From the years 1962 to 1986, legendary talk show host Merv Griffin interviewed basically every noteworthy person on the planet. According to Wikipedia, more than 25,000 guests appeared on The Merv Griffin Show. He interviewed Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan, iconic figures like Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr. Jonas Salk, and Rosa Parks, and just about every A-list celebrity in film, television, and sports. For years, however, there has been no good way to take a trip back in time and watch some of these shows. That is, until now.

Thanks to MPI Home Video and Reelin’ In The Years Productions, fans of Griffin (and, really, anyone with an interest in American history and culture) can now watch hours and hours of Griffin sitting down with the who’s who of America thanks to the fantastic 12-disc DVD box set The Merv Griffin Show: 1962-1986. The set features 44 classic episodes, over 200 guest stars, and more than 7 hours of bonus material. The greatest thing about it, however, is just having the chance to watch a master interviewer do his thing with some incredibly interesting people. Watching the DVD set is like opening a time capsule to one of our country’s most interesting time periods and being able to relive it all over again. It is, in a word, amazing.

Parade is excited to premiere this exclusive clip from The Merv Griffin Show: 1962-1986 DVD (in stores now). The clip features a very young Jerry Seinfeld performing part of his stand up comedy routine for Merv’s audience during his August 24, 1981 appearance on the show. He, of course, is a hit while discussing the intricacies of supermarkets, lunch meat, and head cheese. It’s a funny clip that shows just why Seinfeld was destined for massive stardom, even during what was really one of his early breakout years. As a footnote to this clip, you may even remember that Seinfeld actually spoofed the show during the season nine episode titled “The Merv Griffin Show” were Kramer pretends to host his own talk show after finding the discarded set from Griffin’s show. Funny stuff.

The Merv Griffin Show: 1962-1986 is available on DVD now. It comes highly recommended.

The Merv Griffin Show: 1962-1986 is available on DVD now. (Courtesy of the Merv Griffin Archives)

Richard Pryor & Merv Griffin on The Merv Griffin Show. (Courtesy of the Merv Griffin Archives)

Merv Griffin & Dr. Martin Luther King on The Merv Griffin Show. (Courtesy of the Merv Griffin Archives)