10 p.m.

Ever since it announced plans to create a 10 p.m. nightly talk show for Jay Leno, NBC has said it will give the strategy plenty of time to prove its worth. But reality may be less patient. While General Electric Co. (GE)'s network may be prepared to accept smaller audiences than it's accustomed...

A new network TV show that sees its ratings tumble after its debut usually meets with a swift and unforgiving fate. But don't expect that to be the case for The Jay Leno Show, NBC's prime time experiment with late-night comedy. Thanks to a $10 million promotional campaign, Leno premiered on Sept....

Thanks to a powerful promotional push and a serendipitous bit of booking, more than 17 million viewers tuned in last night to observe Jay Leno's prime time debut. If critics' reactions are any guide, quite a few of those 10 million went to bed underwhelmed. The Jay Leno Show represents a new...