Phelps Crashed in 'Tranny Hooker District'

As Tonight Show saga continues, Leno and O'Brien face off

(NEWSER) - As the late-night shakedown gets messier, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien seem to be turning against each other—and David Letterman is clearly on Team Conan. The Late Show host wants O’Brien to appear on his show “not to rub NBC's noses into their huge mistake, but to welcome Conan with open arms and show him that despite the way his old network has treated him, America loves him,” a source tells PopEater . More: More»

That and Leno's exit make erstwhile underdog late night winner

(NEWSER) - David Letterman’s scandalous admission of intraoffice sex and his role in a blackmail scheme appear to have titillated audiences. CBS’ Late Show is up 13% in total viewership for the season over last year. Sure, Dave is off 8% in the adults 18-to-49 demographic, but that’s nothing compared to the Tonight Show’s plunge. Since Conan O’Brien took over, the chatfest's ratings have fallen 15% in the demo and 47% overall. More»

Scandal-tainted David Letterman rules in ratings and with devotees

(NEWSER) - David Letterman’s fans—at least the handful surveyed by the Daily News—agree: All is forgiven. In fact, his extortionist is the one who should be ashamed of himself. “We love Letterman no matter what he does. He brings us joy,” said a would-be audience member outside the Ed Sullivan Theater. Another sums up the sentiment with a shrug and a smile: "Everybody's doing it." More»

Jimmy Fallon tops Craig Ferguson in ratings race

(NEWSER) - Jay Leno owned the 11:35 time slot last night, smashing both David Letterman and ABC’s combination of Nightline and Jimmy Kimmel as curious viewers tuned in to see Leno take back the Tonight Show gig. Leno scored a 5.7 rating, compared to 3.0 for Letterman, 3.4 for Nightline, and 1.8 for Kimmel, Entertainment Weekly reports. More»

David Letterman still wins, but he's in a class of his own

(NEWSER) - Despite all the publicity heaped upon them in recent weeks, there are more late night hosts than just Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien. After years of following the major late night shows, Michael Giltz decided the time has come to declare a new king. His final verdict? Craig Ferguson, but only if you take David Letterman out of the running. Check out his thoughts, from the Huffington Post :

• David Letterman: “He's already ascended to the pantheon, alongside Johnny Carson, Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Dick Cavett, and just a few others. His legacy is assured, so he doesn't get ranked alongside the others.”
• Craig Ferguson: “He's been charming the pants off us for some 1000 shows now and doing it effortlessly,” and last night’s show—during which he eschewed the audience and simply talked to Stephen Fry for an hour—“was an arresting, wonderful hour akin to the glory days of Dick Cavett.”