Were Fans More Curious About Jay Leno Experiment...or Kanye?

Rihanna. Jay-Z. Oprah Winfrey. Jerry Seinfeld. Kanye West. Kanye West's latest apology.

Yes, Jay Leno's prime-time premiere was packed. With viewers.

Nearly 18 million tuned in Monday night, estimates showed. And while the great talk-show experiment was slammed by critics for not being experimental enough, it brought NBC a far bigger audience than any scripted show did at 10 p.m. last season.

Tonight, Leno will seek to stave off the sophomore slump with scheduled guests Cameron Diaz, Michael Moore and some guy named Tom Cruise.

Well, not every night can be star-studded…