The Specials and Variety Shows

[movieman1957]

It's nice you brought this one up. PBS in their "Pioneers of Television" just showed their installment on variety shows. Some of the best....

Carol Burnett
Flip Wilson
Ed Sullivan
The Hollywood Palace
Jackie Gleason

[mrsl]

My wonderful Aunt, who died last year was so thrilled when she got cable and discovered one of the channels that showed old TV shows, and there was The Lawrence Welk Show on two or three nights a week. She was in Heaven!!! You couldn't pull her away from the TV on those nights. I remember some of the people - it was a favorite of Mom and Dad. There was Alice Lon, Myron Floren, those four sisters, and was it Julius LaRosa? We went through him once before. I personally never missed Andy Williams or Pat Boone.

Anne

[MissGoddess]

I haven't seen most of those shows but I look forward to visiting them as they appear on dvd and Youtube. I have seen clips of Bob Hope's specials as well as having dvds of Sinatra's "A Man and His Music". I really want to see Dinah's, Dean Martin's, Sammy Davis' and others shows. There was so much talent back then! It's amazing. I'd trade ALL the so-called "talent" shows they have on now for just one of them.

[movieman1957]

I forgot about Andy Williams. They mentioned he was on for 14 years. (I watched him but forgot he was on that long,) They also spoke of how he worked so hard at rehearsals except when Jonathan Winters was coming on. He enjoyed the off-the-cuff things Winters did.

[Ollie]

I grew up with a lot of '50s and '60s variety shows and didn't mind their demise at the time. Of course, I'm kicking myself now, but I do remember some of the weaknesses (the canned music with perhaps a real or perhaps a lip-sync'ing singer as opposed to live performances). I always enjoyed the skit comedy, the jugglers, plate-spinners, etc., but, more than anything, I remain in awe of the huge number of stars that made appearances, week in and week out.

I wonder if today's stars make so much money in one venue that there is no pressure for them to attempt guest-starring roles on TV shows. And without an I LOVE LUCY format where William Holden can watch the star's nose being set afire, I don't know if Tom Selleck could get away with dating too many sweet young things.

[melwalton]

Amen, John. I miss them too.
Radio was even better with the Manhattan Merry-go-round ,American Album of Familiar music, Your Hit Parade, Rudy Vallee's show and Hollywood Hotel.
The all night radio, the Milkman's Matinee and the band remotes. And I miss Mitch Miller's gang. .... mel

[melwalton]

I don't think Miller was on radio, John. The other shows were. I think Miller started with records and then went on Tv. I'd love to see that show again. Thanks for 'Paint Your Wagon'. .... mel

[ChiO]

The Steve Allen Show -- My introduction to zaniness and my first glimpse of Jerry Lee Lewis.

The Ed Sullivan Show --Myron Cohen and The Beatles. Jackie Vernon and Robert Goulet. Morcambe & Wise and Sophie Tucker. A show that was beyond criticism and inhabited its own universe.

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour -- The anti-Ed Sullivan? David Steinberg. A Little Tea with Goldie. Bob Einstein. The Who, Buffalo Springfield, Donovan and Pete Seeger. And it made me laugh. Alot.