The Entertainers
| The Entertainers | |
|---|---|
CBS Television Network | |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | September 25, 1964[1] – March 27, 1965[2] |
The Entertainers is a one-hour American variety show which aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, through March 27, 1965.
Produced by Joe Hamilton, the series featured three hosts: Hamilton's then-wife
Fade Out - Fade In,[3] and she was summarily sued by the show's producers for breach of contract, resulting in her return to the musical in February 1965 for what turned out to be its final weeks.[4]
Broadcast weekly from
group of series artists and having one or two guest stars (such as Boris Karloff, Phil Silvers, and Chita Rivera) who hosted, alongside Burnett and Valente each week. It initially aired Friday nights at 8:30pm ET/PT, but after not doing well in the ratings the show was moved, in January 1965, to Saturdays at 9:00pm ET/PT, with the format slightly altered: Newhart and a few of the series' regulars left the cast, Burnett and Valente assumed co-hosting duties for the remainder of the series' run, and new theme music was created.[2]
Repertory company
The repertory company included:[2]
- Art Buchwald
- Ruth Buzzi (joined in 1965)[5]
- Don Crichton
- John Davidson[6]
- Dom DeLuise
- Tessie O'Shea
- The Ernie Flatt Dancers
- The Peter Gennaro Dancers
- The Harry Zimmerman Orchestra
Notable episodes
- 25 September 1964: The show premiered on CBS the same week debuted on the network.
- 13 November 1964: The show abandoned its usual format to present a full-hour Beatles' American tour.[2] The Entertainers had premiered the same week the Beatles film A Hard Day's Night opened in theatres.[1]
- 11 December 1964: Thelma Ritter joined series regulars Newhart, Valente, and Dom DeLuise.[7]
- 25 December 1964: Burnett, Valente, Buchwald and Newhart performed in a Christmas special.[8]
- 16 January 1965: Burnett and Valente co-hosted, with Boris Karloff and Chita Rivera as guest stars. The kinescope copy of this episode is the most viewed episode outside of its original broadcast, being widely circulated amongst collectors.
References
- ^ a b c d Television, Records, Cinema, and Books (Friday, September 25, 1964) from Time magazine
- ^ ISBN 0-345-35610-1.
- ^ Fade Out - Fade In from the Internet Broadway Database
- All Movie Guide via The New York Times
- ^ Ruth Buzzi from All Movie Guide via The New York Times
- ^ Song-&-Glance Man (Friday, July 9, 1965) from Time magazine
- ^ Theater, Television, Records, Cinema, and Books (Friday, December 11, 1964) from Time magazine
- ^ Theater, Television, Records, Cinema, and Books (Friday, December 25, 1964) from Time magazine
External links
- The Entertainers at IMDb
