My Favorite Variety Shows
 

http://www.thedivinemisterd.com/wp-c...y-show-big.jpg


As a lover of movie musicals and a theater major in college, it should be no surprise that I was attracted to variety shows. And let me put you out of your misery right now...The Brady Bunch Variety Hour will not be on this list. And now my list of my favorite television variety shows:

20.

3 Girls 3

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/...xOQ@@._V1_.jpg

Back in 1977, someone at NBC had the inspired idea to cast three unknown female performers as the star of their own variety series. Ellen Foley was the singer, Debbie Allen was the dancer, and Mimi Kennedy was the comedienne. It was cancelled after four episodes, but I watched all four and really enjoyed them.

19.

The Hollywood Palace

https://img.sharetv.com/shows/standa...ood_palace.jpg

This variety series ran on ABC on Saturday nights from 1964-1970. The show presented some of the biggest names in show business and had a different host every episodes. Bing Crosby hosted the premiere episode and hosted at least once a month after that. Some of the biggest talent in the business appeared on this show, including Milton Berle, Sammy Davis Jr., Diahann Carroll, Jack Carter, Victor Borge, and Tim Conway. Even the Jackson 5 made one of their earliest TV appearances here.

18.

The King Family

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2d/31...9b57fa354e.jpg

Long before The Brady Bunch, there was the The King Family...this huge family, numbering somewhere in the 30's and headed by the King Sisters, did a series of variety specials during the 1960's that eventually led to a series on ABC that ran for three seasons. One of the King cousins, Tina Cole, went on to play Katie Douglas on My Three Sons.

I love variety shows, but it's been many years since I've watched most of them because they don't seem to exist anymore in current TV, and I don't get to watch a lot of them on DVD because Hubby hates them.

I haven't heard of the three that you listed so far, but hopefully there will be some on your list that I remember.

There will be I promise

17.

The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/...wMzA@._V1_.jpg

One summer when The Sonny and Cher Show went on hiatus, they were replaced by a trio of rock and roll brothers named Bill, Mark, and Brett Hudson who were funny and personable and kept me tuned to the time slot until the Bonos returned. One of the brothers, Bill, would later marry Goldie Hawn and is the father of Kate and Oliver Hudson.

16.

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour

https://upload.zype.com/53c0457a6970...png?1479927458

Country singing sensation Glen Campbell was such a sensation in the 70's that he was given his own variety show in the early 70's that ran for four seasons. Campbell had personality and he attracted some big time guest stars. Sadly, Campbell, passed away last year.

15.

Fridays

http://fridayscomedy.yolasite.com/re...C0s624x781.jpg

In 1980, ABC decided to give SNL some competition and came up with their own weekly late night sketch show. Two of the featured players were future Seinfeld star Michael Richards and Seinfeld co-creator Larry David. The show managed to stay on the air for two seasons.

I've heard of "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour", and I've seen some clips from the show, but unfortunately I was a bit too young when the show aired to remember it. However I've been a big fan of Glen Campbell, and many of his guests, for as long as I can remember.

14.

The Julie Andrews Hour

https://www.goldenglobes.com/sites/d...0358e974a41cbf

In 1972 the Oscar winning singer/actress was given her own variety show on ABC. It was nothing special, but I never missed it because, well, because it was Julie Andrews. Sadly, the show failed to attract viewers and was cancelled after a single season.

13.

Cher


http://www.tvparty.com/bgifs17/cherad-b.jpg


Once Sonny and Cher decided to end their marriage, it was determined that they should discontinue their popular variety hour and both came back with individual shows on their own..Sonny tried first with The Sonny Comedy Revue, which was a disaster and then Cher premiered with her own show and that one worked for me, even if it only lasted a season, which was a lot longer than The Sonny Comedy Revue lasted.

12.

Showtime at the Apollo

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/...1NjY@._V1_.jpg

This show went through a plethora of networks, timeslots and hosts, but it was still basically a talent contest judged by audience applause, but the fun of this show is that the audience was BRUTALLY honest and if contestants were bombing, they were booed and literally pulled off the stage by a giant hook.

11.

Tony Orlando and Dawn

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7e/a6...4442d534b6.jpg

After a couple of top 40 hits, this pop group was actually pegged as a summer replacement for Carol Burnett but were so popular the show actually ran two entire seasons. Tony Orlando was actually a very funny guy.

I seen that when I was a kid. I think I liked it.


We watched this show quite a bit when I was a kid. I remember liking it.

10.

Carol and Company

https://www.goldenglobes.com/sites/d...9629fce9b1ca9e


Carol Burnett returned to network television in 1990 with an anthology series which featured a single-show story line every week with her rep company playing different characters each week. Rep company members included Richard Kind, Meagan Fey, Anita Barone, and Peter Krause.

9.

Hee Haw

http://thevalleyexpress.com/wp-conte.../Hee_Haw-1.jpg

Take Rowan and Martin's Laugh In and stick it in a cornfield and you've got Hee Haw,a syndicated variety series that ran in various forms on various networks for over 25 years. Buck Owens and Roy Clark were the co-hosts of a show that instead of Laugh-in's joke wall, they had regulars popping out of a very tall cornfield to tell jokes, not to mention the top names in country music as guest stars.

8.

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hours

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/...4NA@@._V1_.jpg

A curio from the 1960's that stirred up a lot of controversy during its brief time on the air. Tom and Dick Smothers were mild mannered folk musicians...older brother Tom played the bass fiddle and Dick played the guitar and playfully argued about which one Mom liked best. What put this show on the map was the strong political bent of a lot of the sketches written for the show. As a matter of fact, the writing team won an Emmy in 1969, one of whom was Steve Martin.

7.

The Donny and Marie Show

https://donny.com/wp-content/uploads...DM-322_002.jpg

Yeah, I admit it...I was right in front of the TV every Friday night for three seasons as the most sugary teenagers since the Bradys took to the stage providing seriously G-rated entertainment. The only regulars on the show besides themselves were a troupe of female ice skaters known as the Ice Vanities.

6.

The Ed Sullivan Show

http://www.dalylivemusic.com/wp-cont...Show-600-1.jpg

This was the granddaddy of all variety shows...it started out as Toast of the Town but eventually morphed into the most famous variety show ever, hosted by the stone-faced Sullivan, every Sunday night, from 1948 to 1971. Sullivan was the innovator who brought acts like the Beatles, the Stones, Elvis, and the Doors to television for the first time. Everyone in show business while it was on the air wanted to be on The Ed Sullivan Show.