight" stage and its audience of millions.

Although late-night hosts are known for making fun of their network bosses on-air, the timing of Leno's latest jabs at NBC seemed to make the network particularly uncomfortable. They reportedly asked him to stop; he hasn't.

"You know the whole legend of St. Patrick, right? St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland -- and then they came to the United States and became NBC executives," Leno joked on Monday's show.

In the April issue of GQ magazine, "Late Night" producer Lorne Michaels ("Saturday Night Live") said a transition to Fallon had "an inevitability to it," adding that he was the closest to Carson that I've seen of this generation."

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