Advice to Leno: How to succeed at 10 p.m.

From the future governator to the first African American president of the United States, some of your best “Tonight Show” moments (and some of the best ratings) have come from interviews with political figures. Interviewing the movie stars, TV stars and Paris Hiltons of the world is fine, but don’t forget about the less-glamorous newsmakers.  (Mandel Ngan / Getty Images)

Black lights aren’t just good for solving crimes on forensic dramas. Get wacky. Bring out the soul glow in urine samples at the doctor’s office, your audience’s teeth, laundry detergent, a jellyfish and that black-light-friendly painting of a unicorn we know you hide in the dressing room.  (Luis Robayo / Getty Images)

No matter who is in the hot seat, we can always count on you to deliver a great monologue, thanks to your continued presence in the stand-up world. Your stand-up acts on the weekends and while on hiatus have only made you sharper and stronger as a host. Plus, what would we do without the idiots seen outside the studio walls on the Jaywalking segment?  (David Kohl / Associated Press)

Late night or prime time, drinking liquor on television can get you in trouble, as ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel learned in his early days as a talk show host. But keeping the beverages backstage can lead to some memorable moments. We learned this when director Quentin Tarantino visited your show to promote “Kill Bill” and made your green room sound like it needed a bouncer. For better or worse, these are the moments that go viral.  (Francois Durand / Getty Images)