Johnny Carson's Tonight Show Archive goes Online

Here's Johnny! Johnny Carson is the Tonight Show legend. This is the guy that set the standard for all other Late Night show hosts. I'm not sure how much you know or have seen of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, I guess it all depends on your age. I remember watching him as a kid, and I've seen some great clips from the show over the years, but there is still a lot I have not seen that I would love to watch. Now it looks like you and I will have that opportunity!

From the Press Release:

The best of legendary "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson is now available in an online archive and coming to DVD.

Carson Entertainment Group on Wednesday said it has opened its TV archive for the first time at www.johnnycarson.com, which allows fans to view select clips (including a 1977 Jay Leno appearance). For industry folks, the site provides a clip licensing service with 3,300 hours of searchable show content. 

The Carson archive was stored in a salt mine in Kansas until 1999 and was transferred into digital form starting last year. 

Carson Entertainment also announced plans for a series of DVDs featuring the TV comedy icon. 

"We have received so many inquiries and requests for this material over the years that we have taken steps to make the materials more accessible and instantly searchable," said Carson Entertainment president Jeff Sotzing. 

He said segments from the archives have been used in such films as "Fargo," "Talk to Me" and "Watchmen."

During his 30 years on NBC as host of The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson interviewed more than 22,000 guests. The legendary entertainer introduced Jay Leno, David Letterman, Joan Rivers, Ellen DeGeneres, Ray Romano, Jerry Seinfeld, Drew Carey, and Roseanne Arnold to national audiences for the first time on The Tonight Show, and most significant musicians, actors and comedians from 1962 through 1992 made an appearance on the show.