Even without writers, Leno seems scripted

"This is the loosest this show has ever been," Jay Leno said last Thursday, his second day back as late-night talk returned to the airwaves amid the ongoing writers' strike. "We want the writers to win this thing so we can go back to the boring old 'Tonight Show.'"

Leno's program has been the one to watch in this early stage, primarily because he's supposedly working without writers and because many of us have a suspicion that the once-heralded stand-up has become too mainstream and too soft to manage without an army of joke writers.

So it's somewhat startling to report that "The Tonight Show" doesn't seem all that different than the one he's been churning out for 15 years. He's still doing a lengthy monologue, which relies heavily on politics and porn, still introduces silly videos and still drools over Howie Mandel.

If Leno is truly writing all this material himself -- from his opening comments to the bit about voters falling asleep face down in their lunch while listening to Mitt Romney -- then it might just be the most unbelievable feat in TV since Mr. Ed spoke.

It's also a little disappointing.

There have been flashes of a really loose Leno, like when he conducted a freewheeling Q&A session with the audience and shared an anecdote about a girlfriend who didn't move with him to Los Angeles when he was getting started in the business. Those moments remind us that he's a natural-born wit, one that's all too often saddled by the chores of being Mr. Show Biz. But too much of the program reminds us of that "boring old 'Tonight Show.'"

For a real high-flying act without a net, check out "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," which is also without its writers. This program would seem to be in the most trouble, since it boasts the best scribes in the business (and finally won an Emmy for it earlier this year), but O'Brien has faced the challenge -- not by trying to re-create the magic of his traditional show, but by truly putting on an improvised, unpredictable show. In his first week back, he has spun his wedding ring on the desk, trying to beat his record of 41 seconds, sang "Blue Moon of Kentucky" with the band and climbed up on the studio catwalk with a camera. It might not be as inspired as, say, the Masturbating Bear, but it's engaging television that stays true to the spirit of the writers' strike.

All these shows are struggling for guests because the Writers Guild has asked performers to not cross the picket line. Actress Megan Mullally, a "Late Night" guest, clearly tried to have it both ways, appearing to promote "Young Frankenstein," but also insisting on a few seconds to say how much she supported the strikers.

I was shocked that the moment wasn't followed by her pulling out a piece of cake and eating it, too.

"The Late Show With David Letterman" as well as "The Late, Late Show With Craig Ferguson" do have their writers back, thanks to a separate deal, but you wouldn't know it by the first few shows. Letterman seems obsessed with the strike (he opened Wednesday's show with dancing girls with picket signs) and is running a bit where he interviews staff members. It's a behind-the-scenes treat for die-hard fans, but it probably looks like something from a cable-access show to everyone else.

This is also a good time to introduce yourself to Ferguson, a performer who is having so much giddy fun, he probably doesn't need writers. He may, however, want to watch his caffeine intake. Just a whiff of his high-energy act will keep even the sleepiest viewer up for hours.

Late night will get even more interesting with the return today of "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report," both of which will not have their writers.