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The Best Seasons of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Every season of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best seasons of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson!

Top season
Season 7
9.1avg
Best episode
S27E3 Episode 3
9.6180 votes
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes
#1

Season 7

258 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1968

9.1/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE23 · Episode 23 8.1
#2

Season 25

30 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1986

9.0/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE24 · Episode 24 9.0
#3

Season 17

95 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1978

8.8/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE224 · Episode 224 8.8

Other Seasons

#4

Season 14

175 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1975

8.6/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE72 · Episode 72 8.5
#5

Season 15

260 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1976

8.6/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE218 · Episode 218 8.6
#6

Season 12

103 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1973

8.6/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE259 · Episode 259 8.9
#7

Season 20

178 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1981

8.5/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE51 · Episode 51 8.1
#8

Season 19

197 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1980

8.5/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE143 · Episode 143 9.3
#9

Season 11

100 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1972

8.3/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE53 · Episode 53 8.3
#10

Season 22

26 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1983

8.3/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE24 · Episode 24 9.3
#11

Season 23

37 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1984

8.2/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE161 · Episode 161 7.8
#12

Season 27

132 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1988

8.2/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE3 · Episode 3 9.6
#13

Season 21

38 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1982

8.2/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE160 · Episode 162 8.5
#14

Season 16

110 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1977

8.0/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE29 · Episode 29 8.2
#15

Season 18

71 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1979

7.8/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE149 · Episode 149 7.6
#16

Season 29

33 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1990

7.6/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE50 · Episode 50 8.8
#17

Season 26

50 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1987

7.4/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE88 · Episode 88 8.2
#18

Season 1

64 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 1962

7.4/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE4 · Episode 4 9.0
#19

Season 2

258 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1963

7.3/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE111 · Episode 111 8.6
#20

Season 24

64 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1985

7.2/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE179 · Episode 179 9.1
#21

Season 30

35 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1991

7.0/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE51 · Episode 51 6.8
#22

Season 3

257 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1964

N/A/ 10
Average Rating
#23

Season 4

258 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1965

N/A/ 10
Average Rating
#24

Season 5

256 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1966

N/A/ 10
Average Rating
#25

Season 6

252 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1967

N/A/ 10
Average Rating
#26

Season 8

85 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1969

N/A/ 10
Average Rating
#27

Season 9

71 Episodes

First Aired: Jun 1969

N/A/ 10
Average Rating
#28

Season 10

90 Episodes

First Aired: Nov 1970

N/A/ 10
Average Rating
#29

Season 13

101 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1974

N/A/ 10
Average Rating
#30

Season 28

22 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1989

N/A/ 10
Average Rating
#31

Season 31

74 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1992

N/A/ 10
Average Rating

Keep going

Top-rated The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson episodes

  1. #1Episode 3 S27E39.6
  2. #2Episode 143 S19E1439.3
  3. #3Episode 4 S1E49.0
  4. #4Episode 25 S1E259.0
  5. #5Episode 24 S22E249.3

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