the tonight show

The sniping among late night comedians has intensified over the last few days, as millionaire entertainers jostle for position in the great Jay Leno - Conan O'Brien conflict. A lot of fingers are pointing at one side or another, but the real blame lies with the NBC executive who started the whole thing.

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...