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Imagine Galifianakis talking to Paris Hilton, or Taylor Swift, or whoever is the starlet of the month. Imagine him facing down these celebs with the same level of snark, faux-bewilderment, and befuddlement he brings to his work, especially Between Two Ferns. Another big reason why Galifianakis wouldn't fly in the real world of late-night talk shows is because mainstream America would probably not understand why he wasn't being as goofy as he was in The Hangover, or just get tired of his weird humor after one or two shows. I grant you, Galifianakis is the biggest case of wishful thinking here, but he's still relatively big in Hollywood, so maybe he could wrangle a spot on Comedy Central next to Demetri Martin, whose brand of off-kilter comedy has garnered him plenty of fans. Still, if NBC or any other major network wanted to shake up the status quo before realizing how crazy an idea it would be, Galifianakis is a great pick.

Rainn Wilson

It's important to note here that I've said that a future late-night talk-show host should have a background in comedy, even if that person's not a stand-up comedian. Like Zach Galifianakis, Rainn Wilson is most well-known for his supporting role in a popular comedy; unlike the rotund comic, Wilson works on television, as the officious and strange Dwight Schrute on NBC's The Office. Wilson has become more popular since being on The Office, from his lead role in the unpopular The Rocker, a supporting turn in Juno, and various talk-show appearances. His criteria may not be incredibly solid, but Jimmy Fallon became a talk-show host thanks to his time on Saturday Night Live. Wilson is quirky, but not nearly as much as Galifianakis. Moreover, for NBC, the choice is perfect, because Wilson's connection to NBC is obvious. He's been witty on his various appearances, and could very well be as comfortable as O'Brien and Fallon were in their first months on the talk-show circuit.

That is, to say, not at all. But NBC could, in my fantasy world, give Wilson enough time to get his bearings. To assume that any talk-show host could automatically become a smooth customer in terms of interviewing various people, schmoozing with the audience, and rattling off various one-liners in an opening monologue is foolish. For anyone on their first try, it takes time. What Wilson has, even on The Office, is plenty of confidence. Confidence, as you've heard, is key. Wilson always oozes confidence on television, and is fine with the format. He may turn people off at first, just because he was once Dwight Schrute, but Rainn Wilson is a far more mainstream and palatable choice for NBC to push down audiences' collective and metaphorical throats.

Cedric The Entertainer

In the spirit of recent TBS late-night show Lopez Tonight, hosted by George Lopez, wouldn't Cedric The Entertainer, one of the Original Kings of Comedy, be a great talk-show host? We've seen plenty of stand-ups do solid work on TV and in film; Steve Harvey had his own show, as did Bernie Mac. Why doesn't Cedric? He's funny, he's charming, and most importantly, he's affable. Affability is very important on television, apparently. Why else has Jay Leno survived so long on NBC? People have watched Leno for a long time, and they know exactly what they're getting. I wouldn't accuse Cedric The Entertainer of having the same problem as Leno (which is, for the curious ones among you, not being funny), but he has the same laid-back confidence on a stage. Being a stand-up helps when doing a talk show, especially during the monologue, which is the most comfortable someone like Cedric would be on a show.

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