Original subtitles

MOM LIKED YOU BEST!

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.

I'M WEARING A LIVE RACCOON. THAT TAKES GUTS!

GEE, IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN.

LET ME HAVE THAT MICROPHONE RIGHT HERE.

DO IT RIGHT NOW? I CAN...

OOH.

♪ THEY CALL HER HARD-HEARTED HANNAH ♪

THIS PROGRAM

BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION

FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

Narrator: FROM THE MOMENT TELEVISION FIRST

ILLUMINATED OUR LIVING ROOMS,

THEY ATTRACTED VIEWERS

LIKE BUGS TO THE LIGHT.

HOW ABOUT SAYING "GOOD NIGHT"

GIVE THEM A BIG, YOU KNOW, BIG WAVE?

I CAN'T WAVE. WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?

OH, THAT'S...

PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN FLUSH THE TOILET.

I MEAN, THEY STAYED GLUED TO THE SET

EVERY PERFORMER WANTED TO BE ON "THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW."

I MEAN, THAT WAS THE PLACE TO BE.

Narrator: THEY BECAME TELEVISION'S FAVORITE STARS.

THWTTT! OH, SORRY, ROY.

♪ THERE WAS HANNAH POURING WATER ♪

♪ ON A DROWNING MAN ♪

IT WAS JUST A GREAT PLACE TO BE ON MONDAY.

WE COULDN'T WAIT TO GET THERE.

AND WE HAD SO MANY ADVENTURES DURING THE WEEK.

Narrator: THEY SET THE STANDARD FOR SKETCH COMEDY,

SONG, AND DANCE.

GET TO THE POINT.

POINT? THE POINT IS SIMPLE!

TO SHOW YOU HOW MUCH TELEVISION HAS CHANGED,

THAT'S THE POINT.

IT CAN MAKE YOU CRY.

IT CAN MAKE YOU LAUGH.

IT CAN MAKE YOU FEEL EXUBERANT.

IT CAN MAKE YOU THINK.

UH, WAITER?

WE DID ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF SKETCHES,

AND WE DID ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF MUSICAL NUMBERS.

Narrator: THEY PUSHED THE BOUNDARIES OF SATIRE

♪ CBS WOULD LIKE TO GIVE US NOTICE ♪

♪ AND SOME OF YOU DON'T LIKE THE THINGS WE SAY ♪

♪ BUT WE'RE STILL HERE ♪

I HAD NO IDEA WE WERE SAYING ANYTHING IMPORTANT

UNTIL THEY SAID, "YOU'VE GOT TO STOP."

Narrator: THEY CHANGED THE TIMING OF TELEVISION

AND INFLUENCED THE PACE OF MODERN LIFE.

VERY INTERESTING.

THEY WOULD SAY TO ME, "SLOW IT DOWN."

I'D SAY, "NO, PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND IT."

AND THEY SAID, "BUT THEY'LL MISS THE JOKES."

AND I SAID, "WELL, SO WHAT?

"THERE'S ANOTHER ONE COMING ALONG

Narrator: THEY CREATED A NEW ART FORM

CALLED THE TELEVISION VARIETY SHOW.

THEY ARE THE PIONEERS OF TELEVISION.

THE PERSON WHO LEFT

THE BIGGEST MARK ON TELEVISION VARIETY

HAD ABSOLUTELY NO VISIBLE TALENT.

BUT BEHIND THE SCENES WAS ANOTHER STORY ENTIRELY.

HIS NAME WAS ED SULLIVAN...

PERHAPS THE MOST IMPROBABLE STAR IN TELEVISION HISTORY.

HE CAME OUT HERE SOME YEARS BACK,

AND THERE'S A WHOLE FLUX, FANS,

FLUX OF EASTERN ATHLETES TO THE COAST,

AND I'D LIKE YOU TO MEET HIM.

HE WAS ONE OF THE STRANGEST PERSONALITIES

THAT YOU COULD IMAGINE IN THE HISTORY OF THE BUSINESS.

BECAUSE HE HAD NO BUSINESS BEING ON THE AIR AT ALL.

YOU DON'T SING.

YOU CAN'T DANCE, YOU DON'T TELL JOKES.

YOU MERELY INTRODUCE ACTS.

UH-HUH.

AND YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS

FOR 19 YEARS.

THAT'S RIGHT.

MM-HMM.

WELL, ED, IF I MAY BE SO BOLD...

AND I DON'T LIKE TO ASK THIS...

BUT ACTUALLY HOW MUCH DO YOU MAKE?

I MEAN, HOW MUCH DO YOU...

HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU GET

FOR THIS PARTICULAR JOB?

JACK, I'D SAY APPROXIMATELY $800 MILLION.

800 THOUSAND.

I RAISED IT, BUT I'M GOING TO CUT IT DOWN.

HE'S READING IT, AND HE GOT IT WRONG.

Narrator: SULLIVAN KNEW HE WAS AWFUL ON CAMERA.

BUT HE WOULDN'T GIVE UP THE LIMELIGHT.

MORE THAN ANYTHING, HE WANTED FAME.

AND TO BE FAMOUS, HE NEEDED TO STAY

WHERE THE PUBLIC COULD SEE HIM.

WE WOULD ALL KIND OF LAUGH ABOUT ED,

BECAUSE HALF THE TIME, HE COULDN'T REMEMBER YOUR NAME,

OR HE COULDN'T REMEMBER SOMEONE'S LAST NAME,

OR...

BUT I THINK THE AUDIENCE

LOVED THAT, THE FACT THAT HE WAS HIMSELF.

Narrator: DESPITE HIS ODD STAGE PRESENCE,

SULLIVAN DID HAVE

A UNIQUE TALENT FOR BOOKING ACTS,

THANKS TO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A BROADWAY COLUMNIST.

HIS SKILLFUL MIX

OF HIGHBROW, LOWBROW, AND NEWSWORTHY

REMAINS UNMATCHED.

♪ AND IF YOU'RE WITH A GAL ♪

♪ SHE'D BETTER BE YOUR SISTER ♪

♪ YOU'LL WISH SHE WAS, ♪ 'CAUALL RIGHT ♪IN'T ♪

Narrator: A TYPICAL HOUR MIGHT INCLUDE

A WASHBOARD BAND,

A VENTRILOQUIST ACT...

YOU WANT TO TALK TO HIM?

Narrator: AND AN EXCERPT FROM SHAKESPEARE'S "KING LEAR."

THE SHOWS WERE MASTERPIECES FOR THE MASSES.

YOU DO ME WRONG

TO TAKE ME OUT OF THE GRAVE.

HE HAD A PECULIAR... MIGHT CALL IT A GENIUS,

BECAUSE IT WAS A RADAR KIND OF THING.

HE KNEW WHAT THE AUDIENCE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND HEAR.

Narrator: EVEN THE ORDER AND HE BOF THE ACTSO THEM.

WAS AN ART FORM UNDER SULLIVAN.

ON SOME NIGHTS, HE WOULD CHANGE THE LINEUP

DURING THE BROADCAST,

TO MAXIMIZE THE ENTERTAINMENT VALUE.

HE KNEW HOW TO GET THOSE ACTS ON.

HE KNEW HOW TO CHARM THOSE PEOPLE.

Narrator: BEHIND THE SCENES, SULLIVAN WAS A MASTER PUPPETEER,

REWRITING PUNCH LINES, ADJUSTING COSTUMES,

EDITING SKETCHES.

FOR THE LADIES, IF YOUR GOWN

WAS CUT JUST A LITTLE TOO LOW...

I DID IT MANY TIMES WHERE THEY ADDED THE LACE, YOU KNOW?

SO HE'D SAY, "CUT FOUR MINUTES."

WE CAN'T CUT FOUR MINUTES! IT'S A SKETCH!

YOU KNOW? SO WE'D HURRY EVERYTHING.

WE NEVER CAME OFF WELL ON "THE SULLIVAN SHOW."

YOU KNOW, IT'S EASIER IF YOU TAKE OUT

SIX MINUTES AT THE TOP OR SIX MINUTES AT THE BACK.

BIT WHEN YOU TAKE OUT SIX MINUTES IN THE MIDDLE,

AND THE GUY IS DOWN TO TWO OR THREE MINUTES,

YEAH, THAT'S TOUGH, THAT'S REALLY TOUGH.

AND THAT HAPPENED A LOT.

TERRIFIED, AND ALL I REMEMBER,

I FOLLOWED TRAINED CAMELS. AND ALL I REMEMBER WAS,

THERE WAS A BLUE SPOT ON THE STAGE.

AND THIS STAGE MANAGER,

WHEN IT CAME MY TURN, AFTER THE CAMELS WERE DONE,

HE SAID...

AND I GO OUT ON THAT STAGE,

AND I DO THE FOOTBALL MONOLOGUE,

TO NO LAUGHS.

NONE.

Narrator: SULLIVAN WAS ESPECIALLY CONCERNED

ABOUT PROMOTING GOOD TASTE.

EVEN HIS FAVORITE ACTS, LIKE STILLER AND MEARA,

WERE NOT IMMUNE TO ED'S WATCHFUL EYE.

ONCE, WHEN THE DUO REHEARSED A SKETCH

ABOUT A MAID WHO CLEANED THE ASTRONAUTS' BATHROOM,

SULLIVAN TOOK DECISIVE ACTION.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT SKETCH TONIGHT."

I SAYS, "WHAT'S WRONG, MR. SULLIVAN?"

HE SAYS, "WELL, IT'S, IT'S NOT UP TO YOUR STANDARDS."

I SAID, "WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT?"

AND HE USED THE WORD THAT HAS TO DO WITH EXCREMENT.

AND I LOOKED AT HIM, AND I SAID TO MYSELF,

"WELL, GEE WHIZ, IF I BACK OFF,

IT'S ADMITTING THAT HE'S RIGHT AND I'M WRONG."

Narrator: STILLER DIDN'T DARE DEFY SULLIVAN.

IN TRUTH, EVERYONE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS

WAS BEHOLDEN TO ED.

EVEN THE ROLLING STONES

CHANGED THEIR LYRICS

TO PLEASE HIM.

AND IF SULLIVAN WANTED PERFORMERS

TO AUDITION AT 8:00 A.M. AT HIS APARTMENT,

THEY DID IT.

ED COMES IN, IN A DRESSING ROBE,

BAREFOOT, SLIPPERS,

WITH HIS DOG,

A BLACK POODLE.

AND WHILE I'M DOING MY,

WHAT I THOUGHT WAS VERY FUNNY,

THE DOG IS NIBBLING ON MY TOES.

I'M GOING NUTS, I CAN'T CONCENTRATE.

AND OF COURSE ED... IT'S HIS FIRST CUP OF COFFEE...

HE'S COUGHING AND GROANING, AND...

IT WAS A DISASTER.

WELL, HE PROBABLY LIKED MY LOOKS.

AND REMEMBER, THAT WAS MY OLD FACE.

MOLDED POPULAR TASTE WOR REFLECTED IT

IS STILL OPEN FOR DEBATE.

A SIXTH SENSE BUT FOR ENTERTAINMENT, IFT,

THAT KEPT HIM ON THE AIR FOR NEARLY A QUARTER-CENTURY.

ED SULLIVAN'S CHIEF RIVAL IN THE EARLY YEARS

WAS THE MAN WHO ESSENTIALLY INVENTED TELEVISION VARIETY...

MILTON BERLE.

PREMIERING JUST 12 DAYS AHEAD OF SULLIVAN IN 1948,

BERLE TOOK A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT APPROACH...

WILD, ENERGETIC, AND READY TO JUMP INTO ANY ACT AT ANY TIME.

SO WHEN ELVIS CAME ON HIS SHOW,

BERLE GRABBED A GUITAR.

I WAS THE MASTER OF CEREMONIES,

I WORKED WITH ALL THE ACTS, I DID ALL THE SHTICKS.

WE DID SLAPSTICK, VISUAL COMEDY.

Narrator: BERLE HAD COME OF AGE IN VAUDEVILLE

AND PERFECTED HIS ACT IN NIGHTCLUBS.

SO THE INTENSE PRESSURE OF LIVE TELEVISION

DIDN'T FAZE HIM.

HE COULD HANDLE ANYTHING.

OH, NO.

PLEASE, WILL YOU PLEASE?

I LOST MY HEAD.

YOU'VE GOT I'LL TELL YOU...

DON'T AD-LIB, KID. I WANT TO JUST...

Berle: I WAS SCHOOLED IN IT.

WE DID EVERYTHING LIVE IN VAUDEVILLE.

THTHE AUDIENCEING SAT IN FRONT OF YOU.

THEY EITHER LAUGHED OR APPLAUDED

OR HISSED YOU OFF THE STAGE,

AND BEING USED TO AUDIENCES OF THAT KIND,

I WAS NOT SCARED.

Narrator: BERLE'S OVER-THE-TOP ANTICS WERE PERFECT

AT TIMES, HIS AUDIENCE REACHED A 95 SHARE...

A NUMBER UNEQUALLED EVEN BY MODERN-DAY SUPER BOWLS.

HIS NICKNAME, "MR. TELEVISION," WAS WELL DESERVED.

I REMEMBER WATCHING MILTON BERLE ON THE OUTSIDE

OF A HARDWARE STORE IN THE WINTER.

THE GUY WHO SOLD TELEVISION LEFT IT ON

SO PEOPLE FROM THE VILLAGE COULD COME DOWN,

STAND OUT THERE, AND WATCH IT.

Narrator: FOR A TIME, MILTON BERLE

WAS THE MOST POPULAR PERFORMER IN THE COUNTRY.

THEN, ALMOST OVERNIGHT,

AMERICA GREW TIRED OF HIM.

BERLE'S RAPID DECLINE WAS STRIKING,

WITH ANOTHER OLD-SCHOOL ESPECIALLCOMEDIAN, NTRASTED

WHO MANAGED TO STAY IN PRIME TIME FOR DECADES...

RED SKELTON.

AS I WALKED IN, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE,

AND SOMEONE YELLED, "RED SKELTON'S IN THE CROWD!"

AND THEY ALL TURNED AROUND AND LOOKED AT ME.

I WAS SORRY GEE, I RASSED.

Narrator: RED SKELTON UNDERSTOOD

THE UNIQUE DEMANDS OF TELEVISION COMEDY,

PERHAPS BETTER THAN ANY OF HIS CONTEMPORARIES.

HE REALIZED THE NEED FOR A LARGE STABLE OF CHARACTERS

TO ENSURE HIS SHOW STAYED FRESH, DIFFERENT EVERY WEEK.

10 MILLION, 20 MILLION,

40 MILLION, 100 MILLION PEOPLE

WOULD SEE YOU A NIGHT.

THAT ACT, YOU CAN'T DO IT AGAIN.

SO NO ONE I DID.ED FOR IT.

Narrator: I PSKELTON'S COLLECTIONON.

OF VISUAL CHARACTERS INCLUDED

CLEM KADIDDLEHOPPER, CAULIFLOWER McPUGG,

AND HUGE HITS ON RADIO, ER.

THEY WERE EVEN FUNNIER ON TELEVISION.

Skelton: SAN FERNANDO RED, I LOVED HIM IN POLITICAL TIMES.

YOU KNOW, TIME TO VOTE.

OR HE SAYS, "NOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE A CLEAN CAMPAIGN.

"I'M NOT GOING TO THROW MUD AT MY OPPONENT,

"BECAUSE HE'S A FINE MAN.

"AND HIS WIFE IS A MIGHTY FINE WOMAN.

"WHAT HE SEES IN THAT DAME HE'S RUNNING AROUND WITH,

I'LL NEVER KNOW."

YOU KNOW?

NOT GOING TO THROW MUD.

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU.

I TOLD THOSE BOYS WE NEEDED LINES HERE,

BUT THEY SAYS THIS WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT.

Narrator: SKELTON WAS ALSO AMONG THE FIRST PERFORMERS

TO UNDERSTAND ANOTHER

FUNDAMENTAL RULE OF TELEVISION SUCCESS...

IFTHEY'LL KEEP WATCHING, U,

EVEN IF THE MATERIAL IS MEDIOCRE.

I AIN'T SEEN YOU FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS,

DEADEYE, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?

I'M PRETTY HOKEY,

BUT EVEN I AIN'T GOING TO TELL THAT JOKE.

AW, COME ON, DEADEYE, I AIN'T SEEN YOU

FOR SIX MONTHS, WHAT'VE YOU BEEN DOING?

HERE IT COMES, FOLKS.

ALL RIGHT, I AIN'T SEEN YOU FOR SIX MONTHS, DEADEYE,

WHAT YOU BEEN DOING?

SIX MONTHS.

Narrator: SKELTON'S LIKABILITY WAS THE KEY

TO MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF VARIETY SHOW SUCCESS.

IT WAS A LESSON KEENLY UNDERSTOOD

BY ANOTHER VARIETY HOST WHO WOULD BECOME

THE MOST POPULAR MAN IN AMERICA...

AN ENTERTAINER WITH LITTLE OBVIOUS TALENT.

YOU KNOW, I HAD A JOKE LAST NIGHT

I WAS GOING TO DO,

Narrator: ARTHUR GODFREY WAS A REGULAR GUY.

AT LEAST, THAT'S THE IMAGE HE NURTURED FOR DECADES

TO BUILD A MASSIVE AUDIENCE ON RADIO.

YOU COULD WALK DOWN A STREET

IN A MIDWESTERN TOWN THAT I LIVED IN

IN THE SUMMER, WHEN THE DOORS WERE OPEN...

AND NO ONE HAD AIR CONDITIONING...

AND YOU WOULDN'T MISS A WORD

OF "THE ARTHUR GODFREY SHOW,"

AS YOU WENT FROM ONE HOUSE'S RADIO TO THE NEXT.

STAGGERING AUDIENCE.

THAT'S A LOVELY DRESS YOU HAVE.

Narrator: ARTHUR GODFREY'S LAID-BACK APPROACH TO RADIO

SEEMED DESTINED TO FAIL

WHEN HE MOVED TO THE SMALL SCREEN.

HE DIDN'T EVEN TAKE OFF HIS RADIO HEADPHONES AT FIRST.

BUT GODFREY'S WARM, FOLKSY STYLE

STRUCK A CHORD WITH TV AUDIENCES,

JUST AS IT HAD IN RADIO.

AND HE ARRIVES TWO MINUTES BEFORE THE RED LIGHT COMES ON.

COMES IN AND SITS DOWN, AND...

YOU KNOW, THEY START HIS THEME SONG.

AND HE HAS MADE NO PREPARATION AT ALL,

WE'LL MEET THE FIRST ONE, WHO IS NAMED

SANFORD BAUMSTEIN, IS THAT RIGHT?

SANFORD BAUMSTEIN?

IT'S HOMEMADE, AND THEREFORE IT HAS...

Narrator: AS A COMMERCIAL PITCHMAN,

GODFREY'S INFLUENCE WAS PROFOUND.

HE REFUSED TO READ THE HARD-SELL COPY OF THE ERA

AND INSTEAD, AD-LIBBED COMMERCIALS

IN HIS NEIGHBORLY STYLE.

SURE, I KNOW, WHEN YOU GO IN THE GROCERY STORE,

THERE ARE ALL THOSE CANS THAT ARE SO EASY TO PICK UP.

YOU HAVE TO GO WAY ON DOWN

TILL YOU FIND THE LIPTON ENVELOPES.

Narrator: HE EVEN POKED FUN AT HIS SPONSORS.

BUT THAT MADE HIM ALL THE MORE BELIEVABLE.

I WILL THEREFORE TAKE A TASTE.

OOH, LOOK, LOOK,

SEE ALL THE NOODLES IN THERE?

CHICKEN? CHICKEN?

THE NATION'S MOST EFFECTIVE SALESMAN...

A SKILL THAT MADE ARTHUR GODFREY VERY RICH.

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS, ABSO...

Announcer: ARTHUR GODFREY AND HIS FRIENDS!

Narrator: BY THE EARLY 1950s,

GODFREY HAD TWO TV VARIETY SHOWS,

BOTH TOP-TEN HITS.

EXPOSURE ON HIS SHOW COULD MAKE A CAREER.

Boone: I WENT OVER AND AUDITIONED

FOR "THE ARTHUR GODFREY SHOW."

AND JUST LIKE "AMERICAN IDOL" TODAY, YOU JUST SING A CAPPELLA.

SO I SANG SOMETHING, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS.

AND THEY SEEMED TO BE FAVORABLY IMPRESSED.

CAN YOU COME BACK THIN ABOUT THREE WEEKS?"...

I SAID, "NO, I CAN'T.

"I'M EXPECTING A CHILD, AND NO,

THEY SAID, "NO? OKAY, WE'LL PUT YOU ON TONIGHT."

AND I WENT ON THE AT NIGHT AND WON!

Narrator: GODFREY'S SUCCESS SEEMED UNSTOPPABLE

UNTIL HE MADE ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES

IN TELEVISION HISTORY.

JULIUS HAS A RECORD OUT.

Narrator: AS ONE OF ARTHUR GODFREY'S

REGULAR SINGERS, JULIUS LaROSA

HAD BECOME A NATIONAL SENSATION.

HIS FAN MAIL OUTNUMBERED EVEN GODFREY'S.

WHEN THE TWO HAD A DISAGREEMENT,

GODFREY FIRED LaROSA...

ON THE AIR.

AND YOU COULD SEE BY THE LOOK ON LaROSA'S FACE,

IT WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE TO HIM.

AND I THINK THE FACADE BROKE,

AND PEOPLE GOT A GLIMPSE OF ANOTHER ARTHUR GODFREY.

Narrator: PRESS COVERAGE OF THE INCIDENT

PAINTED GODFREY AS CALLOUS AND EGOTISTICAL.

ALMOST OVERNIGHT, PUBLIC OPINION TURNED AGAINST HIM.

GODFREY BECAME THE BUTT OF JOKES,

THE POSTER BOY FOR PHONY CELEBRITIES.

HIS CAREER NEVER RECOVERED.

EVEN WITHOUT THE CONTROVERSY, THE ERA

OF THE TRADITIONAL VARIETY EMCEE WAS COMING TO A CLOSE.

A DIFFERENT TYPE OF HOST WAS GAINING POPULARITY...

THE SINGER.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU...

Narrator: PERHAPS THE MOST REMARKABLE EXAMPLE

WAS PERRY COMO, WHO TOOK ON

TWO OF THE BIGGEST SUPERSTARS IN TV HISTORY

AND WON, BOTH TIMES.

OUR SHOW TONIGHT HAS SORT OF A LATIN FLAVOR.

YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN.

Narrator: SINGER PERRY COMO

PERFORMED ON TELEVISION AS FAR BACK AS 1948.

HIS RELAXED STYLE AND FRIENDLY PERSONALITY

MADE HIM DIFFICULT TO DISLIKE.

IN 1955, NBC SLATED COMO

OPPOSITE SUPERSTAR JACKIE GLEASON ON CBS.

IN ONE OF THE MORE AMAZING UPSETS IN TV HISTORY,

COMO TROUNCED GLEASON'S NEW SHOW, "THE HONEYMOONERS."

AFTER ONE SEASON, GLEASON CANCELLED THE SERIES.

OOH!

Narrator: SIX YEARS LATER, PERRY COMO WOULD AGAIN

BE SCHEDULED AGAINST A FORMIDABLE OPPONENT...

"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW."

COMO DID SO WELL, "VAN DYKE" WAS NEARLY CANCELLED.

PERRY COMO WASN'T ALONE.

THERE WERE DOZENS OF SINGER HOSTS,

MATTER OF FACT, TONIGHT WAS INCLUDING FRANK SINATRA...

THE FIRST TIME I GOT A POLICE ESCORT.

HE GAVE ME TWO MOTORCYCLES,

AND I HAD TO RUN IN BETWEEN 'EM, WOW!

Narrator: DINAH SHORE...

AND ONE OF TV'S LONGEST-RUNNING VARIETY HOSTS EVER,

ANDY WILLIAMS.

♪ SILENT NIGHT ♪

♪ HOLY NIGHT ♪

♪ ALL IS CALM ♪

♪ ALL IS BRIGHT ♪

Narrator: ON THE SURFACE, ANDY WILLIAMS SEEMED

LIKE THE MOST LAID-BACK PERSON ON TELEVISION.

BUT HIS RELAXED LOOK CAME ONLY

AFTER PRACTICE... HOURS AND HOURS

TO PERFECT EVERY LINE, EVERY MOVE.

Williams: MY THING WAS TO REHEARSE LIKE CRAZY,

YOU KNOW, FIVE DAYS A WEEK, SIX DAYS A WEEK.

IT WASN'T, WE DIDN'T JUST REHEARSE FOR, YOU KNOW,

A FEW HOURS AND GO UP AND SING A BUNCH OF SONGS.

WE REALLY KNEW THESE THINGS.

AND SOME OF THEM WERE VERY COMPLICATED.

Narrator: WILLIAMS' WORK ETHIC

ENSURED 15 YEARS OF VARIETY SHOW SUCCESS.

BUT HE WAS WILLING TO SKIP REHEARSALS

WHENEVER JONATHAN WINTERS GUESTED ON THE SHOW.

THEN IT WAS ALL AD LIB.

♪ I'M AS JUMPY AS A PUPPET ♪

♪ ON A STRING ♪

♪ I'D SAY ♪

♪ THAT I HAD SPRING FEVER ♪

♪ BUT I KNOW ♪

♪ IT ISN'T SPRING ♪

♪ AND VAGUELY DISCONTENTED ♪

♪ LIKE A NIGHTINGALE ♪

♪ WITHOUT A SONG TO SING ♪

WITH JONATHAN, WE GOT TO THE POINT

WHERE WE NEVER REHEARSED WITH HIM.

I MEAN, THERE WAS AN OUTLINE

OF WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE A TABLE OF HATS.

AND HE WOULD JUST GO AND PICK UP A HAT,

AND HE'D BECOME A DIFFERENT CHARACTER WITH EACH HAT.

LET'S, LET'S PLAY SWORDS.

WELL, ANDY, IT'S AWFUL NICE TO BE ON YOUR SHOW HERE.

I JUST, UH, DROVE ONE

OF THE LONGER BALLS DOWN THE COURSE.

HAD A LITTLE BIT OF THE GRAPE THERE.

♪ MOON RIVER ♪

♪ FLASHING DOWN THE STREAM ♪

WELL, I GUESS WE WON'T PRINT THAT ONE.

THE REASON A LOT OF THESE GUYS...

ANDY AND DEAN AND STEVE AND JACK...

HAD CHOSEN ME WAS

A VERY DANGEROUS THING, BUT THANK GOD...

THEY WOULD SAY, IF THEY WERE HERE TODAY TO SAY IT,

I WOULD BET ON THIS...

"ONE THING ABOUT WINTERS, YOU NEVER KNEW

WHAT HE WAS GOING TO SAY OR DO."

DID YOU EVER UNDRESS IN FRONT OF A DOG?

I DON'T KNOW... PEOPLE... YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY...

A BIRD SOMEHOW DOESN'T COUNT, RIGHT?

HA HA HA. OR A CAT.

BUT A DOG... THEY REALLY STARE.

BECAME ANDY WILLIAMS' JSECRET WEAPON, S

BOOSTING RATINGS WITH EVERY APPEARANCE.

VARIETY SHOW HOST PAT BOONE

HAD A SIMILAR ACE IN THE HOLE...

DICK VAN DYKE.

AS I SAY, I'VE ADMIRED DICK

FOR QUITE A WHILE, BECAUSE TO MY WAY OF THINKING,

HE HAS A FRESH, NEW APPROACH TO COMEDY.

I THINK ABOUT ALL I REALLY DO, THOUGH,

IS JUST KIND OF AVOID SLAPSTICK.

OH, IS THAT IT?

YEAH, I THINK LIKE MORE SUBTLE HUMOR.

THEY'RE TIRED OF PEOPLE THROWING PIES

AND MAKING FOOLISH MISTAKES OF SOME KIND.

OH, I SEE.

YOU REMEMBER, FOR INSTANCE,

DOROTHY PARKER OR OSCAR WILDE,

PEOPLE LIKE THAT, AND GEORGE BERNARD SHAW?

PAT, YOU'D BE SURPRISED

HOW MANY PEOPLE ADMIRE THAT TYPE OF HUMOR.

REALLY!

PEOPLE LAUGH JUST AT THE ANTICIPATION

OF THAT KIND OF HUMOR.

DON'T YOU THINK THAT PEOPLE ENJOY

THAT SORT OF THING, PAT?

SURE, SURE.

WELL, THAT'S THE WAY I FEEL,

AND I REST MY CASE ON THAT.

OOP!

Narrator: VARIETY HOSTS LIKE PAT BOONE

WERE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE BEST POSSIBLE GUEST STARS,

MANY OF WHOM WERE AFRICAN AMERICAN.

AND WHEN BOONE BOOKED HARRY BELAFONTE,

HIS SPONSOR SAID, "NO."

I SAID, "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

HE'S THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINER IN THE WORLD."

"YEAH, BUT HE'S, UH... YOU KNOW, HE'S, UH...

"HE'S SORT OF POLITICALLY ACTIVE,

AND A LOT OF THE FOLKS DOWN SOUTH..."

AND I SAID, "YOU'RE TELLING ME I'VE GOT TO GO BACK

TO HARRY BELAFONTE AND SAY, 'NO THANKS'?"

I SAID, "WELL, THEN, I'M SORRY, GUYS,

"IT'S NOT 'THE PAT BOONE SHOW.'

AND YOU'LL HAVE TO GET SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE MY PLACE."

Narrator: IT'S A STORY THAT WAS REPEATED OVER AND OVER.

THE SPONSORS AND AD AGENCIES WORRIED

THAT WHITE VIEWERS IN THE SOUTH WOULDN'T WATCH

AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS.

♪♪ BUT HE SEEMED ♪♪

♪ SWEET GOLDEN AS A CROWN ♪

Narrator: POWERFUL VARIETY HOSTS LIKE ED SULLIVAN AND STEVE ALLEN

CHAMPIONED AFRICAN AMERICAN ENTERTAINERS.

THEY GOT THEIR WAY, BECAUSE THEY HAD CLOUT.

BUT WHEN IT CAME TO HOSTING A VARIETY SHOW,

CORPORATE AMERICA COULDN'T BE PERSUADED.

♪ WHY, OH, WHY ♪

♪ OH, WHY, OH, WHY, OH, WHY ♪

Narrator: NAT KING COLE DID GET

HIS OWN VARIETY SHOW ON NBC.

BUT NO SPONSOR COULD BE FOUND.

IN AN UNUSUAL MOVE, NBC THEN PAID

ALL PRODUCTION COSTS ITSELF,

TO GIVE COLE A POSITIVE START.

HE DID FIND AN AUDIENCE,

BUT NO SPONSOR HAD THE COURAGE TO STEP FORWARD.

AND "THE NAT KING COLE SHOW" WAS CANCELLED.

♪ FINE CALYPSO WOMAN ♪

♪ SHE COOKED ME SHRIMP AND RICE ♪

Narrator: NEARLY ALL THE EARLIEST VARIETY SHOWS

HAD FOLLOWED A FAMILIAR FORM...

TELL A FEW JOKES, ADD A DANCE NUMBER OR TWO,

SING A FEW SONGS.

♪ BROKE MY HEART IN TWO ♪

♪ YOU HELD MY DREAMS ♪

♪ LIKE WORTHLESS GRAINS OF SAND ♪

BUT IN 1950, A NEW APPROACH TO VARIETY

TOOK CENTER STAGE,

UNLIKE ANYTHING THAT HAD COME BEFORE.

HE'S TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING!

WHAT IS IT, LOUIS?

ONE LAST REQUEST, PLEASE.

A KISS.

ALL RIGHT.

NOT FROM YOU!

HE'S IN HIS TOREADOR OUTFIT, AND HE'S DYING,

AND HE'S BEEN GORED, AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME.

SO CARL SAYS, "DO YOU WANT ANYTHING BEFORE..."

UH... I WOULD LIKE AN AMERICAN CHEESE SANDWICH.

AN AMERICAN CHEESE SANDWICH.

AMERICAN CHEESE SANDWICH, ALL RIGHT, I'LL GET IT.

NAH, I HAD CHEESE FOR LUNCH.

MAKE IT ROAST BEEF.

I'LL CANCEL THE AMERICAN,

I'LL GET ROAST BEEF...

NO, NO, NO, I'LL HAVE THE AMERICAN CHEESE.

MAKE IT TWO AMERICAN CHEESE SANDWICHES.

AND DON'T PUT MUSTARD ON MINE, BECAUSE...

ONE WITHOUT MUSTARD.

GET ME A ROAST BEEF.

WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT A MINUTE!

LET'S HAVE AN ASSORTMENT OF COLD CUTS, THAT'S ALL.

AND DRINK SOME SODAS.

AND FINALLY, SID DIES,

AND THEY'RE STILL ORDERING.

Narrator: IT WAS CALLED "YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS."

AND IT EMPHASIZED SKETCH COMEDY.

NINETY MINUTES, EVERY WEEK.

THE SERIES STARRED SID CAESAR

WITH SIDEKICKS HOWARD MORRIS AND CARL REINER.

WRITERS INCLUDED NEIL SIMON,

LARRY GELBART, AND MEL BROOKS.

WOW, IT WAS JUST...

THIS GUY DID IT ALL.

YOU KNOW, HE PLAYED THOSE THINGS

WITH IMOGENE AND CARL AND HOWIE,

AND NOBODY COULD TOUCH HIM.

HE WAS JUST BRILLIANT, EVERYTHING HE DID.

Narrator: CAESAR AND COCA

DID UP TO 10 SKETCHES PER EPISODE,

ALL LIVE.

INCREDIBLY, THE DUO DIDN'T USE CUE CARDS.

INSTEAD, THEY MEMORIZED EVERYTHING.

SO WHEN THE SHOW WENT ON THE AIR,

THEY COULD FULLY INHABIT THE CHARACTERS.

WITH YOU AND YOUR SWELLED HEAD.

I'M THROUGH! YOU CAN TAKE THIS BACK.

I'M GOING TO... I'M GOING TO...

I'M GOING TO... I'M...

I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU ONE MORE CHANCE.

YOU SEE, EVERY COMEDIC SITUATION,

HAS TO HAVE SOME ELEMENT OF TRUTH THAT YOU CAN BELIEVE.

IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GO WITH IT.

IT CHANGED TELEVISION COMEDY FOREVER.

IT'S STILL THE GREATEST ONE EVER, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.

BUT THAT WAS LIVE!

AND I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DID IT.

IT... THAT WOULD DRIVE ME CRAZY,

AN HOUR AND A HALF, AND IT WAS ALWAYS PERFECT.

IN THE BACK OF YOUR NECK HERE. YES?

IF I TOUCHED THAT NERVE,

YOU'D BE PARTIALLY PARALYZED

ON THIS SIDE, TEMPORARILYIS THAT TRUE, DOCTOR?

SURE... SEE, RIGHT OVER HERE.

RIGHT THERE?

WHAT HAPPENED, DOCTOR?

DOCTOR?

YEAH, YOU SEE, THAT'S THE WAY IT IS.

Narrator: "YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS" HAD A SECRET OBSERVER...

A YOUNG WOMAN WHO WOULD SNEAK IN EACH WEEK TO WATCH REHEARSALS

FROM THE SHADOWS.

HER NAME WAS CAROL BURNETT.

YOUNG CAROL BURNETT LOVED TO PERFORM.

BUT SHE WAS DESPERATELY POOR.

HER PROSPECTS SEEMED DIM...

WHEN AN ANONYMOUS BENEFACTOR HANDED HER $1,000.

AND CAROL BURNETT WAS ON HER WAY.

BY 1959, SHE WAS STARRING ON BROADWAY

SOON, BURNETT WAS A REGULAR ON GARRY MOORE'S VARIETY SHOW.

CAROL BURNETT... I THINK SHE IS

THE FUNNIEST COMIC

AND THE GREATEST PHYSICAL COMIC.

SHE HAD A NATURAL GREAT CONTRALTO VOICE,

AND THE FACE AND THE BODY

AND THE... EVERYTHING FOR COMEDY.

I MEAN, WE ALL KNEW SOMETHING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH CAROL.

AND OF COURSE SHE HAS THIS GREAT SINGING VOICE.

SHE HAS A GREAT VOICE.

AND SHE'S A FABULOUS MUSICIAN.

♪ SHE'S A GAL WHO LOVES TO SEE MEN SUFFER ♪

Narrator: IN THE MID-1960s,

CAROL GUESTED ON LUCILLE BALL'S SHOW.

LUCY WAS SO IMPRESSED,

SHE OFFERED CAROL HER OWN SITCOM.

♪ THERE WAS HANNAH ♪ POURING WATER ♪ ♪

♪ ON A DROWNING MAN ♪

BURNETT TURNED DOWN THE SITCOM OFFER,

BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO DO A VARIETY SHOW.

IN 1967, SHE GOT HER CHANCE.

Jim Nabors: I WAS ALWAYS HER FIRST GUEST

EVERY YEAR FOR HER WHOLE RUN.

SHE WAS... ALWAYS SAID I WAS HER LUCKY CHARM.

SHE HARDLY NEEDED A LUCKY CHARM.

SHE WAS WONDERFUL.

Narrator: CAROL SURROUNDED HERSELF

WITH A TALENTED ENSEMBLE...

AND A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL TIMNAMED VICKI LAWRENCE.N,

BUT EVERYBODY SAID THAT I LOOKED LIKE CAROL BURNETT.

SO I WROTE HER A FAN LETTER,

TOLD HER I WOULD LOVE TO MEET HER SOMEDAY,

AND ENCLOSED MY LITTLE ARTICLE,

WITH A PICTURE,

AND MAILED IT OFF TO HER,

AND SOMEHOW IT MADE ITS WAY TO HER HUSBAND,

WHO WAS THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE SHOW.

AND THE HEAD WRITER OF THE SHOW CALLED ME

AND SAID, "WOULD YOU COME DOWN TO CBS?"

AND THEY WANTED TO TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS LITTLE PROJECT

THEY WERE PUTTING TOGETHER CALLED "THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW."

AND WOULD I BE INTERESTED IN AUDITIONING?

Narrator: "THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW"

WAS SHOT LIVE, WITHOUT STOPPING,

TO ENSURE A SPONTANEOUS FEEL.

TIM CONWAY SAW THIS AS A CHANCE

TO CRACK UP HIS CASTMATES AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY.

I KNEW WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY,

BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.

AND I WOULD PUT IN MY LINES AS ONE THING.

WHEN WE DID THE SHOW, I DID SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT...

WHICH KIND OF, I IMAGINE, THREW THEM FROM TIME TO TIME.

NOT SO MUCH CAROL. VERY TOUGH TO BREAK HER UP.

BUT HARVEY, BEING A POOR PERFORMER,

WAS VERY EASY TO DESTROY.

TIM WOULD DO TERRIBLE THINGS.

HE WOULD COME... WE'D REHEARSE,

AND HE'D ALWAYS SAVE SOMETHING...

THAT HE WOULDN'T SHOW YOU EITHER IN REHEARSAL.RDROBE

AND THEN HE WOULD THROW IT IN WHEN THEY WERE ACTUALLY,

THE CAMERAS WERE ROLLING.

AND IT WOULD PUT HARVEY AWAY.

A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT THOSE WERE STAGED BREAKUPS.

HARVEY JUST HAD SUCH A WEAK SPOT FOR TIM'S HUMOR

THAT IT WAS... IT WAS A BASKETCASE!

HE JUST COULDN'T STRAIGHTEN UP.

I SAW THESE SIAMESE ELEPHANTS.

THEY WAS ADJOINED AT THE END OF THEIR TRUNKS,

LIKE THAT.

AND THIS TRAINER WOULD MAKE 'EM STAND UP

ON THEIR BACK FEET, LIKE THAT,

AND THEY HAD THEIR TRUNKS STRETCHED LIKE THAT.

THEN THIS LITTLE MONKEY WOULD COME OUT...

AND WALK OUT THERE, AND DANCE THE MERENGUE

RIGHT OUT IN THE MIDDLE.

I KIND OF FELT SORRY FOR THEM.

THEY COULDN'T GO, LIKE THE OTHER ELEPHANTS,

WHEN THEY GO...

ALL THEY COULD DO IS JUST BLOW AND GO,

"NORKEY."

Narrator: ONE KEY TO BURNETT'S LONG SUCCESS

WAS HER WILLINGNESS TO SHARE THE LAUGHS

WITH HER COSTARS.

WE WERE ALL PARTICIPANTS.

SHE ACCEPTED EVERY CONTRIBUTION OF A LINE OR A THOUGHT

OR A THING OR... FROM EVERYBODY!

AND I REMEMBER HARVEY SAYING, "YOU HAVE NO IDEA."

BECAUSE MOST STARS ARE VERY SELFISH.

THEY'LL HAVE THINGS REWRITTEN

TO WHERE THEY GET THE JOKE LINES.

AND THEY WILL NOT BE SUPPORTIVE OF YOU.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS

THAT I LEARNED FROM CAROL IS THAT YOU ARE AS GOOD

AS THE PEOPLE THAT SURROUND YOU.

I WAS SITTING WITH LUCY ONE NIGHT,

AND SHE... WE WERE WATCHING CAROL DO A SKETCH.

AND LUCY WAS ONE OF THE GUESTS.

AND LUCY WAS WATCHING HER, AND LUCY WAS VERY MUCH ANALYST.

AND SHE SAID, "THE KID'S THE BEST THERE IS."

WELL, I SAYS, "YOU DO PRETTY GOOD YOURSELF."

SHE SAYS, "NO, I'M DIFFERENT. I'M DIFFERENT."

AND, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HER COMEDY TO ME,

BUT SHE DID SAY THAT SHE THOUGHT CAROL WAS

THE BEST SKETCH ACTRESS THAT HAD EVER COME DOWN THE PIKE.

OR EVER WOULD.

Narrator: "THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW"

WASN'T THE ONLY LANDMARK VARIETY SERIES TO PREMIERE IN 1967.

IT WAS ALSO THE YEAR

THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS WOULD DEBUT.

MOM LIKED YOU BEST!

YOU LOWER YOUR VOICE.

MOM LIKED YOU BEST.

Narrator: "THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR"

WOULD SOON BECOME THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL PROGRAM

ON TELEVISION.

TOM AND DICK SMOTHERS WERE NO STRANGERS TO TV.

THEY HAD BEEN APPEARING

ON SHOWS LIKE "JACK PAAR" SINCE 1961

WITH A POPULAR FUSION OF FOLK MUSIC

AND JOKES ABOUT SIBLING RIVALRY.

AND HE NEVER LET ME PLAY AT ANY GAMES... WE DID TOO.

YOU NEVER... YOU NEVER WE DIDLET ME PLAY IN ANY GAMES.

NEVER? NOT EVEN ONCE?

NEVER.

NOT EVEN ONCE?

NOT EVEN ONCE. ONCE.

ARE YOU SURE?

YOU'RE RIGHT,

MAYBE ONCE.

YEAH, AND WHAT DID YOU PLAY?

YOU PLAYED HIDE-AND-GO-SEEK, RIGHT?

BUT I WAS "IT."

YEAH, BUT TO BE "IT,"

TO BE "IT" IN HIDE-AND-GO-SEEK

IS A POSITION OF HONOR

I LOOKED FOR YOU GUYS FOR FOUR MONTHS.

THERE'S NO DOUBT WHO THESE PERSONALITIES ARE ON STAGE,

AND WE DON'T HAVE TO FAKE THEM.

WE JUST KIND OF EXAGGERATE THEM A LITTLE BIT.

Narrator: EXPECTING AN INNOCUOUS VARIETY HOUR,

CBS GAVE THE SMOTHERS A SLOT

OPPOSITE POWERHOUSE "BONANZA."

THE NETWORK'S HOPE WAS THAT THE BOYS

WOULD CAPTURE SOME OF THE YOUTH AUDIENCE.

BUT CBS GOT MUCH MORE THAN IT BARGAINED FOR.

WHEN WE STARTED THAT SHOW, WE HAD NO POINT OF VIEW.

EXCEPT, WE'D LIKE TO BE RELEVANT.

AND THAT WAS IT, AND HAVE CONTROL.

Narrator: TOMMY SMOTHERS PLAYED DUMB IN THE ACT.

BUT OFFSTAGE, HE OVERSAW EVERYTHING.

WHILE HE WANTED THE SHOW TO BE ENTERTAINING,

HE FELT COMPELLED TO COMMENT ON THE TIMES.

WELL, IT'S JUST THAT YOU CAN TELL

WHO'S RUNNING THE COUNTRY

BY HOW MUCH CLOTHES PEOPLE WEAR.

YEAH, YOU CAN TELLO'S RUNNING BY HOW MUCH CLOTHES COUNTRY?

THE PEOPLE WEAR BY WHO'S RUNNING...

NOW, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, LIKE,

SOME PEOPLE CAN AFFORD MORE CLOTHES ON,

AND OTHER PEOPLE LESS CLOTHES ON?

SEE, SOME PEOPLE... THE ORDINARY PEOPLE

ARE THE LESS-ONS, SEE?

UH-HUH? THEY'RE THE LESS-ONS.

WELL, WHO'S RUNNING THE COUNTRY?

THE MORE-ONS.

AND THE CHICAGO RIOTS AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION,

THE ASSASSINATIONS OF BOBBY KENNEDY

ALL THIS HAPPENED WHILE WE HAD A TELEVISION SHOW.

Narrator: SOON, THE BROTHERS

BEGAN RATCHETING UP THE POLITICAL COMMENTARY,

WITH THE HELP OF A STAFF THAT INCLUDED STEVE MARTIN,

MASON WILLIAMS, ROB REINER,

AND PAT PAULSEN.

WE NOW PRESENT ANOTHER

IN OUR CONTINUING SERIES OF EDITORIALS.

THE SUBJECT... ARE OUR DRAFT LAWS UNFAIR?

WHAT ARE THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE DRAFT?

WE HEAR IT IS UNFAIR, IMMORAL,

DISCOURAGES YOUNG MEN FROM STUDYING,

RUINS THEIR CAREERS AND THEIR LIVES.

PICKY, PICKY, PICKY.

IT WAS ALTERNATIVE CHOICES AND THINKING.

SO THAT REFLECTED IN OUR SHOW.

AND THEN WE JUST STARTED GOING.

AND WHEN THEY SAY, "DON'T DO IT,"

YOU PRESS, YOU PUSH BACK AND PRESS.

Narrator: BY THE END OF 1967,

THE BROTHERS HAD KNOCKED "BONANZA" OUT OF ITS TOP SPOT.

BUT THEIR NETWORK WASN'T HAPPY.

AND NEITHER WAS PRESIDENT JOHNSON,

A PERSONAL FRIEND OF CBS PRESIDENT BILL PALEY.

IN 1969, DESPITE GOOD RATINGS,

THE SMOTHERS WERE SUMMARILY CANCELLED.

IT WAS VERY... IT WAS VERY EMOTIONAL TO BE FIRED.

WHEN YOU KNEW YOU HADN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG

EXCEPT EXERCISE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.

Narrator: IN RETROSPECT, TOMMY SMOTHERS ADMITS

HE LOVED THE GAMESMANSHIP WITH CBS EXECUTIVES.

TWEAKING THE PEOPLE IN POWER AND KIND OF WALKING THE EDGE,

I LOVED IT.

I JUST...

QUESTION POWER, WHEN YOU SEE

SOMETHING OUT OF WHACK, QUESTION IT.

I ENJOYED SENDING ALL THESE MEMOS BACK AND FORTH

TO THE VICE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT,

AND PROGRAM PRACTICES

AND KIND OF CRAFTING THE WORDS TO...

IT WAS A LITTLE FUN. OF COURSE IT WAS FUN.

IT WAS FUN, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS GETTING SERIOUS.

IT WAS FUN THERE.

Narrator: THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS

HAD CHALLENGED THE ESTABLISHMENT

AND REDEFINED WHAT YOU COULD DO AND SAY ON TELEVISION.

BUT IN THE END, THEIR SHOW WAS TAKEN AWAY.

IT WAS A LESSON THAT WAS NOT LOST ON THE PRODUCER

OF VARIETY'S NEXT BIG HIT...

A SHOW CALLED "LAUGH-IN."

THAT 18-YEAR-OLDS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO VOTE...

JUST AS SOON AS THEY BECOME 21.

TOMMY HAD A PLATFORM, AND WE DID NOT...

YOU WERE NEVER AWARE OF OUR AGENDA.

BECAUSE WE DID JOKES ON BOTH SIDES.

Narrator: EVERYTHING ABOUT "LAUGH-IN"

WAS NEW AND DIFFERENT,

STARTING WITH THE PSYCHEDELIC LOOK.

"OH, THERE'S SOMETHING TEENAGGOING ON HERE. SAID,

"GIRLS IN BIKINIS, WITH WORDS PRINTED ON THEM,

"AND WHAT DO THE WORDS SAY,

AND WHERE ARE THEY PRINTED?" YOU KNOW.

IT WAS REALLY RIGHT FOR THE TIME,

AND NOW, OF COURSE, ALL OF TELEVISION

IS THOSE BITES.

BITE, BITE, BITE, BITE, BITE, BITE, BITE.

THEY DON'T GIVE YOU TIME TO LOOK AT ANYTHING

OR UNDERSTAND ANYTHING.

IT MAKES ME VERY NERVOUS.

BUT "LAUGH-IN" USED IT TO ADVANTAGE.

HOPE THIS STATEMENT AIN'T TOO BOLD,

HERE COMES THE JUDGE, HERE COMES THE JUDGE!

Narrator: WHAT REALLY SET THE SHOW APART

WAS TIMING.

QUICK JOKES AND QUICKER EDITS.

THE SHOW DID HAVE CONFLICTS WITH THE CENSORS.

BUT OFTEN THE RACY MATERIAL WAS ON AND OFF

BEFORE ANYONE CAUGHT IT.

NOW, WAIT!

THAT'S LONG ENOUGH!

SEE, WHEN YOU SAW THE SHOW,

YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD BE INTO THE NEXT JOKE

BEFORE YOU REALLY GOT THE LAST JOKE.

AND THEY WOULD SAY TO ME, "SLOW IT DOWN."

I'D SAY, "NO, PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND IT."

AND THEY'D SAY, "BUT THEY'LL MISS THE JOKES."

THERE'S ANOTHER ONE COMING ALONG IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS."

BUT THE SPEED OF IT

TOOK A LOT OF THE CURSE OFF OF SOME OF THE THINGS

WE WERE SAYING... YOU KNOW, IT JUST WENT BY SO FAST.

MR. BENNY, WAIT FOR YOUR LAUGH NOW.

BUT THERE IS HA HA HA! NO LAUGH. NOW, THERE YOU GO.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK,

AND KEEP IT MOVING, KEEP IT MOVING.

Narrator: THE COMEDY TEAM OF ROWAN AND MARTIN

HAD BEEN BOUNCING AROUND FOR YEARS

BEFORE THEY WERE TAPPED TO HOST.

THE CAST ALSO STARTED OUT AS UNKNOWNS.

BUT WITHIN WEEKS, THEY WERE STARS...

INCLUDING RUTH BUZZI,

LILY TOMLIN,

GOLDIE HAWN.

ARTE JOHNSON HAD BEEN SELLING CLOTHES

AT CARROLL'S IN BEVERLY HILLS.

AND GARY OWENS WAS AN ANNOUNCER.

AND THEY WERE ALL JUST WORKING PEOPLE, PROFESSIONALS,

BUT NOT KNOWN AT ALL.

AND WE JUST ASSEMBLED THEM.

Narrator: "LAUGH-IN" WAS TV'S

HIGHEST-RATED SHOW IN 1968 AND '69.

BUT IN 1970, IT WOULD BE SURPASSED

BY ANOTHER GROUNDBREAKING VARIETY SHOW...

WHEN THE DOOR FINALLY OPENED

FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR.

FLIP WILSON GREW UP

IN A SERIES OF DIFFICULT FOSTER HOMES.

BUT IT NEVER DAMPENED HIS INFECTIOUS SENSE OF HUMOR.

YOU COULD NOT DISLIKE FLIP WILSON.

THERE WAS A WARMTH ABOUT HIM.

AND I DON'T CARE WHO YOU WERE.

THE GUY YOU SEE ON TELEVISION WAS BASICALLY FLIP.

I MEAN, HE JUST, HE LOVED COMEDY.

WON'T YOU WELCOME, PLEASE, MISS GERALDINE JONES!

Narrator: WILSON'S CHARACTERS STILL RESONATE,

INCLUDING HIS SIGNATURE, GERALDINE.

WATCH WHAT YOU KISS, HONEY!

WON'T YOU MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE, GERALDINE? I'LL DO THAT!

Narrator: GERALDINE WAS AN INSTANT SENSATION.

WOULD YOU CARE FOR A CIGARETTE?

I DON'T SMOKE, AND I DON'T DO WINDOWS.

Narrator: IT SEEMED EVERYONE IN AMERICA

WAS RECITING

HER CATCHPHRASES.

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.

Narrator: WILSON'S CHARACTERS WERE FUNNY,

BUT THEY WEREN'T ONE-DIMENSIONAL.

EACH HAD A BACK STORY AND A MORAL CENTER

THAT MADE THEM REAL TO AUDIENCES.

YEAH, HE WAS BRILLIANT, THE WAY HE CREATED CHARACTERS,

AND THE CHARACTERS HAD LIVES.

WE KNEW ABOUT GERALDINE'S BOYFRIEND

AND HOW JEALOUS HE WAS,

AND THOSE THINGS BROUGHT THAT CHARACTER TO LIFE.

YOU MUST NOT HAVE HEARD ABOUT KILLER.

KILLER?

WHO'S KILLER?

WHO'S KILLER?

HONEY, HE MARCHED DOWN

THE FOOTBALL FIELD OF MY HEART.

AND TORE DOWN THE GOALPOSTS OF MY LOVE.

WHOO, TOUCHDOWN!

Narrator: "THE FLIP WILSON SHOW"

SKYROCKETED TO NUMBER 2 IN THE RATINGS,

PROMPTING TIME MAGAZINE TO CROWN WILSON

AS TV'S FIRST BLACK SUPERSTAR.

IT WAS ALMOST LIKE HE WAS

CHANGING THE MOOD OF THE COUNTRY,

ETHNICITY-WISE.

HE HAD SUCH A...

A SPIRIT OF LOVINGNESS TO HIS WORK

THAT... AND THE GUESTS THAT HE HAD ON

WERE ALWAYS IN THE SAME WORLD THAT HE WAS IN.

WE WERE ONE PEOPLE, ONE FAMILY.

Narrator: AS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO HOST

FLIP WILSON'S POPULARITY AOPENED DOORS FOR OTHERS, ,

INCLUDING THIS TRIO.

♪ A HUNDRED YELLOW RIBBONS ♪

♪ ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE ♪

YES, INDEED, YOU'VE BEEN BEAUTIFUL!

Narrator: TONY ORLANDO, TELMA HOPKINS,

AND JOYCE VINCENT WILSON

RECORDED A STRING OF NUMBER-ONE HITS

AS TONY ORLANDO AND DAWN.

BUT THEIR BIGGEST BREAK CAME WHEN SONNY AND CHER

ABANDONED THEIR TOP-RATED VARIETY SHOW

AND CBS INSTALLED THE TRIO IN THEIR PLACE.

IT WAS THE FIRST ETHNIC GROUP

TO EVER BE ON PRIME TIME TELEVISION.

SO, WITH ALL THOSE COMPONENTS AND DYNAMICS WORKING TOGETHER,

WE WERE VERY LUCKY, BECAUSE OUR TIME WAS...

HAD COME.

Narrator: FROM THE START, ORLANDO TOOK ON THE ROLE

OF THE BUMBLING SET-UP MAN,

WHILE TELMA AND JOYCE DELIVERED THE PUNCH LINES.

I'VE GOT HIS MANNERISMS DOWN COLD.

ELVIS'S FAMOUS SNEER, THE SNEER

THAT'S DRIVEN WOMEN CRAZY FOR YEARS.

WATCH THIS SNEER.

YOU WATCH WHAT HAPPENS TO LADIES IN THIS AUDIENCE

WITH THIS SNEER.

HUH?

HUH?

ON ELVIS, IT'S A SNEER.

ON YOU, IT LOOKS

LIKE THE NOVOCAINE DIDN'T WEAR OFF.

Narrator: ORLANDO SEEMED PERFECT FOR TELEVISION.

HE WAS A QUICK STUDY AND NATURALLY FUNNY.

BUT HE SOON LEARNED THE MOST BASIC TRUTH

ABOUT TV VARIETY...

IT'S A LOT OF WORK.

IT WAS A VERY TIRING,

VERY, VERY HARD EXPERIENCE TO DO.

ESPECIALLY FOR ONE

WHO NEVER DID A HIGH SCHOOL PLAY...

NEVER WENT TO AN ACTING CLASS...

DID NOT KNOW ZILCH ABOUT COMEDY.

AND HERE I AM, ASKED TO DO ALL THESE THINGS.

SO I WAS IN THE LEARNING PROCESS, AS WELL,

WHILE I WAS ON A NATIONAL TELEVISION SHOW

THAT 30 MILLION PEOPLE WOULD TUNE IN ON EVERY WEEK,

AND SAY, WE EITHER LIKE YOU OR WE DON'T.

Narrator: ORLANDO SOUGHT ADVICE

FROM THE MOST BELOVED VARIETY HOST OF ALL TIME,

WHO HAPPENED TO WORK ACROSS THE HALL.

Orlando: I WOULD MEET CAROL

IN THE HALLWAY, AND I'M LIKE DRAGGING,

AND SHE'S FRESH AS A DAISY.

I GO, "CAROL, HOW DO YOU DO IT?"

SHE SAID, "TONY, RELY ON THE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE SHOW.

"THAT'S WHY I HAVE A HARVEY KORMAN.

"RELY ON THOSE OTHER PEOPLE.

"AND YOU'LL FIND THAT THE LESS YOU DO

"AND THE MORE YOU INVOLVE THEM,

THE HEALTHIER YOU'LL BE."

Narrator: DESPITE THE GOOD ADVICE,

ORLANDO'S SHOW WRAPPED AFTER JUST FOUR SEASONS.

TONY, TELMA, AND JOYCE

HADN'T LOST A STEP,

BUT THE VARIETY SHOW FORMAT

WAS REACHING THE END OF THE LINE.

A YEAR LATER, CAROL BURNETT LEFT THE AIR.

A FEW NEW SHOWS TRIED TO BUCK THE TREND,

BUT NONE HAD STAYING POWER.

YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED...

THE INVENTION OF THE REMOTE CONTROL,

THAT CHANGED THE TIMING OF THE WORLD.

BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE NO PATIENCE ANYMORE.

NONE WHATSOEVER. IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT GENRE WILL EVER COME BACK.

BECAUSE... WELL, I KNOW A FEW PEOPLE

THAT CAN WRITE AND DO IT, BUT NOT TOO MANY.

Narrator: THE TRADITIONAL VARIETY SHOW MAY BE GONE.

BUT WE STILL HAVE THE MEMORIES

OF THE STARS THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE TELEVISION AGE.

I JUST LOVED THE WHOLE ATMOSPHERE

OF THE VARIETY SHOW.

WHICH OF US DO YOU THINK IS THE OLDER?

YOU MEAN WHICH OF YOU TWO ARE THE OLDER?

YEAH, YEAH, WHICH IS THE OLDEST?

WE HAND IT WAS PERFECT.UN,

WE WERE JUST BARELY SOPHISTICATED ENOUGH

TO PULL IT OFF.

♪ RAINDROPS ARE FALLING ♪

♪♪ PLEASE TELL ME WHY ♪♪

THE FAMILY SAT AROUND THE TELEVISION...

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE TELL ME

THAT'S THE ONLY TIME THE FAMILY TALKED.

WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE GRAVITATE TO THAT?

BECAUSE WE WANT TO HEAR SOME MUSIC, YOU KNOW,

THEY WANT TO HEAR AND SEE A MUSICAL PERFORMER.

I WAS VERY, VERY LUCKY TO HAVE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE.

♪ WE'RE AFTER ♪

♪ THAT SAME RAINBOW'S END ♪

♪ WAITING ROUND THE BEND ♪

♪ MY HUCKLEBERRY FRIEND ♪

♪ MOON RIVER ♪

♪ AND ME ♪♪

Narrator: THE PIONEERS OF TELEVISION.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON "PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"

AND OTHER PBS PROGRAMS,

GO TO PBS.ORG.

NEXT TIME, ON "PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"...

Announcer: BOB BARKER!

WE GOT SOMETHING GOING HERE, HAVEN'T WE?

BOY, I HIT THE BULL'S EYE RIGHT IN THE FACE.

Host: SAY, ARE MOST STOLEN CARS RECOVERED?

I HAD ONE RECOVERED IN ZEBRA ONCE.

OKAY, TOMORROW WE MAKE ANOTHER PHONE CALL,

SO BE SURE AND GET YOUR CARDS IN.

YOU GOT IT!

YOU GOT IT!

YOU GOT IT!

I'M THE FASTEST MAN

ON THE DRAW!

NOW, EVEN JOHN WAYNE CAN'T DO THAT.

I FIGURE ANYTIME A PROP GETS

A BIGGER LAUGH THAN ME,

IT'S GOT TO GO.

THIS PROGRAM

BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION

FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.