After two months of writer’s strikes and re-runs, late-night TV is finally back! And boy were the people hungry for it…

Jay Leno’s Tonight Show brought in 7.2 million viewers – about 43% more than his pre-strike average, while competitor Letterman’s Late Show brought in 5.5 million – roughly 45% more than his pre-strike average. It’s worth noting that Letterman has struck a deal with the WGA to get writers back, whereas Leno’s staff is still striking.

Late late night also had a surge, with Conan (who is benefitting from a writing staff thanks to Letterman’s deal) bringing in 2.8 million viewers (a 37% increase) and Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show was up 28% with 2.2 million.

So in this anemic TV landscape, there’s a little more glow to your late-night doldrums. Here’s hoping for a swift resolution to this strike!