A miniseries about the legendary Johnny Carson is in the works at NBC, the network said today.
NBC said that the series will be based on Carson The Magnificent: An Intimate Portrait, a new biography being written by Bill Zehme and to be published by Simon and Schuster. In its statement, the network said that the series will trace Carson’s life from his Nebraska childhood to his legendary run on The Tonight Show. He hosted the show from 1962 to 1992 and interviewed over 22,000 guests during his 30 years.
Zehme is considered an authority on late night television history and wrote Esquire’s 2002 profile The Man Who Retired. He also worked on PBS’ American Masters documentary Johnny Carson: King of Late Night in 2012.
Zehme has signed on to executive produce with John Davies. He has previously produced several projects with NBC, including A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman and A Comedy Salute To Michael Jordan.
NBC did not say who would play Carson in the series or how many episodes it would include.
