Well, that didn't take long. Jay Leno made his return to his old home on "The Tonight Show" at 11:35 p.m. and immediately bested longtime rival David Letterman in the ratings. Whether or not Leno can hold the lead is a big question, though he managed to top "The Late Show with David Letterman" with far fewer high-profile guests than his opponent.
This week probably won't see any significant shifts, as Letterman is only doing three shows this week. Still, those three will feature the likes of Jennifer Aniston on Monday (March 15), Snoop Dogg on Tuesday (March 16) and Gerard Butler on Wednesday (March 17). Leno will counter with "American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi on Monday, recently-announced "Saturday Night Live" host Betty White on Tuesday, a performance by Orianthi on Thursday (March 18) and a visit from "Hot Tub Time Machine" star John Cusack on Friday (March 19).
One significant upside: Jimmy Fallon got a boost, picking up a bigger audience with Leno's lead-in and outpacing direct rival Craig Ferguson over on CBS. That's a good bit of luck for Fallon, whose show has already evolved past a rocky start to become one of the finer hours in recent late-night history. The new viewers will be in for a series of treats this week, as Fallon welcomes Jude Law on Monday, Kristen Stewart on Tuesday and a performance from indie favorites the XX on Wednesday. This week will also feature eclectic musical spots from Air and the Script, further cementing "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" as the best destination for live music.
Jimmy Kimmel and Craig Ferguson will both put up reruns this week (though it's worth catching Thursday night's episode of "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," which features a visit from 50 Cent). The ubiquitous Snoop Dogg will also talk to Jon Stewart on Wednesday night's edition of "The Daily Show," while fans of Jason Derulo will have to turn into Monday's entry of "Lopez Tonight."
In the daytime world, Jessica Simpson is on Monday's episode of "The View," while Kristen Stewart will chat about "The Runaways" on "Live with Regis and Kelly" on Tuesday. But the best lineup of the week goes to the Tuesday edition of "Ellen," as DeGeneres will have on "City Island" star Julianna Margulies, Australian magician James Galea and a performance from La Roux. If that isn't a bizarre and wonderful hour of television, then nothing is.
Whose show are you most looking forward to this week? Let us know in the comments!