Looking Back at Odd Variety Shows From the Past - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 03-31-2009, 04:38 PM

In Honor of the Osbournes' Return, We Revisit Odd Variety Shows of the Past.

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When Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and their adult children, Jack and Kelly, talked to TV critics about their new Fox show Osbournes: Reloaded in January, the family was a little skittish about the term "variety" series.

"See, that word frightens us," Kelly Osbourne said in response to a critic who brought up the "v" word (so far, all critics have to go by is a highlight reel of the offbeat show). "The way that we see that it's a variety show is that there's a variety of different things. And with no disrespect to other variety shows from the past ... it's just not what we do. We're not going to be Sonny-and-Cher-ing it."

Regardless of what they do to it, the idea of the guy who once sang "Generals gathered in their masses/Just like witches at black masses" and his brood hosting a variety series is even weirder than the idea of them spawning a subgenre of reality TV. But the Osbournes are far from the first weird choices to host a variety program.

Below, we take a look at some past oddities. The focus is on series, which explains the exclusion of bad Rosie O'Donnell and Nick Lachey/Jessica Simpson specials, and on forgotten or nearly forgotten shows. There's way more where this came from, but we only have so much room.

Playboy After Dark (1969)

The hook: It would seem to be the title, which promised the swinging sexiness of Playboy magazine in a late-night format, that might allow the show to be a little more naughty than it could be in prime time. But it doesn't describe how bizarre, and even chaste, the show was: One episode began with host Hugh Hefner and a group of attractive young women and men playing Simon Says. Not strip Simon Says, either.

Regulars: Hef and a bunch of comely young women, including but not limited to whomever he was dating at the time.

Guests: From Vegas-friendly entertainers such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Vic Damone to '60s funksters the Chambers Brothers and a young Linda Ronstadt. Fort Worth native Gayle Hunnicutt appeared in a couple of episodes. The series is on DVD and really is one of the oddest pop-culture artifacts of the '60s.

Weird trivia: One episode ended with Hef persuading Bill Cosby to do the Fat Albert dance -- backed by Iron Butterfly, of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida fame. That's not on YouTube, but clips featuring the Grateful Dead and Deep Purple are.

The Hudson Brothers (1974)

The hook: The Hudson Brothers (Bill, Brett and Mark) were supposed to be the Next Big Thing, so CBS signed them to do this wacky variety show, which lasted all of a month in prime time but found life on Saturday mornings as The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show. The brothers produced at least two hits: the top 40 song Rendezvous, and Kate Hudson, Bill's daughter with Goldie Hawn (although Kate considers Kurt Russell, who raised her, to be her father).

Regulars: Besides the Hudsons, Ronny Graham and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In alum Gary Owens were prime-time regulars. The Saturday show included Murray Langston, who would become better-known -- or unknown -- as the Unknown Comic.

Guests: Kinda tough to find, but there is a YouTube clip featuring Andy Griffith talking to the Hudsons, all of whom seem like ancestors of Kenneth the Page on 30 Rock. Ken Berry also appeared.

Weird trivia: The Hudsons tried again in 1979 with the even-more-forgotten Bonkers!, on which Rita Moreno and Twiggy appeared. Mark Hudson, especially, has remained busy in show biz and was one of the mentors on The One, ABC's really, really awful attempt to do its own version of American Idol in 2006.

The Brady Bunch Hour (1977)

Hook: Here's the story of a lovely lady whose family hosts a variety show, all as their fictional characters, which is a marginally better idea than doing The Brady Bunch as a drama, which happened with The Bradys in 1990.

Regulars: Florence Henderson, Robert Reed, et al.; the only original Brady Bunch cast member to take a pass was Eve Plumb, leaving young character actress Geri Reischl to play Jan (she became known as "Fake Jan"). You really haven't lived till you've seen the Bradys cover Carly Simon's hit Attitude Dancing -- and you might not want to live afterward, but it's on YouTube.

Guests: Vincent Price, Rip Taylor, Milton Berle and Tina Turner all appeared. Hope those were sweet paychecks.

Weird trivia: Reischl beat out Kathy Hilton, Paris Hilton's mom, in the competition to replace Plumb as Jan. According to the Internet Movie Database, Reischl was one of the finalists for the Linda Blair role in The Exorcist, but her mother took her out of contention when a neighbor dropped by with a copy of the book.

The Starland Vocal Band Show (1977)

The hook: Washington, D.C.-based Starland Vocal Band had one enormous summer smash hit, Afternoon Delight, and that was enough to earn them a summer replacement series.

Regulars: See weird trivia.

Guests: If there's a guest list out there on the Internet, we can't find it. Even Bill Danoff's Web site doesn't have one, and he was in the band and co-hosted the show.

Weird trivia: The show's writers and performers included political satirist Mark Russell (well, they were a D.C. group); Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman of surreal and subversive comedy troupe Firesign Theatre; and a 30-ish writer named David Letterman.

Sha Na Na (1977-81)

The hook: What's weirder: that 1950s-imitating act Sha Na Na played Woodstock, or that they had a late-'70s syndicated variety series that lasted 97 episodes? Remember, grease is the word. In fact, the show's slogan was "Grease for peace!"

Regulars: Sha Na Na, although the one everyone members is bass-voiced, skinny pseudo-tough guy Jon "Bowzer" Bowman. Non-Sha Na Na regulars included Avery Schreiber, Kenneth Mars and Soupy Sales.

Guests: Authentic '50s acts (Sha Na Na really did respect the decade's music) such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Brenda Lee, with a few early '60s acts and comedians such as Phyllis Diller.

Weird trivia: Broadway legend Ethel Merman did a guest shot, during which she sang a duet of Anything You Can Do with Bowzer.

Pink Lady (better-known as Pink Lady and Jeff, 1980)

The hook: No history of bizarre variety shows would be complete without a mention of this short-lived footnote, featuring female Japanese rock duo Pink Lady, who spoke little English, and comedian Jeff Altman (who also worked on The Starland Vocal Band Show) as their American guide and interpreter. Lots of YouTube on this one, including the show-concluding "Hot Tub Time," an excuse to get the Pink Lady duo into bikinis. It has to be seen to be believed.

Regulars: The stars and Jim Varney, who would go on to more fame, and possibly even more class, as the star of the Ernest movies.

Guests: Sid Caesar, then super-hot New Wave group Blondie, Alice Cooper and Cheap Trick. This info is out there, and the guests on The Starland Vocal Band Show think they have to hide?

Weird trivia: The show's producers were Sid & Marty Krofft, better known for kid fare such as H.R. Pufnstuf. Not only was Pink Lady huge in Japan, one of the duo's biggest hits was a cover of the Village People's In the Navy. Yep, that's on YouTube, too.

MickeyMac · 03-31-2009, 05:37 PM

Playboy After Dark (1969)

The hook: It would seem to be the title, which promised the swinging sexiness of Playboy magazine in a late-night format, that might allow the show to be a little more naughty than it could be in prime time. But it doesn't describe how bizarre, and even chaste, the show was: One episode began with host Hugh Hefner and a group of attractive young women and men playing Simon Says. Not strip Simon Says, either.

Regulars: Hef and a bunch of comely young women, including but not limited to whomever he was dating at the time.

Guests: From Vegas-friendly entertainers such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Vic Damone to '60s funksters the Chambers Brothers and a young Linda Ronstadt. Fort Worth native Gayle Hunnicutt appeared in a couple of episodes. The series is on DVD and really is one of the oddest pop-culture artifacts of the '60s.

Weird trivia: One episode ended with Hef persuading Bill Cosby to do the Fat Albert dance -- backed by Iron Butterfly, of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida fame. That's not on YouTube, but clips featuring the Grateful Dead and Deep Purple are.

Yeah the idea was interesting and they did some good music guests on the show, but I never bought Hugh Hefner trying to be hip. For example he would say stuff like "Wow I really dig this next band", or "You dont want to miss the groovy singers we will have tonight". Sorry but 60's hip talk just didnt sound right coming out of Hugh's mouth.

MickeyMac · 03-31-2009, 05:39 PM

Sha Na Na (1977-81)

The hook: What's weirder: that 1950s-imitating act Sha Na Na played Woodstock, or that they had a late-'70s syndicated variety series that lasted 97 episodes? Remember, grease is the word. In fact, the show's slogan was "Grease for peace!"

Regulars: Sha Na Na, although the one everyone members is bass-voiced, skinny pseudo-tough guy Jon "Bowzer" Bowman. Non-Sha Na Na regulars included Avery Schreiber, Kenneth Mars and Soupy Sales.

Guests: Authentic '50s acts (Sha Na Na really did respect the decade's music) such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Brenda Lee, with a few early '60s acts and comedians such as Phyllis Diller.

Weird trivia: Broadway legend Ethel Merman did a guest shot, during which she sang a duet of Anything You Can Do with Bowzer.

I remember watching this as a kid. If you ever see Sha Na Na, their take on the 50's is hokey but they in their own way they have helped keep interest in that music alive. Bowzer later became a spokesman for artists and groups who lost the rights to their name and had to deal with crooked managers and promoters putting together bogus groups and collecting profits from it too.

Go Bowzer

robyrob · 03-31-2009, 08:31 PM

I remember most of those,

The Hudson Brothers show only vaguely, but I do remember Razzle Dazzle, it was weird but fun.

The Brady Bunch Hour - I am pretty sure that this was on in the same time slot as some other show I used to watch, because I am sure that I only watched one or two episodes of it, and i would've watched otherwise - no matter how crappy it was.

The Starland Vocal Band Show - I remember this one, i kinda thought some of the music was alright, but the show was boring overall

Sha Na Na - i LOVED this show, would not miss it, it was ridiculously stupid and cheesy, but that was what you expected.

Pink Lady and Jeff - was weird, I am pretty sure i watched every episode but i don't remember too much about it.

some other variety shows not mentioned that I loved were:
Donny and Marie, Sonny and Cher, Captain and Tenille, Tony Orlando and Dawn, the Muppet Show (no matter what anyone says, it was definitely a variety show), The Midnight Special

Marvo301 · 03-31-2009, 08:55 PM

I remember the closing theme song from Sha Na Na:

Goodnight sweetheart and it's time to go
Goodnight sweetheart and it's time to go
Goodnight sweetheart and it's time to go
Goodnight sweetheart goodnight

catlover79 · 03-31-2009, 10:25 PM

I'm still surprised the entire Brady Bunch Hour hasn't been officially released on DVD.

I did see the entire DVD set of Pink Lady & Jeff - the fact that the show was awful wasn't helped by the fact that they were scheduled up against Dukes of Hazzard.

Ironically, Jeff Altman had a recurring gig on Dukes as Hughie Hogg - a much less embarrassing role.

Jude The Obscure · 03-31-2009, 11:12 PM

Susan Olsen is releasing a coffee table book about the Brady Bunch Hour in September--I kid you not......I'm sure that may drum up a complete series DVD release.

I watched the Hudson Brothers every Saturday morning (well Sunday mornings is when my CBS station played it)

Funny they did not mention The Captain and Tenille or Shields & Yarnell.

Marvo301 · 03-31-2009, 11:18 PM

I remember watching an episode of "The Captain and Tenille" where the cast of "What's Happening" were the guest stars.

steevo · 04-01-2009, 12:55 AM

I used to watch Sonny and Cher when I was younger. I loved their banter.

As for Donny and Marie, I would watch it occasionally too. "I'm a little bit of country, and I'm a little bit of rock and roll"

I liked Sha-Na-Na as well. The ending song was cool, as well as the very end where the band members would jump up and the scene would freeze right at that moment.

Barbara Mandrell and The Mandrell sisters did a variety show in the early 80's as well. As a growing boy, I loved watching them- they are gorgeous.

MickeyMac · 04-01-2009, 12:48 PM

What about Glen Campbell's variety show???

That was good.

howilu · 04-03-2009, 05:07 PM

I remember Sha Na Na. It was a great mix of comedy sketches blended with the group's renditions of rock and roll's greatest hits. They really enjoyed what they did. Hopefully some day, the show will be released on DVD. Grease for peace.

catlover79 · 04-03-2009, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jude The Obscure

Susan Olsen is releasing a coffee table book about the Brady Bunch Hour in September--I kid you not......I'm sure that may drum up a complete series DVD release.

I watched the Hudson Brothers every Saturday morning (well Sunday mornings is when my CBS station played it)

Funny they did not mention The Captain and Tenille or Shields & Yarnell.

A coffee table book about The Brady Bunch Hour? Now I've heard it all.

quinncy · 04-17-2009, 09:49 PM

Hi,
Does anyone here have any of the shows listed for trade? I have some of them including the following:

Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
Sonny & Cher Show
Donny & Marie Show
Johnny Cash Show
Frank Sinatra Show
Perry Como Show
Bing Crosby Show
Tom Jones Show
Hollywood Palace
Sha Na Na Show
Ed Sullivan Show
Tony Orlando & Dawn Show
Jimmy Durante Presents The Lennon Sisters
Jim Nabors Show
Dinah Shore Chevy Show
+ Lots More....Please E-mail me at quinncy407@aol.com

TVFactFan · 04-18-2009, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quinncy

Hi,
Does anyone here have any of the shows listed for trade? I have some of them including the following:

Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
Sonny & Cher Show
Donny & Marie Show
Johnny Cash Show
Frank Sinatra Show
Perry Como Show
Bing Crosby Show
Tom Jones Show
Hollywood Palace
Sha Na Na Show
Ed Sullivan Show
Tony Orlando & Dawn Show
Jimmy Durante Presents The Lennon Sisters
Jim Nabors Show
Dinah Shore Chevy Show
+ Lots More....Please E-mail me at quinncy407@aol.com

This is not a trading fourm

TVFactFan · 04-18-2009, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

I remember watching an episode of "The Captain and Tenille" where the cast of "What's Happening" were the guest stars.

I was finally able to see the What's Happening cast guest star on the Brady Bunch Hour

03-31-2009, 04:38 PM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,349	Looking Back at Odd Variety Shows From the Past In Honor of the Osbournes' Return, We Revisit Odd Variety Shows of the Past. Link When Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and their adult children, Jack and Kelly, talked to TV critics about their new Fox show Osbournes: Reloaded in January, the family was a little skittish about the term "variety" series. "See, that word frightens us," Kelly Osbourne said in response to a critic who brought up the "v" word (so far, all critics have to go by is a highlight reel of the offbeat show). "The way that we see that it's a variety show is that there's a variety of different things. And with no disrespect to other variety shows from the past ... it's just not what we do. We're not going to be Sonny-and-Cher-ing it." Regardless of what they do to it, the idea of the guy who once sang "Generals gathered in their masses/Just like witches at black masses" and his brood hosting a variety series is even weirder than the idea of them spawning a subgenre of reality TV. But the Osbournes are far from the first weird choices to host a variety program. Below, we take a look at some past oddities. The focus is on series, which explains the exclusion of bad Rosie O'Donnell and Nick Lachey/Jessica Simpson specials, and on forgotten or nearly forgotten shows. There's way more where this came from, but we only have so much room. Playboy After Dark (1969) The hook: It would seem to be the title, which promised the swinging sexiness of Playboy magazine in a late-night format, that might allow the show to be a little more naughty than it could be in prime time. But it doesn't describe how bizarre, and even chaste, the show was: One episode began with host Hugh Hefner and a group of attractive young women and men playing Simon Says. Not strip Simon Says, either. Regulars: Hef and a bunch of comely young women, including but not limited to whomever he was dating at the time. Guests: From Vegas-friendly entertainers such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Vic Damone to '60s funksters the Chambers Brothers and a young Linda Ronstadt. Fort Worth native Gayle Hunnicutt appeared in a couple of episodes. The series is on DVD and really is one of the oddest pop-culture artifacts of the '60s. Weird trivia: One episode ended with Hef persuading Bill Cosby to do the Fat Albert dance -- backed by Iron Butterfly, of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida fame. That's not on YouTube, but clips featuring the Grateful Dead and Deep Purple are. The Hudson Brothers (1974) The hook: The Hudson Brothers (Bill, Brett and Mark) were supposed to be the Next Big Thing, so CBS signed them to do this wacky variety show, which lasted all of a month in prime time but found life on Saturday mornings as The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show. The brothers produced at least two hits: the top 40 song Rendezvous, and Kate Hudson, Bill's daughter with Goldie Hawn (although Kate considers Kurt Russell, who raised her, to be her father). Regulars: Besides the Hudsons, Ronny Graham and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In alum Gary Owens were prime-time regulars. The Saturday show included Murray Langston, who would become better-known -- or unknown -- as the Unknown Comic. Guests: Kinda tough to find, but there is a YouTube clip featuring Andy Griffith talking to the Hudsons, all of whom seem like ancestors of Kenneth the Page on 30 Rock. Ken Berry also appeared. Weird trivia: The Hudsons tried again in 1979 with the even-more-forgotten Bonkers!, on which Rita Moreno and Twiggy appeared. Mark Hudson, especially, has remained busy in show biz and was one of the mentors on The One, ABC's really, really awful attempt to do its own version of American Idol in 2006. The Brady Bunch Hour (1977) Hook: Here's the story of a lovely lady whose family hosts a variety show, all as their fictional characters, which is a marginally better idea than doing The Brady Bunch as a drama, which happened with The Bradys in 1990. Regulars: Florence Henderson, Robert Reed, et al.; the only original Brady Bunch cast member to take a pass was Eve Plumb, leaving young character actress Geri Reischl to play Jan (she became known as "Fake Jan"). You really haven't lived till you've seen the Bradys cover Carly Simon's hit Attitude Dancing -- and you might not want to live afterward, but it's on YouTube. Guests: Vincent Price, Rip Taylor, Milton Berle and Tina Turner all appeared. Hope those were sweet paychecks. Weird trivia: Reischl beat out Kathy Hilton, Paris Hilton's mom, in the competition to replace Plumb as Jan. According to the Internet Movie Database, Reischl was one of the finalists for the Linda Blair role in The Exorcist, but her mother took her out of contention when a neighbor dropped by with a copy of the book. The Starland Vocal Band Show (1977) The hook: Washington, D.C.-based Starland Vocal Band had one enormous summer smash hit, Afternoon Delight, and that was enough to earn them a summer replacement series. Regulars: See weird trivia. Guests: If there's a guest list out there on the Internet, we can't find it. Even Bill Danoff's Web site doesn't have one, and he was in the band and co-hosted the show. Weird trivia: The show's writers and performers included political satirist Mark Russell (well, they were a D.C. group); Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman of surreal and subversive comedy troupe Firesign Theatre; and a 30-ish writer named David Letterman. Sha Na Na (1977-81) The hook: What's weirder: that 1950s-imitating act Sha Na Na played Woodstock, or that they had a late-'70s syndicated variety series that lasted 97 episodes? Remember, grease is the word. In fact, the show's slogan was "Grease for peace!" Regulars: Sha Na Na, although the one everyone members is bass-voiced, skinny pseudo-tough guy Jon "Bowzer" Bowman. Non-Sha Na Na regulars included Avery Schreiber, Kenneth Mars and Soupy Sales. Guests: Authentic '50s acts (Sha Na Na really did respect the decade's music) such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Brenda Lee, with a few early '60s acts and comedians such as Phyllis Diller. Weird trivia: Broadway legend Ethel Merman did a guest shot, during which she sang a duet of Anything You Can Do with Bowzer. Pink Lady (better-known as Pink Lady and Jeff, 1980) The hook: No history of bizarre variety shows would be complete without a mention of this short-lived footnote, featuring female Japanese rock duo Pink Lady, who spoke little English, and comedian Jeff Altman (who also worked on The Starland Vocal Band Show) as their American guide and interpreter. Lots of YouTube on this one, including the show-concluding "Hot Tub Time," an excuse to get the Pink Lady duo into bikinis. It has to be seen to be believed. Regulars: The stars and Jim Varney, who would go on to more fame, and possibly even more class, as the star of the Ernest movies. Guests: Sid Caesar, then super-hot New Wave group Blondie, Alice Cooper and Cheap Trick. This info is out there, and the guests on The Starland Vocal Band Show think they have to hide? Weird trivia: The show's producers were Sid & Marty Krofft, better known for kid fare such as H.R. Pufnstuf. Not only was Pink Lady huge in Japan, one of the duo's biggest hits was a cover of the Village People's In the Navy. Yep, that's on YouTube, too.
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

03-31-2009, 08:31 PM	#4
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,179	I remember most of those, The Hudson Brothers show only vaguely, but I do remember Razzle Dazzle, it was weird but fun. The Brady Bunch Hour - I am pretty sure that this was on in the same time slot as some other show I used to watch, because I am sure that I only watched one or two episodes of it, and i would've watched otherwise - no matter how crappy it was. The Starland Vocal Band Show - I remember this one, i kinda thought some of the music was alright, but the show was boring overall Sha Na Na - i LOVED this show, would not miss it, it was ridiculously stupid and cheesy, but that was what you expected. Pink Lady and Jeff - was weird, I am pretty sure i watched every episode but i don't remember too much about it. some other variety shows not mentioned that I loved were: Donny and Marie, Sonny and Cher, Captain and Tenille, Tony Orlando and Dawn, the Muppet Show (no matter what anyone says, it was definitely a variety show), The Midnight Special
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03-31-2009, 08:55 PM	#5
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,452	I remember the closing theme song from Sha Na Na: Goodnight sweetheart and it's time to go Goodnight sweetheart and it's time to go Goodnight sweetheart and it's time to go Goodnight sweetheart goodnight
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

03-31-2009, 10:25 PM	#6
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I'm still surprised the entire Brady Bunch Hour hasn't been officially released on DVD. I did see the entire DVD set of Pink Lady & Jeff - the fact that the show was awful wasn't helped by the fact that they were scheduled up against Dukes of Hazzard. Ironically, Jeff Altman had a recurring gig on Dukes as Hughie Hogg - a much less embarrassing role.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

04-01-2009, 12:55 AM	#9
steevo It is Green Senior Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2008 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,474	I used to watch Sonny and Cher when I was younger. I loved their banter. As for Donny and Marie, I would watch it occasionally too. "I'm a little bit of country, and I'm a little bit of rock and roll" I liked Sha-Na-Na as well. The ending song was cool, as well as the very end where the band members would jump up and the scene would freeze right at that moment. Barbara Mandrell and The Mandrell sisters did a variety show in the early 80's as well. As a growing boy, I loved watching them- they are gorgeous.
	__________________ "God be gracious to us and bless us..." Psalm 67:1

03-31-2009, 05:37 PM	#2
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,004	Playboy After Dark (1969) The hook: It would seem to be the title, which promised the swinging sexiness of Playboy magazine in a late-night format, that might allow the show to be a little more naughty than it could be in prime time. But it doesn't describe how bizarre, and even chaste, the show was: One episode began with host Hugh Hefner and a group of attractive young women and men playing Simon Says. Not strip Simon Says, either. Regulars: Hef and a bunch of comely young women, including but not limited to whomever he was dating at the time. Guests: From Vegas-friendly entertainers such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Vic Damone to '60s funksters the Chambers Brothers and a young Linda Ronstadt. Fort Worth native Gayle Hunnicutt appeared in a couple of episodes. The series is on DVD and really is one of the oddest pop-culture artifacts of the '60s. Weird trivia: One episode ended with Hef persuading Bill Cosby to do the Fat Albert dance -- backed by Iron Butterfly, of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida fame. That's not on YouTube, but clips featuring the Grateful Dead and Deep Purple are. Yeah the idea was interesting and they did some good music guests on the show, but I never bought Hugh Hefner trying to be hip. For example he would say stuff like "Wow I really dig this next band", or "You dont want to miss the groovy singers we will have tonight". Sorry but 60's hip talk just didnt sound right coming out of Hugh's mouth.

03-31-2009, 05:39 PM	#3
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,004	Sha Na Na (1977-81) The hook: What's weirder: that 1950s-imitating act Sha Na Na played Woodstock, or that they had a late-'70s syndicated variety series that lasted 97 episodes? Remember, grease is the word. In fact, the show's slogan was "Grease for peace!" Regulars: Sha Na Na, although the one everyone members is bass-voiced, skinny pseudo-tough guy Jon "Bowzer" Bowman. Non-Sha Na Na regulars included Avery Schreiber, Kenneth Mars and Soupy Sales. Guests: Authentic '50s acts (Sha Na Na really did respect the decade's music) such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Brenda Lee, with a few early '60s acts and comedians such as Phyllis Diller. Weird trivia: Broadway legend Ethel Merman did a guest shot, during which she sang a duet of Anything You Can Do with Bowzer. I remember watching this as a kid. If you ever see Sha Na Na, their take on the 50's is hokey but they in their own way they have helped keep interest in that music alive. Bowzer later became a spokesman for artists and groups who lost the rights to their name and had to deal with crooked managers and promoters putting together bogus groups and collecting profits from it too. Go Bowzer

03-31-2009, 11:12 PM	#7
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	Susan Olsen is releasing a coffee table book about the Brady Bunch Hour in September--I kid you not......I'm sure that may drum up a complete series DVD release. I watched the Hudson Brothers every Saturday morning (well Sunday mornings is when my CBS station played it) Funny they did not mention The Captain and Tenille or Shields & Yarnell.

03-31-2009, 11:18 PM	#8
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,452	I remember watching an episode of "The Captain and Tenille" where the cast of "What's Happening" were the guest stars.

04-01-2009, 12:48 PM	#10
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,004	What about Glen Campbell's variety show??? That was good.

04-03-2009, 05:07 PM	#11
howilu Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 20, 2003 Location: St. Louis Park, MN Posts: 1,959	I remember Sha Na Na. It was a great mix of comedy sketches blended with the group's renditions of rock and roll's greatest hits. They really enjoyed what they did. Hopefully some day, the show will be released on DVD. Grease for peace.

04-17-2009, 09:49 PM	#13
quinncy Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 27, 2004 Posts: 294	Old Variety Shows Hi, Does anyone here have any of the shows listed for trade? I have some of them including the following: Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour Sonny & Cher Show Donny & Marie Show Johnny Cash Show Frank Sinatra Show Perry Como Show Bing Crosby Show Tom Jones Show Hollywood Palace Sha Na Na Show Ed Sullivan Show Tony Orlando & Dawn Show Jimmy Durante Presents The Lennon Sisters Jim Nabors Show Dinah Shore Chevy Show + Lots More....Please E-mail me at quinncy407@aol.com