09.14.09 KANYE IS BOOKED FOR JAY LENO’S DEBUT. FML.

When Jay Leno first started hosting “The Tonight Show” opposite Letterman’s “The Late Show,” the two spent several years going back and forth in leading the ratings. Then, on July 10, 1995, Leno had the fortune of having booked Hugh Grant in advance of him getting busted with a prostitute. Leno famously asked Grant, “What the hell were you thinking?” — and he was the ratings king for the next 14 years.

Kind of annoying how a freak stroke of luck can make someone’s career, right? Welp, get ready for the massively successful “Jay Leno Show,” because it debuts tonight with musical guest KANYE F’N WEST (Jay-Z and Beyonce, at that).

Without a doubt producers are convening at Jay Leno headquarters, trying to figure out how to come up with a way to ask “What the hell were you thinking?” for a new generation. And NBC must be thanking God for giving them evidence of their argument that The Jay Leno Show will be a hit because it can comment on watercooler topics. [Tuned In]

This is great news. It’s about time that scrappy underdog Leno caught a break. What can I say, his message of cars and product placement ads really speaks to my sense of humor. Hey, you gonna finish them chicken nuggets? No? Got any mayonnaise?