With Leno out, late night belongs to Letterman

May 7, 2009 | by Scott A. Winer

LAWRENCE, Kansas – This evening Jay Leno finishes his 17-year tenure at The Tonight Show, and it’s hard not to think of the events that have transpired since or those leading up to him getting the job. Either way, I certainly won’t be losing sleep over what to do now that Conan O’Brien is taking over. It’s simple: I’ll watch David Letterman.

Sure, I’ve been a fan of the Late Show since I was in 5th grade. For a while I loved the show for reasons I couldn’t even articulate at the time. But there was definitely something. After attending a taping in 2007, I finally figured it out. Letterman and his staff are simply smarter than the folks on the other coast.

New York is the epicenter of live and live-to-tape television. There’s something inherently edgy about the city with which the comparatively laid back California vibe simply can’t compete.

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