Fallon's 'Tonight Show': Late night's new guard

Jimmy Fallon's takeover of "The Tonight Show" has been inevitable, show producer Lorne Michaels told GQ. "He's the closest to (Johnny) Carson that I've seen of this generation," Michaels said. Fallon is the latest in a six-decade line of "Tonight" hosts.

Johnny Carson's 30 years as a host of "The Tonight Show" made him a talk show icon. Carson, who hosted from 1962 to 1992, set the standard for late night show formats and style. Here, Carson speaks to a guest in 1964.

Comedian and songwriter Steve Allen was the show's first host, from 1954 to 1957. His prolific career earned him two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Here, Allen poses for a promotional portrait in 1955.

Jack Paar's unpredictable and dramatic presence drew more than 7 million viewers every night between 1957 and 1962. The show was renamed "The Jack Paar Show" while he was host.

Jay Leno starred in "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" from 1992 to 2009 and then moved to his own prime-time show, "The Jay Leno Show," on NBC. After a public controversy over scheduling changes while Conan O'Brien hosted the show in 2009, Leno returned to host "The Tonight Show" in 2010. Here, Leno jokes with Jerry Seinfeld in 1998.

Conan O'Brien hosted the show for seven months and left after NBC announced that it would be moving his show to after midnight and Leno's prime-time show to "The Tonight Show's" time slot. Here, O'Brien on his final show on January 22, 2010.

Leno returned in March 2010. Here, Leno chats with President Barack Obama in October 2012.

Leno hosted "The Tonight Show" for 22 years -- minus seven months in 2009-10 when Conan O'Brien had the chair. He had his final episode on February 6.

• Jimmy Fallon takes over "Tonight Show" on Monday


• Show has long and storied history, but do viewers care about that?


• Johnny Carson dominated late-night TV from "Tonight's" perch


• Landscape of late night is now splintered into many shows

(CNN) -- Congratulations, Jimmy Fallon. You've won the "Tonight Show." You start Monday.

Now, what are you going to do with it?

A lot is riding on the answer -- especially viewers.

Jay Leno hosted "Tonight," the jewel of NBC's late-night lineup, for 22 years, and though he was regularly criticized for lacking the comedic sting and interviewing skills of rival David Letterman, he topped the ratings for almost his entire run. On the other hand, Conan O'Brien, who held the job for just nine months in 2009-10, was quickly removed when his numbers didn't measure up to his sometimes out-there humor.

Now comes another change, with Fallon taking Leno's spot and Seth Meyers becoming the host of "Late Night."

Fallon headed to 'The Tonight Show'

Fallon is facing a much different landscape than Leno did in 1992, however -- or even the one that O'Brien dealt with in 2009.

There's more competition, for one thing. Fallon's late-night rivals include Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Chelsea Handler, Arsenio Hall (again), Keith Olbermann, Bill Maher and O'Brien, among others.

Jimmy Fallon's final "Late Night" included a visit from the Muppets.

Also, for some viewers, not to mention the news media, there's still the shadow of the Big Man, the long-time king of "Tonight," Johnny Carson.

That's a lot to deal with. It's no wonder Fallon posed for New York magazine wearing -- literally -- big shoes.

Having watched other late-night masters do their work through videos at New York's Paley Center for Media, he treats the job with respect. But now that he's entered the golden club of talk-show hosts, does it really matter?

"The late-night genre is the only one whose legacy means more to the on-camera talents than it does to the audience, at least on a conscious level," wrote TV critic Ken Tucker last year after Leno announced his retirement. "Where the actors in sitcoms, dramas, and daytime talk shows are forever trying to justify, alter, or subvert the old forms, only talk-show hosts take upon themselves the burden of history, vowing to carry on the tradition of Carson (who is most frequently cited), even as the demo they seek to reach says, baffled, 'Carson? Carson Daly?' "

The Carson legacy

Indeed, it says a lot about the late-night landscape that there's now a whole generation who barely remembers who Johnny Carson was.

When baby boomers celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show," at least their children and grandchildren have some familiarity with the Fab Four, whose songs have become part of the pop cultural tapestry.

Memories of Carson, on the other hand, are disappearing faster than the colors on an old 8-millimeter home movie. It's no wonder that his estate launched a YouTube channel in 2011.

"You talk to someone under the age of 25, and they've heard the name and most of them know he was on the 'Tonight Show,' but his star is fading as the people who remember him go," says Robert Thompson, the head of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.

Which is ironic, because it was Carson who really established the template for the late-night talk show.

Though he wasn't the first to host "Tonight," it was Carson who became the security blanket for America for three decades, thanks to his skillful monologue, his way with guests, even his corny skits. His "Tonight" was also hugely popular: According to a 1978 New Yorker profile of Carson, in the mid-1970s it was attracting close to 20 million viewers. That's twice as much as the combined average audience for Leno, Letterman and Kimmel this season -- and about the same as the top-rated prime-time entertainment show of 2012-13, "The Big Bang Theory."

But Fallon says he has a different model in mind for his "Tonight": the original host, Steve Allen.

'What I do is more a variety show'

Allen is even less remembered than Carson these days, but his "Tonight" was a free-wheeling hodgepodge of chat, skits, piano-playing (Allen was a prolific composer who wrote "This Could Be the Start of Something Big"), ad-libbing, man-on-the-street interviews and loopy stunts. In one of them, he persuaded the Marines to stage an "invasion" of Miami Beach.

Fallon probably won't do that -- it's a different world -- but his show already has some of the qualities that Allen employed.

Seth Meyers, right, takes over "Late Night" with Fred Armisen as bandleader.

He's a capable guitarist and musical mimic who has done dead-on parodies of Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young, among others. Bits with guests such as Michelle Obama and Justin Timberlake have gotten millions of views online, and segments such as "Slow Jam the News" have some of the whimsical quality that Allen was fond of.

Fallon invites the comparison.

"What I do is more a variety show. It's always been older in style. I'm an old soul," he told The New York Times.

"I would love for Steve Allen to still be around, because I think he would say, 'This guy gets it.' "

Youthful energy

Moreover, by late-night standards, Fallon isn't "old," which is another quality he has going for him.

Ol' David Letterman, inspiration for so many of the current hosts, is now Old David Letterman -- he'll be 67 in April. Leno is 63. Even Stewart, 51, and Colbert, 49, are on either side of 50.

Fallon, on the other hand, is 39. (Carson, incidentally, was about to turn 37 when he took over "Tonight" in 1962; Allen was 32 when the national "Tonight" started in 1954.) He's intimately familiar with the short attention spans of the Internet age and has aimed his "Late Night" at the sharable tendencies of the social-media cohort.

That's a plus at a time when ABC's Jimmy Kimmel -- who's 46 but still has the attitude of the snarky 30-year-old he was on "Win Ben Stein's Money" -- was running even with Leno in the advertiser-desired 18-49 demographic.

Fallon also has the hipness of his support band, the Roots, in his favor. And he's moving "Tonight" back to New York for the first time since Carson took it to Los Angeles, land of the cut-off Slausons, in 1972.

The Michaels factor

Producer Lorne Michaels now oversees "Tonight," "Late Night" and "Saturday Night Live."

If Fallon has a challenge, it's the crowded and splintered competition in which there's a late-night show for every taste. Like tart political monologues? You're probably watching Stewart and Colbert on Comedy Central. Fond of Hollywood dish? "Chelsea Lately" on E! is your spot. Love Dick Cavett- or Tom Snyder-like in-depth interviews? "Charlie Rose" is there for you on PBS.

But he and his old "SNL" friend Meyers have another secret weapon: their producer, Lorne Michaels.

Michaels, in fact, may be the real new king of late night. He now controls NBC's three biggest late-night shows: "Tonight," "Late Night" and "SNL." He's even familiar with the new "Late Night" bandleader, "SNL" alum Fred Armisen. (Don't laugh -- Armisen is a fine musician.)

Meyers, the former "SNL" head writer and "Weekend Update" anchor, may be an unknown quantity as talk-show host, but Michaels has faith.

"In my opinion, he has until next fall to find that show. He should be taking chances. It can't spring full-blown from Zeus' thigh," Michaels told New York magazine.

Fallon, of course, has already established himself. And though he'd like to continue Leno's ratings lead, he doesn't plan on changing much from the guy who made "Late Night" his own.

"I don't think we have to win," he told The New York Times. "I just think we have to keep doing better."

Lantern Festival vs Valentine's

Chinese revelers end their 15-day Lunar New Year celebrations with Lantern Festival, or Yuanxiao Festival. This year's Lantern Festival falls on February 14.

The Lantern Festival celebrates the first full moon of the Lunar New Year.

In Shanghai, the most popular Lantern Festival takes place at Yuyuan, where crowds rub shoulders to see thousands of decorative lanterns.

Lunar New Year celebrations begin with blazing fireworks and overeating, and end with the same activities. Traditionally, families gather to eat tangyuan (glutinous rice balls stuffed with sweet or savory fillings in soup) and admire lanterns.

Locals stock up on lanterns at the market at Confucius Temple in Nanjing before the big day.

In ancient days, single women were allowed to leave home only during the Lantern Festival -- this is when they finally had chance to meet their lovers. Hence, in addition to a family celebration, Lantern Festival is also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day.

With the Lantern Festival and Western Valentine's Day overlapping this year, a heated debate has arisen in China over whether to celebrate the day with parents or with lovers.

Last year's Lantern Festival in the Splendid China Folk Village in Shenzhen was typically bright.

• China's Lantern Festival takes place on the last day of Lunar New Year celebrations


• This year's festival falls on Valentine's Day


• Chinese celebrate the first full moon by eating rice dumplings with meat fillings

(CNN) -- After millions of firecrackers lit and millions of gallons of baijiu (rice wine) gulped, revelers around China conclude the country's 15-day Lunar New Year celebrations with the colorful Lantern Festival, or Yuanxiao Festival.

On the 15th day of the first month of the new lunar year, Chinese celebrate the year's first full moon by eating hearty tangyuan (rice dumplings with sweet or meat fillings) with family and solving riddles written on cards hanging from lanterns.

The word "tangyuan" sounds similar to the Chinese word for "reunion" in both Mandarin and Cantonese, and signifies bonds between family members.

But there's a problem with this year's festival.

This year the Lantern Festival falls on February 14 -- Valentine's Day -- leading to widespread debate among Chinese netizens: Should you share tangyuan with family or chocolate with a lover?

MORE: 7 ways to celebrate Lunar New Year

According to ChinaNews.com, a recent survey indicates that 43.7% of respondents are choosing to celebrate Valentine's Day with a mate, while only 25.3% plan to spend Lunar Festival with their parents.

Although Lantern Festival is an important family festival, it's also known as one of China's two Valentine's Days (the other is on the seventh day on the seventh month of the lunar year).

In ancient times, unmarried girls were allowed to leave home only during Lantern Festival's celebration.

Hence, the day has traditionally been a popular one for loverbirds to meet.

Owing to the rare "dual holiday," in Hong Kong this year, twice as many couples are getting married on Valentine's Day as they did last year.

A total of 493 pairs of couples got married on Valentine's Day this year -- only 187 pairs got hitched on February 14, 2013.

The Lantern Festival is celebrated outside of China, in countries including Malaysia and Vietnam.

READ: 'Evil spirits': The truth about Chinese New Year

Guadeloupe: 15 reasons to go

Don't like being hassled by beach vendors? You won't be in Guadeloupe, with 200-plus public beaches that stand out for their natural state and lack of salesmen or towering resorts.

Guadeloupe's best rum is produced on Marie-Galante. Dotted with sugar cane, oxcarts and ancient windmills, it's home to three award-winning distilleries -- Bellevue, Bieille and Poisson.

Hugging the bay of Anse du Bourg, Les Saintes archipelago is Guadeloupe's most prized possession. Inhabited Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas are a perfect blend of the old Caribbean and southern France.

Deceptively called "small" punch in French Creole, the potent national drink mixes a teaspoon of brown sugar with fresh lime, topped with white rum and stirred with a sugar cane stick.

Mega-resorts have yet to reach Guadeloupe. Aside from Club Med on Grande-Terre, locally run hotels, inns, apartments or villas dominate. Beach and sea views remain unobstructed, by law.

Popular sunset spots: St. Anne Beach on Grande-Terre, dotted with seafront cafes; Basse-Terre, against a mountainous backdrop; Les Saintes' with views over surrounding islets.

With dramatic cliffs surrounding a white sand beach, one of Guadeloupe Islands' most striking landscapes is reminiscent of the Mediterranean.

The park's 54,000 acres cover rainforest, mangrove and coral reefs. The crown is La Soufrière, an active volcano that's home to 800 species of flora and fauna.

Guadeloupe lives up to its Carib Indian name Karukera, or "island of beautiful waters." The most renowned dive spot is the Jacques Cousteau Reserve, a 988-acre protected area off the coast of Basse-Terre.

Guadeloupe National Park has more than 100 waterfalls. The most spectacular may be Les Chutes du Carbet, a series of three waterfalls reaching 360 feet.

Colorful spices compete with bottles of homemade fruit rum punch, bright as a painter's palette. On Grande-Terre, St. Anne's beachfront market is a local favorite.

Guadeloupe is dotted with ancient forts -- remnants of a colonial tugs of war between the French and British.

Jardin Botanique de Deshaies is a 12-acre park with more than 200 species of plants and trees, orchids, fish, lily ponds and flamingos.

Guadeloupe's cuisine is a mélange of Indian, African and European influences. Meals often begin with cod fritters followed fresh seafood in spiced tomato stews, curries and stuffed vegetables.

A row of 15 boutiques in St. Anne, the Village Artisanal carries a selection of hand woven beachwear and woodcarvings. Contemporary fashion also thrives -- after all, this is French territory.

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• In the eastern Caribbean, Guadeloupe is a perennially overlooked paradise


• New flights from the United States may change its tourist profile


• The five-island group is an overseas region of France


• French traditionally make up more than 80% of all tourists to Guadeloupe

(CNN) -- Think the old, pre-megaresort Caribbean is gone?

It's not on pristine Guadeloupe -- a five-island overseas region of France located in the Leeward Islands -- but the era of relative obscurity there may be coming to an end.

First the pristine part.

With modern infrastructure and top-notch cuisine, Guadeloupe is a 629-square-mile treasure of near-empty beaches, forests, waterfalls, cliffs and healthy coral reefs.

Fresh conch kebabs, seaside bars, gwo ka drummers playing and chanting against the sound of lapping waves -- how this cluster of islands has remained off-the-beaten path for so long is a mystery for out of work travel agents to contemplate.

That may change. Soon.

Traditional Caribbean culture still prevails on Guadeloupe.

Historically, a stronghold of French tourists, Guadeloupe is vying to become the next big winter escape for North Americans, launching formal marketing efforts aimed at those tourists just last year.

In April 2013, American Airlines and Seaborne Airlines launched weekly, direct flights from Miami and Puerto Rico to the main city of Pointe-à-Pitre (population 132,884).

JetBlue followed in November, signing an interline agreement with Seaborne.

By the close of 2013, Guadeloupe Islands' Tourist Board reported a 22.5% annual increase in visitors from the United States.

According to the Caribbean Journal, Guadeloupe received just 420,000 visitors overall in 2013.

If all of this doesn't convince you to give Guadeloupe a look now, the gallery above just might.