alternatehistory.com

When Johnny Carson was set to retire in 1992, it set about a succession war between David Letterman and Jay Leno. Carson had his preference of Letterman who had guest hosted his show many times and TLS was the follow up to TNS so the line of succession should have been obvious. Instead NBC went with a less known Jay Leno whom they felt would represent a more generic and standard host to the eccentric Letterman whom they felt might turn off some of their older audience. Well let us suppose the execs had made the more natural selection of Letterman, which network does Leno end up in? And is the late night wars scaled down or even nonexistent without the presumption that Jay had stolen Letterman's job?
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