Things are so brutal out there for The Jay Leno Show that even the First Lady for it may not be able to work a miracle -- and they just got a little worse. While Leno is routinely beaten in the ratings by 10pm shows on the other big networks, it fell behind another scripted drama on Tuesday, and this one was on cable.
In the all-important 18-49 demographic, Leno was crushed by FX's Sons of Anarchy, which drew 3.7 million viewers and a 2.05 rating to Leno's 1.8. Somewhere, the cast and crew of the potentially cable-bound Southland are no doubt enjoying a delicious, steaming bowl of schadenfreude.
Leno also hit its Monday low this week, begging the question: Can the series expect to enjoy any sort of ratings turnaround, or will NBC stick with Leno until the summer, when it may finally have an advantage against repeats on the other broadcast networks? It may be time to break out the big guns, Jay. Place a call to Meredith Baxter Birney and start working out the terms of her debasement.