Movie Documentary Comedy
Sir David Frost traces the development of the sketch show over the last fifty years, from variety theatre to primetime television.
Similiar movies
The Sunshine Boys
Lewis and Clark, aka The Sunshine Boys, were famous comedians during the vaudeville era, but off-stage they couldn't stand each other and haven't spoken in over 20 years of retirement. Willy Clark's nephew is the producer of a TV variety show that wants to feature a reunion of this classic duo. It is up to him to try to get the Sunshine Boys back together again.
Theatre of Fear
The Moreau Family travel around the UK putting on an underground variety show for an adult audience. But behind the curtain there is something more sinister going on than simple entertainment.
Peter Cook & Co.
A TV Special consisting of various sketches with the titular comedian and fellow comics in guest appearances.
John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch
John Mulaney and his kid pals tackle existential topics for all ages with catchy songs, comedy sketches and special guests in a nostalgic variety special.
National Theatre Live: London Assurance
Grace has agreed to marry Sir Harcourt in return for his financial support of her family. At a house party in her father's place, Harcourt's son Charles also falls in love with Grace. When his father appears on the scene, he has to convince him that there is a case of mistaken identity and he is somebody else. Then Lady Gay Spanker, a married woman also visiting at the house, is persuaded by Charles to seduce his father and thus divert his attention from Grace. Much confusion and scheming ensues.
Frost/Nixon: The Original Watergate Interviews
This program, culled from the over 28 hours of interview footage between Sir David Frost and U.S. President Richard M. Nixon, was originally broadcast in May of 1977. Never before, nor since, has a U.S. President been so candid on camera. Even more intriguing is the fact that Nixon agreed to appear on camera with no pre-interview preparation or screening of questions.
David Attenborough: The Early Years
Sir David Attenborough recalls moments from his early television career and discusses the stories behind them. Among the highlights are Sir David's first encounter with Born Free's Elsa the lioness, and being the first to film Indri lemurs using recordings of their calls to entice them out of hiding. Having recently completed the landmark natural history series Africa (2012), Sir David also talks about his very first trip to the continent in 1955 when filming 'Zoo Quest to West Africa'.
Mel Smith: I've Done Some Things
A tribute to British comedian Mel Smith, who died in July 2013, aged 60, featuring home video footage, rare archive material and many classic sketches. Far more than a comic actor, Smith also wrote and edited a host of celebrated TV comedies in the 1980s and 90s. He was a theatre and film director, and as a TV producer he was responsible for several innovative comedy series. Friends and colleagues, including Griff Rhys Jones, John Lloyd and Richard Curtis, talk about Smith's talents, both in front of- and behind the camera. The programme also traces his time at Oxford and, before that, Latymer Upper School, where Smith's talents were first spotted.
100 Years Of The RAF
Including extraordinary and unseen historical footage of WW1 and 2 and narrated by Sir Martin Lewis, 100 Years of the RAF is a definitive film that pays tribute to the determination and courage our men and women take on in the theatres of war; to defend our freedom and bring relief to people in need.
Stars in Your Eyes
A group of feisty, talented young performers pool their resources and buy a dilapidated theatre to showcase their acts – but unscrupulous property developers also want the theatre and resort to dirty tricks to disrupt the first night's performance!
Holiday Rhythm
A young executive is trying to convince an airline to sponsor a travel show on television, but he's not getting anywhere. When he tells his fiancé that he may have to postpone their honeymoon, she goes off on him, and as he backs away from her he hits his head on a fire extinguisher and knocks himself out. While unconscious he dreams his own version of the show he's trying so hard to sell.
The Human Trace
Over the last year, a series of grisly murders has plagued the small town of Solace. Investigators are baffled because no cause of death can be determined. Local law enforcement is under suspicion and county detective Kyle Fishburn is sent undercover to find the killer. Investigator uncovers a frightening twist when he realizes that the murders are not your garden variety homicides.
Celine Dion: That's Just The Woman In Me
Five-time Grammy Award winner and multi-platinum recording artist Celine Dion stars in a one-hour primetime special, CELINE DION: THAT'S JUST THE WOMAN IN ME. This pop music superstar returns to CBS with her first concert since completing her five year musical extravaganza in Las Vegas. She also performs two special duets with Grammy award nominee Josh Groban and Grammy award winner will.i.am. Taped before a live audience at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, Celine performs some of her greatest hits including "Because You Loved Me," "My Heart Will Go On" and "Taking Chances" off her current album, The Prayer. Amid the intimately set concert, Celine Dion also engages the audience in conversation about her past, present and future in response to questions from guests. 44 mins (w/o commercial breaks)
Similiar TV Shows
The Muppet Show
Go behind the curtains as Kermit the Frog and his muppet friends struggle to put on a weekly variety show.
Man Stroke Woman
Man Stroke Woman is a British television comedy sketch show directed by Richard Cantor and produced by Ash Atalla and starring Amanda Abbington, Ben Crompton, Daisy Haggard, Meredith MacNeill, Nicholas Burns and Nick Frost. In addition to being broadcast on digital channel BBC Three in the United Kingdom, all the episodes were available for streaming from the BBC website. Series 2 started in January 2007 and is also available for streaming from the BBC website. There is no studio audience or laugh track.
On the Air
The year is 1957. The cast and crew of the Lester Guy Show are extremely apprehensive about their upcoming live television broadcast on the Zoblotnick Broadcasting Co. network. Lester Guy despises fellow cast member Betty Hudson for unknowingly becoming more popular than him and schemes to destroy her career. Only two of the seven episodes were written by David Lynch.
Viva Variety
Viva Variety is an American sketch comedy series that aired on Comedy Central from April 1997 to December 1999. The series satirizes European variety shows.
The Red Skelton Show
The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third to The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings during that time. Skelton, who had previously been a radio star, had appeared in several motion pictures as well. Although his television series is largely associated with CBS, where it appeared for more than fifteen years, it actually began and ended on NBC. During its run, the program received three Emmy Awards, for Skelton as best comedian and the program as best comedy show during its initial season, and an award for comedy writing in 1961.
The Birthday Boys
"The Birthday Boys" is a scripted original sketch comedy, executive produced by Bob Odenkirk ("Breaking Bad", "Mr. Show") and Ben Stiller ("The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", "Zoolander"). The series features the Los Angeles comedy group of the same name (UCB Theatre Los Angeles, Just for Laughs Festival) along with Odenkirk and is in the classic vein of absurd/silly/smart/funny variety shows ("Mr. Show", Monty Python), featuring sketches that twist real-life moments and cultural touchstones.
Primetime Glick
Talk-show parody featuring obese host Jiminy Glick, who usually knows nothing about his guests and hurls veiled insults at them during his interviews.
The UCB Show
A weekly variety showcase for the best sketch, characters and stand-up homegrown at the UCB Theatres in LA and NYC. Hosted by Upright Citizens Brigade co-founders Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh and filmed with a live audience at UCB Sunset in Hollywood.
Walliams & Friend
Comedy series in which David Walliams is joined by a different guest in each episode for a variety of sketches, alongside a talented supporting cast.
The Little And Large Show
The Little and Large Show was a comedy variety television show featuring Syd Little and Eddie Large. Its first series in 1978 was entitled just Little and Large and it was cancelled in 1991 after 11 seasons.
The Tim Conway Show
A variety/sketch comedy television series. Tim Conway hosted a variety show so closely modeled on the successful Carol Burnett Show, even using some of the same sketches. Interpersed were dance routines where all the performers were youngsters and musical numbers.
The Johnny Carson Show
While working as a staff writer on The Red Skelton Show, local Los Angeles television comedian Carson filled in as host when Skelton was injured during a show rehearsal. As a result of Carson’s performance, CBS created the primetime variety program: The Johnny Carson Show, a traditional potpourri of comedy, music, dance, skits and monologues. The short-lived 1955-56 series served as a precursor of what would come later for Carson, planting the seeds for sketches he would perform on the later The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson such as "Mighty Carson Art Players".
Dawson And Friends
Series of 4 hour-long comedy specials with a variety of sketches, songs and stand-up routines.
The Les Dawson Show
A variety show featuring sketch and stand-up comedy as well as guest appearances, dance numbers and musical performances.
Live From Her Majesty's
Live from Her Majesty's was a Sunday night live variety show which was produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network and ran from 1982 to 1988. It was broadcast live from Her Majesty's Theatre in London and was very much in the tradition of earlier variety spectacles such as Sunday Night at the London Palladium. The series was presented by Jimmy Tarbuck, produced by the then Head of Light Entertainment at LWT David Bell and directed by Alasdair Macmillan. In its day, the programme attracted a large audience and regularly featured in the TV top ten. A further series of six shows followed in 1986 from London's Piccadilly Theatre, airing simply as Live From the Piccadilly. 1987 witnessed yet another change of venue with a further three series airing as Live From the Palladium until the programme's eventual cancellation in 1988. During the 15 April 1984 show, comedian Tommy Cooper died after suffering a massive heart attack with the audience thinking that it was a joke.
Bill
What really happened during Shakespeare's 'Lost Years'? Hopeless lute player Bill Shakespeare leaves his home to follow his dream.