What Was A Variety Show? A Dirt Nap City Dead End

If you remember the early days of television, then you surely remember the variety show! From Ed Sullivan in the 1950's to Donny and Marie Osmond in the 1970's all the way up to Pink Lady and Jeff in the 1980's, variety shows had something for everyone in the family. Some were silly, some were serious, and some were just stupid - but if you ever hummed along to the singers on Hee Haw, you remember what fun variety shows could be. Join us as we take a look at brief history of the variety show and ponder if the genre could ever make a come back. 
Dirt Nap City Variety Hour anyone? You never know!

Transcript

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Kelly: 0:05

Hello everybody welcome to another episode of dirt nap episode this is a dirt nap city dead end. Alex with dirt

Alex: 0:16

I love those dead ends. The dead ends is about things aren't people. So it's kind of the similar to the dirt nap talking about folks. We're talking about things, talking

Kelly: 0:28

about things. Well, today I have quite a thing to something that kind of took hold in the 50s and lasted had our a lot of our dirt nap city dead ends, you know, we're This thing kind of went on through the 80s, I would say. lot of people that had a huge, huge popularity and household. It was the variety show.

Alex: 1:00

I thought you're gonna say the hula hoops.

Kelly: 1:03

Well, you know, I'll tell you one of the things variety show could have a professional hula hoop or on like a really good hula Hooper. Do you remember any

Alex: 1:15

Course I remember almost every variety show. And there

Kelly: 1:19

I have a long list thing. I have a long, big things you have to do is kind of to start this thing, if variety shows, they were different than like a talk or a talent show. You know, America's Got Talent. Some variety show. Or even a telethon. You remember the kind of had a variety show vibe. But the big difference a single host or a or a couple, you know, like Sonny weekly, you know, unlike a telethon, which was more of an gosh, I mean, a variety show the name says it all right, it could have acrobatics could have of course music, comedy, things you might see on a variety show?

Alex: 2:15

Yeah, there was usually the like, the music. It wasn't usually be a medley. So you'd get a singer from the time. one song or two, like on Saturday Night Live, they eight of their famous songs. And they would do it sometimes singers that would come out and help them out a lot of lot of times it was a disaster.

Kelly: 2:46

Well, that's true. So, so there were also things right. I mean, the nice thing about the word variety is it variety of things, literally. But the thing also was that a were sponsored by a single, a single company. So you know, the Buick circus hour, right? Or the or the Ford star good one coke time with Eddie Fisher. Eddie Fisher was shows. Let's see was yeah, it was it was sponsored by Coca fairness back then probably still had cocaine in it while. Coke time, Coke time with Eddie Fisher. Yeah, that actually started as a radio program and then transitioned that's how OG Yeah,

Alex: 3:50

I'm, I'm more familiar with the ones from from the later end of the week,

Kelly: 3:56

kind of have a I kinda have a list here of some of 50s 60s 70s and 80s. American Bandstand. You know, that was it had some variety on it. Andy Williams.

Alex: 4:10

Yeah, American Bandstand didn't really have any comedy. of music. Sure.

Kelly: 4:16

There was one called country style. Never heard of show that Dick Clark show. There was Dick Clark's world Dinah Shore. Remember Dinah Shore?

Alex: 4:29

Big time. Yeah, I remember Dinah Shore. That was though, I think, wasn't it? Or was that an evening? Um,

Kelly: 4:36

I don't remember the timing of it. But she, she she different guests on you know, Ed Sullivan. You know, he was became a little more of a talk show kind of thing. But I think the reason that variety shows were so popular. Do you were popular during the 50s and 60s? I

Alex: 4:58

mean, that was the beginning of television, whole family could get around and there's something That's

Kelly: 5:04

exactly right. There's something for everybody. But other options, right? And so the fact that you could cram acrobatics, magic, singing, all of that into one show something whereas today, well today, nobody even watches TV watching your phone or your computer or your constant or

Alex: 5:32

But so this are listening to dirt and Internet City.

Kelly: 5:36

This gave you so many opportunities to watch, to to get something for everyone. Kind of like you said that show. Henry Morgan had a variety show Johnny Carson ilk, if you will. Nat King Cole, Lawrence Welk Ken had a variety show. Now this was actually really Hugh Hefner had a variety show.

Alex: 6:11

Playboy after dark, I think it was called Well, that

Kelly: 6:14

the nope, oh, no, wait, that was the reboot. There was

Alex: 6:19

No, I was it called. Playboy's penthouse. Yes,

Kelly: 6:25

Playboy's penthouse. So that was actually shot in to be like a party at Hugh Hefner's apartment, you know, guests and, you know, basically he he you have to they would do whatever they do, you know, shields in they do.

Alex: 6:43

Yeah, I watched one of those recently because it had know, we're creed Bratton is was Oh, right. Right. And it's and he's on that. And it's just real awkward. Like you Hugh Hefner comes over. And he's like, hey, the grassroots guys? And you can see creed over there. Because he talks

Kelly: 7:07

I think briefly Yeah. Is that on YouTube? Yeah, I I'd be curious what his I've never seen him outside of the what is sort of demeanor is because he has a very show. But yeah, no, it's not like that. Of course, Red heard the name. Then there was also read buttons.

Alex: 7:28

I think comedians did a better job of hosting these like I remember, you're probably going to come to get the best guests. But he was a very stiff Host. Yeah, kind of read off the cue cards. Yep. Usually, some of job of moving the show along. People like Dean Martin,

Kelly: 7:52

kind of funny, you mentioned that because, you of talking mostly the 50s. There, but during the 80s, bit of a resurgence in in variety shows. You know, they popularity, but there was a comedian. And his name was was you know,

Alex: 8:13

he was on? Pink Lady and Jeff. Yes, yes.

Kelly: 8:17

And did you know that the right in my wheelhouse did you know that that was voted? Like, a top 50 Worst By TV gun? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so it's funny you say Pink the actual name of the show was pink lady. Because the wouldn't allow it to be called Pink Lady and Jeff, they called Pink Lady. And Jeff, one of the many problems with the name was inconsistent. So in some ads in TV Guide, it but then the actual listing would say Pink Lady.

Alex: 8:59

So Pink Lady was a Japanese duo. Do have two And didn't speak very good English.

Kelly: 9:10

Yes. Yeah. So you've seen what a great idea for a

Alex: 9:13

used to watch it religiously. Well, they didn't

Kelly: 9:16

episodes only like five episodes in 1980. And You're exactly right. They didn't speak good English. And produced it. pretty famous TV producers were forgetting their last name. Sid and Marty Krofft. Yes. Sid and Marty television producers come in. This is right up your they green lighted the show. Pink Lady the two Japanese their hands. Like in English. It was called kiss in the English, while they didn't speak English, they had done big hit in the US. And so the idea was that they would turn and Marty Krofft, the producers and developers of women spoke English. And I guess they were led to believe they didn't turn into a disaster because they couldn't many of the sketches. They had to memorize any lines or songs Right. So they're memorizing things phonetically. They had because of those shows, you know, just poor quality. Now Lady, do you remember any of the guests?

Alex: 10:43

No, not offhand.

Kelly: 10:44

I remember I mentioned the Red Red Skelton earlier Bobby Vinton from Bobby rock'n'roll.

Alex: 10:52

Yeah, see? Yeah, I wouldn't have done it wasn't.

Kelly: 10:55

Donny Osmond was a guest on it. Florence Bunch was actually see see, I think

Alex: 11:02

they would have been better off kind of leading weirdness of the whole thing, of course, had more kind of Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Like Florence Henderson,

Kelly: 11:15

like, like David Byrne from the talking heads or

Alex: 11:19

or Andy Kaufman or something. I mean, they really Altman's career, really, I mean, he was an up and coming from that you didn't

Kelly: 11:28

really lean into weirdness back then, though. of, or I guess this was the 80s is the early 80s. So one remember the gag at the end of the show? There was a certain

Alex: 11:42

They would did have to do with a hot tub?

Kelly: 11:44

Yes, they would throw Jeff Altman into a hot tub. when the Brady Bunch had a variety show called The Brady Peter into the hot into the pool at the end of that show. Jeff Altman thought it was funny. And then they kept contrived. And Jeff Altman tried to get the writers to producers but he kept getting vetoed. And there's a theory know what it was?

Alex: 12:17

Because pink lady was one of them. bikinis. Yes,

Kelly: 12:22

yes, that's exactly right. Anyway, it was it was a think that was sort of the nail in the coffin for a kind of talked about some from the, from the 50s. But of the popular ones that were around in the 70s were like, There was one called the razzle dazzle show. There was

Alex: 12:49

that. Now. He ha was very successful. Yeah, he ha the show that you'd watch when you're with your grandparents.

Kelly: 12:57

That is funny. My my grandparents. My dad's parents remember that song? Where? Oh, where are you tonight? Why did

Alex: 13:09

Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm drinking SunWorld over and

Kelly: 13:13

thought I found true love you mad and other and you gone? That was the that was the gag. Yeah, he ha shot on a Muppet Show was actually kind of a variety show.

Alex: 13:33

It was it was definitely a variety show was a well done one I remember being popular was Barbara Mandrell show.

Kelly: 13:43

That's right. That's right. It had one had one kind of got caught up in the down slide of, of, you know, because she was around in the 80s. Barbara mantero had her surprises me

Alex: 14:00

that it was only one season because I don't I only name, I only think of that show. I don't know if she

Kelly: 14:08

don't know any other talent that she is.

Alex: 14:11

What she like Did she make she was really, really say that. I think she was a singer, but I can't remember

Kelly: 14:23

don't I don't know, either. But I know that. You Smothers Brothers during the 80s as well, and that actually They rebooted Carol Burnett Show and just called it I company for a little while. And then Super Dave Osborne. Osborne he had kind of a show for a little while. Well, the these variety shows today is Christmas specials. So they'll that are in there. Since variety shows, but they have kind of theme. I think Kid Rock has done one Nick Lake Jessica Simpson. Lady Gaga, Michael boop les Bill Murray this past year, there was one with Hannah Waddingham a special. Yeah. Did you see that?

Alex: 15:24

I did not know. But she she's the perfect example of variety shows. Somebody that kind of Oh, yeah, she's from her and tell so and she sings and yeah, that's it but not like Oscar winning actress and not like the Grammy award person that's talented. Yeah, yeah. Wayne Brady would be Yeah. Be like it with the missus missed his chance at

Kelly: 15:56

He would have been a big time variety show host in Well, yeah. So like I said, they kind of went away because choices. There's so many things you can do. They're so need that variety in one show. We can just kind of dive into tonight. I'm just gonna watch comedy. Now Saturday Night going strong. 50 something years right at this point? How is, the reason it's not considered a variety show, that it's not the same host every week. It's an ensemble they don't have like talent things. They don't really have have things dancing, they have things just like more like longevity, but it doesn't follow it is more niche. It combination. Because if you want to just laugh and hear Saturday Night Live, but But it had enough variety back enjoyed it. And it has enough uniqueness today that people

Alex: 17:06

I think back then demographics, like you mean anything. Your goal was to appeal to as many people in try to hit a certain demographic, we try to have as lend. If we're trying to get a male that's 55 to 65 years old kind of show we're going to offer them and so there's no anymore. In fact, it would you'd be turning off people as on. Yeah,

Kelly: 17:39

yeah, it definitely it feels dated. And so no more definitely reached a dead end. I think it's a classic dirt a favorite variety show from any of those eras. Email us I gotta go cuz I'm gonna go watch coke time with Eddie

Alex: 18:04

Save me a coke. Alright,

Kelly: 18:06

bye, everybody. Thanks for listening.