Q's Screenboy Jesse Wente marks the historic host change-over at The Tonight Show with a special two-for-one top ten - the best and the worst talk show hosts.

JESSE WENTE'S TOP TEN TALK SHOW HOSTS

1/ Johnny Carson - still the king and the benchmark for all that followed - the reason I ever started staying up late

2/ Howard Stern - love him or hate him, he's the most influential talk show host of the past 20 years - he's also an amazing interviewer

3/ Dick Cavett - smart and professional, Cavett always had interesting guests and he was able to draw them out with his personable interviewing style

4/ Oprah Winfrey - one of entertainment's most powerful and influential people, she has evolved from a Donahue disciple into a lifestyle

5/ Merv Griffin - Merv was always fun, and as one of the most successful television producers of all time his guests were often friends and colleagues

6/ David Letterman - he defines the New York style of talk show - edgy and acerbic, with a heavy dash of snark - my current favorite to regain the top spot in late night

7/ Bill Maher - he's the Cavett for today, smart, very funny, and always challenging - his show is must watch tv on Friday nights

8/ Tom Snyder - smart and opinionated, I always thought he was the better version of Larry King

9/ Jon Stewart - his show is one of the few intellectual talk shows left, plus it's still pretty darn funny

10/ Jack Paar - the guy who sat behind the desk before Johnny was a quick wit, and a solid interviewer

JESSE WENTE'S TEN WORST TALK SHOW HOSTS

1/ Alf - yes, someone actually thought it would be good idea to give a puppet a talk show - not only was this show awful, but it debuted in 2004 - about 20 years after Alf was actually relevant, and it featured Ed McMahon in a soul sucking role as sidekick

2/ Chevy Chase - how bad was this show? It lasted five weeks - not the shortest run on this list, but among the most embarrassing and career ending - only a puppet could have done worse

3/ Magic Johnson - proof that being the greatest ever at one thing, isn't a guarantee that you'll be even passable at another - see also Michael Jordan's baseball career

4/ Jerry Springer - trash tv at its finest, this pop culture polyp has influenced far too much of current television

5/ Tyra Banks - amazingly awful show about nothing of importance, yet where everything is treated as if it were the most important thing ever

6/ Maury Povich - his vile DNA test episodes alone land him on this list

7/ John McEnroe - ex-athletes just don't make the best choice for talk shows hosts, as McEnroe, who has the gift of gab at least, proved in this doomed CNBC shot at comedy

8/ Steve Wilkos - Jerry Springer's bald-headed chief of security got his own talk show, thus further making me wonder why I don't have one

9/ Dr. Phil - oh how I despise this show - an Oprah disciple with none of her grace and class or talent for that matter - I never know what he's even talking about

10/ Alan Thicke - his Canadian show was slightly better than his horribly named American show "Thicke of the Night" which lasted one season