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Donny & Marie
1976 · TV series · 46 min episodes · 4 seasons
Created by Marty Krofft
Donny & Marie is an American variety show which aired on ABC from January 1976 to January 1979. The show stars brother and sister pop duo Donny Osmond 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 #1 on the Billboard Country Music charts. 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 Up To You", "Morning Side Of The Mountain", "Deep Purple" and "Make The World Go Away". Donny and Marie were the youngest entertainers in TV history to host their own variety show. A year later, The Keane Brothers would break this record.
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I'd love to play some of the Sid and Marty Krofft psychedelically themed pinball machine designs featured on this episode of the Donnie and Marie Show:
Donny & Marie Osmond - Pinball Machine Finale W/ Shabba-Doo, Robert Hegyes, Ruth Buzzi, Lorne Greene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGnfsiayuoE
Sid and Marty Krofft (of HR Pufnstuf fame) designed the spectacular sets and costumes. I love Donny and Marie's cover of George Clinton's "We Want The Funk", Shabba-Doo's funky hat and break dancing, Robert Hegyes (aka Juan Epstein from Welcome Back Kotter) and his smooth dance moves, Ruth Buzzi (of Laugh-In fame) shakin' her balls, and Lorne Green (of Bonanza nad Battlestar Galactica) gesticulating his giant creepy hands. TILT!!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_and_Marty_Krofft
Hmmm...
When I pull up a random television network schedule from the 1970s -- let's pull up 1976-1977. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976%E2%80%9377_United_States_network_television_schedule) I see some shows generally recognized as quality television.
And, er, some television that isn't. No surprise.
At least, I certainly don't think the variety shows count as "great" by most people's scope, of which 1970s television had a lot of. At least, I'm not aware of modern demand for the Tony and Dawn Rainbow Hour, Donny & Marie, the Shields and Yarnell show, or the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Maybe I'm wrong.
In the scripted department, there's several single-season or less programs. I presume weren't that great. Shows like Holmes and Yo-Yo, Nashville 99, Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected, and Gemini Man, were they that great? (A "TV movie" -- Riding With Death -- from the last one was used as fodder for MST3K. So, probably not.)
The one thing I think is notable in older TV listings is just how strongly several formats dominate. Namely, in addition to the variety shows, sitcoms and crime / medical dramas seem to dominate. (If you are looking for fantasy / horror / sci-fi, to give a few other genre examples, your pickings are slim.)
"Good" is by nature subjective. But one thing I can say is that none of these genres are typically noted for multilayered messaging. To give two examples from the sitcom side, here are two 1976 shows that are generally reviewed as "good": "Three's Company" and "Good Times". One is basically a farce often criticized as "jiggle television". One basically became a platform for the wacky antics of JJ. Not sure I'd describe either of these shows as very "deep". :)
Today, in the era of DVRs and on-demand streaming, I do think it's easier for writers to "risk" multi-episode plotlines.