What show from your childhood would you love to bring back? by J Vincent

I was in eighth grade when we first got a television set circa 1959. I don’t remember there being that much on in the then only black and white sets. Do any of you remember the Indian chief head shown before programming began and the patriotic montage and song at the end of programming before sign off?  How about Deputy Dusty, Freddie Fudd with Henry Harvey (later the best Santa ever), Major Astro by Tom Leahy (my brother actually won a bike on that show), Cap'n Bill (Bill McLean) and Popeye (Clarence Brown), John Froome’s IGA Party Line as well as his weatherman duties.  I spent nights during my high school years watching WW II movies after the news at ten.  Van Johnson, John Payne, John Wayne, Victor Mature, Cary Grant, Robert Mitchum, Jimmy Stewart, and Michael Rennie all helped to form my idea of what a hero should be.  Bu I digress.

There was a show that we watched as a family on Sunday nights and that is the one I thought of first.  The Ed Sullivan Show.  It was a variety show with vastly different acts throughout.  I remember one where a man came out and sat down on the stage and started laughing.  That’s all he did but it was contagious.  Soon everyone in the audience was joining in as did we in our home.  I’ve never figured out why it was contagious.  It seemed strange at the time and still does but it is also indelible in my mind.  The Sullivan show began in 1948 and was going strong when we joined the tv generation. Current stars of each year as well as some perennials like Topo Gigio appeared.  The Sullivan show was still on when I was doing my student teaching during which time the Beatles famously performed. I loved the variety that was presented and do miss this kind of show.

As an adult I still enjoyed variety shows and watched Garry Moore’s show from which came another favorite--Carol Burnett.  I did love that show which was always good for a fair share of laughter as well as good music and heaven knows what.  Remember the Gone with the Wind spoof with the curtain rod and curtains as Carol Burnett’s gown?

Variety show have gone the way of the dinosaur in our fast-paced, widely-traveled, internet age.  America’s Got Talent is the closest we have to one these days. I often wonder if I’d enjoy the Sullivan show now as much as I did when it was originally on.  Some things age well, some don’t. Did you also enjoy variety shows?