In 1980, country music was making a bit of a comeback in the mainstream, thanks to the movie, "Urban Cowboy", starring John Travolta, and while Travolta didn't even try to record a track for the soundtrack---he didn't need to, really----the movie boosted the profile of artists like Johnny Lee ("Looking For Love"), among others. It also convinced executives at hit-starved NBC that they could take a chance on a country-centric variety show.
While Hee Haw was thriving in syndication, NBC landed one of the hottest artists in Nashville at the time, Barbara Mandrell, who would headline a Saturday night show alongside her sisters, Irlene & Louise. The subsequent Barbara Mandrell & The Mandrell Sisters would also mark the return of producers Sid & Marty Krofft to the network, one year after their last Saturday morning series for the network, another variety series starring the Bay City Rollers, had crashed.
Like Hee Haw, the Mandrells made sure to include a gospel number in every show. In my district, Hee Haw, while airing on another channel, aired at 7 (ET), providing a perfect lead-in for country fans, who could flip to NBC for Mandrell at 8. There was, sadly, a downside. The constant touring and production of the TV show had caused some vocal problems for Barbara, and, on the advice of her doctors, she ended the series in 1982 after just 2 seasons.
Following is a sample episode with Tennessee Ernie Ford, Jon "Bowzer" Bauman (Sha Na Na), and R. C. Bannon (Louise's husband). Early on, you'll see comic Bill Kirchenbauer (ex-Make Me Laugh), who'd later land his own series, Just The Ten of Us:
Rating: B.
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