<span style="font-size:18pt;">Leno ratings: 'Tonight's' worst summer ever</span>

<span style="font-size:10.5pt;">But host soundly beating David Letterman</span>

<span style="font-size:10.5pt;">By James Hibberd</span>

<span style="font-size:9pt;">NBC might have summer's most-watched show in "America's Got Talent," but the network's late-night ratings aren't so sunny.

"The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" is pulling a smaller number in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic than when Conan O'Brien hosted the show last year.

In fact, this summer is the lowest-rated "Tonight" on record, though such feats have become increasingly common on broadcast across the board.

Since the end of the broadcast season, Leno is averaging 3.8 million viewers and a 1.0 adults 18-49 rating. That's a 12% improvement in total audience compared with O'Brien, though off 23% in the demo and down in both measurements compared with Leno's performance two years ago. His percentages greatly improve if comparisons begin a few weeks deeper into the summer so "Tonight" is not facing O'Brien's opening weeks hosting the show, though O'Brien is tops in the demo either way.

Even with the reduced rating, Leno is back to beating his top rival, CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman," by a healthy 22% in both metrics. CBS touts that Letterman's ratings are at least holding steady compared with last summer, when Letterman hit an all-time low of his own. Other late-night hosts have been showing stability too, with NBC's "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," CBS' "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" maintaining their demo averages, and Fallon and Kimmel even sporting gains in total viewers.

The rest is here.</span>

Edited September 5, 201015 yr by Sylph

Funny enough, summer is always the time when I tend to watch more of the late night talkers... Fall/Winter is just too crowded with serials which I watch at the hours that Leno & Co. are on.

ha! suck it Chin-o !

Leno coasted on Johnny Carson's reputation and on a lack of real competition (Letterman has his moments but he is a very odd presence and that hyena Paul Shaffer even moreso) for a long time.

Fallon and Kimmel -- I would rather watch a fish tank.

Letterman is desperate too:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ic89e89e7caab635830f3a66cccdb434f

I really wonder what is going to change late night. Is it just going to slowly die, as daytime seems to be doing?

So far, it seems so.

Why do you think Letterman is an "odd" presence? I'm intrigued.

Weird, random jokes, just a nervous, strange presence, a sometimes disturbing undercurrent.

That's true.

Weird, random jokes, just a nervous, strange presence, a sometimes disturbing undercurrent.

I feel this way about Shaeffer. An odd side-kick. But I also never liked Andy Richter over at Conan, so maybe I don't like this type of co-host?

BTW: I might be in the minority but I still like Jay's Tonight Show.

I really wonder what is going to change late night. Is it just going to slowly die, as daytime seems to be doing?

Unlike daytime, late night is already in the process of changing. It's becoming more niche-oriented. We saw this with Monique, Wanda Sykes and George Lopez and I believe that only Wanda has been canceled, correct? I think we'll see another round or two of niche shows with various levels of success, then something will stick, be it Shatner's Raw Nerve, some Oprah project or a remake of a British property.

Late night is still innovating so there's still hope.

Not one, not ONE! mention of Nightline.

That aside, seeing Leno tank melts my heart. When another high profile celebrity passes away, I can't wait to see Nightline win the ratings war AGAIN!

<span style="font-size:18pt;">Jay Leno's Ratings Shrink From Conan O'Brien's in 18-49 Demo</span>

<span style="font-size:10.5pt;">O'Brien drew 4.4% more coveted younger viewers in his brief stint as "Tonight Show" host.</span>

<span style="font-size:120%;">Jay Leno's ratings among young viewers have shrunk in the seven months since he's returned to hosting The Tonight Show, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Just 1.3 million of his 3.7 nightly viewers are between 18 and 49, down 4.4% from Conan O'Brien's short-lived stint as host. | Read more</span>

Edited October 18, 201015 yr by Sylph

Honestly, the only hosts who seem to actually enjoy their jobs are Kimmell and Ferguson and Fallon, the three who have the least to lose.

Leno and Letterman are tired hacks, they haven't had a hot moment in a decade. Off with their heads!

Honestly, the only hosts who seem to actually enjoy their jobs are Kimmell and Ferguson and Fallon, the three who have the least to lose.

Leno and Letterman are tired hacks, they haven't had a hot moment in a decade. Off with their heads!

I want Kimmel to stay put. If any other late-night show is placed before it, the ratings won't be there. People who watch Nightline watch Kimmel. Without Nightline, Kimmel's viewership will bleed.

Fallon needs to be canned.

And Ferguson needs a slightly larger set.

Edited October 18, 201015 yr by bellcurve