Here's a rather silly article in the New York Daily News which treats it as a breathless inside scoop that David Letterman would like to have Jay Leno in his show. As you read this, there are things to remember…
First off, it's the New York Daily News. They don't exactly have a great track record with stories that can't be verified. Secondly, it's not exactly a secret that Letterman would like to have Leno on. According to Bill Carter's book on the Leno/Conan mess, Dave's producers tried to book Jay to compete with Conan's first night but Jay refused. And there have been all those stories lately about Dave calling Jay to begin a slow hatchet-burying process.
And, uh, why wouldn't Dave want to have Jay on? It would get killer ratings. It might counteract Dave's image (to some) as a cranky whiner. And it's not like Dave couldn't stand to be in the same room with Jay. He invited him to do that Super Bowl commercial a few years back. Then there's this…
Now, new kid on the block Fallon's ratings are making Letterman's staff shake. In his first week, Fallon's viewership was twice that of Letterman. "The audience will definitely shrink down to a more normal size in a few weeks, especially after the Olympics are over" and the Fallon Tonight loses its new show smell, one TV insider says.
That can't be making anyone at Letterman's show quake. They all know the power of the Olympics…and also that some new shows do well for a while. Pat Sajak did great against Johnny Carson for about three weeks. Everyone knows that.