Milton Berle Show 1966

[Mark Y]

I have done searches and haven't found anything on this. Got thinking about this with the recent release of the Jackie Gleason and Red Skelton shows.

"Uncle Miltie" came back with new shows in the fall of 1966. From what I have read, his revival was not successful and his new show only lasted one season.

I am assuming (but could be mistaken) that these were on color video, right?

Seems like this would be right up Time-Life's alley if (1) they still exist and (2) if all the rights can be cleared.

Anyone in the know? Seems like there is an appearance by Adam West (as Batman), Van Williams and Bruce Lee (as Green Hornet and Kato) out there, from a year before Uncle Miltie was "Louie The Lilac," in black and white...

Just curious to know if this version of the show even still exists. I don't recall ever running into it anywhere over the years.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Yes, originally on color 2-inch videotape. Sadly, I don't believe they survive, just milky 16mm reference kinescopes.

 

[LouA]

I recall watching this show occasionally back in 1966 - the year I graduated from high school !! I remember it being entertaining . Berle was such an icon of early television that it would be nice to have any of his programs back before the public. It's a shame that most of his best work from the fifties doesn't survive .

 

[Matt Hough]

I remember watching it and thinking it was very old fashioned and I didn't continue watching after one or two episodes. And that is surprising to me because I loved the comics from that same generation who also had variety shows (Red Skelton, Jackie Gleason) that I never missed an episode of. I may have been transitioning to a younger generation of comics with shows, however: the Smothers Brothers, Flip Wilson (a few years after this, of course).

 

[Neil Brock]

Only ran a half season, not a full. And even though shot on color 2-inch, only crappy black and white 16mm kinescopes survive, as is the case with most videotaped ABC variety shows.

 

[MartinP.]

I recall watching this show occasionally back in 1966 - the year I graduated from high school !! I remember it being entertaining . Berle was such an icon of early television that it would be nice to have any of his programs back before the public. It's a shame that most of his best work from the fifties doesn't survive .

The only thing I recall from this series is Milton Berle doing a monologue onstage while a guy in a theatre balcony was heckling him. That might have been a regular routine, he often liked to do some comedy while someone else would interrupt him that way.

In fact, I believe that happens in this Hollywood Palace episode:


He hosted the Hollywood Palace several times, but this is one of the best. Not just "his" appearances, but the whole series. One of the main reasons is that there is a continuity of sorts throughout the show. Some things tie in to other things throughout the episode;. jokes build upon other things that happen. It's not just a stand alone host intro'ing segments that have no relation to one another. My opinion, of course.

In addition to Berle, the guests are Sonny & Cher, Bill Dana, Abbe Lane, Maury Wills, Mike McGivney and The Rudas

 

[MartinP.]

Seems as though ABC's schedule for Friday night's the fall of 1966 was:

7:30: The Green Hornet
8:00: The Time Tunnel
9:00: The Milton Berle Show
10:00: Twelve O'Clock High

Just seems like a strange line-up of shows one after the other.

The Milton Berle Show was cancelled and replaced on Jan. 13, 1967 by:
9:00: Rango (new series)
9:30: The Pruitts of Southampton (moved from Tuesday night, the title was changed
to The Phyllis Diller Show for this time slot and the format/premise altered slightly;
some new characters were added, including Phyllis's brother played by Paul Lynde.
The series was based on the book House Party by Patrick Dennis, who had written
Auntie Mame.)

Twelve O'Clock High was cancelled and replaced on Jan. 20, 1967 by:
10:00: The Avengers (a mid-season entry each year beginning in 1966)

By the following season the entire Fall/Spring Friday night line-up had been cancelled.

 

[Jack P]

Berle's later appearances on "Batman" I have read were tied to burning off his ABC contract in the wake of his show's cancellation.

Donna Loren, previously of "Shindig" and a regular presence on Berle's show had of course done one of the early first season "Batman" episodes.