The first ones I can remember watching is The Jackie Gleason Show from Miami Beach and Ed Sullivan.
By todays standards the weekly variety show would never get aired. But back then we would watch every act from the guy spinning plates on a rod to the big stars.
My favorite was the Carol Burnett show. She had the perfect cast and it never disappointed.

Others I liked were,
The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour
The Johnny Cash Show
Laugh In
The Smothers Brothers
Sonny and Cher

What variety show/s did you have to watch?

I didn't have to watch any of these; however, I enjoyed watching the reruns of Rowan & Martin's Laugh In a few years ago. :D 8)

I remember watching Hee Haw on tv as a kid - laugh if you want but it was a good guilty pleasure show for me.  ;)

How could I have forgotten Hee Haw??? I'm come from a southern family so we watched every week.
A little piece of home every week....sort of.

I used to watch Hee Haw with my family, when I was younger. Also..I remember sometimes watching Benny Hill when my parents had it on...would that classify?

A popular American variety show shown in the UK during the 70's was The Andy Williams Show.

What about Sunday Night at the London Palladium?

Or those Seaside Specials every summer!  ;D

What about Sunday Night at the London Palladium?

Or those Seaside Specials every summer!  ;D
Sunday Night at the London Palladium? Bruce Forsyth was more 50's and 60's and revived with Jimmy Tarbuck, was that the 80's. Remembering that fatal night when Tommy cooper died.

Seaside Specials, the combination of touring for town to town, where the Younger Generation the regular dancers.

I use to watch Hee-Haw,Glen Campbell good time hour,Laugh In,The Carol Burnett show,Sonny & Cher. My parents did not care for the Smothers Brothers,and I barely remember The Ed Sullivan show,I remember once in a while watching the Dean Martin Roasts.

Variety Shows started to fade in the late-70's since everyone was doing them. There were a few in the 80's and 90's. The only Variety Show that was on during the post-70's was "The Wayne Brady Show" which was a good Summer Replacement. Too bad it didn't get off the ground. :(

I use to watch Hee-Haw,Glen Campbell good time hour,Laugh In,The Carol Burnett show,Sonny & Cher. My parents did not care for the Smothers Brothers,and I barely remember The Ed Sullivan show,I remember once in a while watching the Dean Martin Roasts.


The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts were hilarious. One of the funniest show ever on TV!

A popular American variety show shown in the UK during the 70's was The Andy Williams Show.


Philip, did you ever watch the Black and White minstrel show?

Philip, did you ever watch the Black and White minstrel show?
My parents watch it, it just happened to be on whe I was in the same room.

My parents watch it, it just happened to be on whe I was in the same room.


Same here....for some strange reason it popped into my head and I even rember some of the names of the singers :o

Same here....for some strange reason it popped into my head and I even rember some of the names of the singers :o
Did Leslie Crowther present the show?

Did Leslie Crowther present the show?


Weird...I remember some singers names (eg John Bolton, Dai Francis, Tony someone???) but can't visualise the presenter!

Weird...I remember some singers names (eg John Bolton, Dai Francis, Tony someone???) but can't visualise the presenter!
From the back of my mind, something now tells me there could had been many hosts over the years of the broadcast.

Variety Shows started to fade in the late-70's since everyone was doing them. There were a few in the 80's and 90's. The only Variety Show that was on during the post-70's was "The Wayne Brady Show" which was a good Summer Replacement. Too bad it didn't get off the ground. :(


I actually thought that the writer strike might bring back the variety show format, especially to replace the comedy monolog of the different late night talk shows.

The first ones I can remember watching is The Jackie Gleason Show from Miami Beach and Ed Sullivan.
By todays standards the weekly variety show would never get aired. But back then we would watch every act from the guy spinning plates on a rod to the big stars.
My favorite was the Carol Burnett show. She had the perfect cast and it never disappointed.

Others I liked were,
The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour
The Johnny Cash Show
Laugh In
The Smothers Brothers
Sonny and Cher

What variety show/s did you have to watch?


I used to watch the following shows:

This is Tom Jones
Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
Johnny Cash Show
Mac Davis Show
Donny & marie
Sonny & Cher
Laugh-In

The first ones I can remember watching is The Jackie Gleason Show from Miami Beach and Ed Sullivan.
By todays standards the weekly variety show would never get aired. But back then we would watch every act from the guy spinning plates on a rod to the big stars.
My favorite was the Carol Burnett show. She had the perfect cast and it never disappointed.

Others I liked were,
The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour
The Johnny Cash Show
Laugh In
The Smothers Brothers
Sonny and Cher

What variety show/s did you have to watch?


Oh wow, there were so many of them!  But here are some of my favorites (that others seem to have forgotten):

Shields & Yarnell
Captain & Tennille
Dolly Parton
Flip Wilson
The Muppet Show
Donnie & Marie
The Midnight Special
Fridays
Sha Na Na
The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show (which comes out on DVD next week!)
Starland Vocal Band
Van Dyke & Company (which was the first mass exposure of a new tallent: Andy Kaufman)
The Rich Little Show

I have long been saddened that the Variety Show is long gone.  I spent many hours watching them in the 1970's, and greatly miss them.  Maybe someday a Cable Network will open up that specializes in bringing them back. 

DEAN MARTIN...aw yeah son, aw yeah :D 

I am only 23 and these make me feel like I was born many generations too late.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfiX0ppFOf4
YouTube - Dean Martin, James Stewart & Orson Welles


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1dIr-4A1ic
YouTube - Dean Martin & James Stewart