The Leslie Uggams Show
| The Leslie Uggams Show | |
|---|---|
 Dick Van Dyke as the guest for the show's premiere in 1969. | |
| Genre | Variety |
| Written by |
Ernest Chambers Frank Shaw |
| Presented by | Leslie Uggams |
| Starring |
Johnny Brown Lincoln Kilpatrick |
| Narrated by | Roger Carroll |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) |
Ernest Chambers David Winters |
| Running time | 45–48 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | September 28 – December 14, 1969 |
The Leslie Uggams Show is an American variety television series starring actress/singer Leslie Uggams. The series aired on CBS as part of its 1969 fall lineup, and was the second variety series to feature an African American host since 1956's The Nat King Cole Show.
Synopsis
The Leslie Uggams Show gave Uggams, who had first come to wide public notice as a singer on the early 1960s hit Sing Along With Mitch, her own program to showcase herself and other black performers; unlike other early variety programs which were hosted by black entertainers but featured a large number of whites in the cast, only one of Uggams' regulars, comedian Dennis Allen, was white. A recurring feature of the program was the ongoing series of sketches entitled "Sugar Hill", which dealt with the lives of middle class black family in a large American city.[1][2]
The series took over the time slot of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour[3] that CBS pulled due to its controversial content. Scheduled against the venerable Western Bonanza, which was still a massive hit for NBC, and a series of fairly recent (by the standards of the era) movies on ABC, The Leslie Uggams Show had difficulty developing an audience[4] and was cancelled in December 1969.[1][5] The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour took over the Sunday night slot on CBS starting on 21 December 1969,[6] with Hee Haw taking over Campbell's vacated Wednesday night slot.[7]
Cast
- Leslie Uggams.....Host
- Dennis Allen.....Regular
- Johnny Brown.....Regular
- Lillian Hayman.....Regular
- Lincoln Kilpatrick....Regular
- Allison Mills.....Regular
- Roger Carroll.....Announcer
- Nelson Riddle.....Orchestra Leader
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | September 28, 1969 |
| Guest stars: David Frye, Dick Van Dyke, Marc Copage, Sly & the Family Stone | ||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | October 5, 1969 |
| Guest stars: Glenn Ash, Don Knotts | ||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | October 12, 1969 |
| Guest stars: John Banner, Robert Clary, Bob Crane, Larry Hovis, Werner Klemperer | ||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | October 26, 1969 |
| Guest stars: Kaye Ballard, Raymond Burr, The Turtles | ||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | November 2, 1969 |
| Guest stars: Jim Nabors, Smith, Jackie Vernon | ||
| 6 | "Episode 6" | November 9, 1969 |
| Guest stars: Bob Denver, David Frye, Robert Guillaume, Johnny Mathis | ||
| 7 | "Episode 7" | November 16, 1969 |
| Guest stars: Ken Berry, David Frye, Dick Van Dyke | ||
| 8 | "Episode 8" | November 23, 1969 |
| Guest stars: Sammy Davis, Jr., Bobby Goldsboro, Mitch Miller, Sammy Shore | ||
| 9 | "Episode 9" | December 7, 1969 |
| Guest stars: Ruth Buzzi, Mike Connors, Stevie Wonder | ||
| 10 | "Episode 10" | December 14, 1969 |
| Guest stars: Glenn Ash, Kaye Ballard, The Temptations | ||
References
- 1 2 "The Leslie Uggams Show". museum.tv. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
- ↑ Benigno, Scotti (9 December 1969). "Keys & Cues: Tucker's Television Appearance Recalls His Sarasota Concert". Sarasota Journal. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
- ↑ Carrol, Gretchen (21 August 1969). "Pre-Series Work Tires Leslie". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
- ↑ Blank, Edward L. (15 January 1970). "Her Show Least Liked: Leslie Wins Wrong Poll". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
- ↑ Gould, Jack (16 November 1969). "Uggams show cancellation protested for wrong reasons". Eugene Register-Guard. New York Times. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
- ↑ Smith, Cecil (27 January 1970). "On 'Mission: Impossible'—British Actress Loves American TV". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
- ↑ Gaver, Jack (12 December 1969). "Television Highlights". The Dispatch. Lexington, NC. Retrieved 29 July 2016.