Just a few months after his self-titled sitcom bit the dust, Tim Conway returned to CBS, this time fronting a self-titled comedy-variety hour. Unfortunately, the realization hadn't set in yet that Conway was not meant to be a lead in primetime.
The Tim Conway Comedy Hour lasted just 13 weeks, but boasted a writing staff that included future Oscar winner Barry Levinson and future TV star Craig T. Nelson (later of Coach & Call To Glory). It was the last part of a 3-hour variety block on Sunday nights, airing behind The Ed Sullivan Show and The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, but somehow lost the audience from those two shows. 1970, by the way, was the final season for Sullivan, as his show was a victim of the CBS overhaul of their schedule at the end of the 1970-1 season.
Ernie Anderson, better known to TV audiences for his many years as the voice of ABC and as horror host Ghoulardi, is the announcer, probably the only series he did for CBS.
In this sample clip, Tim is joined by Steve Lawrence and Carol Burnett, and, a few years later, Conway would join Carol's repertory company.
Part of the problem that existed, I think, was that McHale's Navy was in syndication at the time, and viewers couldn't get the image out of their heads of Conway as nothing more than a sidekick as a result.
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About Ernie Anderson:
ReplyDeleteWhen he was in Cleveland, he was an all-around guy at his station, not only as Ghoulardi, but doing booth stuff and hosting daily movies and local talk shows.
Ernie's director and co-writer on these shows was another staffer, Tom Conway - that was his real name.
One fine day, Rose Marie came to town to promote something; she saw Conway and Anderson doing their comedy, and made a note to pass the word once she got back to Hollywood.
Rose Marie took a tape of Conway to Steve Allen, who was then in the process of putting together his short-lived ABC variety hour in '61. Allen liked what he saw and brought Tom Conway to Hollywood.
There was the small problem of George Sanders's brother, also named Tom Conway (best known as filmdom's Falcon); Allen solved that by advising Conway to "just dot the 'o'", thus becoming Tim Conway.
Several years after this, Conway brought Ernie Anderson to Hollywood, to serve as his straightman on variety show appearances. this in its turn led to Ernie picking up voice work all over town, ultimately including the ABC promo gig.
The Anderson-Conway friendship remained intact all their lives.
After the Conway Comedy Hour ended, Ernie drifted into the Carol Burnett orbit; for a year or so, he had a running gag of being introduced from Carol's audience, as though he were a Major Star.
When Lyle Waggoner left the Burnett Show, Ernie Anderson became the full-time announcer. He would identify himself as "This is Your Announcer speaking!"
In subsequent years, Ernie Anderson would serve Carol Burnett as "Your Announcer!" across all networks, as well as in syndicated reruns.
He also did Tim Conway's later CBS sketch show, calling himself "...your Dummy Announcer!"
... all the while maintaining his ABC promo gig.
Interesting. I have seen a clip from the 1980 Conway show where Anderson ID'd as "your dummy announcer". Ultimately, the plan is to put that 1980 show up down the road. Thanks, Mike, as always.
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