Jay Leno Enjoys Being an Underdog and Pounding His Head on the Wall

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It's been 6 weeks since Jay Leno's show moved from an 11:30pm slot to a primetime, 10pm spot -- and though it's still early in the game, he said it's been a bit of a "challenge" to have to try to climb back to the top. There have been complaints about the Jay Leno Show being too tame and too much like his old shtick, and ratings haven't been great, but Jay said he's not surprised. He's even enjoying being the "underdog."

Jay Leno is in his 7th week of his new show. (Photo Agency)
"I look at this as a job, and now I'm faced with a challenge, and it's a challenge I find difficult but interesting," he said in an interview (via People.com).

He seems to have developed some thick skin through his years of being a comedian, and says he doesn't take any of the criticism personally. After all, he said, "there's really no fun in an upbeat story." He should know, he's made a career out of that idea.

Jay said it hasn't been long enough to really tell if he regrets making the switch to an early show, and he totally takes the blame. "Yes, I get a certain amount of satisfaction from pounding my head against the wall," he said.

And, he's just glad he's not David Letterman. "I wouldn't trade places with Dave now for anything!" he said. "I don't think he's getting a free pass."

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