The holiday season is a time to look back and reflect. And 2010 has been quite a year. There was a massive oil spill, a Sarah Palin-based reality show, and something called "the iPad" -- which was like a really really big iPhone, or like a slightly smaller computer without buttons, because who needs buttons?

It was such an amazing year that we needed Jimmy Fallon and 'Late Night' (weeknights, 12:37AM ET on NBC) to sum it all up. Accompanied by a choir, Jimmy led an impromptu rendition of 'The 12 Days of Christmas,' but with the lyrics modified to take in all the events of 2010. And what did happen in 2010? In addition to everything listed above, the following things took place this year ...

"Do you go to clubs?" Jimmy Fallon said to Jessica Alba. Wait. Is this an interview, or is this a pick-up line? On 'Late Night' (weeknights, 12:37AM ET on NBC), Jimmy and his guest discussed the various aspects of "clubbing" -- while simultaneously saying that they were way too old and wrinkled to go out to night clubs.

But wait! Jessica Alba is only 29. And she's been named the sexiest woman in the world by 'FHM' magazine. (Sadly, 'Maxim' magazine only ranked her as the second sexist woman alive.) If she isn't cool enough to go clubbing, what hope is there for us mere mortals? Still, Jessica and Jimmy were self-deprecating while discussing the whole "club scene," referencing their own highly awkward "head-bobbing" dance style.

"I'm scared right now," Jimmy Fallon said. Yeah, well -- this was to be expected. Michael C. Hall is best known for playing a serial killer on 'Dexter.' So inviting him onto your show, then having him sing a Christmas carol ... can have a certain creepy effect on some people.

On 'Late Night' (weeknights, 12:37AM ET on NBC), Michael performed his version of the classic tune 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town' -- but he modified the lyrics somewhat. Not that it mattered very much. Hearing the original lines "You better watch out/ You better not cry" is already pretty unsettling, when they're delivered in Mr. Hall's unique ... idiom.

Still, by the time that Michael sang "Santa Claus will kill you/ If you're bad," Jimmy Fallon was starting to look mildly terrified, in a humorous kind of way.

Dear Bob,

(I can call you Bob, right? I mean, we've never met, but I feel like we can be chummy enough for me to do that... no? Well, Ok, let me try again...)

Dear Mr. De Niro,

Despite the fact that I haven't seen a movie with you in it since the bitter and boring disappointment that was 'Showtime,' I'm still a huge fan of yours. Sure, you haven't exactly made the smartest career decisions over the last ten years; your most memorable roles lately seem to be in the endless stream of 'Fockers' movies that inflict themselves on the public every few years. But you built up plenty of goodwill with me over the decades, through movies as diverse as 'Taxi Driver' and 'Midnight Run' (still one of my favorites), for me to forgive the 21st century portion of your IMDb profile.

So, as a big fan of yours, I'm here, on my virtual knees. I don't usually beg anyone for anything, as I have my pride. But, pride be damned; I'm begging you right here and now:

Please don't suck on 'SNL' this weekend like you did the last time you hosted. I just can't go through that again.

If you weren't paying attention this week, you might not know that Jessica Simpson got engaged. And if you're just hearing the news, try guessing who the lucky guy is.

So who is Jessica's new husband-to-be? Tony Romo? John Mayer? Dane Cook? Adam Levine? Billy Corgan? Um ... Tony Romo again?

Nope! The answer is: Former NFL player Eric Johnson. Simpson and Johnson began dating in May, while he was still married. Eric got divorced in October, and he and Jess were engaged five weeks later. On 'Late Night' (weeknights, 12:37AM ET on NBC), Simpson discussed her surprise engagement, which was a real surprise to her -- she was almost the last person to know about it.

Jimmie Johnson is on track to become the greatest race car driver in history. He's the first man to win five consecutive NASCAR championships. He's the first driver to be named Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press. Even his nickname is pretty imposing. He's simply called "Superman."

And that's super ... man. But on 'Late Night' (weeknights, 12:37AM ET on NBC), Mr. Johnson ran into another Jimmy. You may have heard of him. The man's name is Fallon. Jimmy ... Fallon. Tonight, the talk show host took on the NASCAR champ in a battle for racing supremacy.

This being a late night show, Jimmy couldn't spring for million-dollar stock cars. So they played by 'Fallon'-ish rules. The pair had their showdown in absurdly over-sized 'Big Wheel'-style tricycles.

"Could you make America happy?" Jimmy Fallon asked. "Yes," Jeff Goldblum replied. The last time Mr. Goldblum appeared on 'Late Night' (weeknights, 12:37AM ET on NBC), he sat down with Jimmy at the piano and improvised some lounge music. And ever since that moment, a restless nation has been demanding more, more, more.

"We've been getting letters, emails ... Western Union [telegrams]," Fallon said to his guest. According to the host, these messages all demanded a single thing: "Get Jeff Goldblum in a room with Biz Markie ... make that happen!"

Okay, that's a little random and implausible -- and has probably never been an actual request from anyone, ever, in the history of the world. But since you (hypothetically) demanded it, it's now actually happening! And the result (that you never really asked for) is better than you possibly could have imagined!

Let me preface this post by saying that, as most readers of this blog know, I've been an unabashed Conan supporter for years. I went to see him on tour, and was excited as hell to see him come back to TV on TBS. And, I'm pretty much in agreement with my esteemed colleague Mo Ryan: Monday's premiere of 'Conan' was way too conventional, but last night's Hanks-aided episode was a lot better.

But, I've got to be honest: once the newness of Conan being on at 11 wears off, chances are that my show of choice at that time is going to be the same as it has been for at least the last eight years: I'll be watching 'The Daily Show.'

Why? Well, there are a couple of reasons, but the main one can be summed up in one word: relevancy.

Tonight, Tom Hanks will appear on the second episode of the new 'Conan.' Hanks is one of the all-time great talk show guests (and likely a favorite of hosts) because he doesn't do what most people do: simply plug their latest movie, TV show, CD or book.

Very few things on TV are more lame and uncomfortable than watching a talk show where the guest has very little to say and hasn't even planned anything to say or do in advance.

After the jump is my list of nine talk show guests you can count on to be funny, interesting, unpredictable -- and often all three. They're the talk show guests that are "must-see" for me.

You might not have heard yet, but Conan O'Brien premieres his new show tonight.

For the uninformed -- by the way, welcome back from that rock you've been hiding under -- the first episode of 'Conan' debuts tonight at 11PM ET on TBS with guests Seth Rogen, Lea Michele, the first guest poll winner and musical guest Jack White. But what about the other guys?

After the jump, we list the celebs who are making the non-'Conan' talk show rounds this evening.

Countdown to 'Conan': Get ready for Conan O'Brien's TBS talk show debut on Nov. 8

Is Conan O'Brien getting the last laugh? As fans await the debut of 'Conan' on TBS on Nov. 8, the pompadoured host's nemesis, Jay Leno, is struggling over at NBC. Bringing Leno back to 'The Tonight Show,' the move by NBC brass that led to O'Brien's departure last winter after only a few months in late-night's top job, was supposed to improve the legendary franchise's ratings, but Leno is proving less of a draw among young viewers than Conan was at this time a year ago.

Jonah Hill was the guest on 'Late Night' (weeknights, 12:37AM ET on NBC). The actor began his appearance by talking about the time he hosted 'Saturday Night Live.' But the conversation quickly turned into a discussion of his relationship woes.

Hill chatted with ex-'SNL' star Jimmy Fallon, saying that it had been his lifelong dream to host the comedy series. But when he finally got the 'Saturday Night' gig, it was marred by tragedy. (Well, dating tragedy, at least.)

While preparing to host the show, Hill brought his girlfriend to the week-long 'SNL' rehearsal. Suddenly, on the very last day, she called the studio and broke up with him. "I was so sad," Hill said. After his now-ex-girlfriend hung up the phone, Jonah made the vow that all rejected young men make: "She's gonna be sorry."

Legendary impressionist Rich Little appeared on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' (weeknights, 12:37AM ET on NBC). Host Jimmy Fallon is considered a great mimic in his own right -- he rose to fame after winning a celebrity impression contest in his senior year of high school.

But Fallon gave the master a shot, and showed Little a photo of five different American presidents -- whose voices he then had to imitate. How would Little do?

Before getting to that part, we should add that the last big event Little was involved in was a 2007 White House dinner. The comedian was hired after Stephen Colbert performed the previous year -- and shocked the crowd by being "edgy."

Comedian Paul Scheer was the guest on the new 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' (weeknights, 12:37AM on NBC). Scheer is currently starring on 'The League' -- a comedy series about a fantasy football league. But despite the show's topic, it isn't all fun and games. And Paul had some unpleasant stories to tell about one of his co-stars ... who happened to be a monkey.

Yes, show business is so glamorous like that. You finally get your own series on basic cable, and then you're hanging out with a monkey. Correction: with a poorly trained monkey. Scheer revealed that the animal trainer couldn't do much to protect him from the angry simian. Paul also told host Jimmy Fallon about a few things that monkeys love.

Pee-wee Herman is back! And he's bringing Jimmy Fallon along for the ride. The star of 'Pee-wee's Playhouse' has been out of the spotlight for a while. But now, he's starring in a new Broadway version of his classic kids' program. Pee-wee showed up on 'Late Night' (weeknights, 12:37AM ET on NBC), and he and Fallon had a big adventure.

Most actors who go on talk shows just sit in a chair ... and talk. But Pee-wee (real name: Paul Reubens) is all about the spirit of childlike fun. Sure, he was promoting his latest project, but that didn't mean that things had to be boring!

So Pee-wee took Fallon for a ride on a bicycle built for two. But first, there was one little thing to take care of... "Shotgun!" Herman yelled.