Your Favorite Variety Show (Besides Gleason's!)

[Benno123]

I'm just curious what variety series, and we can't count any of Jackie Gleason's variety series, is your favorite one. (Kind of like the old Honeymooners board over at honeymooners.net we use to post things like this and I thought I'd carry on the tradition!)

My favorite one, hands down, is The Carol Burnett Show. Even though I've only seen the 30 minute syndicated versions, I love the fact that like Jackie's there were certain set characters that would appear every so often. I love the Mama's Family skits, or "As the Stomach Turns" I believe it was called. Just a great ensemble in my opinion. Still my favorite one is either when Eunice and Mama and Ed were playing Sorry, or when Tim Conway was the dentist.

Since the Columbia House DVDs are no longer available of the original hour long version of the shows (and they're too expensive to purchase from Ebay) I found out that Gunthy Renker is selling DVDs of the shows. Any ideas if these are just selected skits, or complete shows? Is the series available anywhere else on DVD?

On a side note, my wife and I saw Vicki Lawrence in her "two woman show" called "Vicki and Mama" a couple of weeks ago in Toledo. We had front row seats and I got to shake her hand. But the show itself was excellent, we had a great time and I highly recommend seeing it if you have the chance.

[MrBand]

Hmmm, tough call, Benno. I grew up when variety was having its last gasp on network tv: Tony Orlando and Dawn, Captain and Tennille, Donny and Marie. I guess in the 70s you had to be a team to have a variety show (and I stopped before naming the truly cheesy ones).

Many of the variety shows I came to enjoy were rediscovered long after their original runs in repackagings or on video: Hollywood Palace, Ed Sullivan, Andy Williams. Even though they're mostly clip shows, they are part of an era that can't be matched for entertainment value. I do agree, though, that Carol Burnett would be at the top of my list. The Gunthy Renker DVDs are reissues of the Columbia House versions and several of the volumes have special intros by Carol, Harvey, and Tim. They are well worth the investment as the syndicated package had very few of the musical production numbers included. You just might find this to be a different show with the music, but they really represent the pinnacle of the variety show format.

[T-Greg]

I have to go with The Carol Burnett Show. The Harvey Korman and Tim Conway sketches can't be beat! The Columbia House DVD releases are complete shows less commercials.

[Yooch]

The Dean Martin Show--Watched it faithfully every Thursday night when I was in high school--(after my homework was done, of course )

[*ClassicPinUp*]

The Frank Sinatra Show both early 50's & late 50's. I also love Mama's Family.

[AB]

I liked The Carol Burnett Show and also The Sonny & Cher Show. I miss those
variety shows. I also liked Laugh-In, Tony Orlando & Dawn, The Dean Martin Show and The Smothers Brothers Show.

[W.B.]

I'd have to concur about Ms. Burnett, her movie parodies were priceless. That, plus the Korman/Conway team. And also agree about Mr. Martin. I would also mention Steve Allen's 1956-61 NBC variety show, in terms of not only his cast, but also the man himself.

As to variety shows in Britain, Benny Hill all the way (well, up to the late 1970's/early '80's when some parts of the show became almost like a Playboy magazine of the air, a video equivalent of their centerfold pictorials). His impersonations, multiple characterizations, parodies, bloopers, poems and songs ranked him amongst the greats.

[VIDEOWACK]

Not necessarily in this order, but some of my favorite variety shows were Hollywood Palace, Carol Burnett, Dean Martin and the Danny Kaye Shows.

[krammar47]

Amos N' Andy were an absolute riot. I own the complete set on DVD. I watched them as a kid until they were taken off the air. They are flat out funny. Pure comedy.