Monday and Tuesday night on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman, David Letterman promised a Top 10 list, then failed to deliver one either night. Presumably, the segments were cut because the chats with guests - especially Don Rickles and Denzel Washington at the same time - were strong, and ran long. But still, since Letterman fought so hard to return with his writers, why cut their biggest nightly showcase?

Also missed: On last Friday's return installment of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher ended his show by not doing his trademark closing "New Rules." Again, there's a "presumably" attached - that Maher didn't write it himself out of deference to, and solidarity with, his writing staff, which was not able to return.

Maher's first show back was a little flat, but tomorrow will be his second try. When Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert came back last week, their first shows were strong, but their second shows were weak. Then they started to rebound - and, like everyone else, had ups and downs depending on guests, comedy, even audiences.

The Jimmy Kimmel-Jay Leno crossover was good for both shows. On The Tonight Show, Leno even replayed an old Jimmy Kimmel Live sketch in which Kimmel impersonated Leno - quite well, and a little harshly.

Also good: Letterman's counterpunch that same night. While NBC has Leno-Kimmel and ABC had Kimmel-Leno live, CBS had Letterman and Howard Stern, always a potent combo. And Stern, like Katie Holmes earlier this week, kept things interesting by asking questions as much as answering them, and getting Letterman to talk about fatherhood, and life outside of the show.

Another Late Show treat: Having Chris Elliott come in from the cold - of the picket line - to visit with his old friend from NBC's Late Night with David Letterman days.

Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson - because its guests, like Letterman's, don't have to worry about crossing picket lines - has upped its star wattage slightly the last two weeks, and next week's guests, including Sylvester Stallone, continue the trend.

Ferguson's as loose as ever - maybe setting new levels for looseness - and that brings out unexpected things in his guests as well. I can't imagine that Val Kilmer planned, when talking about his Ponderosa-type ranch spread, to pull out his phone and display a cell phone photo of the river running through it. But it made for a moment of television that felt like eavesdropping on a casual, private conversation - and, in terms of a melding of new technologies, may have set a late-night TV precedent.