TVSquad

Jay Leno's move into primetime surprised just about everyone with a television and a central nervous system.

NBC's Tonight Show chair might have been the throne of late night royalty, but it's not an aristocracy. That assumption caused the infamous late night fiasco when Johnny Carson retired and pushed David Letterman to CBS. It's that same assumption that has everyone's jaws dropping out of their ligaments.

But just like the Super Bowl, little league baseball, or a hottest-wet-buns-in-jeans contest -- there must be winners and losers. Here are the people who should and shouldn't be loving Leno right now.

Loves Ya: Jimmy Fallon - It's no coincidence that NBC announced Leno's new time slot so close to the same week that Fallon started marketing his own show. No matter what you think of Fallon's comedy, the man has his work cut out for him. Craig Ferguson is slowly starting to land some punches in Conan's corner by inking a few ratings wins, and that can spell trouble for a lightweight. Having a heavy hitter who can knock a few teeth before Fallon tags in helps.

Loves Ya: Advertisers - The men on Madison Avenue are drowning the streets with Pavlovian drool over Leno's new time slot. Broadcasting and Cable says that late night charges advertisers 30 percent less than primetime does. Leno is a trusted name to advertisers because he's been so consistent with his ratings. So Madison Avenue's best and brightest will suck down one less carton of Lucky Strikes to calm their frazzled nerves when his Tonight Show contract runs out.

Loves Ya: Conan O'Brien - Conan is thrilled Leno is staying and with good reason. Without Leno, Conan wouldn't have had time to build a steady audience of his own and establish his own footing in late night. Now he can enjoy that comfortable lead-in when both move up the ranks of the late night ladder, even if he'll still have to look at Leno's butt the whole way.

Doesn't Love Ya: Primetime Television - Comedies and dramas have been facing big cutbacks, and Leno's lurch into the primetime schedule means other networks will follow suit if he's successful. That will leave even less room for scripted shows. Cable has picked up the slack and scored more than one hat trick. But the chances of the next big primetime sitcom or drama appearing on free TV are smaller than Testees' chances of sweeping next year's Emmys.

Doesn't Love Ya: ABC - Right now the folks at the Alphabet Network have to be slapping each other in the head for not jumping at the big chinned one sooner. New York Times television reporter and Late Shift author Bill Carter told NPR that ABC could have easily scooped up Leno. The network has found some success with Jimmy Kimmel, but not at the level of Leno or O'Brien, who didn't have to #*$& Ben Affleck to get where they are right now. Speaking of getting #*$&$ed ...

Doesn't Love Ya: Conan O'Brien - O'Brien has a lot to benefit from Leno's decision to stay. He also doesn't get to take the reigns of the most coveted late night spot in the history of the known universe. O'Brien seems like a nice enough guy and wants to let the good outweigh the bad, but it's taken some of the buzz out of his own move. It will also make it hard for O'Brien to get the A-list celebrities on his couch with Leno scooping them up. Now I'll never get to see Triumph the Insult Comic Dog call Tom Cruise "nuttier than my stool after a Payday bar" in my lifetime.