The Entertainers

The Entertainers

The Entertainers was a one-hour American variety show which aired on CBS from September 25, 1964 through March 27, 1965. Produced by Joe Hamilton, the series featured three hosts; Hamilton's then-wife Carol Burnett, Bob Newhart, and Caterina Valente. In order to serve as a regular host, it was necessary for Burnett to leave her role in the Broadway musical Fade Out - Fade In, and was summarily sued by the show's producers for breach of contact.Broadcast weekly from New York, where it was taped Friday evenings at CBS Studio 50 (now the Ed Sullivan Theater), the variety show format was typical of the period. It contained a mix of comedy sketches, musical numbers performed by a regular group of series' artists and having one or two guest stars (such as Boris Karloff, Phil Silvers, and Chita Rivera) who hosted, alongside Burnett and Valente each week. Initially airing Friday night at 8:30pm ET/PT, but after not doing well in the ratings, the show was moved in January 1965, to Saturday's at 9:00pm ET/PT, and the format was slightly altered, with Newhart and a few of the series' regulars leaving the cast, and Burnett and Valente taking co-hosting positions for the remainder of the series' run.

Update this biography »
Complete biography of The Entertainers »