Donny & Marie (1976 TV series)

Last updated

Donny & Marie
Donny&marie1976title.jpg
Created by Sid & Marty Krofft
Starring Donny Osmond
Marie Osmond
ComposersEarl Brown
Bob Rozario (music arrangements and conducting)
Claude Williamson (additional arrangements)
Tommy Oliver
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes78
Production
Running time45–49 minutes
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseJanuary 23, 1976 (1976-01-23) 
May 27, 1979 (1979-05-27)

Donny & Marie is an American variety show that aired on ABC from January 1976 to May 1979. The show starred brother-and-sister pop duo Donny and Marie Osmond. Donny had first become popular singing in a music group with his brothers, The Osmonds, and Marie was one of the youngest singers to reach No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts (with Paper Roses, in 1973).

Contents

The siblings were offered a weekly show by ABC-TV President Fred Silverman after he saw the duo co-host a week on The Mike Douglas Show which followed their series of popular remakes of oldies, such as "I'm Leaving It All Up to You", "Morning Side of the Mountain" and "Make the World Go Away". Donny and Marie (18 and 16 years old, respectively, when the program premiered) were the youngest entertainers in TV history to host their own variety show. A year later, The Keane Brothers would break this record.

Overview

Donny & Marie was a Friday night show [1] that consisted of an ice skating number intro, comedy skits, followed by songs performed by the duo. The most famous song performed on the show was "I'm a Little Bit Country, I'm a Little Bit Rock and Roll", which formed the basis of a weekly segment (the "Concert Spot") in which Marie ("I'm a little bit country") would trade off singing a country music song with Donny ("I'm a little bit rock and roll") singing a rock and roll song. Each episode concluded with a musical finale and a cascade of balloons from the ceiling, matched to the colors of the sets and costumes. Donny and Marie would then sing their trademark closing song which was written by Alan Osmond, "May Tomorrow Be a Perfect Day". Occasionally, the show would feature roughly 15-minute musical adaptations of famous feature films, such as Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz , with a mix of original cast members and celebrity guest stars. (Paul Lynde and Ruth Buzzi were semi-regulars for the run of the series; Lynde's appearance was part of a burn-off to fulfill Lynde's contract with ABC.) [2]

The show was shown in the UK on Sunday afternoon on BBC1, where it was always billed as "The Osmonds".

The show's popularity declined in its final two seasons after it was revealed that teen heartthrob Donny was dating (and eventually married) fellow Utahn Debbie Glenn, therefore taking him 'off the market' of eligible bachelors, and it aired in the same time slot with Wonder Woman . According to an edition of the VH1 series Behind the Music , many female viewers started to tune out at this point. The series also underwent a format change in the final season, eliminating segments such as the ice skaters and country/rock-n-roll segments in favor of more concert-style disco numbers. The show was also retitled The Osmond Family Show midway through the season, and was moved from the Friday night timeslot that it had occupied since its debut to Sunday night; the program increasingly featured the Osmond Brothers in larger roles. The variety show genre as a whole, at the time, was in steep decline, and the success of Donny & Marie was somewhat of an aberration compared to the trends of television in the late 1970s (two of the last successful variety shows, The Sonny & Cher Show and The Carol Burnett Show , left the air in 1977 and 1978, respectively). The Osmonds themselves were facing declining popularity in the music realm at the same time (something they partially blamed on focusing so much attention on the television side); their 1979 disco-influenced album Steppin' Out was a commercial flop. Further hurting the duo's popularity, they had declined roles in the eventual smash hit film Grease to star in Goin' Coconuts , which would flop at the box office. [3]

The 1980–1981 TV season featured Marie with a Bob Mackie fashion make-over and starring in her own solo variety series on NBC called Marie , which was also produced at Silverman's behest and attempted to follow a similar format. It was a replacement series and contracted for only seven episodes.

Donny and Marie teamed up again in 1998 to co-host Donny & Marie (also known as The Donny and Marie Hour and The Donny and Marie Show), a talk show that ran for two seasons. They continue to perform live, most recently for a long-term residency at the Flamingo Las Vegas.

Merchandising

Production notes

Originally, the show was created by Sid & Marty Krofft and videotaped in Los Angeles at KTLA Studios (known as the Golden West Videotape Division, and now known as the Old Warner Brothers Studio), but creative control of the show was given to the Osmonds after a long battle, and Donny & Marie was moved to the Osmond Studios (known as the Osmond Entertainment Center) in Orem, Utah in November 1977.

The popularity of the series resulted in Donny and Marie filming the movie Goin' Coconuts during its spring 1978 production hiatus, in which they played fictionalized versions of themselves.

The show ranked 35th out of 104 shows for the 1977–78 season, with an average 19.3 rating, [4] and ranked 63rd out of 114 shows for the 1978–79 season, with a 16.3/28 average rating/share. [5]

Note: Two Miss Americas guest starred on the Donny & Marie show: Susan Perkins (Miss America 1978, appearing on Season 3, Episode 3.4 on October 13, 1977) and Kylene Barker (Miss America 1979, appearing on Season 4, Episode 4.3 in 1979).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Lynde</span> American comedian and actor (1926–1982)

Paul Edward Lynde was an American comedian, actor and game show panelist. A character actor with a distinctively campy and snarky persona that often poked fun at his closeted homosexuality, Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched, the befuddled father Harry MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie and a regular "center square" panelist on the game show The Hollywood Squares from 1968 to 1981. He also voiced animated characters for five Hanna-Barbera productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charo</span> Spanish-American actress, singer, comedienne, and flamenco guitarist

María Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza, professionally known by her stage name Charo, is a Spanish-born actress, singer, comedian, and flamenco guitarist who rose to international prominence in the 1960s on American television, as well as starring in several films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sid and Marty Krofft</span> Canadian-American puppeteers and television producers

Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft, known as The Krofft Brothers and born as Sid and Marty Yolas, were a Canadian sibling team of television creators, writers and puppeteers. Through their production company, Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures, they made numerous children's television and variety show programs in the U.S., particularly in the 1970s, including H.R. Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost, and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. Their fantasy programs often featured large-headed puppets, high-concept plots, and extensive use of low-budget special effects.

Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a compère or host. The variety format made its way from the Victorian era stage in Britain and America to radio and then television. Variety shows were a staple of English language television from the late 1940s into the 1980s.

<i>Pink Lady</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Pink Lady is an American variety show that aired for five weeks on NBC in 1980, starring the Japanese musical duo of the same name. The show also is referred to by the title Pink Lady and Jeff, referring to co-star Jeff Altman. The show was riddled with complications, including a dispute over the name: agents for the starring parties were never able to settle on one, and the show was advertised both ways during its run. Other difficulties included scriptwriting disagreements, guest star booking mishaps, taping and touring conflicts, and the inability of Mie and Kei, the members of Pink Lady, to understand or speak English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donny Osmond</span> American singer, dancer, actor, television host

Donald Clark Osmond is an American singer, dancer, actor, television host and former teen idol. He first gained fame performing with four of his elder brothers as the Osmonds, earning several top ten hits and gold albums. Then, in the early 1970s, Osmond began a solo career, earning several additional top ten songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marie Osmond</span> American entertainer

Olive Marie Osmond is an American singer, actress, television host and a member of the show business family the Osmonds. Although she was never an official member of her family's singing group, she gained success as a country and pop music artist and television variety show cohost in the 1970s and 1980s. Her best-known song is a remake of the country pop ballad "Paper Roses". From 1976 to 1979, she and her singer brother Donny Osmond hosted the television variety show Donny & Marie.

<i>The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour</i> American variety show

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour is an American variety show that starred American pop singers Sonny Bono and Cher, who were married to each other at the time. The show ran on CBS in the United States, and premiered in August 1971. The show was cancelled in May 1974, due to the couple's divorce, but the duo reunited in 1976 for the similarly formatted The Sonny & Cher Show, which ran for two seasons, ending August 29, 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Osmonds</span> American family music group

The Osmonds were an American family music group who reached the height of their fame in the early to mid-1970s. The group had its best-known configurations as a quartet and a quintet. The group has consisted of siblings who are all members of a family of musicians from Ogden, Utah, and have been in the public eye since the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Osmond</span> American singer and musician (born 1949)

Alan Ralph Osmond is an American former singer and musician. He is best known for being a member of the family musical group The Osmonds. At the time, Alan and his brothers were performing as the Osmond Brothers Boys' Quartet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Osmond</span> American singer (born 1963)

James Arthur Osmond is an American singer and businessman. He is the youngest member of the sibling musical group the Osmonds. As a solo artist, Osmond has accumulated six gold records, one platinum record, and two gold albums.

<i>The Paul Lynde Halloween Special</i> American TV series or program

The Paul Lynde Halloween Special is a Halloween-themed television special starring Paul Lynde broadcast October 29, 1976 on ABC. It featured guest star Margaret Hamilton in a reprisal of her role as the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. Guest stars include Billie Hayes as Witchiepoo from H.R. Pufnstuf, Tim Conway, Roz Kelly, Florence Henderson, rock band Kiss, Billy Barty as Gallows the Butler, Betty White and, in an unbilled cameo appearance, Donny and Marie Osmond.

In American broadcast programming, "burning off" is the custom of quickly airing the remaining episodes of a television program, usually one that has already been or is planned to be cancelled, without the intent to attract a large number of viewers. In addition to airing episodes two at a time, this process may also include rescheduling the show to a lower-rated time slot, or transferring the show to a less visible sister network. A low-rated show that premiered in the early portion of the regular television season may return during the summer, only to have the final episodes "burned off."

<i>The Krofft Supershow</i> American TV series or program

The Krofft Supershow was a Saturday morning children's variety show, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft. It aired for two seasons from September 11, 1976, to September 2, 1978, on ABC.

<i>Goin Coconuts</i> 1978 American film

Goin' Coconuts is a 1978 American musical adventure comedy film directed by Howard Morris and starring Donny and Marie Osmond. The feature film tells a tale of Donny and Marie becoming embroiled in a dispute between two criminal gangs over a necklace while they visit Hawaii to perform in a concert. Released in theaters on October 18, 1978, it was both a critical and commercial failure.

Nat & Alex Wolff is an American pop rock duo from New York City, consisting of brothers Nat and Alex Wolff. The siblings are known for their work on the Nickelodeon television series The Naked Brothers Band, which was created and produced by their mother, actress Polly Draper. It was adapted from the self-titled mockumentary film that Draper wrote and directed. The duo's initial teen pop boy band called "The Naked Brothers Band" was depicted as part of its participation in their Nickelodeon series that aired from 2007 to 2009. They have released four full-length albums and have been nominated for several awards.

Donny & Marie may refer to any show headlined by Donny Osmond and his sister Marie Osmond:

<i>The Osmonds</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

The Osmonds is a 1972 ABC-TV Saturday morning cartoon series produced by Rankin/Bass Productions starring the Osmond Brothers. Each episode features the family in a different location around the world, with young Jimmy's antics usually driving the plot of the episode. As with most television series oriented around bands, the Osmonds' songs were featured prominently in the series. The series also featured their talking pet dog, Fuji. Marie Osmond did not appear in the series as she would not make her performing debut until 1973. An abridged version of their hit song "One Bad Apple" was used for the opening and closing credits of the show.

Marie is an American comedy-variety limited series hosted by and starring singer-actress Marie Osmond that aired on NBC from December 12, 1980 to September 26, 1981 with a total of seven episodes, split across two abbreviated seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donny and Marie Osmond discography</span>

The discography of American pop duo Donny and Marie Osmond contains seven studio albums, four compilation albums, one soundtrack album, one live album and 12 singles. Both siblings had previously had successful solo music careers before first collaborating in 1974; Donny was also a member of his brothers' band, The Osmonds. Their first single, "I'm Leaving It Up to You," reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Their corresponding debut album of the same name peaked at number 35 on the Billboard 200 chart in November 1974. The release certified gold in the United States for sales beyond 500,000 copies. Together, the duo had two more hits that reached both the top ten and 20 of the Hot 100: "Deep Purple" and "Morning Side of the Mountain."

References

  1. "Donny and Marie: Episode Guide". Archived from the original on December 27, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  2. Bruce Vilanch on "The Paul Lynde Halloween Special". Archive of American Television Interviews via YouTube (August 2, 2016). Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  3. "7 'Grease' Facts You May Not Have Known". ABC News. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  4. American Radio History [ dead link ]
  5. American Radio History [ dead link ]