Late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson, including guest interviews and musical performances.
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Seasons | |||
| Specials | September 1981 | January 1987 | 31 |
| Season 1 | January 1962 | October 1963 | 281 |
| Season 2 | October 1963 | November 1964 | 270 |
| Season 3 | November 1964 | September 1965 | 218 |
| Season 4 | September 1965 | October 1966 | 278 |
| Season 5 | October 1966 | May 1968 | 408 |
| Season 6 | May 1968 | December 1968 | 164 |
| Season 7 | January 1969 | January 1970 | 269 |
| Season 8 | January 1970 | October 1970 | 197 |
| Season 9 | October 1970 | October 1971 | 254 |
| Season 10 | October 1971 | September 1972 | 251 |
| Season 11 | October 1972 | October 1973 | 273 |
| Season 12 | October 1973 | October 1974 | 246 |
| Season 13 | October 1974 | October 1975 | 262 |
| Season 14 | October 1975 | October 1976 | 257 |
| Season 15 | October 1976 | October 1977 | 262 |
| Season 16 | October 1977 | November 1978 | 257 |
| Season 17 | October 1978 | October 1979 | 225 |
| Season 18 | October 1979 | October 1980 | 216 |
| Season 19 | October 1980 | October 1981 | 181 |
| Season 20 | October 1981 | October 1982 | 197 |
| Season 21 | October 1982 | December 1983 | 219 |
| Season 22 | December 1983 | October 1984 | 153 |
| Season 23 | October 1984 | October 1985 | 185 |
| Season 24 | October 1985 | October 1986 | 193 |
| Season 25 | October 1986 | October 1987 | 172 |
| Season 26 | October 1987 | October 1988 | 139 |
| Season 27 | October 1988 | September 1989 | 183 |
| Season 28 | October 1989 | September 1990 | 188 |
| Season 29 | October 1990 | September 1991 | 182 |
| Season 30 | October 1991 | May 1992 | 120 |
| Unassigned Episodes | 0 |
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specials | 0 | ||
| Unassigned Episodes | 6731 |
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | January 1962 | January 1990 | 951 |
| Unassigned Episodes | 5780 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Quinn | 581 | 03/06/1969 - 05/20/1992 | |
| Bob Ostberg | 317 | 09/11/1973 - 04/03/1992 | |
| Ellen Brown | 78 | 05/07/1991 - 04/14/1992 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herbert Sargent | 13 | 10/01/1962 - 10/17/1962 | |
| Raymond Siller | 5 | 11/12/1976 - 07/06/1979 | |
| Pat McCormick | 5 | 11/12/1976 - 07/06/1979 | |
| Jim Mulholland | 4 | 07/04/1979 - 08/02/1991 | |
| Bob Dolan Smith | 4 | 07/04/1979 - 07/06/1979 | |
| Hal Goodman | 3 | 11/12/1976 - 10/15/1984 | |
| Charles Lee | 3 | 07/04/1979 - 07/06/1979 | |
| Michael Barrie | 2 | 10/15/1984 - 08/02/1991 | |
| Norman Liebmann | 2 | 11/12/1976 - 06/27/1978 | |
| Tony Desena | 1 | 08/02/1991 | |
| Allan Robbin | 1 | 10/01/1962 | |
| Bill Daley | 1 | 06/27/1978 | |
| Tom Finnigan | 1 | 08/02/1991 | |
| Jim Magee | 1 | 10/01/1962 | |
| Mickey Rose | 1 | 06/27/1978 | |
| Larry Klein | 1 | 11/12/1976 | |
| Darrell Vickers | 1 | 08/02/1991 | |
| Robert Keane | 1 | 08/02/1991 | |
| Terry Hart | 1 | 11/12/1976 | |
| John Terry Hart | 1 | 01/27/1977 | |
| Andrew Nicholls | 1 | 08/02/1991 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jay Leno | 10 | 01/16/1989 - 03/05/1991 | |
| Johnny Carson | 6 | 09/04/1980 |
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We are what we watch-and over the last half century, we've watched some pretty fabulous TV. From Mary to Jerry, from Tonight to Today, from the sublime (Prime Suspect) to the ridiculous (Gilligan's Island), EW recalls everything you need to know about 100 shows that tell us who we are.
A ranking of the most game-changing, side-splitting, tear-jerking, mind-blowing, world-building, genre-busting programs in television history, from the medium’s inception in the early 20th century through the ever-metastasizing era of Peak TV BY ALAN SEPINWALL
What makes a great television show? There may be as many types of excellence as there are excellent shows. Series can wow us with how broadly they changed society, from “Seinfeld” redefining American slang to “Mad Men” bearing all the hallmarks of an early-21st-century TV Golden Age to “The Oprah Winfrey Show” making daytime viewers feel part of a special club of millions. Or they can feel like closely held secrets, always ready to welcome curious viewers for the first time, like “The Leftovers” or “Enlightened.” They can bring together insights about a rapidly shifting society with humor that stands the test of time, like the shows created by Norman Lear, who died this month at age 101. And they can dazzle us with spectacle or entrance us with intimate character moments — or, if they’re “The Sopranos,” they can do both.
Mike Wallace and a vampire slayer? Letterman and Oprah? Andy Griffith and the Sopranos? On one list? What were we thinking? Simply put, the best of the best, from Day 1 to last night: quality, innovation and the ability to stay in our lives year after year after year. A touch of sentiment? Sure, but nostalgia alone couldn’t make the cut (sorry, Beav). And TV-movies, miniseries and specials will have to wait. These are the series we watched regularly — and will watch again. And again.
So many golden ages, so much brilliance from which to choose. In culling from the "60 Greatest" lists we've compiled during our 60th-anniversary year, we shook things up, blending drama, comedy and other genres to salute the shows with the biggest cultural impact and most enduring influence. What will the next 60 years bring? We can't wait to find out.
From time-capsule sitcoms to cutting-edge Peak-TV dramas — the definitive ranking of the game-changing small-screen classics
IGN and some of our friends have decided the best in the world of TV.
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