The Andy Williams Show is an American television variety show hosted by Andy Williams that ran on NBC (and was videotaped in color) from 1962 to 1971 (alternating during the summer of 1970 with Andy Williams Presents Ray Stevens). It became a half-hour syndicated series beginning in the fall of 1976.Between visits to London Andy Williams tours Midwest, The South Bend Tribune, November 16, 1976, page 18
Series regulars
The Andy Williams Show featured a number of regular performers including: Dick Van Dyke (1958) The New Christy Minstrels (1962-1963) R.G. Brown (1962) Marian Mercer (1962) The Osmond Brothers (1962-1971) Jonathan Winters (1965-1967, 1970-1971) The Good Time Singers (1963-1966) Professor Irwin Corey (1969-1970) Ray Stevens (1969-1971) The Lennon Sisters (1970-1971) Charlie Callas (1970-1971) Janos Prohaska (The Cookie Bear) (1969-1971)
Series synopsis The first series began as a summer replacement on ABC in 1958 and on CBS in 1959. The weekly year-round series premiered on NBC in 1962, where it ran until 1967, when Williams reduced his workload to three specials a year. He returned to having a weekly series from 1969 through 1971.
At the beginning of the weekly series The New Christy Minstrels were the backup singers, but on December 20, 1962 The Osmond Brothers appeared on the show, and they became the regular backup performers for the rest of the series run.
In 1967 Williams decided to cut back to three specials per year. However, two years later he returned to weekly television in a revised format that included rock and roll acts and psychedelic lighting.
Starting with the 1969 season more emphasis was placed on comedy.Andy Williams Show to Debut on Monday, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, October 18, 1969, page 11 Hungarian acrobat and stuntman Janos Prohaska began appearing in a bear costume, asking for cookies. The bear never got any cookies in the series, but fans began mailing baked goods to Prohaska.Andy’s Bear Is Acrobat-Turned Stuntman, The Town Talk (Alexandria, LA), May 29, 1970, page 18
Five years after his second weekly run at NBC had ended, Williams hosted a half-hour syndicated weekly variety show with Wayland Flowers and orchestra leader George Wyle.Vincent Terrace, Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2nd Edition, page 43, McFarland, Inc., 2014
Awards and nominations Year Category Nominee(s) Result 1963 Outstanding Variety Series The Andy Williams Show 1963 Emmys Variety Program 1963Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Musical Program or SeriesAndy Williams 1963 Emmys - Performance in Variety Program
Partial list of guest stars
Judy Garland Don AdamsAndy Williams Show, The Baltimore Sun, April 11, 1966, page 16 Jack BennyBenny, Jonathan Winters Guest on Andy’s Premier, Santa Maria Times, September 22, 1964, page 30 Joey Bishop Bob Hope Sid CaesarAndy Williams Show, The Evening Sun, November 15, 1965, page 28 Petula Clark Ella Fitzgerald George GobelAndy Williams Show, The Tampa Times, September 27, 1962 Peggy Lee
Janet Leigh Henry Mancini Vaughn MeaderTV Programs, Portland Press Herald, March 28, 1963, page 7 Maureen O'Hara The Osmonds André Previn Smothers Brothers Danny Thomas Jonathan Winters
References
External links