The Beatrice Arthur Special
1980 · 60m · Comedy · Music
The Beatrice Arthur Special was a prime time U.S. television special broadcast on CBS on January 19, 1980. The production centered around Bea Arthur, who was joined by guest stars Rock Hudson, Melba Moore and ventriloquist Wayland Flowers with his puppet Madame in a series of musical numbers and comedy sketches.
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Class Dismissed
2011
It's official; class is back! Riots on the street, old-Etonians in government, a workforce on strike, "Downton Abbey", "The King's Speech", the royal wedding and vajazzling. In this one-off special, Frank Skinner is joined by comedians Micky Flanagan, Roisin Conaty and Miles Jupp to assess whether class is still relevant in the 21st century. Probing analysis meets comedy chat, as our comics become intrepid reporters, examining the subject through their own unorthodox reports.
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Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man
1970
A CBS television special, renowned for its legendary "Yma, Ava....Yma, Uta... Yma, Oona" sequence. Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man (1970) won Anne Bancroft her only Emmy for her portrayal of 14 different woman in 14 musical and comedy sketches. Bancroft's husband Mel Brooks contributed to the script and also appears onscreen.
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Shirley Bassey: A Special Lady
1980 · ★ 9
Recorded and broadcast by British TV (Thames Television) in 1980 with special guests Robert Goulet and Richard Clayderman
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TCB
1968 · ★ 8
TCB is a 1968 television special produced by Motown Productions and George Schlatter–Ed Friendly Productions of Laugh-In fame. The special is a musical revue starring Motown's two most popular groups at the time, Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations. Containing a combination of showtunes, specially prepared numbers, and popular Motown hits, the special was taped before a live studio audience in September 1968 and originally broadcast December 9, 1968 on NBC, sponsored by the Timex watch corporation. The title of the program uses a then-popular acronym, "TCB", which stands for "Taking Care of Business".
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G.I.T. on Broadway
1969
G.I.T. on Broadway was a 1969 television special produced by Motown Productions and George Schlatter-Ed Friendly Productions. The special, a follow-up to 1968's successful TCB program, was a musical revue starring Motown's two most popular groups at the time, Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations. Containing primarily Broadway showtunes, the special was taped before a live studio audience in mid-1969 and originally broadcast November 12, 1969 on NBC. Like TCB, the title of the program was derived from an acronym, this one standing for "Gettin' It Together". A soundtrack album for the special, titled On Broadway, was issued the same month the program aired. Though there were no singles released from this album in the states, "The Rhythm of Life" did become a Top 20 hit for the ensemble in Australia. Two months after its release, Diana Ross left The Supremes to start a solo career.
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Shirley MacLaine: Gypsy in My Soul
1976
Musical Special featuring Shirley MacLaine in her tribute to chorus dancers, colloquially known as "gypsies." Produced by Cy Coleman and Fred Ebb, the special uses a self-referential show business plot in which the star rehearses for her television special about the life of a dancer. MacLaine performed a wide range of songs including "Lucy's Back in Town," during which Lucille Ball made a "surprise" appearance. The program won Outstanding Special: Comedy-Variety or Music at that year's Emmys as well as awards for writing (Ebb), music composition (Coleman), and choreography (Tony Charmoli).
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From Raquel with Love
1980 · ★ 9
Musical Special designed to showcase the minimal talents of Raquel Welch. Highlights include: a scene featuring Welch and Mickey Rooney, portraying a cab driver with seemingly magical abilities; a scene featuring Welch in a subway station performing a medley and dance sequence; a scene wherein Welch attempts to sing “Money Makes the World Go Round”; Raquel performing a version of “We Are Family” in a martial arts training class; Rooney and Welch performing “Heaven on Earth”; Welch performing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” while escaping from a straitjacket; Welch performing “A Quiet Thing”; and Welch and Rooney performing “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.”
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Singer Presents Burt Bacharach
1971
On March 14, 1971, SINGER PRESENTS BURT BACHARACH was shown on CBS and featured Barbra Streisand joining the composer at the piano for an intimate conversation about life, love and music, as well as several performances - in addition to appearances by Tom Jones, Rudolf Nureyev and Bettie De Jong, too.
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Ann-Margret: Hollywood Movie Girls
1980
George Burns, Dom DeLuise, Danny De Vito, Dean-Paul Martin and Roger Moore provide arms for A-M to lean on as she impersonates Hollywood stereotypes, from a rejected script girl to an over-the-hill sex symbol. Highlights include Ann-Margret's slowed-down rendition of I Will Survive and a jaw dropping version of Stouthearted Men that looks like it is set in the backroom of a 70s gay club!
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Liberace: A Valentine Special
1979
Join Liberace in his hot air balloon as he touches down at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada and jumps on stage for a Valentine's Day concert like no other! There's also a tour of the Liberace Museum, his private home and the Queen Mary where Sandy Duncan and Lola Falana join him in song, dance and laughter.
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Kevin Smith: Burn in Hell
2012 · ★ 7.1
In this hour and a half special, writer/director/comedian/podcaster Kevin Smith conducts a riotous and outrageous Q&A session about the aftermath of his latest film, Red State. Topics include such misadventures as his pissing off the entire movie blogger community at the Sundance Film Festival and being followed around the country by the highly devout, and highly angered, Phelps Family.
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Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber
2015 · ★ 6.8
Several roasters, and the master himself Kevin Hart, make fun of Justin Bieber.
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