Donny and Marie

"Donny & Marie" was one of the last variety shows on the air. The variety show format on TV gained popularity in the early 1960's, and was highly successful until the late '70s. A typical episode was a combination of jokes, skits, dance routines, and musical performances. As with any show of this type, some episodes were stronger than others, depending on the guests.

Variety was format that allowed many aging Hollywood greats, such as Lucille Ball, Bing Crosby, and George Burns amongst many others, to perform for their fans on an albeit infrequent basis. Sadly, nearly all of the big name guest stars of the variety show format have passed away.

"Donny & Marie" was truly a family-friendly show. Looking back, it was definitely a wholesome program, one we remember fondly and wished that we would see more of today.

When Donny and Marie premiered they had the full backing of the studio. With big name guest stars like Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, and Bing Crosby. As time went on ABC began using the Donny and Marie Show as nothing more than an hour long advertisement for other ABC shows currently on the air. Charlie's Angels cast, Happy Days cast, Mork and Mindy cast, Eight is Enough cast, Check out the first cast lists and later cast lists.

They were just kids so they couldn't even fight the grown-ups on a level footing. Bringing the show to Utah was an attempt to wrest back control over the guest list and bring in the big drawing names again. Didn't work, as punishment, ABC moved the show opposite the highest rated show on TV at the time; Sixty Minutes. Then complaining about "poor ratings" they canceled the show. They did a remarkable job for being the youngest people to host a musical variety show. With all those adults telling them what to do.

Donny and Marie Osmond were the first brother and sister to host a variety show. Critics picked on the duo the whole time they were on the air. It wasn't great art, but it was fun, wholesome entertainment for an hour on Friday nights. Donny and Marie, like all variety shows, was expensive to put on every week, and that, along with changing tastes, eventually drove the show off the airwaves. Sometimes Nick-At-Nite will show reruns of it.

When I wrote my comments on all the shows in the "Brady Bunch" franchise, I often said that they caused the diabetes rates to jump. Well, this is another show that definitely caused it to go up. This show had to be the most sickeningly sweet show and it was a worthy successor to that other family that was on Friday nights. However, whereas the Brady's were played by a bunch of actors, the Donnie and Marie were a real life brother and sister act. Also, they probably would have been the perfect spokespersons for Crest or Ultra Brite. This show was definitely a product of its time.

Talk about purple socks and disco shirts from that decade,please gimme a break! This variety show was one of the worst outta the bunch from the 1970's which ABC-TV showed on Friday nights since this was pure adulterated garbage. Marie sings a little bit of country,and Donnie does rock and roll songs? Yes,it may have been the first brother and sister variety show during that time,but some of scenes and mostly the segments they did made me puked.