The Spice of Life?
By Jeff Little
Variety may be the spice of life, but in the 1950's it was the bread and butter of television. Variety television was the pillar of every major network's programming structure as they fought tooth and nail on a weekly basis to grab their share of an audience that numbered in the millions. As early as 1948, television had come to rely on the variety format as a mainstay. Basically televised burlesque, the early variety shows capitalized on the existing notoriety of many chosen to host, while the position of M.C. (Master of Ceremonies) proved to create fame for others. Ed Sullivan was a newspaper and radio journalist who was barely known to viewers outside New York when he was chosen to host Toast of the Town on CBS in 1948. But the stone-faced host came to become so well-known that the show's name was eventually changed to The Ed Sullivan Show and ran until 1971. Also "kind of famous" in 1948 was an incredibly gifted comic named Milton Berle. He had an extensive background in films, radio, on stage and had performed professionally since age 5. But when chosen as one of the rotating hosts on The Texaco Star Theater (1948-1959) he was barely known to most viewers outside of New York. Having hosted the show previously on radio, Berle would soon become its only host and achieve fame great enough to also require a name change for the program. Becoming The Buick-Berle Show and then simply The Milton Berle Show, NBC had a smash hit due mainly to the zany antics of Berle (consistently dressed in drag). His name became so huge that he came to be known as "Mr. Television". On the "already famous" side of the television variety hosting wars were some of the most gifted performers of the day (most notable of these being Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis). With their recurring appearances as hosts on The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950-1955), Martin and Lewis routinely garnered the show's highest ratings for NBC. Abbott and Costello were also part of The Colgate Comedy Hour's list of notable hosts which included Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope and several other legends of note. As with other variety offerings of the day, The Colgate Comedy Hour employed a rotating roster of M.C.'s and made history with the first color telecast in 1953. Seeking more variety in their variety, television networks not only featured famous and soon-to-be famous personalities. With an even more vaudevillian feel, ensemble casts starring in series such as NBC's Your Show of Shows (1950-1954) would often deliver some of the medium's most memorable moments on a weekly basis. Still more varied in the variety genre were shows that had hosts but no stars at all. Later mimicked by programs of today (such as Star Search and American Idol). Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour (1948-1971) was so successful that it aired not only on radio but on all 3 major networks during its extensive run. Those who lived during the golden age of television variety probably miss it and should be encouraged to explain its magic to younger viewers in hopes of inspiring better television today. If at a loss for words, they could always say, "It was like reality TV…with talented people." |
Ed Sullivan
Abbott and Costello
Bob Hope |
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