This Week in Late Night: The Beginning of the End

So this week NBC’s giant potentially disastrous experiment begins, with Jay Leno and his oh-so-mayonnaise brand of comedy premiering in a cozy 10pm nightly spot, competing with, oh, every major primetime drama that airs during the week and potentially sapping both viewers and guests away from Conan and Jimmy Fallon.

There are a handful of reports out there from test show tapings and it all sounds like it’s going to be about as much fun as a stale loaf of Wonder bread, but we’ll be watching tonight to see just how blandtastic it is. At least Jerry Seinfeld is on.

To counter the Leno invasion, not only is Louis CK on Conan, this week is also the Glorious Return of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, and to make it even sweeter, Stewart has Ricky Gervais on this Thursday. So maybe that’ll wash the Leno taste out of your mouth.

CONAN

9.15 Ted Danson

9.17 Louis CK

FALLON

9.15 Anna Faris, Alan Cumming

9.18 Danny DeVito

STEWART

9.16 Ricky Gervais

KIMMEL

9.15 ‘Special Appearance’ Joel McHale

LENO

9.14 Jerry Seinfeld

9.16 Robin Williams

TELEVISION FOR THE UNEMPLOYED

THE VIEW

9.17 Joel McHale

9.18 Kathy Griffin

REGIS

9.18 Ricky Gervais