The Julie Andrews Hour (1972)
The Julie Andrews Hour is a television variety series starring Julie Andrews that was produced by ATV and distributed by ITC Entertainment. It aired on the ABC network in the United States. In order to secure Andrews for the series, Sir Lew Grade and ABC offered her an extremely lucrative contract. In 1963, when another major star, Judy Garland was signed to a weekly television variety series, it failed to catch on with the public. One of the main reasons for its demise was its constant change of format and the fact that critics and audiences felt that Garland was not shown off to her best advantage. In order to avoid that error, Andrews asked producer Nick Vanoff what the premise of the show would be about. Vanoff immediately answered her by saying "Julie Andrews...without Julie Andrews there is no 'Julie Andrews Hour'". The show premiered on ABC Wednesday, September 13, 1972 at 10:00 P.M. ET to rave reviews. Unfortunately, its time slot proved to be daunting because it was up against the popular CBS detective series, Cannon. Another reason for the low ratings was that the lateness of the hour was not conducive to family viewing since children were in bed by that time. On Thanksgiving Eve, November 22, 1972, "The Julie Andrews Hour" devoted an entire episode saluting Walt Disney. To make it more of a "family special", ABC switched the time slot of "The Julie Andrews Hour" that night to 8:30 P.M. and The ABC Wednesday Movie Of The Week to 9:30 P.M. The ratings improved a little so ABC then made a decision to alternate Andrews' time period each week This continued until January, 1973 when the series was moved to Saturday nights at 9:00 P.M. The ratings went from bad to worse as Andrews' chief competition was The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show on CBS. "The Julie Andrews Hour" was finally canceled by ABC after its 24th episode in April, 1973.
Seasons & Episode
The lady who played Mary Poppins, Eliza Doolittle and Queen Guinevere raises the curtain on her new variety series with a reprise of her famous roles. Julie: I Want to Be Happy/Wouldn't It Be Loverly?/Chim Chim Cher-ee/Do-Re-Mi Julie & Dancers: I Could Have Danced All Night/Burlington Bertie from Bow/If Ever I Would Leave You/The Boy Friend medley.
In a musical spoof of "All About Eve", retitled "All About Wheels", Julie plays roller queen Helen Wheels. Carl plays critic Addison Slime and Cass is Tiny Waddle, trainer and all-around yenta. In a tribute to the "Age of Aquarius", Julie sings songs linked to birthdays of famous people. Cass Elliott joins Carl Reiner in "It Was a Very Good Year". Julie solos "This Is My Beloved" and "Favorite Things".
The days of the Ziegfeld Girl and Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movies are saluted. Julie sings "I Have Dreamed" and "Loch Lemond". In a skit, Alice Ghostley dreams she has a date with Humphrey Bogart (Rich Little).
Julie and Robert Goulet reprise memorable music by a quartet of the nation's most noted song writers: Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers.
With Don Rickles.
Steve Lawrence joins Julie and Rich Little as the Marx Brothers and turn the stage into a shambles. Also Julie sings a salute to Libras, of which she is one. Steve and Julie appear in another scene as Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. They also sing a tribute to Oscar-losing songs. The final sequence is a comedy sketch about an English pub during World War II.
With Diahann Carroll and Phyllis Diller. Julie features a salute to the big band era with a special roster of lady guests.
With Dan Dailey and Cass Elliot. A recreation of the best years of the movie musical, with song highlights such as "Crazy Rhythm", "Won't You Play a Simple Melody" and "Button Up Your Overcoat".
With Robert Goulet and Joel Grey. An homage to Lerner and Loewe, featuring "Paint Your Wagon", "Brigadoon", "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot". Also other numbers, including "Sweethearts of Song", "Mack the Knife" and "The Lump and I".
A salute to the music of Walt Disney. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Dumbo, the Three Little Pigs and other Disney characters join in musical productions that include "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", "I'm Wishing", "I've Got No Strings" and "Waltz of the Flowers".
Harry Belafonte and Julie sing "Walking Happy", "Lazy Afternoon" and "Feelin' Good". Rich Little does impressions of James Mason, Henry Fonda, Howard Cosell and James Stewart. Sivuca backs Harry's "Suzanne".
With the Smothers Brothers and Jack Cassidy. Production features center around the circus and the Gay 90s. Julie and Jack Cassidy spoof the hazards of marriage. Rich Little does impressions of Truman Capote and Carol Channing. The cast performs numbers from Gilbert and Sullivan.
Keith Michell, who played Henry VIII in the Emmy-winning PBS series, teams with Julie in a takeoff on old English Music Hall entertainment. The cast also salutes writer-composer Noel Coward. Michell sings "Impossible Dream". Julie sings "If Love Were All".
Jimmy Stewart shows Julie how Christmas is celebrated in a small American town. Julie then gives Stewart a sample of a Dickens-type Christmas in London. In cameo appearances, many of the guests who have appeared with Julie this year return to help her celebrate the Yuletide season.
Keith Michell finally picks up the Emmy he won last May for his role in the PBS production of "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" (Mitchell was on location at the time the awards were presented). Julie and Keith do Scene 1, Act 2 of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew". Other skits involve Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" and A.A. Milne's "The King's Breakfast". In another skit, Keith plays "The Applicant" seeking a position as a physicist who has to face a stiff test from Miss Tiffs (Julie). Julie and Keith sing "Mack the Knife".
With Eydie Gorme, Jim Nabors and Maria von Trapp. Clips from the movie "The Sound of Music" are shown. The cast salutes the snow season in song medley.
Julie and cast honor those born under the sign Sagittarius. Robert Goulet plays a Mountie in Alice Ghostley's dream. Julie sings "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair". Rich Little sings "Come Fly With Me". Julie, Peggy Lee and Goulet sing "Candy Man". David Merrick, Broadway impresario, is saluted.
Sid Caesar takes part in a movie spoof, "The Godpoppa". Rich Little gives impressions of the vocal efforts of top film stars. Julie sings and dances "On the Sunny Side of the Street".
Julie along with guest stars Steve Lawrence and Angela Lansbury salute "Great Ladies of Show Business".
With Sandy Duncan, Sergio Franchi and The Sesame Street Muppets. In a salute to Jerome Kern, Julie sings "Strike Up the Band". Rawlf of the Muppets sings "Julie, Do You Love Me?". Sergio and Julie sing the duet from Act III of "Samson and Delilah".
Guest Sammy Davis Jr joins Julie for Broadway song hits, impressions and a Blood, Sweat & Tears medley with "Spinning Wheel", "Get It On" and "Redemption". Julie as Adelaide and Sammy as Nathan Detroit perform "Sue Me" from "Guys and Dolls". Sammy doffs his fedora to put on the hat of Tevya to sing "If I Were a Rich Man" from "Fiddler on the Roof" then joins Julie as Professor Howard Hill in a striped blazer and straw hat for "Trouble" from "Music Man". Rich Little and Sammy Davis team up to mimic Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
With Carol Lawrence, Steve Lawrence, Fritz Feld. Julie and guests salute the 1930s in comedy and song; one segment includes some first-time-on-TV clips of W.C. Fields.
With Donald O'Connor, Harve Presnell. The cast highlights unforgettable numbers by music man Frank Loesser. The Charmoli dancers and Julie start with "Something's Gotta Give". O'Connor does "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street". Julie sings "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and then joins O'Connor for "Basin Street Blues". Rich Little mimes Bogart, Fonda and Lemmon.
With Henry Mancini. Highlights: Mancini plays "Days of Wine and Roses" and "Peter Gunn", which leads to a comedy ballet in which Julie plays a detective named BeBee; "Julie's Bloopers", consisting of bits cut from preceding shows, are shown; Julie sings "Whistling in the Dark" and dances to the music of "Pink Panther"; Mancini and Julie do a medley of his hit numbers. (Last show of the series.)