The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson backdrop

TV ShowEndedNBCTalk

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Name: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Genre: Talk
Released: 1962-10-01
Duration: 45 min

1962 – 1992 · 45m per ep · TV-PG · English · United States

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.

7.5(3,577 reviews)

238.4859% popularity

At a glance

Details

First air date: Oct 1, 1962
Last air date: May 22, 1992
Status: Ended
Seasons: 31
Episodes: 3757
Episode runtime: 45m
Original language: English
Country: United States, United States of America
Network / platform: NBC
Creator / showrunner: Steve Allen, Sylvester Weaver
Certification: TV-PG
Production companies: NBC Productions, Carson Productions

Where to watch

Streaming availability has not been added yet.

Keywords

talk showlate-night show

Seasons & episodes

Season 1

1962 · 64 episodes

0 of 64 watched0%

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S01E01

Episode 1

Oct 1, 1962 · 60m

S01E02

Episode 2

Oct 2, 1962 · 60m

S01E03

Episode 3

Oct 3, 1962 · 60m

S01E04

Episode 4

Oct 4, 1962 · 60m

S01E05

Episode 5

Oct 5, 1962 · 60m

S01E06

Episode 6

Oct 8, 1962 · 60m

Cast

Johnny Carson

Self - Host

Media

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Reviews & ratings

179

7.5

3,577 community reviews

AR
Alex Rivera6.5/103/18/2026
Binge-worthy
Every episode leaves you wanting more. The character arcs are exceptional.
52 found helpful
JK
Jordan Kim7.5/103/14/2026
Peak television
One of the best shows in its genre — tightly written and beautifully acted.
44 found helpful
SP
Sam Patel8.5/103/10/2026
Must-watch series
The season finales alone are worth the watch.
36 found helpful
ML
Morgan Lee6.5/103/6/2026
Brilliant writing
Gripping from the first scene. Already recommending to everyone.
28 found helpful
CW
Casey Wong7.5/103/2/2026
Slow burn payoff
Takes a few episodes to hit stride, then it's unstoppable.
20 found helpful