Here’s the first problem with the new “The Jay Leno Show” on Monday nights – massive interference with Monday Night Football.

Did I want to turn to NBC with 1:48 left in a nail-biter of a game between the New England Patriots and the underdog Buffalo Bills who were about to blow a huge win?

Any other night, not a chance.

So expect some wrangling over the remote between couples in TiVo-less households.

Leno’s return after a three-month absence (really? Is that all it has been?) opened on a subdued note as the Now Ready For Primetime Player strode through an odd set of glass doors and beelined to a pool of audience members at the front of the stage.

“This is not another annoying promo, this is the actual show,” Leno said immediately to the fawning crowd – and those of us watching at home who indeed are completely tired of those annoying promos.

Then it was a quick Kanye West/Taylor Swift joke and bam! Leno was back with his trademark bad-dum-bum jokes.

Politics. Serena Williams. Football. Topical chatter for a minute and then a cutaway to a dopey takeoff on the idiotic show “Cheaters” – is that really going to appeal to Leno’s primary demographic? Do they even know what “Cheaters” is?

At 10:15, Leno threw to a taped bit with one of his new comedy team members, Dan Finnerty, who, along with his Dan Band, “entertained” people at a car wash with a bad song filled with obvious innuendo (hoses, suds…yawn).

Cut to commercial and at 10:23, Leno, sitting in one of two stiff-back, blue velour chairs, introduced Jerry Seinfeld (and held up an issue of Entertainment Weekly from two weeks ago).

A self-deprecating Seinfeld, spiffed up in a classic tux, teased Leno about being back on the air after his high-profile departure from late night.

“In the ‘90s, when we quit a show, we actually left,” Seinfeld said in his Seinfeldian whine.

Seinfeld continued to make some self-deprecating comments about being Leno’s first guest, and, after Leno mentioned that Oprah was their first choice but they couldn’t get her, just like that, her O-ness, a Seinfeld pal, was summoned on a video link-up; Seinfeld interviewed her and Leno pretended to try to cut in with questions.

Ha?

Their seven-minute segment – which, since those chairs are the only two set pieces, gave the impression of two guys chatting in the cigar room – was breezy and brief.

So far, the best part of the hour was getting another glimpse at the trailer for Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” movie.

At 10:36, Leno returned, solo, before pitching to a fake, doctored interview between himself and President Obama.

Well, Jay, those millions who found you funny before will be thrilled to see you haven’t strayed from your roots of doing the exact same silly, milquetoast comedy bits.

Coming in at 10:43 was an “unplanned” segment with Kanye West having his Hugh Grant moment (before Sunday’s incident at the MTV Video Music Awards, he was only supposed to perform with Jay-Z and Rihanna…because all three fit right into Leno’s target audience). Leno, in a moment of ridiculousness, THANKED WEST FOR HONORING HIS COMMITMENT AND SHOWING UP TO DO THE SHOW?!! Are you kidding me? That’s his JOB! What better platform to apologize than during what was surely the most-watched show of the night?

Leno, showing a rare instinct for interviewing, asked West what his late mother would have thought of his outburst, which silenced the rambling rapper for several awkward moments.

After the night’s musical performance, Leno asked the viewers at home to stay tuned for a promo to their local news and came back with his patented “Headlines” segment, wisely shuttled to the end of the show when some stragglers might tune in on their way to the news.

But, as has always been the case, Leno is always funniest when someone else is providing the material.

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