Favorite Variety shows of a by-gone era

[WI_DEM]

Poll question: Favorite Variety shows of a by-gone era

Variety shows are a thing of the past--host with guest stars who perform in sketches and in musical numbers. A chance to see dramatic actors let their hair down and do a rousing production number. They were big during the 50's-70's and some people may remember a few fondly.

What was your favorite Variety show?

[oxymoron]

1. I remember seeing some great stuff

on "The Hollywood Palace"

[WI_DEM]

2. oh yes

From 1964-1970 "Hollywood Palace" presented a different host every week but most frequent host was Bing Crosby.

[Jim Sagle]

3. How could you leave out The Steve Allen show?

[WI_DEM]

5. Hi-ho, Steverino!!

you are correct especially with his great stock company: Louie Nye, Howard Morris, Don Knotts and Tom Poston.

[Art_from_Ark]

4. Carol Burnett was "must see" TV

in the early '70s.

"I'm so glad we had this time together
Just to to have a laugh and sing a song
Seems we just get started and before you know it
Comes the time we have to say, So long."

[Mrs. Venation]

16. Carol Burnett's Show Was The Best

Tim Conway never failed to make me laugh until my sides ached. I still laugh when I think about an ad lib he did in a "Mama's Family" skit, when he talked about Siamese Twin elephants that were joined at the trunk.

Carol's show was always fresh, uproariously funny and never insulted intelligent viewers. She quit when she was on top, and I admire her for that.

[NoPasaran]

6. Remember when

Remember when Dean Martin was the dirtiest thing on TV?

[WI_DEM]

8. yep

how times have changed. Now you can say "ass" and "boobs" on commercial television.

p.s.
speaking of Dino got to hand it to him--He never knew what was going to happen on the show since he came in the day of the taping and didn't rehearse and when he opened up that closet it was as much a surprise to him as to us who the celebrity would be inside of it. They also say that despite his reputation as a lush the most frequent drink in his glass was apple juice.

[TheMightyFavog]

9. Really?

He never knew what was going to happen on the show since he came in the day of the taping and didn't rehearse and when he opened up that closet it was as much a surprise to him as to us who the celebrity would be inside of it.

I thought that was mainly due to the fact that he was shit-ass drunk all the time.

[Art_from_Ark]

17. The only thing I remember from Dean's show

was that one time he had a line of beauties singing excerpts from songs to him, and he would give a reply. One girl sang "I am 16 going on 17," and his slurred reply was "Bye, bye, baby". To this day, I've never figured that one out.

[Deja Q]

7. Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In?

:shrug:

[ConcernedCanuk]

14. Yup - yup - - - "stupit yes, but veeeeeeery intervestink!"

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MORE LAUGH-IN

[Deja Q]

19. Thanks for the pics and the link!

:yourock:

[tg]

10. The Smothers Brother Show

Come on guys, we're supposed to be lefties. How can you forget Harry Belafonte and Pete Seeger?

[Kat45]

11. The Smothers Brothers.

I loved that show.

[ikojo]

12. I don't remember most of those shows.

I remember Donny and Marie, Sonny & Cher and the Carol Burnett show.

I've seen Ed Sullivan on video and PBS here in St Louis. What I have seen I find very boring (except the musical acts from the late 60s). I cannot believe people got all excited about Topo Gigio! Oy vey! Guess it was a different time.

I do wish they could bring back shows similar to that. I'm sure many people were exposed to ideas (via the comedians)and music they may not have heard otherwise.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. Jack Paar!

Always had interesting guests, both to perform and talk intelligently, and showed offbeat films of his travels. He was the first American to show footage of the Beatles.

[Gildor Inglorion]

15. Had to vote for "Your Show of Shows"

I was very young then, but I loved it. Actually, I loved all the old variety shows, including Andy Williams and Milton Berle.

[PartyPooper]

18. Great choices. All terrific shows! But, Carol Burnett wins hands down!

Her best line is in the 'Gone With The Wind' spoof when she is wearing the green velvet draperies-complete with rod...as she descends to the bottom of the stairs and is confronted by Harvey Korman who compliments her in her dress. She, replies: "...Why I saw it in the window...and, I couldn't resist...I just had to have it!"

ROFLMAO!

:D

[Deja Q]

20. Hers was a great show too! Just beware of the DVD scam going on...

Just avoid the Guthy-Renker company's releases. They're shipped in rubbish cases, considering the price of individual volumes; the discs within almost always pop out and get scratched during transit. x( Then you ask for one exchange and they brand you a bad customer.

I hate their f&#%ing guts.

[non sociopath skin]

21. They screened some of the old Spike Jones TV shows on UK TV a while ago ..

... and they were pretty good.

Even the "serious" bits. One had Liberace and his fiddle-scrapin' bro giving it some serious schmaltz. Hilarious!!

[imax2268]

22. My favorite...

The Gong Show...!

[LWolf]

23. Laugh-in

runner-up: smothers bros.

[Bluzmann57]

24. I suppose I'll get accused of being a redneck or a hillbilly

but I found "Hee Haw" outrageously funny, and Roy Clark was a very good guitar player. And an ex girlfriends mother was distantly related to Buck Owens.

[supernova]

25. 60's Laugh-in and Smothers Bros; 70s Carol Burnett

All three shows made me laugh till I cried. :D

With Laugh-in and TSB I developed a taste for political humor and satire.

I think Carol is the best at allround comedy. I don't think there's a form of comedy she can't do and do well: vaudeville, physical comedy, farce, satire, puns, etc.