Television Variety Shows

I grew up with classic TV variety shows, a genre which has been dead for a long time. I was hopeful that Rosie O'Donnell's show would be worthwhile (it wasn't IMHO, and many others felt that way as well).

Ed Sullivan introduced mainstream America to Rock, and several others had worthwhile programs (notably Carol Burnett).

Of course, we had well-written, intelligent sit-coms back then, too. Hard to believe 'All In The Family' was considered 'on the edge' of respectable television, but it was well written, well acted, and eventually well received. Most television comedy today is dribble - no thinking required (even the news).

I still have a thing for Ann Marie ('That Girl' - Marlo Thomas), Laura Petrie / Mary Richards ('The Dick van Dyke Show' and 'The 'Mary Tyler Moore Show') and Rhoda Morganstern (Valerie Harper - also from 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'). I kind of grew to like Edith Bunker, too (Jean Stapleton - 'All in the Family').

Early 'Saturday Night Live' programs were well done comedy, too. And yes, I still have a thing for Jane Curtin, too.

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Permalink Reply by Josh on December 4, 2008 at 11:39pm

i was practically raised on the late eighties and early nineties seasons of SNL like 88-94 were amazing lol my dad tells me that the very first seasons were the best, one of these days i'll get around to watching them, i remember the Blues Brothers and the Coneheads but thats about it... i remember watching All in The Family and the occasional Lawrence Welk with my Grampa (r.i.p.) those were pretty good times.

JANE YOU IGNORANT SLUT!! - Dan Akroyd

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Permalink Reply by Bob on December 5, 2008 at 12:16am

I was forced to watch Lawrence Welk as a young teen. I ended up cutting lawns as a 13 y/o so I could buy my own black and white TV and not listen to his program.
SNL used to do the news satire much better. Dan Akroyd and Jane Curtin did a political satire of the 'Point / Counterpoint' debate portion of '60 Minutes'. I still remember Dan Akroyd prefacing his remarks with 'Jane, you ignorant slut, hopping from bed to bed with the frequency of an FM radio....'