Talk about a "sweeps" stunt that worked: Katie Couric's turn guest-hosting The Tonight Show last night yielded a 7.1 rating. That's probably way above what even the most optimistic NBC folks expected. Letterman had a 3.9 and Nightline had a 3.1. That's within those shows' normal fluctuation, confirming the theory that the late night shows don't really take audience away from each other. That is to say, when Dave gets a high rating, it doesn't mean he hijacked a lot of Leno viewers but that more people stayed up late that night.
I thought Ms. Couric did an okay job thanks to strong support from guests and written material. I'm still watching (in increments) Leno hosting The Today Show. I'm about halfway through and he seems pleasant enough — but I can't believe anyone not on the Fox Network would interview Colin Powell and not ask, "So…where are all those Weapons of Mass Destruction you told the U.N. we'd definitely pinpointed?"