Leno had a great run. I too preferred Letterman though.

The Tonight Show used to be the flagship of all night-time talk shows. With the passing of it to Fallon, who is a very talented guy and will make it his own, it is now just another vessel in the fleet of talk shows.

It has just reached the point that now Leno and Letterman are the shows that appeal to older generations, like mine.

I remember Letterman's short-lived daytime series in the summer of '81, I think. It was fresh and probably a bit too edgy for 1981 mornings.