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116-771: The Royal Variety Performance is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal family . The evening's performance is presented as a live variety show , usually from a theatre in London and consists of family entertainment that includes comedy , music , dance , magic and other speciality acts. The Royal Variety Performance traditionally begins with

232-498: A brief time in the late 1980s, the show was replaced with The American Radio Company of the Air , also hosted and created by Keillor, was set in a more urban environment and likewise was based on old-time radio; its short run eventually morphed into a revival of A Prairie Home Companion ). In 2016, following Keillor's retirement, Chris Thile took over the program and, over the course of the next year, transformed it into Live from Here ,

348-516: A bunch of head-banging, beer-crushing rock jocks blew up a pile of disco records in the Chicago White Sox outfield . If any art form truly encapsulates the entirety of '70s culture, it is the variety show. After all, the variety show was not an art form, it was all art forms. A variety show packed sketch comedy, dance choreography, guest celebrities and concert performances (okay, lip-synching) into one anything-goes show. A variety show

464-471: A charity or cause. The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon was one of the best known telethons in the US, but it too was eventually canceled after several years of shortening (originally over 21 hours, by the time of its last telecast in 2014, by which point Lewis had been gone from the telethon several years, it was down to two hours). Another popular telethon, for United Cerebral Palsy , ended its run in 1998 shortly after

580-466: A children's choir and a 30-piece orchestra. Invited guests included Adele and One Direction . From 2011 to 2012, the Palladium became home to Andrew Lloyd Webber 's new production of The Wizard of Oz which featured new songs by Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice and starred Michael Crawford , Danielle Hope , Hannah Waddingham , Russell Grant , Sophie Evans and Des O'Connor . This was followed by

696-503: A cooking show or a talent competition but end in various results. Iran had a private television company that had broadcast Iran television network channel before national television, it aired variety shows. Variety programming has remained one of the dominant genres of television programming. While Japanese variety shows are famous abroad for their wild stunts, they vary from talk shows to music shows, from tabloid news shows to skit comedy. The prominent use of telop on screen has created

812-461: A fast-paced setting, with scenes repeating or fast forwarded. Another popular variety show in Taiwan was Kangsi Coming (2004–2016). It was famous for its bantering, which was scripted. The first Cantonese variety show to become a major success was Hong Kong's Enjoy Yourself Tonight , which first aired in 1967 and ran for 27 years. In Hong Kong, variety shows are often combined with elements of

928-435: A female audience and produced by Elle chief editor Daisy de Galard. Each episode of Dim Dam Dom was hosted in an all-white studio set by a different speakerine (a female continuity announcer), usually a popular actress or singer like Françoise Hardy , Marie Laforêt , Geraldine Chaplin , France Gall , Jane Birkin , Françoise Fabian , Romy Schneider . Variety shows with an emphasis on comedy sketches were popular in

1044-838: A few shows (such as Hee Haw and The Lawrence Welk Show ) surviving and moving into first-run syndication . Variety shows continued to be produced in the 1970s, with most of them stripped down to only music and comedy. Popular variety shows that ran in the 1970s include The Flip Wilson Show (1970–1974), The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (1971–1977, in various incarnations), The Bobby Goldsboro Show (1973–1975), The Hudson Brothers' Razzle Dazzle Show (1974–1975), The Midnight Special (1973–1981), Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (1973–1981), The Mac Davis Show (1974–1976), Tony Orlando and Dawn (1974–1976), Saturday Night Live (1975–present), Donny & Marie (1976–1979), The Muppet Show (1976–1981), and Sha Na Na (1977–1981). Of all of these, only Saturday Night Live remains on

1160-412: A few years, reruns of most of those shows (except The Flip Wilson Show ) were discontinued. Similarly, CMT held the rights to Hee Haw but broadcast very few episodes, opting mainly to hold the rights to allow them to create performance videos from the episodes to be shown in its video blocks. The current rights holder of Hee Haw , RFD-TV , has been more consistent broadcasting complete episodes of

1276-458: A flurry of new variety shows with rural appeal: The Johnny Cash Show (1969–1971), The Jim Nabors Hour (1969–1971), The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (1969–1972) and Hee Haw (1969–1992). Entertainers with less successful variety shows in the 1960s include Judy Garland and Sammy Davis Jr. Some consider disco to be the boiled-down essence of Seventies pop culture . But that doesn't quite cover it. Not everyone liked disco. In fact,

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1392-642: A hit USA gold status double LP for RCA records called " Alive Alive O! " in April 1969 On 6 December 1970 Dorothy Squires gave a concert at the Palladium, recorded for an LP release the following year. In January 1973, glam rock band Slade played a gig in the theatre which resulted in the venue's balcony nearly collapsing. In July 1974, singer Cass Elliott performed for two weeks. 48 hours after her final performance she died in her sleep in her rented flat in Mayfair. Also in 1974, Josephine Baker performed in

1508-470: A live concert at the venue. The performance documented on the resulting double LP, entitled Live at the London Palladium and released in 1977. In 1981, the cellars of the Palladium housed a waxworks museum, aptly called "The Palladium Cellars", headlined by a Yul Bryner live projection automaton, as the cowboy Gunslinger from Westworld . In the late 1980s, the Palladium was once again

1624-412: A more streamlined musical variety series. Live from Here , which moved to New York City in 2019, was cancelled due to budget cuts in 2020. Improvisational comic Wayne Brady , coming off his successful appearances on the panel game Whose Line Is It Anyway? , launched an eponymous variety show in 2001, which aired on ABC. The Wayne Brady Show lasted only one summer season in its variety format; when

1740-401: A music hall artist of that period. The audience was also encouraged to dress in period costume in a similar fashion. Other long-running British variety shows that originated in the 1950s include Tonight at the London Palladium (1955–1969), The Black and White Minstrel Show (1958–1978), The White Heather Club (1958–1968) and Royal Variety Performance (an annual event televised since

1856-458: A new production of The Wizard of Oz was revived at the Palladium for a limited season starring Gary Wilmot , Ashley Banjo , Jason Manford , Dianne Pilkington , and Christina Bianco . In summer 2024, a revival of Hello, Dolly! directed by Dominic Cooke , starring Imelda Staunton , Jenna Russell , Andy Nyman and Tyrone Huntley ran for a limited season. As well as this, in July 2024

1972-705: A new production of the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat opened starring Jason Donovan in the title role with Linzi Hateley as the Narrator. Phillip Schofield later replaced Donovan in the title role. In 1994, Cameron Mackintosh produced a new revival of Lionel Bart 's musical Oliver! , directed by Sam Mendes . It starred Jonathan Pryce as Fagin and Sally Dexter as Nancy. In 1998, Arlene Phillips directed and choreographed

2088-722: A parody of rightwing pundits). The Richard Bey Show combined the variety show with the tabloid talk show , not only having its guests talk about their problems but also having them participate in absurdist games, and Sally Jesse Raphael was known for occasionally having music and fashion in the show, especially drag and gender-bending performances. American sketch comedy series such as Saturday Night Live , In Living Color , Almost Live! (and its successor Up Late NW ), MADtv , and SCTV also contain variety show elements, particularly musical performances and comedy sketches. The most obvious difference between shows such as Saturday Night Live and traditional variety shows

2204-488: A premier venue for variety performances. Pantomimes were also featured there. In 1926, the pantomime starred Lennie Dean as Cinderella, footage of which remains to this day. The theatre is especially linked to the Royal Variety Performances, where many were, and still are, held. In 1928, for three months the Palladium also ran as a cinema. Following this ' cine-variety ' episode the theatre fell dark for

2320-458: A professional dispute. Her act was deemed too risqué and her three public, unsuccessful marriages were thought to make her unfit to perform in front of royalty. She held a rival performance in a nearby theatre, which she advertised was "by command of the British public". The name of the event was changed to prevent possible royal embarrassment. The Royal Variety Performance became an annual event at

2436-451: A return season of Scrooge: The Musical starring Tommy Steele . In 2013 it became home to a revival of A Chorus Line starring John Partridge , Scarlett Strallen and Leigh Zimmerman . Since 2013, excluding 2014, 2015 and 2016, Britain's Got Talent have held Judges' auditions at the Palladium as one part of their audition tour which usually lasts from mid-January to late-February. In 2014, Really Useful Group split in two, and

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2552-467: A run on CBS in the early 2000s during the reality television boom; The Gong Show , which reached its peak in the 1970s but has had occasional revivals since then; and the worldwide Got Talent franchise. The variety show format also continued in America in the form of the telethon , which feature variety entertainment (often music) interspersed with appeals for viewers to make donations to support

2668-574: A series of variety shows that collectively ran from 1948 to 1969, followed by variety specials that ran until 1994. Shorter-lived variety shows during this period include The Frank Sinatra Show (1950–1952), The Jimmy Durante Show (1954–1956) and a different The Frank Sinatra Show (1957–1958). In the UK The Good Old Days —which ran from 1953 to 1983—featured modern artists performing dressed in late Victorian /Early Edwardian costume, either doing their own act or performing as

2784-784: A short period in the autumn of 1928. From 3 September 1928, the Palladium reopened under the directorship of the impresario/producer George Black as part of the General Theatre Corporation (GTC). When Black took control the theatre was close to bankruptcy. He revived its fortunes by returning to the original ethos of the Palladium by staging large variety shows, with a capital 'V' – and as well as headlining Britain's homegrown acts he brought over big American stars such as Duke Ellington and his Orchestra (on 12 June 1933, his first ever concert hall performance), Adelaide Hall , Louis Armstrong and Ethel Waters for two-week engagements. Before too long, under Black's management

2900-451: A stage musical adaptation of Saturday Night Fever starring Adam Garcia and Ben Richards . In 2000, ownership of the theatre changed once again when Stoll Moss was acquired by Andrew Lloyd Webber 's Really Useful Group . From 3 May 2000 to 5 January 2002, the Palladium played The King and I starring Elaine Paige and Jason Scott Lee . This production was a West End transfer of the hugely successful 1996 Broadway production. Before

3016-612: A style that has influenced variety programming across Asia. One of the most popular variety shows in Japan includes Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai . In South Korea , the hugely popular show Infinite Challenge , has been broadcast by MBC from 2005 to 2018, was a new model of this, called "Real Variety Show". It combined comedy and variety scenes including unscripted stunts and special guest stars while taking place in various settings. Although many variety shows have existed in Korea long before

3132-605: A variety show starring SNL performer Maya Rudolph . Like Rosie Live , the broadcast was intended to be a one-off special, but with the possibility of additional episodes depending on its performance. The special won its time slot, due mainly to a strong lead-in, and spawned the May 2016 premiere of Maya & Marty , adding fellow SNL cast member Martin Short ; under that format, Maya & Marty lasted six episodes. Earlier that season, NBC aired Best Time Ever , an adaptation of

3248-543: A year later by Fredrick Hengler, the son of a tightrope walker, as a circus arena for entertainments that included promenade concerts , pantomimes and an aquatic display in a flooded ring. It then became the National Skating Palace – a skating rink with real ice. However, the rink failed and the Palladium was redesigned by Frank Matcham , a famous theatrical architect who also designed the Coliseum, on

3364-504: Is Broadway meets Solid Gold meets Saturday Night Live meets Saturday morning . MeTV In 1970 and 1971, the American TV networks, CBS especially, conducted the so-called " rural purge ", in which shows that appealed to more rural and older audiences were canceled as part of a greater focus on appealing to wealthier demographics. Many variety shows, including long-running ones, were canceled as part of this "purge," with

3480-581: Is situated in London. A total of 17 members of the royal family have attended the 86 Royal Variety Performances , and the 1912 Royal Command Performance . The performance is broadcast on television throughout the world and is considered by many to be a tradition of the Christmas and New Year holiday season , particularly within the 56 countries of the Commonwealth of Nations . For example, in Norway

3596-521: Is the earliest surviving variety show, preserved in the form of audio recordings and still photographs. The genre proliferated during the Golden Age of Television , generally considered to be roughly 1948 to 1960. Many of these Golden Age variety shows were spin-offs or adaptations of previous radio variety shows. From 1948 to 1971 The Ed Sullivan Show was one of CBS 's most popular television series. Using his no-nonsense approach, host Ed Sullivan

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3712-403: Is the lack of a single lead host (or hosts) and a large ensemble cast . SNL has used different guest hosts ever since its inception. Televised talent shows have a variety show element, in that they feature a variety of different acts. Examples of US talent shows that feature entertainers from a broad variety of disciplines include Star Search , which had a run in the 1980s in syndication and

3828-406: Is then broadcast live and all the acts perform again for the public vote. There have been a total of 17 theatres that have staged the 93 Royal Variety Performances , and the 1912 Royal Command Performance . Out of the total of 93 shows, 75 have been in London theatres and seven in other cities and towns. Note: Where no town or city is noted in the theatre column in the following table, the venue

3944-596: The Andrews Sisters with Vic Schoen and his orchestra, Bob Hope , Liza Minnelli , Lena Horne , Ella Fitzgerald , Peggy Lee , Frank Sinatra , Sammy Davis Jr. , Frankie Laine and Johnnie Ray , freezing out many British stars of the day, who were relegated to second-billing. From 1955 to 1967, the theatre was the setting for the top-rated ITV Network variety show Sunday Night at the London Palladium hosted first by Tommy Trinder , followed by Bruce Forsyth , Norman Vaughan , and Jimmy Tarbuck . The programme

4060-603: The Brit Awards Icon, subsequently broadcast on ITV1 . Robbie Williams promoted his new album Swings Both Ways , the UK's 1000th No. 1 album, with a one-night performance on 8 November 2013 that was filmed for television broadcast (BBC One). He was joined by members of the cast of The Muppet Show ( Kermit the Frog , Miss Piggy , Fozzie Bear , Gonzo , Statler and Waldorf ), Lily Allen , Rufus Wainwright , his father,

4176-535: The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Family Show . In 2017, The Wind in the Willows with songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe ran for a summer season starring Rufus Hound , Simon Lipkin , Neil McDermott , Gary Wilmot and Denise Welch . In 2018, Sir Bruce Forsyth 's ashes were laid to rest under the Palladium's stage, with a blue plaque commemorating him on a nearby wall, featuring

4292-731: The London Palladium theatre, and in the 1950s and 1960s a television show based on the same idea, called Sunday Night at the London Palladium and hosted by many entertainers, including Bruce Forsyth , ran for over 20 years. A wide range of acts has performed at the Royal Variety Performance, including Laurel and Hardy in 1947, The Beatles in 1963, the Supremes in 1968 and the Blue Man Group in 2005. Max Bygraves and Cliff Richard are two of

4408-597: The 'odd years'. In both 1976 and 1978, the BBC broadcast the show live. The show was staged mainly in a West End theatre . Prior to 1999, only two shows were staged outside London (1955 in Blackpool and 1959 in Manchester), but in 2003, 2005, 2007 & 2009, Royal Varieties were aired on ITV from regional theatres outside London. ITV secured exclusive rights to televise the show in 2011. The show has been frequently staged in

4524-426: The 1935 Alfred Hitchcock spy thriller The 39 Steps was filmed at the Palladium. The theatre was hit by an unexploded German parachute mine on 11 May 1941. The device had fallen through the roof, becoming lodged over the stage. A Royal Navy bomb disposal team was sent to deal with it. After the mine was located, the fuse locking ring had to be turned to allow access to the fuse itself. Rather disconcertingly,

4640-666: The 1940s, Stan Laurel revisited his music hall days when he performed at the Royal Variety show. In the United States former vaudeville performers such as the Marx Brothers , George Burns and Gracie Allen , W. C. Fields , and Jack Benny honed their skills in the Borscht Belt before moving to talkies , to radio shows, and then to television shows, including variety shows. Radio variety shows were

4756-478: The 1950s). Popular American variety shows that began in the 60s include a revival of The Jackie Gleason Show (1960–1970), The Andy Williams Show (1962–1971), The Danny Kaye Show (1963–1967), The Hollywood Palace (1964–1970), The Dean Martin Show (1965–1974), The Carol Burnett Show (1967–1978), The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967–1969) and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968–73). 1969 saw

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4872-516: The 50th Anniversary production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice’ Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat . The production starred Sheridan Smith as the Narrator, Jason Donovan as the Pharaoh (having previously played the title role in the 1991 Palladium revival) and Jac Yarrow in the title role. The production was due to return in summer 2020, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic it

4988-499: The British variety game show Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway starring actor Neil Patrick Harris which was ultimately unsuccessful. Starting in the 1950s, some entertainers became associated with variety television specials that would recur on a regular basis, in some cases for decades, on American network TV. Such entertainers included Bob Hope , Bing Crosby , Perry Como , Andy Williams and Mitzi Gaynor . Many of these were Christmas variety specials, which often showed

5104-661: The London Palladium, The Victoria Palace and even the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane , Prince Littler organised a take-over to save the theatres and Val Parnell retired to live in France. The new managing director of Stoll-Moss was Louis Benjamin , who took on the role while continuing as MD of Pye Records within the ATV Group. By 1965, the Wine Society was operating out of a cellar under the Palladium. Additionally, it

5220-974: The Palladium in November 2006. The production ran for just over two years, before closing on 21 February 2009. It starred Connie Fisher and Summer Strallen as Maria, Simon Shepherd , Alexander Hanson and Simon MacCorkindale as Captain Von Trapp and Lesley Garrett and Margaret Preece as the Mother Abbess. A production of Sister Act the Musical opened on 2 June 2009, starring Patina Miller as Deloris, Sheila Hancock as Mother Superior, Ian Lavender as Monsignor Howard, Chris Jarman as Shank, Ako Mitchell as Eddie, Katie Rowley Jones as Sister Mary Robert, Claire Greenway as Sister Mary Patrick and Julia Sutton as Sister Mary Lazarus. Rufus Wainwright held two sold out Judy Garland tribute concerts at

5336-506: The Palladium on that night. He was later killed, on 19 August 1941, while en route for Gibraltar on board the torpedoed troopship SS Aguila . Val Parnell took over as managing director after George Black's death in 1945. He adopted a controversial, but very successful, policy of presenting high-priced, big-name American acts at the top of the bill. Among many, the list included Carmen Miranda , Judy Garland , Sophie Tucker , Bing Crosby , Danny Kaye , Rosemary Clooney , Channing Pollock ,

5452-540: The Palladium was soon gaining praise again as 'The World's Leading Variety Theatre'. In 1935, Black initiated the Crazy Gang revues at the Palladium (for which he is chiefly remembered) with Life Begins at Oxford Circus . The revues continued at the Palladium as an annual event until they transferred to the Victoria Palace theatre in 1940. Black managed the Palladium until his death in 1945. The climax of

5568-748: The Royal Variety Charity was then known. It was planned to be in the Empire Theatre , Edinburgh , part of the vast Moss Empires group, but the building caught on fire a month before the show. After the death of Moss, Sir Alfred Butt was chosen as the impresario and it was staged in 1912. This was a lavish occasion, and his London Palace Theatre was lavishly decorated, complete with some three million rose petals. Top performers included Vesta Tilley , Sir George Robey , David Devant , Anna Pavlova , Harry Lauder and Cecilia Loftus . The organisers did not invite Marie Lloyd , because of

5684-496: The Royal Variety Performance aired on BBC One on 29 December 1990. It was hosted by Bruce Forsyth and took a look back at the BBC's television broadcasts of the programme over 30 years, with clips from the archives. After this variation, from 1991, the traditional variety show returned. In 2018 show was hosted by comedian Greg Davies and performed six months after the marriage of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex who attended it with his new wife. This year's aftershow party and banquet

5800-570: The Royal Variety Performance. The 1991 film The Josephine Baker Story implied that, like Cass Elliott, she died after a show there, but this is not true. She actually died in Paris four days after a show there. Bing Crosby performed for two weeks at the Palladium starting on 21 June 1976. The resulting live album Bing Crosby Live at the London Palladium reached No. 9 in the UK album charts in November 1977. In October 1976, Marvin Gaye recorded

5916-405: The U.S. Sábado Gigante ) began in 1962 with Don Francisco and lasted into the 1990s. His daughter, Vivianne Kreutzberger, currently hosts the program under the title Gigantes con Vivi , while Don Francisco has hosted the U.S. version since 12 April 1986 until the end of the show's run on 19 September 2015. Throughout the 1960s and the 1970s, the producers Maritie and Gilbert Carpentier created

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6032-583: The UK is the sole broadcaster, having shared that responsibility with the BBC between 1960 and 2010. In the 1960s, the televised edition of the show was the number one rated show for the entire year in the UK in 1960–1963, 1965, and 1967–1968, with the show ranked 6th in 1964, 3rd in 1966, and 2nd in 1969. In the 1970s, the show topped the annual rankings in 1975 and ranked 8th in 1970, 4th in 1971, 9th in 1976 and 3rd in 1977. Ratings sourced from BARB . Variety show While still widespread in some parts of

6148-419: The United Kingdom and vaudeville in the United States can be considered a direct predecessor of the "variety show" format. Variety in the UK evolved in theatres and music halls, and later in working men's clubs . British performers who honed their skills in music hall sketches include Charlie Chaplin , Stan Laurel , George Formby , Gracie Fields , Dan Leno , Gertrude Lawrence , and Marie Lloyd . Most of

6264-477: The United Kingdom from the late 1960s until the 1980s. Two of the longest-running and most popular series were Morecambe and Wise and The Two Ronnies . [REDACTED] The dictionary definition of variety show at Wiktionary London Palladium The London Palladium ( / p ə ˈ l eɪ d i ˌ ʊ m / ) is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street , London , in Soho . The theatre

6380-566: The United States bringing on a new type of the Korean wave globally. Variety shows are a huge part of daily life in the Philippines, with all of the major networks running their own variety shows usually during lunchtime and can be on the air for between one and a half hours to three hours. The most notable Philippine variety show is the longest-running Eat Bulaga , which premiered in 1979 and has aired on RPN , ABS-CBN , GMA , and TV5 in

6496-516: The United States in 1986, continued to produce and broadcast new episodes on Univision until its cancellation in September 2015. At least one national variety show continued on national radio into the 21st century. A Prairie Home Companion was founded and created by Garrison Keillor in 1974 as an homage to rural radio variety shows, featuring sketch comedy based on radio dramas of the old-time radio era, complete with faux commercials. (For

6612-516: The Univision networks in the United States. In Venezuela , the best known variety show is Súper Sábado Sensacional . Originally established in 1968 (as Sábado Espectacular ) on Radio Caracas Television , the show moved to Venevision in 1970 and was renamed Sábado Sensacional . In 1990, "Súper" was added to the title, and is how the show is currently known today. The Spanish-language variety show known as Sábados Gigantes (forerunner of

6728-410: The air today, and has become the second-longest-running variety show in the history of American television. Entertainers with weekly variety shows that ran for one season or less in the 1970s include Captain & Tennille , The Jacksons , The Keane Brothers , Bobby Darin , Mary Tyler Moore , Julie Andrews , Dolly Parton , Shields and Yarnell , The Manhattan Transfer , Starland Vocal Band , and

6844-559: The band's first appearance on the show on 13 October 1963, Beatlemania took off in the UK. Their performance was watched by 15 million viewers. One national paper's headlines in the following days coined the term "Beatlemania" to describe the phenomenal and increasingly hysterical interest in the Beatles – and it stuck. Parnell became associated with a property development company and began to sell Moss Empires' theatres for redevelopment. When it became known in 1966 that this fate awaited

6960-473: The broadcast of Infinite Challenge , this program has given a rise to a new page in the history of Korean variety shows by introducing unscripted stunts. As a result, other broadcasting channels such as KBS and SBS have followed its path and introduced programs such as 2 Days & 1 Night and Running Man . These types of Korean variety shows are grabbing foreign interest of countries such as Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and even

7076-552: The case of a one-off Christmas special, the Christian-leaning network INSP ); JLTV dropped Kaye from its schedule at the end of 2018. The Carol Burnett Show , which had aired in severely edited form sporadically in syndication since it ended in 1977, returned intact in 2019 on numerous platforms. Digital multicast network getTV shows variety shows on an irregular basis. The Spanish language variety show Sabado Gigante , which began in 1962, and then moved from Chile to

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7192-446: The cast of The Brady Bunch . Entertainers with variety-based TV specials in the 70s include Carpenters , John Denver , Shirley MacLaine , Diana Ross , Bob Hope, and Pat Boone. Paul Lynde hosted a string of irregularly scheduled Comedy Hours through the late 1970s. By the late 1970s nearly every TV variety show had ended production. Audiences were clearly tiring of the format; the highest-rated variety show of 1975, Cher ,

7308-881: The concept of the big band remote from the old-time radio era, it was already one of the last shows of its kind when it debuted and far outlasted all other big-band centered broadcast series by the end of its run. Other long-running American variety shows that premiered during this time include Texaco Star Theatre (1948–1956), Jerry Lester 's Cavalcade of Stars , Broadway Open House and Chesterfield Sound-Off Time (1949–1952); The Jackie Gleason Show (1950–1955), The Garry Moore Show (1950–1967, in various incarnations), The Morey Amsterdam Show (1950–1954 in various incarnations), The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950–1955), Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), The Red Skelton Show (1951–1971), The Dinah Shore Show (1951–1957), The George Gobel Show (1954–1960) and The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1956–1963). Perry Como also hosted

7424-513: The current generation of U.S. hosts, late-night talk shows vary widely on their resemblance to the original variety format, with Jimmy Fallon 's incarnation of The Tonight Show putting heavy emphasis on sketch and game segments incorporating celebrity guests (especially involving music), while The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has placed a larger emphasis on news satire similar to its host 's previous Comedy Central late-night program The Colbert Report (where Colbert portrayed himself as

7540-415: The death of its founder and figurehead, Dennis James . Likewise only a handful of long-established local telethons remain. The prime time variety show format was popular in the early decades of Australian television, spawning such series as In Melbourne Tonight , The Graham Kennedy Show , The Don Lane Show , and Hey Hey It's Saturday , which ran for 27 years. Recent prime time variety shows include

7656-468: The description "Without question the UK's greatest entertainer, he rests in peace within the sound of music, laughter and dancing… exactly where he would want to be." For the 2018 summer season Bartlett Sher 's Tony Award -winning revival of The King and I ran direct from Broadway starring Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe reprising their roles as Anna and the King. In summer 2019, the Palladium staged

7772-643: The early top performers on British television and radio did an apprenticeship either in stage variety, or during World War II in Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA). In the UK, the ultimate accolade for a variety artist for decades was to be asked to do the annual Royal Command Performance at the London Palladium theatre, in front of the monarch. Later known as the Royal Variety Performance (from 1919), it continues today. In

7888-1192: The entity owning the theatre became the Really Useful Theatres Group. A revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber 's Cats played for a season in late 2014 starring Nicole Scherzinger as Grizabella (later Kerry Ellis ). It returned for another season in late 2015 starring Beverley Knight . In December 2016, the annual Christmas pantomime returned for the first time in 29 years with Cinderella , produced and directed by Michael Harrison for Crossroads Pantomimes (previously Qdos Entertainment ). The pantomimes have returned every year since welcoming star casting including Julian Clary , Nigel Havers , Gary Wilmot , Paul Zerdin , Paul O'Grady , Dawn French , Ashley Banjo and Diversity , Elaine Paige , Charlie Stemp , Amanda Holden , Lee Mead , Count Arthur Strong , Emma Williams , Danielle Hope , Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone , Matt Baker , Sophie Isaacs , Janine Duvitski , Beverley Knight , Donny Osmond , The Tiller Girls , Alexandra Burke , Rob Madge , Natalie McQueen , Jennifer Saunders and Frances Mayli McCann . The 2017 pantomime Dick Whittington won

8004-455: The entrance of the members of the royal family followed by the singing of the national anthem, " God Save the King ", which was also performed by the participating acts as a traditional end to Royal Variety Performances; with the exception of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic , as a result of which, " As If We Never Said Goodbye " opened that year's show instead, sung by that year's host, Jason Manford . The first performance, on 1 July 1912,

8120-447: The first programs to be featured on television during the experimental mechanical television era. Variety shows hosted by Helen Haynes and Harriet Lee are recorded in contemporary newspapers in 1931 and 1932; because of technical limits of the era, no recordings of either show have been preserved. After World War II , the genre again was an early favorite of the burgeoning electronic television industry; Hour Glass , dating to 1946,

8236-597: The format faded in popularity in prime time, it thrived in American late-night TV. Night-time variety shows eventually evolved into late-night talk shows , which combine variety entertainment (primarily comedy and live music) with the aspects of a talk show (such as interviews with celebrities). The Emmy Awards academy considers the two genres to be related closely enough that, until 2015, the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series

8352-496: The funding for the Royal Variety Charity (formerly the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund) and its care-home for retired members of the entertainment profession and their dependents, Brinsworth House . In 1974, Noele Gordon presented the Royal Variety Performance making her the first female presenter of the show. After the first Royal Variety Performance on 1 July 1912 presented by Sir Alfred Butt , it

8468-445: The fuse began ticking as soon as it was touched. This caused a rapid evacuation of the immediate area, but the mine did not detonate. The two team members cautiously returned, extracted the fuse and removed other hazardous components, rendering the mine 'safe'. It was then lowered to the stage and disposed of. The George Medal for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty was given to Sub Lieutenant Graham Maurice Wright for his action in

8584-476: The genre arose in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Variety shows from this era included Dolly (starring Dolly Parton ), which ran for 23 episodes on ABC during the 1987–88 season; The Tracey Ullman Show which aired on Fox from April 1987 through May 1990; a revival of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour from 1988 to 1989; a revival of The Carol Burnett Show , which was broadcast by CBS for nine episodes in 1991 (following up on Carol & Company on NBC

8700-428: The most frequent performers, having appeared at least 14 and 13 times each respectively between 1950 and 2008 . The Beatles appeared at the 1963 show, when John Lennon delivered the famous line: For our last number I'd like to ask your help: Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewellery. The money raised by the Royal Variety Performance provides most of

8816-414: The most popular variety shows on French television , including Le Sacha Show (1963–1971) hosted by Sacha Distel , Top à... (1972–1974), Numéro Un (1975–1982) and a lot of television specials presented by various famous singers ( Johnny Hallyday , Sylvie Vartan , Claude François , Petula Clark ). From 1965 to 1970 was also aired Dim Dam Dom , a modern, playful and sophisticated show intended for

8932-423: The opening, the box office had already taken in excess of £7 million in ticket sales. This version of the show was a lavish affair, with new dialogue and music added, while the original material was updated. During the run, Josie Lawrence played the role of Anna and Paul Nakauchi and Keo Woolford played the role of the King, respectively. After the production closed, the famous (but outdated) revolving stage

9048-405: The predominant form of light entertainment during the Golden Age of Radio from the late 1920s through the 1940s; such radio shows typically included a house vocalist, music from the house band , a stand-up monologue and a short comedy sketch . Variety shows centered on running comedy sketches with recurring characters eventually evolved into sitcoms (situation comedies). Variety shows were among

9164-409: The previous year); and Showtime 's The Super Dave Osborne Show hosted by Bob Einstein from 1987 to 1991 (itself a spinoff of John Byner 's Bizarre , which ran from 1980 to 1986). By the 1990s, networks had given up on the format; after initially promising Phil Hartman his own variety show, NBC backed out of the agreement believing a variety show could no longer succeed. By the 21st century

9280-504: The program; RFD-TV also airs numerous other country -style variety shows from the 1960s and 1970s up through the present day, in a rarity for modern television. Another notable exception is The Lawrence Welk Show , which has been frequently broadcast in reruns on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) since 1986. The Danny Kaye Show returned to television in 2017 with reruns on Jewish Life Television (and, in

9396-622: The programme is broadcast on NRK following the chimes of midnight each New Year's Eve with Norwegian subtitles and in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the Caribbean Islands and the Bahamas it is broadcast during the afternoon of Christmas Day, every year. In Canada, it has aired on CBC variously on Boxing Day , New Year's Eve or New Year's Day . ITV is contracted by the Royal Variety Charity for TV production and in

9512-506: The regularly scheduled variety shows that spawned them by several years. Also, Barbara Mandrell Christmas special. Christmas variety specials' popularity continued into the 1990s, before starting to wane in the 2000s. Nevertheless, the tradition has continued. Entertainers who have hosted Christmas variety specials in the 21st century include Kid Rock , Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson , Carrie Underwood , Lady Gaga , Michael Buble , Bill Murray , Gwen Stefani , and Darci Lynne . Though

9628-454: The set of Sister Act was able to be hoisted completely above the stage out of view in an area called the Fly Loft . The London Palladium turned 100 years old on Boxing Day 2010, and a one-hour television special entitled '100 Years of the Palladium' aired on BBC Two on 31 December 2010. Sir Elton John performed at the venue in September 2013 in a special show where he was presented with

9744-649: The setting for the popular ITV variety show, Live From the Palladium , compered by Jimmy Tarbuck . During this time, the theatre was under the ownership of the Stoll Moss Theatres Group, and the management of Margaret and David Locke, who were both major shareholders of Stoll Moss at the time. In 1988, the Edinburgh Gang Show appeared as part of the British Musical Hall Society's Silver Jubilee. In 1991,

9860-472: The short lived Micallef Tonight and The Sideshow . In Brazil variety shows are referred to as a show de auditório (lit. "auditorium show"). Among the longest-running variety shows on Brazilian television have been SBT 's Programa Silvio Santos (1963–present), which was originally hosted by SBT's owner and founder Silvio Santos (and is presently hosted by his daughter Patricia Abravanel ), and TV Globo 's Domingão do Faustão (1989–2021), which

9976-461: The show returned the next year in syndication, it had been reformatted as a talk show, under which format it ran until 2004. Fox's Osbournes Reloaded , a variety show featuring the family of rocker Ozzy Osbourne , was canceled after only one episode had been telecast in 2009. More than two dozen affiliates refused to telecast the first episode of the show. This series had been slated for a six-episode run. NBC has made repeated attempts at reviving

10092-477: The shows at the London Palladium . His 1938 show returned to the London Coliseum . Throughout World War II from 1939 to 1944 no shows were presented. The show resumed in 1945 after the war ended. From 1960 to 2010, the BBC and ITV broadcast a recorded version of the show, alternating the production between their two main channels, with the BBC producing and televising the 'even years' and ITV televising

10208-465: The site of Argyll House , demolished in the 1860s, from which the pub opposite took the name The Argyll Arms ), dates back to the 19th century. Formerly it was a temporary wooden building called Corinthian Bazaar , which featured an aviary and aimed to attract customers from the recently closed Pantheon Bazaar (now the site of Marks & Spencers ) in Oxford Street . The theatre was rebuilt

10324-440: The site that had previously housed Hengler's Circus . The theatre retains many of its original features and was Grade II* listed in September 1960. The building now carries Heritage Foundation commemorative plaques honouring Lew Grade and Frankie Vaughan . The Palladium had its own telephone system so the occupants of boxes could call one another. It also had a revolving stage. The theatre started out as The Palladium ,

10440-474: The star in a set meant to look like their home, welcoming singers and other guests to perform duets of Christmas songs . The popularity of these Christmas shows outlasted that of weekly variety shows. In 1973, for example, even as variety shows were starting to fade in popularity, variety Christmas specials hosted by Williams and Como both attracted an enormous 40% of the American television audience. Williams's and Johnny Cash 's annual Christmas specials outlasted

10556-663: The succeeding years. Recently many other TV networks are different formats of variety. ABS-CBN's It's Showtime has also shown great popularity and interest to Filipino viewers. Siempre en Domingo premiered in 1969 with Raúl Velasco hosting. It became Mexico's longest-running variety series, remaining on Televisa until 1998. Other long-running variety shows, most of which have been Televisa productions, have included La Carabina de Ambrosio , Anabel , Al Fin de Semana , Silvia y Enrique , La Parodia , Muevete , Desmadruga2 , and Sabadazo. . Most, if not all, of Televisa's variety shows have aired in other countries, including

10672-533: The suggestion of King George V from 1921 and from 1927 the British Broadcasting Corporation began to broadcast it on radio. From 1928 through to 1938, the impresario-producer and manager of the London Palladium , George Black , took over the presentation of the Royal Variety Performance. He would also facilitate as compere at the shows. His first production was held on 1 March 1928 at the London Coliseum and from 1930 to 1937 he held

10788-574: The term " Beatlemania " to describe the hysterical interest in the band. While the theatre hosts resident shows, it is also able to host one-off performances, such as concerts, TV specials and Christmas pantomimes . It has hosted the Royal Variety Performance 43 times, most recently in 2019. Walter Gibbons , an early moving-pictures manager, built the Palladium in 1910 to compete with Sir Edward Moss 's London Hippodrome and Sir Oswald Stoll 's London Coliseum . The facade (on

10904-539: The theatre on 18 and 25 February 2007. On 20 May 2007 the London Palladium hosted the 2007 BAFTA awards, which were broadcast on BBC television , and in 2010 the BAFTA Television Awards returned to the Palladium. While the Theatre has a resident show, it is still able to have one-off performances; this is enabled by the scenery of the resident show being designed to be easily removed. For example,

11020-520: The variety format since the late 2000s (the network's last successful variety series, Michael Nesmith 's short-lived but influential Television Parts , was broadcast in the summer of 1985) . A pilot episode for Rosie Live was telecast the day before Thanksgiving Day in 2008 and, after receiving middling ratings and extremely poor reviews, was not picked up for its originally planned run in January 2009. In May 2014, NBC aired The Maya Rudolph Show ,

11136-482: The variety show format was practically extinct, due largely to changing tastes and the fracturing of media audiences (caused by the proliferation of cable and satellite television ) that makes a multiple-genre variety show impractical. Even reruns of variety shows have generally not been especially widespread; TV Land briefly broadcast repeats of some variety shows (namely The Ed Sullivan Show and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour ) upon its launch in 1996, but within

11252-476: The venue staged Bill Kenwright 's production of Scrooge – The Musical which closed on 14 January 2006. The show starred Tommy Steele , making a return to the Palladium. From February 2006, the theatre played host to a new musical production entitled Sinatra At The London Palladium , which featured a live band, large screen projections and dancers performing Frank Sinatra's greatest hits. Lloyd Webber and David Ian's production of The Sound of Music opened at

11368-442: The venue, the production starred many celebrities. This show proved to be the most successful in the theatre's long history and reunited, 50 years later, the show's choreographer Gillian Lynne , with the theatre in which she had appeared as the Palladium's Star Dancer during the early 50s. On 1 November 2004 and 22 November singer-songwriter Jackson Browne performed two concerts during his solo acoustic tour. For Christmas 2005–06,

11484-604: The venue. In 1935 the Royal Variety Performance was held in the Silver Jubilee year of King George V and Queen Mary . This was the last time King George V attended – he died three months later, in January 1936. There have been two Royal Scottish Variety Performances, both attended by Queen Elizabeth II , and presented by Howard & Wyndham Ltd in Glasgow's Alhambra Theatre , which Sir Alfred Butt had opened, in 1958 and 1963. The Children's Royal Variety Performance

11600-573: The world, such as in the United Kingdom with the Royal Variety Performance , and South Korea with Running Man , the proliferation of multichannel television and evolving viewer tastes have affected the popularity of variety shows in the United States. Despite this, their influence has still had a major effect on late night television whose late-night talk shows and NBC 's variety series Saturday Night Live (which originally premiered in 1975) have remained popular fixtures of American television. The live entertainment style known as music hall in

11716-532: Was also using one at Joiner Street under London Bridge Station and one at St James's Bond in Rotherhithe (which flooded at high tide). In 1968, Sammy Davis Jr. starred in Golden Boy , the first book musical to be produced in the venue. A Johnny Cash album was recorded there in 1968, but Columbia Records never released it. Bootlegs of the performance are in circulation. Jose Feliciano also recorded

11832-534: Was broadcast live every week by ATV , which was owned by the famous theatrical impresario Lew Grade. Production was by Val Parnell. Six programmes aired as special episodes in the United States between May and August 1966 on NBC . British stars on the show included Cliff Richard and the Shadows , Petula Clark , the Beatles and the Rolling Stones . The Beatles' publicist, Tony Barrow , said that after

11948-647: Was called the Royal Command Performance , and this name has persisted informally for the event. This was held in the Palace Theatre , Shaftesbury Avenue , London, in the presence of King George V and Queen Mary . After correspondence with theatre impresario Sir Edward Moss , the King said he would command a Royal Variety show in his Coronation year , 1911, provided the profits went to the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund, as

12064-449: Was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many with televised performances. Between 1955 and 1969 Sunday Night at the London Palladium was staged at the venue, produced for the ITV network. The show included a performance by the Beatles on 13 October 1963; one newspaper's headlines in the following days coined

12180-404: Was devised by entertainer Rod Hull in 1981 and took place in London until 1994 in aid of NSPCC . In 1990, A Royal Birthday Gala to celebrate the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother , was staged at the London Palladium on 19 July, replacing the traditional November/December Royal Variety Show that year. In place of the traditional show, a special programme called Thirty Years of

12296-472: Was held with entertainment from magicians, such as Jay & Joss and popular band, The Masqueraders. However in 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, a virtual version was held, opening with a virtual message from the then Prince of Wales followed by "As If We Never Said Goodbye" sung by that year's host Jason Manford . The Royal Variety performance of 2023, held in the Royal Albert Hall ,

12412-465: Was hosted by Bradley Walsh . The headline act was performed by Cher . Since 2007, one act of the Royal Variety show has been selected by the British public through the ITV television talent show Britain's Got Talent . A public telephone vote decides the most popular act in each semi-final, which then progresses to the final, along with a second act chosen by the judges. The grand final

12528-413: Was hosted by Fausto Silva until he departed the network to host a short-lived variety show on Rede Bandeirantes . Two notable Taiwanese variety shows are Guess (1996–2012) and 100% Entertainment (1997–present). East Asian variety programs are known for their constant use of sound effects, on-screen visuals and comedic bantering. Many of the shows are presented in a live-like presentation in

12644-531: Was instrumental in bringing many acts to prominence in the United States, including Elvis Presley and The Beatles . One year after Sullivan's premiere, Music & the Spoken Word first aired on television. Having carried over from an already 20-year run on radio, the series airs a program of religious music, messages, and occasional interviews, and remains the longest-running variety show in U.S. television history. " The Arthur Murray Party " (1950–1960)

12760-555: Was only the 22nd-most watched show of the year. By 1980 viewer interest in TV variety shows was rapidly waning. Most of the few new variety programs being produced were of remarkably poor quality (for instance, the infamous Pink Lady and Jeff ), hastening the format's demise, though a few moderately successful shows remained, such as Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters (November 1980 to June 1982). A brief revival of

12876-515: Was open to any of these types of show; in 2015, the academy separated late-night talk shows and sketch comedy series into separate categories. During Johnny Carson 's tenure on The Tonight Show on NBC from 1962 to 1992, the show dominated late night ratings, and the other networks attempted late-night talk shows only sporadically. This changed with Carson's retirement, and other networks began to air their own talk show competitors, starting with Late Show with David Letterman on CBS in 1993. As of

12992-589: Was postponed to summer 2021. Donovan and Yarrow reprised their roles with Alexandra Burke as the Narrator with Linzi Hateley playing the Narrator at certain performances (reprising her role from the 1991 Palladium revival). In 2022, Disney 's Beauty and the Beast ran for a limited summer season following its UK and Ireland tour starring Courtney Stapleton , Martin Ball , Gavin Lee , and Sam Bailey . In summer 2023,

13108-554: Was removed to make way for more modern technology. From April 2002 to 4 September 2005, the Palladium hosted a theatrical version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with songscore by the Sherman Brothers as a successor to The King & I, directed by Adrian Noble and choreographed by Gillian Lynne . The original cast included Michael Ball , Emma Williams , Anton Rodgers , Nichola McAuliffe , Brian Blessed and Richard O'Brien . Throughout its three-and-a-half-year run at

13224-731: Was seven years before the next show, on 28 July 1919 held at the Coliseum Theatre presented this time by Sir Oswald Stoll . The orchestra was conducted by Edward Elgar . In 1921 it moved to the Hippodrome , and was held in November. It was the first time that the Royal Variety Performance became an annual event. In 1923 it moved to the Coliseum Theatre . Then after a gap in 1924, moved to the Alhambra Theatre in February 1925, where it remained in 1926, held on 27 May. It

13340-507: Was the first Royal Variety Performance to be broadcast, with the BBC providing live radio coverage. In 1927 there was another move, this time to the Victoria Palace Theatre , with J. A. Webb the compère. The 1928 show, on 13 December, was held at the Coliseum Theatre . The next show, on 22 May 1930, moved to the London Palladium with George Black and Val Parnell compèring. It was the start of seven successive years at

13456-516: Was wildly popular and one of only 5 shows in the history of television to appear on all four major networks at the same time. The premise was a large dance party hosted by Kathryn Murray and Arthur Murray that showcased a new dance and a celebrity guest along with dozens of professional dancers. The show also hosted the only television appearance of Buddy Holly and The Crickets . The Lawrence Welk Show (1955–1982) would go on to become one of U.S. television's longest-running variety shows; based on

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