Jay Leno Ratings

Jay Leno Ratings

Jay Leno's new prime-time comedy hour debuted Monday night, garnering underwhelming reviews across the blogosphere and conservative estimates of audience size. Indeed, the show closely resembled Leno's old "Tonight Show," with few of the promised new elements in sight. Now, the $10 million question: Once the novelty has worn off, how many viewers will watch night after night? In a decidedly unscientific survey of audience response, the Monitor tuned into three demographic groups in the Los Angeles area for some insight on what the future may hold for "The Jay Leno Show."

"I would tune in again," says Katherine Carter, a 20-something who gathered with three friends in Marina Del Rey to take in the debut. "I thought it was really funny, but some of the skits went on too long." She adds, "It was a bit slow." Her buddy, Eva Fedderley, has stronger reactions, saying she found the new Leno show "boring, with very little to actually sink my teeth into." She elaborates: "It was bland, and everyone seemed nervous and awkward." Sacha Bollas chimes in with a bit more support for the comedian. "I like Jay," he says. "I'm glad to see him back, although," he adds with a laugh, "he still kills punch lines." The clinical psychologist adds that although he did enjoy the show, he wouldn't tune in intentionally. "I might stay with it if I found it channel-surfing," he says.

Over in Whittier, a younger group gathered in the living room of the Harris dorm on the campus of Whittier College. One student expressed surprise that Leno was still around, but a few said they were looking forward to seeing the show. "I appreciated seeing Kanye West," says Nick Santoro, a sophomore from Boston. He questions, though, whether there is a need for yet another talk show. "Jay's had his time," he says. "Now everyone has to have a show, even [actress] Tori Spelling. Jay won't last," he predicts. "Maybe he'll outlast Tori, but not by much."