What ever happened to the variety show?
It was a formula that worked – for everyone from Bob Hope to Sonny and Cher. I’m thinking about this because the first season of The Muppet Show was recently released on DVD. And it still works. My niece, 4, and nephew, 2, and their friends of a similar age were enthralled – as were their parents. Part of it is owed to the genius of Jim Henson and Frank Oz. But part of the credit I would like to think still goes to the variety format.
What would happen if a star of today started a variety show? I could see Snoop Dogg pulling one off. Or maybe Jay-Z and Beyonce could do a Sonny and Cher kind of thing. Something’s got to give me hope for TV again. In the meantime I’m very grateful for DVD. Back to The Rosemary Clooney Show.