[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jun 27 2003, 01:29 PM\']Warning, kids: If you expect to hear a lot of Johnny O in the opening, don't--his only line is the \"From Miami Beach, the sun and fun capitol of the world, it's 'The Jackie Gleason Show!'\" [/quote]
I hate it so much when people pick the nits on this board, and here I am doing it myself! With the nit-pick comes a bonus just to help make up for it:
The Gleason variety show followed the ill-fated \"You're In The Picture\" - the shortest running game show in history airing only on January 20, 1961. The following week the show returned with an amazingly funny 30 minute apology and stream of conciousness monologue which is quite engaging (talk about \"a show about nothing\")! Gleason's long time friend/journalist/biographer says Jackie did the game show at the urging of some CBS brass. After all, they were paying \"The Great One\" $100,000 a year for his television exclusivity whether he was on the air or not!
The entire staff and crew involved with \"You're In The Picture\" was fired with the sole exception of ONE person whom Gleason had never met before seeing him work ONCE on that ill-fated episode, and Jackie had him work every single TV episode he did until Gleason's TV career was over. That guy was Johnny O!
That Saturday night variety show aired during it's first 2 seasons from New York with Johnny having far different copy and more than the single line quoted above. In 1964 Gleason moved the show to Miami Beach and it's only from 1964 that Johnny opened the show with THIS line:
\"From the sun and fun capital of the world Miami Beach, we bring you 'The Jackie Gleason Show'\". There were several changes over the ensuing years, but typically Johnny's copy continued with \"Starring Jackie Gleason, The American Scene Magazine, with ________, _______, and ________, The June Taylor Dancers, and Sammy Spear and his orchestra. And awaayyyyyyy we go\"!
Randy
tvrandywest.com
