Season 1 (1962)

7.48 avg 12 episodes 2.9 → 1.3 100 min avg

Bad finale
Rollercoaster
Mid-peak

Season 1 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Premiere Show: intro by Groucho Marx; guests: Joan Crawford, Rudy Vallee, Tony Bennett, Mel Brooks	2.9	144
2	Episode #1.2	8.1	29
4	Episode #1.4	9.0	56
11	Episode #1.11	8.3	32
17	Episode #1.17	7.2	31
25	Barbra Streisand, Beatrice Lillie, Gloria Lambert The Clancy Brothers	9.0	56
65	June Taylor/Dolores Gray/Maynard Ferguson	9.4	35
88	Mickey Shaughnessy, Matt and Ginny Dennis, Barbra Streisand	9.0	54
107	Skitch Henderson/Ed McMahon/Richard Chamberlain	9.7	151
164	From Los Angeles/Anna Maria Alberghetti, Mort Sahl, Elsa Lanchester, Walter O'Malley, Frank Baxter	7.8	31
175	Arthur Godfrey (guest host), Walter Slezak, Nipsey Russell, Meredith Willson, Frank D'Rone, Liza Minnelli	8.1	26
265	Stanley Kramer, William Saroyan, John Gary	1.3	125

Season 2 (1964)

7.30 avg 3 episodes 6.7 → 6.6 100 min avg

Season 2 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
92	Henny Youngman, Sam Cooke	6.7	33
111	Episode #2.111	8.6	37
141	Arlene Dahl, Henry Morgan, Jake Ehrlich	6.6	34

Season 12 (1973)

8.50 avg 3 episodes 8.4 → 8.9 90 min avg

Season 12 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
2	11th Anniversary Show	8.4	37
59	Joan Rivers/Gabriel Kaplan/Adrienne Barbeau/George Plimpton	8.2	16
259	Burt Reynolds/Dom DeLuise/Art Carney/Ace Trucking Company	8.9	24

Season 14 (1975)

8.57 avg 7 episodes 8.8 → 8.7 81 min avg

Season 14 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
39	Robert Blake/Kelly Monteith/Thomas Braden/Albert Weber	8.8	23
67	Michael Caine/Sean Connery/David Brenner/Burt Mustin	8.7	19
72	Bob Hope/Dean Martin/Charles Nelson Reilly/Carol Wayne	8.4	36
85	Joan Rivers/Orson Bean/Charles Nelson Reilly/Scatman Crothers	8.0	28
96	Robert Blake/Marsha Mason/Burt Mustin/Marty Liquori	9.0	12
172	Paul Lynde/McLean Stevenson/Bob Uecker/Carol Wayne	8.4	21
276	Orson Welles/Orson Bean/Carol Lawrence/Kay Lenz	8.7	18

Season 15 (1976)

8.56 avg 8 episodes 8.6 → 8.6 80 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 15 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
42	George Burns/Rodney Dangerfield/Michael Constantine/Shana Alexander	8.6	18
52	John Davidson/Richard Pryor/Darleen Carr/Dr. Michael Fox	7.4	19
87	Buddy Hackett/Cindy Williams/Sander Vanocur	8.6	18
97	McLean Stevenson/George Carlin/Martina Navratilova/Rita Reutter	8.8	17
108	Burt Reynolds/Diana Ross/Jack Douglas/Jay Leno	8.3	33
165	Peter Falk/Steve Landesberg/Carl Sagan/Muhammad Ali	9.2	13
177	Suzanne Pleshette/Dr. Paul Ehrlich/Tom Snyder	9.0	14
218	Gregory Peck/Edgar Bergen/George Gobel/Jim Bouton	8.6	32

Season 16 (1977)

7.96 avg 5 episodes 8.2 → 7.8 84 min avg

Season 16 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
29	Dinah Shore/Charles Nelson Reilly/Teri Garr/Thalassa Cruso	8.2	15
88	Gabriel Kaplan/Cloris Leachman/Marcel Marceau	7.2	13
188	Tony Curtis/Steve Landesberg/Bess Armstrong/Merie Earle	8.8	12
209	Bruce Jenner/Joe Williams/Ray Johnson/Marilu Tolo/Donna Hois	7.8	12
218	Burt Reynolds/Susan Sarandon/Renn Woods/Andrew Tobias	7.8	24

Season 17 (1979)

8.80 avg 3 episodes 9.0 → 8.8 71 min avg

Consistent

Season 17 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
75	Richard Pryor/Tim Conway/Dr. Lendon Smith	9.0	17
98	Charlton Heston/Johnny Yune/Jack Douglas/Blair Brown	8.6	26
224	Carol Burnett/Tim Conway/Robert Easton/Tracee Talavera	8.8	21

Season 18 (1979)

7.73 avg 4 episodes 7.1 → 8.1 70 min avg

Season 18 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
57	Bruce Dern/David Letterman/Judith Blegen	7.1	31
71	Phyllis George/Mike Farrell/Sean Morey/Jerzy Kosinski	8.1	17
149	Charlton Heston/Dorothy Stratten/Bobby Kelton/Wally Mohrman	7.6	30
209	Dyan Cannon/Rodney Dangerfield/Arnaud de Borchgrave/Jim Fowler	8.1	21

Season 19 (1980)

8.54 avg 14 episodes 7.7 → 8.6 58 min avg

Rollercoaster
Mid-peak

Season 19 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
22	Buddy Hackett/Morris Goldberg	7.7	14
23	Bob Hope/Steve Landesberg/Gore Vidal	7.8	28
52	James Stewart/Hodding Carter	8.2	25
94	McLean Stevenson/James Woods/Bum Phillips	8.4	27
128	Barbara Eden/Bobby Kelton/Arnold Roth	7.5	27
143	Richard Benjamin/Garry Shandling/Jan Stephenson	9.3	31
157	Suzanne Pleshette/Dick Cavett	9.6	12
159	Albert Brooks/Susan Sarandon	8.7	26
188	Richard Pryor/George Carlin	8.9	18
209	David Steinberg/Jim Fowler	9.2	21
214	McLean Stevenson/Bob Uecker	9.0	13
235	Michael Landon/Bo Derek	8.2	16
242	John Travolta/Erma Bombeck	8.4	15
248	Peter Strauss/Betty White/Victor Buono	8.6	20

Season 20 (1982)

8.23 avg 7 episodes 8.1 → 8.5 76 min avg

Rebound
Front-loaded
Rollercoaster
Mid-peak

Season 20 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
51	McLean Stevenson/Eddie Murphy	8.1	41
116	Jack Lemmon/Maureen Murphy	8.9	15
183	David Brenner/Bob Uecker/Georgia Frontiere	8.0	13
195	Robin Williams	9.4	17
203	Jimmy Aleck/Raymond Smullyan	7.0	14
221	Neil Simon/Joe Garagiola/Bill Maher	7.7	16
224	Charles Nelson Reilly/Mack & Jamie/Susie Petrucci	8.5	14

Season 21 (1982)

8.28 avg 14 episodes 6.7 → 8.3 70 min avg

Rollercoaster
Mid-peak

Season 21 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
10	Joan Rivers/Tetsuko Kuroyanagi	6.7	14
47	James Stewart/Garry Shandling	9.2	14
55	Sally Field/Thalassa Cruso	7.5	23
60	Carl Reiner/Greg Louganis	8.5	16
86	Bette Davis/Richard Pryor	9.7	195
111	Teri Garr/Jennifer O'Neill/Paul Provenza	7.8	14
147	Bob Newhart/Anthony Quinn/Julie Lynne Hayek	8.7	19
160	Richard Pryor/Ally Sheedy/Rod Hull	8.5	20
170	Lauren Bacall/Pete Fountain/Jim Fowler	8.0	25
171	Eddie Murphy/Jennifer Richards/Reggie Joule	7.5	31
180	Chevy Chase/David Sayh/Karin Salkin	8.4	16
189	Joan Collins/Samantha Smith	9.0	20
190	Carrie Fisher/Garry Shandling/The David Grisman Quintet	8.1	16
225	Dick Cavett/Rebecca Holden/Chris & Lisa Scott	8.3	14

Season 22 (1983)

8.28 avg 8 episodes 7.5 → 8.2 62 min avg

Rollercoaster
Mid-peak

Season 22 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
2	Sean Connery/Keenen Ivory Wayans/Tania Maria	7.5	19
3	Bob Newhart/James Stephens/Ronnie Porter	8.4	16
17	Barbara Walters/David Steinberg	8.2	12
24	Lynn Redgrave/Jerry Seinfeld/Ernest St. George	9.3	26
29	Robert Blake/Jim Carrey/Bud Greenspan	8.9	16
40	Charles Grodin/Bob and Ray/Mike Rozier	8.0	15
43	Mel Brooks/Teri Garr	7.7	18
108	Jerry Lewis/Dabney Coleman	8.2	14

Season 23 (1984)

8.12 avg 22 episodes 8.6 → 7.0 66 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 23 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
8	Susan Sarandon/Brooke Shields/Carol Wayne	8.6	28
28	Suzanne Pleshette/Michael Davis/Ed Begley Jr.	9.0	13
33	John Ritter/Jimmy Aleck/Robyn Douglass	8.8	13
40	Mickey Rooney/Paul Rodriguez/Merie Earle	9.0	15
61	Martin Mull/Jerry Seinfeld/Scot Morris	9.2	15
86	Joan Collins/Daniel Greenblatt	8.8	11
89	Charles Grodin/Brad Garrett/Merie Earle	8.6	11
90	Dick Cavett/Jimmy Brogan/Dave Barry	7.2	16
91	Wil Shriner/Mary Gross/Joan Embery	8.2	20
95	Annie Potts/Shelley Winters/Ronnie Shakes	7.5	55
105	Miss Piggy/Howie Mandel/John McCosker	7.2	20
106	David Letterman/Loudon Wainwright/Scot Morris	8.1	26
143	Farrah Fawcett/Ryan O'Neal/Pete Fountain	7.8	14
144	Kate Capshaw/Bobby Kelton/Ed Begley Jr.	9.2	23
149	Bob Newhart/Erin Gray/Richard Stoltzman	6.3	13
161	Episode #23.161	7.8	38
162	Episode #23.162	6.6	33
173	Robert Blake/Louie Anderson/Selma Diamond	9.0	13
174	Don Rickles/Angie Dickinson/The Oak Ridge Boys	7.2	14
186	Buddy Hackett/John Lithgow	8.4	26
187	Steven Wright/Marilyn Horne/Isabel Campbell	9.2	22
190	Episode #23.190	7.0	32

Season 24 (1985)

7.60 avg 23 episodes 3.8 → 9.4 72 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 24 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
3	Episode #24.3	3.8	38
21	Peter Fonda/Charles Nelson Reilly/A. Whitney Brown	7.0	13
22	Ricky Schroder/Lisa Eilbacher/Justin Wilson	8.2	14
35	Robert Blake/Christie Brinkley	8.8	15
37	Charles Grodin/Kevin Nealon/Linda Thorson	8.1	17
57	Hal Linden/Tim Conway	8.1	21
61	Mariette Hartley/Michael Palin	8.7	15
72	Sylvester Stallone/A. Whitney Brown/Horacio Gutiérrez	6.4	28
78	Chevy Chase/Maureen Murphy/Vanity	8.5	16
116	Chuck Yeager/George Carlin	8.1	20
117	Arnold Schwarzenegger/Ed Begley Jr./Ginger McLamb	7.9	16
118	Gary Busey/Roseanne Barr/Steve Trotter	7.8	29
134	Ted Danson/Courteney Cox/Judy Schwartz & Rickey Berkowitz	7.0	16
136	Episode #24.136	5.5	29
138	Carl Reiner/George Miller/Teresa Ganzel	7.6	15
144	Loni Anderson/Tim Thomerson/Delia & Mark Owens	7.0	14
147	Jackie Gleason/Jim Stafford	8.8	22
157	Peter Strauss/Teddy Bergeron/Bret Saberhagen	6.8	13
172	Barry Manilow/Chevy Chase & Dan Aykroyd/David Letterman	8.0	26
175	Episode #24.175	4.6	41
179	Alan King/Vlasta Krsek	9.1	25
183	Bette Midler/Ana Obregón	9.7	47
233	Bob Newhart/Saundra Santiago/Teresa Ganzel	9.4	16

Season 25 (1986)

8.08 avg 5 episodes 7.5 → 8.0 41 min avg

Rebound
Front-loaded

Season 25 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
7	Richard Pryor/Sean Penn/Kenny G	7.5	17
24	Burt Reynolds/Dick Shawn	9.0	12
26	Alan Thicke/Rosanna Arquette/Oprah Winfrey	9.0	11
31	Jack Paar/Stephen Lang	6.9	30
37	George Carlin/Barney Odum	8.0	27

Season 26 (1987)

7.64 avg 25 episodes 6.8 → 7.3 71 min avg

Rebound
Rollercoaster

Season 26 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
3	Robert Goulet/Waddie Mitchell/Baxter Black	6.8	22
19	George Carlin/Susan Sullivan/Sheryl Lee Ralph	6.2	15
21	Shelley Long/Liv Ullmann/Bob Nelson	7.4	21
28	Episode #26.28	8.2	36
35	Christopher Reeve/Dana Carvey/Frank Olivier	9.3	19
38	Tim Conway/Harry Anderson/Diane Schuur	8.4	17
40	Sherman Hemsley/Joe Garagiola/Dalton Stevens	9.0	14
53	Sam Donaldson/Fred Greenlee	8.8	14
65	Paul Reiser/Margaret Whitton/Teresa Ganzel	7.9	16
72	Eddie Murphy/Ellen DeGeneres/Jane Leeves/Teresa Ganzel	8.4	30
79	Episode #26.79	4.6	30
88	Dan Aykroyd/Bobby Kelton/Helen Shaver	8.2	27
91	Patrick Duffy/Jearl Walker	8.7	16
93	Mark Harmon/Barry Sobel/Charles Batton	8.8	18
111	Shelley Winters/Tom Parks	7.7	18
117	Paul Sorvino/Jon Lovitz/Abbe Jaye	8.0	19
118	Christina Pickles/John Mendoza/Ed Gillette	7.1	16
123	Joe Garagiola/Dennis Wolfberg/Lisa Jane Persky	6.5	15
129	David Brenner/Dale Robertson/Don Johnson	7.7	16
131	Joan Embery/Bob Nelson	7.8	30
133	Episode #26.133	5.4	29
138	Patrick Swayze/A. Whitney Brown/Alexandra Paul	8.1	16
142	James Galway/Myrtle Young	7.0	14
152	George C. Scott/JoAnne Astrow/James Randi	7.8	25
181	Robin Williams, Bob Hope, Tony Bennett	7.3	26

Season 27 (1988)

8.34 avg 18 episodes 9.6 → 9.5 63 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 27 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
3	Bette Davis/Martin Short	9.6	223
8	Milton Berle/Carol Siskind/Don Yesso	8.1	30
14	Jim Fowler/Bob Nelson/Teresa Ganzel	7.8	18
28	Burt Reynolds/Teresa Ganzel/Eddie Edwards	7.9	16
33	Dana Carvey/Joe Garagiola/David Teitelbaum & Jack Saltzberg	8.2	22
39	Chevy Chase/Thalassa Cruso/John Suter	8.7	15
48	Arnold Schwarzenegger/Jerry Seinfeld/Andre Agassi	9.0	15
55	Jay Leno/Raquel Welch/Ray Anderson	7.1	31
82	George Carlin/Mark Harmon	7.9	19
83	Jonathan Winters/Karen & Sarah Josephson	8.2	23
99	Sandy Duncan/Steve Mittleman/Irv Kupcinet	8.8	13
107	Michael J. Fox/Larry Miller/Harry Lorayne	7.4	13
128	Danny DeVito/Richard Benjamin	8.6	14
130	Steve Martin/Helen Shaver/Steve Jenne	8.3	26
131	Bob Hope/Jimmy Tingle/Ellen Greene	7.4	26
132	Episode #27.132	8.6	54
238	James Stewart/Jim Fowler	9.1	20
252	Jason Bateman/Larry Miller/Florence Hodges	9.5	15

Season 28 (1989)

7.81 avg 25 episodes 9.5 → 7.6 75 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 28 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
56	Jonathan Winters/Peter Strauss	9.5	21
65	Bob Saget/Miriam Margolyes/Alex Trebek	7.3	14
68	Richard Pryor/Rain Pryor/Jake Johannsen	8.6	16
70	Patrick Swayze/Garry Shandling	9.0	16
83	Catherine Hicks/Pat Hazell/Catherine Grant	8.8	25
197	Ron Silver/Art Donovan/Joan Embery	8.4	19
198	Michael Landon/Jimmy Brogan/Roger Rees	7.6	22
205	Martin Short/Cathy Ladman/Bonnie Hunt	7.6	19
206	Carl Reiner/Jennifer Grey/Kathy Mattea	7.1	15
208	Don Rickles/Jon Serl	8.1	19
237	Episode #28.237	7.9	57
246	Episode #28.246	4.2	31
253	Robert Klein/Kevin Spacey/Mary Peyton Meyer	8.6	13
255	Dabney Coleman/Yakov Smirnoff	8.2	15
257	Judge Reinhold/Rondell Sheridan/Rita Rudner	7.2	14
259	Tony Randall/Lara Flynn Boyle/Andy Koffman	8.0	19
260	John Larroquette/Mark Schiff/Kurt Thomas	8.6	13
264	Barbara Hershey/Jeff Cesario/Dr. Henry Stenhouse	8.0	15
269	Buddy Hackett/Dave Thomas/Teresa Ganzel	8.8	19
278	Episode #28.278	8.4	39
295	Roseanne Barr & Tom Arnold/Maggie Gill	5.7	15
298	Liv Ullmann/J.J. Wall/Patrika Darbo	7.9	17
309	Episode #28.309	5.4	29
318	Charles Grodin/B.B. King/Amy Yasbeck	8.8	14
324	Bob Hope/Park Overall/Pete Sampras	7.6	25

Season 29 (1990)

7.80 avg 15 episodes 5.0 → 8.6 78 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 29 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
33	Episode #29.33	5.0	76
50	Bob Hope/Richard Harris/Helen Thomas	8.8	27
71	David Brenner/Roger Rees/Miko Hughes	8.6	14
72	Jerry Seinfeld/Brooke Adams/Rod McQueary & Colin Sweeten	8.9	15
85	John Larroquette/Anthony Griffith/Roy Blount Jr.	7.4	15
94	Leonard Nimoy/Bill Maher/B.J. Sniff	8.2	20
110	Sylvester Stallone/Max Alexander/Orson Bean	6.5	32
118	Jay Leno/Jaleel White/The Oak Ridge Boys	8.4	19
119	John Candy & Maureen O'Hara/Shirley Horn/Jim Valvano	7.4	33
129	Raven-Symoné/Robert Townsend/John McLaughlin	8.6	28
160	Dennis Hopper/Rich Hall/Joan Embery	7.0	15
165	David Steinberg/Kenneth Branagh/The Harper Brothers	7.5	14
169	David Letterman, Michael Moschen, B.B. King	8.0	23
173	James Garner/Ron Shock/Pete Rose	8.1	33
176	Robin Williams/Jonathan Winters/Park Overall	8.6	21

Season 30 (1991)

7.58 avg 24 episodes 7.8 → 9.4 75 min avg

Big finale
Rebound
Rollercoaster

Season 30 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
3	Carl Reiner/Destiny/Mike Zele	7.8	17
9	Jay Leno (guest host), Lily Tomlin, Neil Patrick Harris, Annie Leibovitz, Martika	8.4	38
12	Harry Anderson, Jim Carrey, Fourplay	8.2	26
18	George Segal/Penelope Ann Miller/Drew Carey	6.9	30
20	Glenn Close/Tim Allen/Buddy Guy	6.0	25
21	George Burns/Barry Levinson/Patricia Kaas	7.3	15
26	Bill Maher, Bette Midler	9.3	46
48	Jay Leno (guest host), Danny Glover, Dinah Manoff, Eddie Money	5.9	85
51	David Steinberg/Drew Carey/Regis Philbin	6.8	31
52	Jay Leno (guest host), Kevin Costner, Cybill Shepherd, Dennis Farina, Kenny Loggins	6.8	36
54	Keenen Ivory Wayans/Jimmy Brogan/Siskel & Ebert	7.7	19
58	Melanie Griffith/Tim Allen/William Wegman	7.0	32
60	Kevin Bacon/Wayne Cotter/Amanda Plummer	7.6	16
71	Elizabeth Taylor/Michael Douglas	7.9	65
84	Burt Reynolds/Pete Barbutti/Ahmad Rashad	8.1	23
86	Jay Leno (guest host), Geena Davis, Pierce Brosnan	8.2	27
97	Craig T. Nelson/Michael Crawford/Bob Costas	7.0	18
112	George Foreman/Garry Shandling	7.7	19
115	Michael Keaton/Martin Short/Teri Garr	8.1	25
116	Clint Eastwood/David Letterman/Bob Hope	6.0	56
117	Mel Brooks/Tony Bennett/Jack Lemmon	7.2	29
118	Roseanne Arnold/Richard Harris	7.5	47
119	Robin Williams/Bette Midler	9.1	82
120	The Last Tonight Show	9.4	260

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)

Seasons