THE
TV PORTION OF DEAN'S CAREER IS THE MOST DIFFICULT SUBJECT TO TACKLE. IT
IS, BY FAR, THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MEDIUM DEAN HAD TO DISPLAY HIS MANY TALENTS.
HE WAS ABLE TO SING, DANCE, BE FUNNY, ACT, AND CONVEY THAT AURA ONLY HE
POSSESSED.
OF COURSE THE MOST REVERED TELEVISION
ENTITY WAS DEAN'S WEEKLY VARIETY SERIES "THE DEAN MARTIN SHOW"
ON THE NBC NETWORK
THE DEAN MARTIN SHOW FIRST PREMIERED
ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1965 AND CONTINUED THROUGH NINE SEASONS OFTEN PLACING IN
THE TOP TEN IN RATINGS. THROUGHOUT ITS RUN, THE FORMATS CHANGED WITH THE
GROWING TIMES. IN ITS LATER YEARS IT BECAME KNOWN AS "THE DEAN MARTIN
COMEDY HOUR" AND HAD INTRODUCED A NEW SEGMENT
IT WAS KNOWN AS "DEAN'S ROASTS"
AND WAS MODELED AFTER THE FAMOUS FRIARS' CLUB TESTIMONAL DINNERS. AFTER
THE SERIES ENDED, MANY SPECIALS FOLLOWED WHERE DEAN "ROASTED"
MANY CELEBRITIES
DEAN WOULD USUALLY SLIDE DOWN A
POLE, OR GLIDE DOWN A LIFT TO OPEN THE SHOW WITH A SONG.. THEN OFF TO COMEDY
AND SONG WITH HIS GUESTS.
EVERYONE AND ANYONE YOU COULD IMAGINE APPEARED
ON DEAN'S SHOW.
DEAN WOULD ALWAYS HAVE HIS GIRLS AROUND HIM
THE GIRLS BECAME KNOWN AS "THE
GOLDDIGGERS" AND THEY HAD A SPIN-OFF OF FOUR CALLED "THE DING-A-LING
SISTERS
EVERY WEEK DEAN WOULD SIT ATOP HIS
PIANO WITH KEN LANE ON THE KEYBOARD...TELL A FEW JOKES... CHECK OUT THE
GUEST IN THE CLOSET AND GO TO THE COUCH
THE NEXT PAGE HAS MORE OF DEAN ON TELEVISION
--ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COPYRIGHT NBC-TV AND CLAUDE/SASHA
PRODUCTIONS -- ALL MATERIAL HERIN CONTROLLED BY DEAN MARTIN FAN CENTER