CBS; NBC Photo: Paul DrinkwaterThe late-night TV wars are way on.
A day after enduring headlines about how David Letterman had bested whippersnapper Conan O'Brien in Tuesday's ratings, NBC fired off a press release formally declaring O'Brien "the new king of late night."
Based on one week.
Or yes, just five shows.
The network's proclamation, while arguably quick on the draw, was not at all inaccurate: O'Brien's week-one Tonight Show reigned over Letterman's ensconced Late Show, averaging 6.1 million viewers versus the latter's 3.5 million. O'Brien's lead over Letterman among in-demand adults 18-49 was even wider.
Had O'Brien lost again to Letterman on Wednesday, the release might have seemed ill-timed. But he didn't. Lose, that is.
Last night's Tonight Show, featuring comic Dane Cook, edged The Late Show by a tenth of a rating point, overnight ratings showed.
For those keeping score at home, O'Brien has now beat Letterman in the overnights in seven of his first eight nights.
Not that anything less would be expected from "the new king of late night."
Other ratings tidbits:
• O'Brien is Jimmy Fallon's new best friend. O'Brien's big first week boosted Fallon's Late Night to its best-ever weekly ratings in the 18-49 demo. Overall, Fallon put more distance between himself and Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show, averaging 2.4 million viewers to Ferguson's 1.8 million.
• Last night's I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! dropped in Holly Montag—and dropped to a new low: 4.7 million viewers, per Nielsen preliminary estimates.
• So You Think You Can Dance (8.7 million) and Wipeout (8.4 million) ruled Wednesday's prime-time race.