The Big Show (1980)

Directed by

Steve Binder, Tony Charmoli

Genre

variety show

Country

United States

Length

1 season, 11 episodes

Rating

9.0 of 10 from 1 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A big budget variety show with musical acts, comedy sketches, and an ice rink and pool on stage. It tried to bring back the classic variety show format from old radio and early TV. The show had talented regular performers and flashy costumes.

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What happens

The Big Show is an American comedy-variety-musical television series produced and broadcast by NBC from March 4, 1980, through June 3, 1980. The series aimed to revitalize the moribund variety television genre, which had been in a downward spiral for several years. The Big Show took its title seriously, using a huge stage set (complete with a live audience and an ice rink and swimming pool) and filling a 90-minute time-slot (one of the only variety programs in American television history to run this length), with at least one two-hour installment broadcast. It was in many respects a revival and television adaptation of The Big Show, which had aired on the NBC Radio Network from 1950 to 1951 and likewise was a big-budget, 90-minute weekly variety show designed to prevent old-time radio from fading into history. Although the first broadcast ranked 16th in national ratings, poor reviews and low ratings of succeeding episodes (typical of NBC during the Fred Silverman era) resulted in the program being cancelled after only a few months on May 8, 1980. The series nonetheless was nominated for six Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Costume Design. Regular performers included Joe Baker, Mimi Kennedy, Shabba-Doo, Charlie Hill, Graham Chapman, Owen Sullivan, Edie McClurg, Paul Grimm, and Pamela Myers. Groups that appeared regularly included The Big Show Water Ballet, The Big Show Ice Skaters, The Tony Charmoli Dancers, and The Nick Perito Orchestra. Guest hosts included Steve Allen, Sarah Purcell, Flip Wilson, Dean Martin, Tony Randall, Don Rickles, Victor Borge, Geoffrey Holder, and Gary Coleman. Skaters who performed in the show included Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, John Curry, Jim Bray, and Toller Cranston. Others appearances included Nell Carter, magician David Copperfield, and comics Gallagher and Sid Caesar. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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