It's patently unfair to make a judgment after just one program, but I feel pretty comfortable in the following declaration:

"The Jay Leno Show" is not going to cause a sea change in talk shows, prime-time TV or the fortunes of the once-mighty National Broadcasting Company.

After a tidal wave or promotion that included massive hat and T-shirt giveaways at Lambeau Field, Leno's program debuted Monday night in the 9 p.m. slot. Outside of a brief interview with rapper Kanye West, who stepped into the "celeb-reality" muck by grabbing a microphone from Taylor Swift during an MTV awards program, there wasn't much in the show that could be described as "cutting edge" or even "must-see TV."

Then again, when did Leno ever fit those descriptions?

He's the ultimate middle-of-the-road comic / social commentator. In a way, he's like vanilla custard. If you like him, you really like him. If you don't like him ... well, you still kind of like him.

Leno wanted to change out of "The Tonight Show" mold, so they gave him a spiffy new set and some comedy bits that, though new, still felt familiar. If you want revolution, you're going to have to look elsewhere.

Ultimately, the show will rise or fall with Jay Leno. That means it will hover somewhere around the middle. When the CBS crime dramas are in reruns, the people without cable, DVRs or Facebook obsessions will check out which celebrity is pimping his or her latest project with Jay.

NBC can't show "The Biggest Loser" every hour in prime time. Leno is a safe, cheap alternative to try to keep people around to watch Channel 4's latest "Dirty Dining" feature or other overhyped ratings grabber.

Washington Post writer Hank Stuever summed it up best: "Who won't watch Jay when nothing else is on, or when the nurse won't come change the channel?"