Combinations of multiple acts—singing, dancing, comedy and drama—strung together by a genial host like Milton Berle linked early television to Vaudeville and radio. In subsequent decades, variety shows have gone through cycles of popularity and innovation as well as decline in the 1990s.

Ed Sullivan, who moved from Broadway columnist to famously wooden host, created the classic variety show (Toast of the Town, CBS 1948–55; The Ed Sullivan Show, 1956– 71). While known for bizarre juxtapositions—“Next Week, the Beatles and the Pietà”— Sullivan also showcased Elvis Presley, Broadway, Vaudevillians and emergent black performers between acrobats and hand puppets. Other classic early shows include the Ernie Kovacs Show (various networks), Your Show of Shows (NBC, 1954–7) and the long-running Tonight Show (see late-night television).

Subsequent shows have tended to use comedy or music as a skeleton for skits and spotlight appearances. While white male-dominated, variety shows’ eclecticism has created mass media entrée for African American performers, including hosts Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Flip Wilson, who had their own shows from the 1950s through the 1970s. Strong women like female comedian Carol Burnett (CBS, 1967–78) also have made their mark.

Other shows marketed Las Vegas, NV (Dean Martin), rock (Hullabaloo), Nashville (Hee-Haw) and puppets (the Muppet shows). Variety shows nonetheless rarely looked beyond Americans and occasional British celebrities (until the arrival of cable chains like Univision). Meanwhile, linkages of television to other fields have fostered guest spotlights to promote film, music and celebrity sports.

Given television’s orientation towards mass audiences, variety-show comedy is often tame, involving take-offs on television or movies or suggestive soundbites like those of the rapid-fire Rowan and Martin Laugh-in (NBC, 1968–73). Political humor did appear in the 1960s with the short-lived satirical review That Was the Week that Was (NBC, 1964–5). Later, the controversial Smother’s Brothers Comedy Hour (CBS, 1965–7) brought countercultural performers on screen while attacking the Vietnam War and other sensitive issues before CBS pulled the plug. Sexual humor was more controlled but safe, although Flip Wilson (NBC, 1970–4) challenged categories of gender and propriety.

Other variety shows, in fact, promoted the merging of politics and entertainment— Richard Nixon appeared on Laugh-In, while Bill Clinton campaigned on latenight shows. Sonny Bono, who moved from music to variety shows with wife Cher, later became a mayor and a member of Congress.

In the 1990s, variety shows seem to have played out their popularity except for latenight viewers. Saturday Night Live, begun in the 1970s, offers a hip sensibility in ensemble television that has produced star comics for the baby boomers and Generation X, with hot musicians and guest hosts ranging from Joe Namath to Jesse Jackson.

Despite this network decline, MTV, cable television networks like E! and even talk shows have picked up some of the elements that made variety shows a showcase, nursery and sales department for American entertainment.