The Ed Sullivan Show

[Jazzy1]

A new Netflix documentary, "Sunday Best," looks back at how Ed Sullivan fought to showcase Black performers at a time when discrimination was rampant on TV. Sullivan featured stars like James Brown, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Dionne Warwick. On December 14, 1969, the Jackson 5 made their network television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show.

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What was your favorite or most memorable act from the Ed Sullivan show?

 

[Oldeagle66]

Been awhile, maybe the Temptations. They had the smoothest moves. Plus I came from the same area.

 

[jujube]

The Beatles. My dad was sure that society had hit dead bottom.....

 

[Rae]

Elvis Presley. He wasn't suppose to make any moves with his body, so he moved only his fingers or something like that. He still sang his song well.

 

[jujube]

Elvis Presley. He wasn't suppose to make any moves with his body, so he moved only his fingers or something like that. He still sang his song well.

And to make sure, they only showed him from the waist up.

 

[Michael Z]

If you didn’t have a phonograph or money to buy records, the radio and Ed Sullivan was about all you had.

 

[Pepper]

Loved Jackie Mason's impersonation of Ed. He moved so stiffly he fell off the stage! I'll never forget it. Hilarious!

 

[Jazzy1]

 

[OldFeller]

Why exactly did Ed Sullivan have his own show? He was a journalist with no talent or appeal.

 

[MACKTEXAS]

Although there were many good performers on the Ed Sullivan show - Diana Ross, Elvis, Tom Jones, Barbra Streisand . . . I didn't care for Ed Sullivan's style or dry appeal, and seldom watched his show.

 

[Marcy Sheiner]

The show was always on Sunday nites in our house. I have many memories, the most vivid being Elvis, the Beatles, and the Stones.

 

[dusty]

A new Netflix documentary, "Sunday Best," looks back at how Ed Sullivan fought to showcase Black performers at a time when discrimination was rampant on TV. Sullivan featured stars like James Brown, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Dionne Warwick. On December 14, 1969, the Jackson 5 made their network television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show.

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What was your favorite or most memorable act from the Ed Sullivan show?

The day it ended.

 

[Oldeagle66]

The show was always on Sunday nites in our house. I have many memories, the most vivid being Elvis, the Beatles, and the Stones.

I have an Ed Sullivan channel on Roku. I have seen the commercials for it, just haven't tuned in yet

 

[Pink Biz]

 

[Disgustedman]

The problem was is that for us we didn't get to see Ed Sullivan too often, my mother more preferred Lawrence Welk , Hee Haw and various other country fair.

 

[WheatenLover]

Our family watched the show every Sunday night. It came on right after some twerpy Walt Disney show.

 

[Oldeagle66]

The problem was is that for us we didn't get to see Ed Sullivan too often, my mother more preferred Lawrence Welk , Hee Haw and various other country fair.

I would watch Lawrence Welk when visiting my grand parents as a kid, and got to like it. I would even watch it now.

 

[Timewise 60+]

We watched his show because of all the great entertainment he had on his show. Anyone who was considered a great entertainer was eventually on Ed Sullivan's show, many were on more than once...Somehow Sullivan and his staff were able to get all great entertainers to come on his show before anyone else could!

 

[ChiroDoc]

Why exactly did Ed Sullivan have his own show? He was a journalist with no talent or appeal.

He actually was a Broadway journalist/commentator for the New York Daily News, and habituated and reported on all the famous NYC nightclubs and their celebrity entertainers. He also emceed benefit shows.

Evidently a CBS producer pitched Sullivan to CBS bigwigs for the original show "Toast of the Town" because of Sullivan's connections and experience. Later the show simply became "The Ed Sullivan Show".

 

[ChiroDoc]

....

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What was your favorite or most memorable act from the Ed Sullivan show?

Well, it would have to be Elvis' first appearance in 1956. But I loved seeing appearances by Senior Wences, Jackie Mason, and Rich Little.

 

[Paulina]

Was that Doc just absolutely wonderful or what? So enjoyed it!

 

[OldFeller]

He actually was a Broadway journalist/commentator for the New York Daily News, and habituated and reported on all the famous NYC nightclubs and their celebrity entertainers. He also emceed benefit shows.

Evidently a CBS producer pitched Sullivan to CBS bigwigs for the original show "Toast of the Town" because of Sullivan's connections and experience. Later the show simply became "The Ed Sullivan Show".

According to Wikipedia, he was a sports jock. Looking at him, that makes sense.

"Sullivan was a gifted athlete in high school, earning 12 athletic letters at Port Chester High School. He played football as a halfback, basketball as a guard and track as a sprinter. With the baseball team, Sullivan was a catcher and the team's captain, leading the team to several championships."

I had also read somewhere that he was a boxer. Which would explain his good looks. So I asked the all knowing search engine about that and here was the reply from AI...

"Yes, Ed Sullivan was a boxer in his youth before he began his career in media and entertainment. He participated in boxing while also working as a sportswriter."

 

[JustDave]

I never thought about favorites, but he did have some great guests. I watched the show mainly because it was just something to watch. In other words, I wasn't a big fan. There was one kind of regular performer on the show. Senior Whenclets (or something that) who could make a puppet out of his hand, and he had a talking head in a wooden box. I thought he was funny.

 

[Beezer]

my mother more preferred Lawrence Welk , Hee Haw

That's child abuse! lol!

 

[OldFeller]

I never thought about favorites, but he did have some great guests. I watched the show mainly because it was just something to watch. In other words, I wasn't a big fan. There was one kind of regular performer on the show. Senior Whenclets (or something that) who could make a puppet out of his hand, and he had a talking head in a wooden box. I thought he was funny.

Why could he have a talking hand, Poppo Gigio the little Italian mouse, and people spinning plates and no other show get away with it?