Dom DeLuise was a frequent guest on Dean Martin's NBC variety show, such that folks must've assumed Martin helped him land the sitcom, Lotsa Luck. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it wasn't DeLuise's 1st series on his own.
That distinction belongs to a self-titled comedy-variety hour that was a summer replacement for Jonathan Winters' CBS show in 1968. Packaged by Jackie Gleason's production company, DeLuise was given a few short weeks to prove he could carry the mail, if you will. He had the honor of working with Gleason's staff, including musical director Sammy Spear, choreographer June Taylor, and announcer Johnny Olsen.
In fact, Gleason would last a couple more years at CBS with his series.
Following is a collection of sketches, plus a sample open & close with voiceover by Olsen.
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