Jimmy Fallon leads the way back as he resumes hosting The Tonight Show from NYC studio

Jimmy Fallon came back to The Tonight Show’s NYC studios with reduced staff on Monday.

’30 Rock, I’ve missed you,’ The Tonight Show host, 45, said on Instagram Monday. ‘See you tonight! #FallonTonight #BackInTheStudio.’

Fallon and his house band, The Roots, were in the studio, conducting remote interviews with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, actress Charlize Theron and the band Little Big Town. 

Return: Jimmy Fallon came back to The Tonight Show’s NYC studios with reduced staff on Monday

Fallon said in the opening segment of the show, ‘As a New Yorker, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who helped get us back to where we are now. To all the states, going through the tough parts, friends in Florida, Texas, Arizona, California. I know how hard it is, I’m not going to lie to you, it’s tough.

‘But I’m here to show you that there is a light at the end of the tunnel if we all do our part to keep each other safe.’

Fallon said that ‘any type of normalcy feels great’ as he aimed to bring ‘a bit of normal’ back to the series.

‘These are the hardest times to do comedy but they are also the times we need it the most,’ he said. ‘Maybe that’s why comedy was invented – chew on that.’

Fallon and his house band, The Roots, were in the studio, conducting remote interviews with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Fallon and his house band, The Roots, were in the studio, conducting remote interviews with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo 

Modern times: Fallon held up a card showing off a safety sign on the set of the show

Modern times: Fallon held up a card showing off a safety sign on the set of the show

In his chat on the show, Cuomo projected an optimism, noting the return of the NBC staple was a step in the right direction.

‘New York is really open now that you’re doing your show again,’ the governor told Fallon amid his state’s recent success in quelling the spread of the virus, as no COVID-19-related deaths were reported Saturday, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Fallon’s staff will largely remain working remotely, with no studio audience in attendance, according to Deadline.

Fallon had been doing his show from home since the early days of the lockdown on March 17, speaking to celebs including John Legend, Adam Sandler, Miley Cyrus and Alec Baldwin.

In his appearance on the program, Cuomo said that ‘New Yorkers stepped up’ as the state ‘went from having the worst infection rate in the country’ to ‘the best infection rate, so we really turned the corner.’

He added: ‘We tamed the beast, we just have to cross our fingers and hope that it stays there.’

Back in the house: Fallon had been doing his show from home since the early days of the lockdown on March 17

Back in the house: Fallon had been doing his show from home since the early days of the lockdown on March 17

Staying safe: The late night host donned a mask as he got ready for his first studio broadcast in nearly four months

Staying safe: The late night host donned a mask as he got ready for his first studio broadcast in nearly four months 

Standing strong: In his appearance on the program, Cuomo said that 'New Yorkers stepped up' as the state 'went from having the worst infection rate in the country' to 'the best infection rate, so we really turned the corner'

Standing strong: In his appearance on the program, Cuomo said that ‘New Yorkers stepped up’ as the state ‘went from having the worst infection rate in the country’ to ‘the best infection rate, so we really turned the corner’

Cuomo said that New Yorkers practiced string social distancing methods amid a complicated time full of mixed messaging, alluding to his clashes with President Donald Trump.

‘You had the President of the United States basically denying that the virus existed,’ he said. ‘I believe he played politics with it, you have these other states rush to reopen like there was no problem but there was a problem.

‘You can’t deal with a virus politically, you have to be smart, you have to get it under control, you have to close down and people.’

Asked about the speculation swirling around his love life – the politician remains single – Cuomo said he was focused on getting rid of the virus before tending to his personal life.

‘I think New York City will be full reopened before I get out of phase 0 on dating,’ he said.