The Bobby Vinton Show
The Bobby Vinton Show was a Canadian musical variety television series produced for the CTV Television Network between 1975 and 1978, with a total of 52 episodes broadcast. Featuring Bobby Vinton, a best-selling popular music singer since the early 1960s, the series mixed comedy skits with musical interludes. Appearing on the series as a regular was comedian Billy Van. The series often satirized Vinton's Polish heritage, and its theme song was an "umpah band" rendition of his 1974 song "My Melody of Love" (Vinton also ended each episode by performing the song himself). The series was created by Chris Bearde and packaged by Chuck Barris. The shows always commenced with a large woman named Monique dancing the guest out to the stage.
| The Bobby Vinton Show | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Variety Show |
| Created by | Chris Bearde |
| Directed by | Michael Steele |
| Presented by | Bobby Vinton |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Alan Blye and Chris Bearde |
| Producers | Philip McLaren Alan Thicke |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | Chuck Barris Productions |
| Distributor | Sony Pictures Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | CTV |
| Original release | September 9, 1975 – 1978 |
The series was syndicated to local stations in the United States, although the program's entry in the user-edited Internet Movie Database suggests it may also have been broadcast by CBS during 1975 (CBS did broadcast his one-hour special, Bobby Vinton's Rock N' Rollers, during 1978).
The series also spawned a 1975 soundtrack album on ABC Records; see The Bobby Vinton Show (album).
Guests appearing on the show included: Ethel Merman, Ted Knight, Lynn Anderson, Barbara Walters, Phyllis Diller, O.J. Simpson, The Spinners, Donna Summer, Petula Clark, Lainie Kazan, Foster Brooks, Anne Murray, Jessica Walter, John Byner, Arte Johnson, Loretta Swit, Tanya Tucker, Clifton Davis, Adrienne Barbeau, Charlie Callas, Hank Garcia and Henny Youngman.