Old Variety Shows: How Well Do You Remember?

Question 1

Which Variety Show Host Was Famous For Wearing A Cardigan Sweater As His On-Screen Signature?

Question 1

Who Was The Famous Choreographer Behind The June Taylor Dancers On The Jackie Gleason Show?

Question 1

How Many Seasons Did The Carol Burnett Show Run On CBS?

Question 1

Who Was The Famous Dummy On The Howdy Doody Show?

Question 1

Which Variety Show Star Was Famous For Her Ear Tug Goodbye?

Question 1

What Network Originally Aired The Ed Sullivan Show?

Question 1

Which Comedian Was Known For His Roles On Your Show Of Shows?

Question 1

What Was The Name Of Sonny And Cher's Famous Variety Show?

Question 1

Who Hosted The Original Hollywood Palace Variety Show?

Question 1

Which Puppet Was The Star Of The Shari Lewis Show?

Question 1

Who Was The Long-Running Host Of The Tonight Show?

Question 1

Which Variety Show Featured A Rotating Cast Of Guest Hosts Each Week?

Question 1

What Famous Catchphrase Did Ed Sullivan Use To Introduce Acts?

Question 1

Which Comedian Hosted A Show That Ran On NBC For Nearly 20 Years?

Question 1

What Show Was Famous For Its Laugh-In Cocktail Party Sketches?

Question 1

Who Was The First African American To Host A Network Variety Show?

Question 1

Which Variety Show Was Cancelled Because It Was Too Politically Bold?

Question 1

What Beloved Variety Show Did Donny And Marie Osmond Host Together?

Question 1

Which Comedian Was Famous For His Beloved Red Skelton Show Character Freddie?

Question 1

What Was The Name Of Flip Wilson's Most Famous Female Character?

Question 1

Who Was The Zany Host Of The Muppet Show?

Question 1

Which Variety Show Made Dean Martin Famous As A Solo Host?

Question 1

What Signature Feature Appeared At The Start Of The Lawrence Welk Show?

Question 1

Who Was Cher's Famous Co-Star Before She Hosted Her Own Show?

Question 1

What Instrument Was Lawrence Welk Famous For Playing On His Show?

Question 1

Which Comedian Was Known For His Wildly Popular Show On NBC In The Early 1950s?

Question 1

What Was The Name Of Andy Williams' Signature Holiday Special?

Question 1

Which Performer On The Lawrence Welk Show Was Known As The Lovely Champagne Lady?

Question 1

Which Comedian Was Famous For His Slapstick On The Colgate Comedy Hour?

Question 1

Who Was The Beloved Host Of The Dinah Shore Chevy Show?

Question 1

What Famous Puppet Family Starred On The Kukla Fran And Ollie Show?

Question 1

Who Was The Famous Bandleader On The Tonight Show For 30 Years?

Question 1

What Show Featured Glen Campbell As Its Charming Country Host?

Question 1

Which Variety Show Featured Cornfield Jokes And Pickin And Grinnin?

Question 1

Who Hosted The Popular Variety Show The Kraft Music Hall For Years?

Question 1

What Was The Name Of Judy Garland's Beloved 1963 CBS Variety Show?

Question 1

Which Husband And Wife Comedy Team Starred In The Burns And Allen Show Together?

Question 1

Which Show Featured The Rat Pack As Frequent Guest Stars?

Question 1

Who Was The Lovable Clown Star Of The Bozo The Clown Show?

Question 1

What Variety Show Featured The Famous Bunny Dip Costume?

Question 1

Which Comedian Was Famous For Throwing Pies At Guest Stars On His Show?

Question 1

What Show Gave America Its First Taste Of The Beatles In 1964?

Question 1

Who Was The Charming Host Of The Merv Griffin Show For Decades?

Question 1

Which Show Was Famous For Its Tiny Little Stage And Big Stars?

Question 1

What Was The Name Of Liberace's Signature Candelabra Prop On TV?

Question 1

Which Female Singer Hosted Her Own NBC Variety Show In The 1970s?

Question 1

What Show Featured Tap Dancing As A Regular Weekly Segment?

Question 1

Which Comedian Was Famous For His Catskills Humor On TV?

Question 1

What Show Featured Tony Orlando And Dawn As Weekly Hosts?

Question 1

Who Was The Beloved Piano-Playing Host Of The Liberace Show?

Question 1

Which CBS Host Was Famous For His Crewcut And Easygoing Style On His Variety Show?

Question 1

Which Country Music Legend Hosted A Show On ABC That Featured Bob Dylan As A Guest?

Question 1

What Famous Duo Hosted The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour?

Question 1

Which Singer Hosted A Variety Show Famous For Its Lush Set Design?

Question 1

Which Variety Talk Show Did Charo Appear On Most Frequently Making Her Cuchi Cuchi Catchphrase Famous?

Question 1

Which Comedian Was Famous For His Huge Cigar On TV?

Question 1

Who Was The Beloved Host Of The Original Gong Show?

Question 1

Which Variety Show Featured The Singing Mouseketeers Each Week?

Question 1

Who Was The Famous Trumpet-Playing Bandleader On The Jackie Gleason Show?

Question 1

What Was Sammy Davis Jr Known For Doing On Almost Every Variety Show?

Question 1

Which Variety Show Ran For 27 Seasons Making It One Of Television's Longest-Running Programs?

Question 1

Which Variety Show Taped At CBS Television City But Featured The Glittering Showroom Style Of Las Vegas Entertainment?

Question 1

Which Variety Special Featured John Denver Performing Live At The Universal Amphitheatre In 1975?

Question 1

Who Was The Beloved Host Of The Original Tonight Show In 1954?

Question 1

What Famous Catchphrase Did Flip Wilson Use On His Variety Show?

Question 1

Which Singer Co-Hosted A Hit Variety Show With Her Brother On ABC In The 1970s?

Question 1

What Show Featured Tim Conway As A Beloved Regular Cast Member?

Question 1

Who Was The First Guest Ever On The Ed Sullivan Show?

Question 1

Which Comedian Was Famous For His Straw Hat And Ukulele On TV?

Question 1

What Was The Name Of Jackie Gleason's Famous Bus Driver Character On His Variety Show?

Question 1

Who Was The Beloved Ventriloquist Famous On The Ed Sullivan Show?

Question 1

What Show Featured Bob Hope Entertaining Troops On Military Bases?

Question 1

Which Singer Was Known For Spinning And Twirling On Her Variety Show?

Question 1

What Was The Famous Closing Song On The Lawrence Welk Show?

Question 1

Which Comedy Duo Was Famous For Their Slapstick On The Colgate Comedy Hour?

Question 1

Which Singer Performed Alongside Tony Orlando As One Of The Two Members Of Dawn On Their CBS Variety Show?

1

Dean Martin

2

Perry Como

3

Tony Bennett

4

Andy Williams

Perry Como wore cardigans on air to project warmth and became television's most relaxed variety host.

1

Bob Fosse

2

Agnes de Mille

3

June Taylor

4

Gower Champion

June Taylor's overhead kaleidoscope shots on The Jackie Gleason Show became one of television's most imitated visual signatures.

1

Five Seasons

2

Eleven Seasons

3

Seven Seasons

4

Fourteen Seasons

Carol Burnett's groundbreaking show ran from 1967 to 1978 and earned 25 Emmy Awards during its legendary run.

1

Howdy Doody

2

Charlie McCarthy

3

Mortimer Snerd

4

Lamb Chop

Howdy Doody had 48 freckles representing each US state when the show launched in 1947.

1

Carol Burnett

2

Mitzi Gaynor

3

Dinah Shore

4

Judy Garland

Carol Burnett tugged her ear as a secret signal to her grandmother watching every show at home.

1

DuMont

2

NBC

3

CBS

4

ABC

Ed Sullivan's show ran on CBS for 23 years and famously introduced American audiences to The Beatles in February 1964.

1

Milton Berle

2

Red Skelton

3

Sid Caesar

4

Bob Hope

Sid Caesar starred on Your Show Of Shows with writers like Mel Brooks and Neil Simon contributing.

1

The Sonny And Cher Variety Hour

2

The Cher And Sonny Show

3

The Sonny And Cher Comedy Hour

4

The Sonny And Cher Music Hour

The Sonny And Cher Comedy Hour was their hugely popular variety show that debuted in 1971.

1

Bing Crosby

2

Dean Martin

3

Frank Sinatra

4

Bob Hope

Bing Crosby hosted the very first episode of The Hollywood Palace when it debuted in 1964.

1

Kukla

2

Howdy Doody

3

Lamb Chop

4

Ollie

Lamb Chop was the beloved sock puppet star of Shari Lewis's long running television show.

1

Steve Allen

2

Johnny Carson

3

Jack Paar

4

Dick Cavett

Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show for 30 years making it the gold standard of late-night variety television.

1

The Smothers Brothers

2

The Hollywood Palace

3

Rowan And Martins Laugh-In

4

The Dean Martin Show

The Hollywood Palace ran from 1964 to 1970 and featured a different celebrity host nearly every single week.

1

Ladies And Gentlemen

2

Really Big Show

3

And Now Tonight

4

Here They Are

Ed Sullivan's stiff delivery of "really big shew" became so iconic that comedians spent decades doing impressions of it.

1

Bob Hope

2

George Burns

3

Red Skelton

4

Jack Benny

Bob Hope's NBC specials ran from 1950 to 1996 making him one of television's longest-running variety entertainers.

1

The Dean Martin Show

2

Rowan And Martins Laugh-In

3

The Smothers Brothers

4

The Flip Wilson Show

Rowan And Martins Laugh-In was famous for its wild cocktail party sketches featuring celebrity cameos.

1

Nat King Cole

2

Bill Cosby

3

Flip Wilson

4

Sammy Davis Jr

Nat King Cole hosted the first network variety show by an African American on NBC in 1956.

1

The Flip Wilson Show

2

The Smothers Brothers

3

The Hollywood Palace

4

Rowan And Martins Laugh-In

CBS cancelled The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1969 after the brothers kept sneaking anti-war messages past network censors.

1

Two Of A Kind

2

Donny And Marie

3

The Family Variety Hour

4

The Osmond Family Hour

Donny and Marie Osmond hosted their beloved variety show together on ABC starting in 1976.

1

Jerry Lewis

2

Jack Benny

3

Red Skelton

4

Bob Hope

Red Skelton's character Freddie The Freeloader was a gentle lovable clown that Skelton performed without ever speaking a single word.

1

Miss Ruby Mae

2

Geraldine Jones

3

Sweet Loretta

4

Mama Johnson

Flip Wilson's most famous female character was Geraldine Jones who popularized the phrase "the devil made me do it.

1

Kermit The Frog

2

Gonzo

3

Miss Piggy

4

Fozzie Bear

Jim Henson's Kermit hosted from 1976 to 1981 and became one of TV's most beloved characters.

1

The Andy Williams Show

2

The Dean Martin Show

3

The Glen Campbell Show

4

The Danny Kaye Show

NBC aired The Dean Martin Show from 1965 to 1974 and Dean famously pretended to be tipsy throughout.

1

Spinning Spotlights

2

Falling Confetti

3

Champagne Bubbles

4

A Curtain Reveal

Lawrence Welk called his musical style champagne music and bubbles floated across the screen each week.

1

Burt Reynolds

2

Tony Orlando

3

Mac Davis

4

Sonny Bono

Sonny and Cher split in 1975 and Cher launched her own solo variety show just one year later.

1

Trumpet

2

Piano

3

Accordion

4

Violin

Lawrence Welk grew up in North Dakota and learned accordion as a child before becoming a TV legend.

1

Jack Benny

2

George Burns

3

Red Skelton

4

Milton Berle

Milton Berle was nicknamed Mr Television because his show caused TV set sales to skyrocket across America.

1

Christmas With Andy Williams

2

The Andy Williams Christmas Show

3

The Andy Williams Winter Show

4

Andy Williams Sings The Holidays

Andy Williams loved Christmas so much that his Branson Missouri theater still hosts holiday shows today.

1

Mary Lou Metzger

2

Alice Lon

3

Norma Zimmer

4

Cissy King

Alice Lon held the Champagne Lady title from 1955 until Lawrence Welk dismissed her in 1959 on air.

1

Jack Benny

2

Bob Newhart

3

George Burns

4

Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin co-hosted The Colgate Comedy Hour before their famous split in 1956.

1

Rosemary Clooney

2

Dinah Shore

3

Patti Page

4

Doris Day

Dinah Shore ended every show by blowing a kiss to the audience which became her signature farewell.

1

The Howdy Gang

2

The Shari Players

3

The Muppet Crew

4

The Kuklapolitan Players

Burr Tillstrom created the Kuklapolitan Players in the 1940s and the show ran for over a decade.

1

Les Brown

2

Skitch Henderson

3

Doc Severinsen

4

Paul Shaffer

Doc Severinsen was famous for wearing the most outrageous sequined jackets on late night television history.

1

Hee Haw

2

The Johnny Cash Show

3

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour

4

The Porter Wagoner Show

Glen Campbell's show ran on CBS from 1969 to 1972 and regularly drew 50 million viewers each week.

1

The Lawrence Welk Show

2

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour

3

Hee Haw

4

The Porter Wagoner Show

Hee Haw was cancelled by CBS in 1971 but kept going in syndication for 20 more beloved years.

1

Dean Martin

2

Tony Bennett

3

Perry Como

4

Andy Williams

Perry Como was so relaxed on camera that critics called him the most comfortable man on television.

1

An Evening With Judy

2

The Judy Show

3

The Judy Garland Show

4

Judy At Carnegie Hall

CBS cancelled The Judy Garland Show after one season despite it featuring some of the finest performances on television.

1

Steve And Eydie

2

George Burns And Gracie Allen

3

Ozzie And Harriet Nelson

4

Lucille Ball And Desi Arnaz

George Burns and Gracie Allen pioneered the comedy duo format on television after decades of success in vaudeville.

1

The Andy Williams Show

2

The Glen Campbell Hour

3

The Joey Bishop Show

4

The Red Skelton Hour

Joey Bishop was the only Rat Pack member to host his own NBC talk variety show from 1967 to 1969.

1

Red Skelton

2

Soupy Sales

3

Larry Harmon

4

Pinky Lee

Larry Harmon purchased the Bozo rights in 1956 and franchised the character to over 200 TV stations nationwide.

1

The Merv Griffin Show

2

The Tonight Show

3

The Mike Douglas Show

4

The Playboy After Dark

Hugh Hefner hosted Playboy After Dark from 1969 and the Bunny Dip was a signature cocktail-serving move.

1

Don Knotts

2

Jerry Lewis

3

Tim Conway

4

Soupy Sales

Soupy Sales got pied in the face over 20000 times during his career making him TV's most splattered comedian.

1

The Kraft Music Hall

2

The Hollywood Palace

3

The Ed Sullivan Show

4

The Perry Como Show

73 million Americans watched The Beatles perform live on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964.

1

David Frost

2

Merv Griffin

3

Mike Douglas

4

Dick Cavett

Merv Griffin later became a billionaire game show mogul creating both Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy.

1

The Mike Douglas Show

2

The Dick Cavett Show

3

The David Frost Show

4

The Merv Griffin Show

Mike Douglas taped his show in Philadelphia for years and co-hosted a famous week with John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

1

His Golden Chandelier

2

His Candelabra

3

His Silver Candle Stand

4

His Crystal Centerpiece

Liberace used his iconic candelabra prop after a fan inspired him with a Chopin candlelight photo.

1

Peggy Lee

2

Connie Stevens

3

Vikki Carr

4

Helen Reddy

Helen Reddy hosted her own NBC variety show in 1973 after her hit song I Am Woman succeeded.

1

The Sammy Davis Jr Show

2

The Andy Williams Show

3

The Dean Martin Show

4

The Bobby Darin Show

Sammy Davis Jr could tap dance sing play multiple instruments and was considered the greatest entertainer of his generation.

1

George Burns

2

Bob Newhart

3

Henny Youngman

4

Jack Benny

Henny Youngman's legendary one-liner 'Take My Wife Please' became one of television's most quoted comedy lines.

1

The Mac Davis Show

2

Tony Orlando And Dawn

3

The Midnight Special

4

The Bobby Darin Show

Tony Orlando And Dawn ran on CBS from 1974 to 1976 and regularly drew over 30 million viewers each week.

1

Victor Borge

2

Liberace

3

Floyd Cramer

4

Roger Williams

Liberace wore rhinestone-studded costumes worth millions and once said his wardrobe budget exceeded most people's salaries.

1

Ozzie Nelson

2

Jimmy Durante

3

Arthur Godfrey

4

Garry Moore

Garry Moore discovered Carol Burnett on his CBS show launching one of television's greatest variety careers.

1

Eddy Arnold

2

Johnny Cash

3

Roger Miller

4

Buck Owens

Johnny Cash hosted his ABC show and welcomed Bob Dylan as a guest in the very first episode.

1

Tom And Dick Smothers

2

Dan And Don Rowan

3

Bob And Ray

4

Wayne And Shuster

Tom and Dick Smothers hosted the show until CBS cancelled them for controversial antiwar comedy in 1969.

1

Tom Jones

2

Andy Williams

3

Bobby Darin

4

Engelbert Humperdinck

Andy Williams hosted a variety show that won three Emmy Awards and featured the Osmond Brothers regularly.

1

The Dean Martin Show

2

The Merv Griffin Show

3

The Tonight Show

4

The Mike Douglas Show

Charo appeared on The Mike Douglas Show dozens of times throughout the 1970s delighting audiences with her comedy and guitar.

1

Bob Hope

2

Jack Benny

3

George Burns

4

Red Skelton

George Burns used his cigar as a comic prop for over 70 years making it his trademark.

1

Allen Ludden

2

Bert Convy

3

Bob Eubanks

4

Chuck Barris

Chuck Barris later claimed in his memoir that he secretly worked as a CIA agent during the show.

1

The Howdy Doody Show

2

The Mickey Mouse Club

3

The Wonderful World Of Disney

4

The Bozo The Clown Show

Annette Funicello became the most famous Mouseketeer and later starred in beach movies.

1

Skitch Henderson

2

Doc Severinsen

3

Ray Bloch

4

Paul Shaffer

Ray Bloch led the orchestra on The Jackie Gleason Show for over a decade in the 1950s and 1960s.

1

Dramatic Monologues

2

Impressions Of Other Stars

3

Stand Up Comedy

4

Magic Card Tricks

Sammy Davis Jr could mimic dozens of celebrities and often closed his act with a James Cagney impression.

1

The Burns And Allen Show

2

The Danny Kaye Show

3

The Lawrence Welk Show

4

The Jack Benny Program

Lawrence Welk's show outlasted every rival variety program and ran in syndication long after network cancellation.

1

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour

2

The Judy Garland Show

3

The Dean Martin Show

4

The Andy Williams Show

CBS cancelled The Judy Garland Show after one season despite its dazzling Las Vegas-inspired production values and performances.

1

The Mac Davis Show

2

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour

3

An Evening With John Denver

4

The Kraft Music Hall

John Denver's 1975 ABC special drew massive ratings and cemented his status as America's most beloved folk-pop star.

1

Steve Allen

2

Merv Griffin

3

Jack Paar

4

Joey Bishop

Steve Allen launched The Tonight Show on NBC in 1954 and was famous for his spontaneous piano playing.

1

The Devil Made Me Do It

2

Sock It To Me

3

Here Come De Judge

4

You Bet Your Bippy

Flip Wilson's catchphrase became so popular it appeared on bumper stickers and T-shirts across America in the 1970s.

1

Marie Osmond

2

Helen Reddy

3

Dinah Shore

4

Cher

Marie and Donny Osmond debuted their ABC show in 1976 becoming one of television's most beloved sibling hosting duos.

1

The Carol Burnett Show

2

The Dean Martin Show

3

The Red Skelton Show

4

The Flip Wilson Show

Tim Conway was famous for making Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman break character with his improvised comedy.

1

Bob Hope

2

Nat King Cole

3

Dean Martin And Jerry Lewis

4

Frank Sinatra

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis performed their comedy act on the very first Ed Sullivan Show broadcast in June 1948.

1

Tiny Tim

2

Jack Paar

3

Buddy Hackett

4

Jimmy Durante

Tiny Tim's falsetto voice and ukulele made him an unforgettable novelty act on variety shows nationwide.

1

Joe Fenwick

2

Chester Riley

3

Ralph Kramden

4

Stanley Norris

Ralph Kramden's endless get-rich-quick schemes and booming threats to Alice made Gleason a comedy legend in the 1950s.

1

Jimmy Nelson

2

Señor Wences

3

Edgar Bergen

4

Paul Winchell

Señor Wences performed with a face drawn on his hand and audiences absolutely loved his Spanish accent and charm.

1

The Andy Williams Show

2

The Perry Como Show

3

The Dean Martin Show

4

The Bob Hope USO Specials

Bob Hope performed for American troops overseas every Christmas for nearly 50 years making him a national treasure.

1

Mitzi Gaynor

2

Patti Page

3

Eydie Gormé

4

Rosemary Clooney

Mitzi Gaynor's high-energy dance specials aired on NBC throughout the 1960s and 1970s drawing massive audiences.

1

Till We Meet Again

2

Goodnight Ladies

3

Good Night Sweetheart

4

Auld Lang Syne

Lawrence Welk closed every Saturday broadcast with Goodnight Ladies giving fans a warm familiar weekly send-off.

1

Olsen And Johnson

2

Abbott And Costello

3

Wayne And Shuster

4

Nichols And May

Abbott and Costello brought their classic Who's On First routine to television audiences who had loved them in films.

1

Vicki Lawrence

2

Charo

3

Telma Hopkins

4

Lola Falana

Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson formed Dawn with Tony Orlando and later pursued successful solo careers.

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Classic variety shows defined an era of glittering entertainment, from dazzling sequins to legendary showstopping performances. This quiz challenges even the most devoted fans to dig deep into their knowledge of unforgettable hosts and iconic moments. The proof is in the answers.

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At RamForumz, we offer an engaging and interactive way to challenge your knowledge across pop culture, entertainment, history, sports, and more. Our trivia quizzes are crafted to entertain and educate, providing a fun learning experience that's accessible from anywhere. With a diverse selection of topics, you're bound to discover something that sparks your interest.