In this image released by NBC, Olympic Gold Medalist skier
Lindsey Vonn, left, is shown during an interview with host
Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," Monday, March
1, 2010.
Jay Leno got a warm welcome from viewers with his return
to late night on Monday.
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno led the 11:35 p.m.
Eastern time slot with 6.6 million viewers, beating ABC rival
Nightline, which had 4.1 million viewers, and CBS'
Late Show with David Letterman, which had 3.8
million viewers, according to the Nielsen Co.
Then many of Leno's viewers stuck with NBC, giving Late
Night with Jimmy Fallon a 2.1 million win against its
12:35 a.m. competitor on CBS, Late Late Show with Craig
Ferguson, which had 1.8 million viewers.
After 17 years, Leno left Tonight last May in the
hands of former Late Night host Conan O'Brien.
O'Brien's early ratings on Tonight were strong. But
he couldn't hang onto the audience that Leno had typically
attracted, leading to his exit in January.
In the meantime, Leno starred in a weeknight NBC prime-time
hour that was canceled for low ratings, with his
reinstatement as Tonight Show host swiftly
following.
Leno started Monday night's show by spoofing the conclusion
of The Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy awakens to find
all those crazy goings-on were only a dream. Jay, seen in
sepia tones in what was meant to be a Kansas farmhouse, said,
"I went away to the strangest place. It was wonderful, but
some of it wasn't so nice."
In fact, Leno had gone away from the nation's TV
screens for less than a month when he returned Monday night
to his old haunts in late night.
"It's good to be home," he told his audience as he began his
first Tonight Show monologue since last spring.
"I'm Jay Leno, your host. At least, for a while."
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