Day 89, March 30: Variety TV

My Favorite

TV Variety Shows

They're a lost breed, replaced by mostly reality TV (there won't be a list of my favorite reality TV shows because I don't watch any regularly). Anyway, back to tonight's post. I must admit, there weren't a lot of great ones that I was old enough to watch.
My memory goes back to the mid-1960s and that's it.

1. The Jonathan Winters Show: Very short-lived (1967-69), he also had the Wacky World of Jonathan Winters (1972-74). I loved both as this man was amazingly talented, funny and warm.

2. The Carol Burnett Show: Probably considered the best ever, I especially liked Tim Conway. But the entire cast was excellent.

3. Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In: I was just becoming a teenager when this was the hot show. I laughed a lot, but also was enamored

by Goldie Hawn's bikini.

4. The Flip Wilson Show: Perhaps the most talented actor on a variety show, he was hilariously hyper in this ground-breaking show.

5. The Red Skelton Show: Much like Jonathan Winters, he was very funny but also had a downhome quality to him.

The show ended when I was still pretty young.

6. The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: I got the humor more than the social commentary as I was again too young to appreciate it. Knowing myself today, I probably would have disagreed with a lot of it.

7. Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour: The perfect match that didn't last. I enjoyed the skits almost as much as Cher's outfits.

8. Hee Haw: Not being a huge country music fan (notwithstanding my most recent post), I loved the animated little pigs

when they danced on the screen.

9. The Ed Sullivan Show: I barely remember this show, and I don't believe my parents watched it every week. I'm pretty sure I saw the first Beatles appearance, but I might be embellishing.

10. Donnie & Marie: Believe it. I liked the wholesomeness of it and many of the songs. In fact, Donnie will have at least

1-2 songs on a future list of mine.