Do you know what I really miss, especially at this time of the year?

[Ciao Mickey]

The good ole' variety shows from the 60s and 70s. Now I know I'm showing my age here, but I grew up with The Ed Sullivan Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Smothers Brothers, Sonny and Cher, etc.

I especially loved the Christmas variety shows every December. I loved watching the family get-togethers on the Lawrence Welk Show, Andy Williams Show, Bing Crosby, and others.

Anyone remember the King Family? That was one of my very favorite holiday shows! I remember one year getting in to a fight with my younger brother because he wanted to watch something else at the same time that the King Family's Christmas special was going to be on. This was at a time when we only had one television in the house.

The old variety shows could be silly at times, and you never knew what to expect, but I always found them entertaining. And the Christmas ones always gave me a good, heart-warming feeling.

I also remember watching the Merv Griffin Show and Mike Douglas Show.

Anyone else remember watching (and enjoying!) these shows?

You forgot Bob Hope!

I loved his shows, especially when he was entertaining our brave soldiers overseas.

All we have today is what I call "CRAP" TV.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I saw the Smothers Brothers live in concert 3 or 4 years ago. Tommy still has YO! Seriously, he is amazing! They still present a good show!

I have some of their skits on my iPod & will listen to them and laugh out loud.

 

[MerMom60_94]

Oh, I know, the other one we forgot is Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in. that wasn't a holiday show, but a regular variety show.

 

[DancingBear]

How about Tony Orlando and Dawn? And Captain and Tenille?

Here's a site with lots of info and clips:

http://www.tvparty.com/variety1.html

 

[kristilew]

How about Tony Orlando and Dawn? And Captain and Tenille?

We would dance around the living room to Love Will Keep Us Together! Had a whole routine - kind of pitiful, really, but we loved it!

How about the Barbara Mandrell show?

 

[disykat]

I'm hoping PBS does the Andy Williams special again this year. I saw it a year or two ago and it was clips from all his old Christmas specials.

 

[Poppinsme]

Yes Bob Hope and his wonderful shows from the wars we have fought.
God bless him and all the entertainers that went into wars zones to bring service men and women a little Christmas!

My DH got to see Bob in Vietnam. He flew by chopper into there camp and did a short Xmas show. DH said there wasn't a dry eye with the men, they appreciated it so much.

 

[luvflorida]

Just had this conversation the other day. Yes I LOVED all of those shows. It really was a special time to sit around the TV as a family and watch the shows. One TV back then and of course no video to record, so you made sure to watch.

Just last night I spent the better part of the evening watching old clips and songs on Youtube. On my Facebook I've been posting a clip of the day and it's all the old stuff that we just loved. Corny maybe but life was so much simpler then and we were probably alot happier.

Exactly! I'll have to check out Youtube.

OT: your grandson is a cutie! I just love those pictures.

Thank you so much!

You forgot Bob Hope!

I loved his shows, especially when he was entertaining our brave soldiers overseas.

All we have today is what I call "CRAP" TV.

Of course, Bob Hope! Although, It used to make me sad watching him entertaining the troops. I always felt bad that they couldn't be at home for Christmas with their families.

 

[luvflorida]

I'm hoping PBS does the Andy Williams special again this year. I saw it a year or two ago and it was clips from all his old Christmas specials.

Yes, me too!

 

[piglet50]

i loved these shows! carol burnett, flip wilson, dean martin, etc. our whole family sat down together and watched them. there was usually something for each of us.

 

[runwad]

George Burns too!!! I loved watching Bob Hope and George Burns specials.

 

[luvthatduke]

OMG! I thought we had the only "odd" kids! When my son was five years old, he couldn't wait for the mailman to bring the latest VHS tape of the "I Love Lucy" show! I ordered the entire collection when they first were made available on VHS, and one tape with three episodes on it was shipped every five or six weeks.

My fifteen month old grandson is mesmerized when I put on my Ed Sullivan DVD with the Beatles performing in '64. He'll also watch the other variety acts on the DVD.

ETA: luvthatduke: I hope you know that I'm not really calling your child "odd"!

No worries! We just think it's cute because DS (like most children)
has very few preconceptions about what's "cool"

Several people mentioned the Dean Martin show,
and that's the DVD we have that DS is also in love with.
It's the original "Colgate Comedy Hour" w/Dean Martin
& Jerry Lewis - Jerry is so young!!
And Dean, oh my...

You know, whenever I think of these shows we're
all talking about I think of them as "comfort TV."
I just feel good when I see them