The Big Show

The story

The Big Show is an American comedy-variety-musical television series produced and broadcast by NBC for several months in 1980.

The series aimed to revitalize the moribund variety television genre, which had been in a downward spiral since the cancellations of The Ed Sullivan Show and The Carol Burnett Show a few years earlier. The Big Show took its title seriously, using a huge stage set and filling a 90-minute time-slot, with at least one two-hour installment broadcast.

Although the first broadcast received high ratings, poor reviews and low ratings of succeeding episodes resulted in the program being cancelled after only a few months. The series nonetheless was nominated for six Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Costume Design.

Regular performers included Joe Baker, Graham Chapman, Mimi Kennedy, Shabba-Doo and Pamela Myers. Guest hosts included Steve Allen, Nell Carter, David Copperfield, Geoffrey Holder, Gary Coleman, and Sid Caesar. Skaters who performed in the show included Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, John Curry, and Toller Cranston.

Cast

C Charlie HillSelf A Adolfo QuinonesSelf E Edie McClurgSelf M Mimi KennedySelf P Pamela MyersSelf P Peggy FlemingSelf N Nell CarterSelf D David CopperfieldSelf D Debby BooneSelf M Mel TillisSelf D Dorothy HamillSelf S Sarah PurcellSelf

See more cast

R Ronnie CorbettSelf T Toller CranstonSelf S Sid CaesarSelf R Ronnie BarkerSelf G GallagherSelf G Graham ChapmanSelf L Lola FalanaSelf L Loretta SwitSelf B Buck OwensSelf R Robin CousinsSelf D Dottie WestSelf P Plácido DomingoSelf L Loni AndersonSelf B Bert ParksSelf J Joe NamathSelf T Tony RandallSelf M Murray LangstonSelf J Juliet ProwseSelf S Skip StephensonSelf M Meadowlark LemonSelf T Tanya TuckerSelf S Sylvie VartanSelf I Imogene CocaSelf A Alexander GodunovSelf J John BynerSelf J Jamie FarrSelf A Alwin NikolaisSelf R Robert ShieldsSelf R Randy JonesSelf - Village People (uncredited) B Barbi BentonSelf D Donald O'ConnorSelf S Steve MartinSelf H Hervé VillechaizeSelf C Count BasieSelf D Diahann CarrollSelf D Dionne WarwickSelf B Betty WhiteSelf K Ken BerrySelf K Kenneth ShelleySelf G Georgia EngelSelf C Cynthia GregorySelf S Sherman HemsleySelf S Sherrill MilnesSelf