The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

7.5
Yr 1962
Rt 60m
Status Ended
Talk
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Series Brief

Overview

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

fuboTV
US
Pluto TV
US
The Roku Channel
US
Why fans love it

Debuting in 1962, *The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson* anchored late-night television for three decades. For its first ten years, the talk show broadcasted primarily out of New York City, taking occasional trips to Burbank before making a permanent move to California in May 1972. Hosted by Johnny Carson until 1992, the series brought a steady, comfortable rhythm to late-night broadcasting that transformed routine end-of-day viewing.

That enduring format left a permanent mark on television history, securing the number 12 spot on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time in 2002. Audiences gravitated toward its consistent structure and the distinct transition from its early Manhattan era to the sunshine of Burbank. Across thirty years of late-night broadcasts, the show demonstrated how a well-crafted talk format could remain an essential ritual year after year.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 1
Longest run 3765 eps
Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
as Self - Host
3765 episodes
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
as Self - Guest
37 episodes
Joyce Brothers
Joyce Brothers
as Self
24 episodes
Buddy Rich
as Self
16 episodes
Roger Miller
Roger Miller
as Self
15 episodes
Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters
as Self - Guest
60 episodes
Ed McMahon
Ed McMahon
as Self - Announcer
1573 episodes
McLean Stevenson
McLean Stevenson
as Self - Guest Host
30 episodes
Show 67 more
Robert Blake as Self 31 episodes Suzanne Somers as Self 30 episodes Victor Buono as Self 32 episodes Phyllis Newman as Self 21 episodes Charles Nelson Reilly as Self 53 episodes George Maharis as Self 17 episodes Kaye Ballard as Self 16 episodes Norm Crosby as Self 18 episodes Buck Henry as Self 32 episodes George Segal as Self 30 episodes Alan King as Self 21 episodes Bob Hope as Self 134 episodes Steve Allen as Self 16 episodes Skitch Henderson as Self - Bandleader 185 episodes Della Reese as Self 94 episodes Bill Cosby as Self - Guest Host 26 episodes Buddy Hackett as Self 30 episodes Rich Little as Self 25 episodes Doc Severinsen as Self - Bandleader 1335 episodes Don Rickles as Self 52 episodes Earl Holliman as Self 15 episodes Lola Falana as Self 20 episodes Paul Williams as Self 16 episodes George Gobel as Self 44 episodes Jack Jones as Self 21 episodes Shecky Greene as Self 58 episodes Sammy Davis Jr. as Self 23 episodes Orson Bean as Self 90 episodes David Brenner as Self - Guest Host 28 episodes Robert Goulet as Self 28 episodes George Burns as Self 14 episodes Ernest Borgnine as Self 14 episodes Joe Williams as Self 15 episodes Carol Wayne as Self 15 episodes Joey Bishop as Self - Guest Host 52 episodes John Davidson as Self - Guest Host 34 episodes Jay Leno as Self - Guest Host 75 episodes Carl Reiner as Self - Guest 32 episodes Kreskin as Self 15 episodes Martin Mull as Self 37 episodes David Steinberg as Self 23 episodes Tommy Newsom as Self - Bandleader 81 episodes Jerry Lewis as Self - Guest Host 23 episodes Rodney Dangerfield as Self 24 episodes Dom DeLuise as Self 17 episodes Phyllis Diller as Self 34 episodes Teri Garr as Self 46 episodes Roy Clark as Self - Guest Host 20 episodes Don Adams as Self 35 episodes Tom Smothers as Self 19 episodes Billy De Wolfe as Self 16 episodes George Carlin as Self - Guest Host 21 episodes Bob Uecker as Self 15 episodes Burt Reynolds as Self 60 episodes Bob Newhart as Self - Guest Host 126 episodes Joan Rivers as Self - Guest Host 59 episodes Johnny Mathis as Self 17 episodes Robert Klein as Self 17 episodes Milton Delugg as Self - Bandleader 48 episodes Pat Boone as Self 15 episodes Bert Convy as Self 17 episodes David Letterman as Self - Guest Host 16 episodes Jack Klugman as Self 35 episodes Steve Lawrence as Self 53 episodes Orson Welles as Self 20 episodes Jean Marsh as Self 22 episodes Roger Moore as Self 16 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Producer
Jeff Sotzing Rudy Tellez Jim McCawley Art Stark
Writer
Pat McCormick
Executive Producer
Frederick de Cordova Peter Lassally
Director
Howard Storm
Production Assistant
Betty Wesley
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

talk show late-night show
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
October 01, 1962
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
60 minutes
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
93