Saturday, March 25, 2017

Saturtainment: An episode of the Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show (1974)

There is at least one episode of The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show available on YouTube, and here it is. However, it isn't a first-run episode. A network promo narrated by Danny Dark (Super Friends) plugs the 1975-6 season, with the addition of Far Out Space Nuts, Ghost Busters, & Isis. The Hudsons were moved to Sundays for the '75-76 season, which would end the series' run.

Keep an eye open for announcer-series regular Peter Cullen. If you've ever wondered what the future voice of Optimus Prime and other classic 80's characters actually looked like back in the day, well.....! Also, if you wonder why NBC & ESPN have used the "coaches' clicker" so much, it's actually a gimmick that began with Andy Williams' primetime show back in the day, which, like the Hudsons' shows (primetime and daytime) were produced by Chris Bearde.



To think that this series came about because the network wanted to keep the Hudsons around after their summer 1974 series had run its course, having ended 10 days before Razzle Dazzle premiered.

Rating: B.

4 comments:

Silverstar said...

While most of the actual jokes, skits and bits are a haze to me now, I remember The Hudson Brothers' Razzle Dazzle Show being one of the shows I tried not to miss as a kid while it was running. Back then, I'd watch anything that was a zany comedy or had animation (kind of like now, actually!). This show did indeed get moved to Sunday mornings after its' first season, this was back when networks treated Sunday morning as a sort of SatAM Lite.

In addition to being one of the most 70's things I've seen recently (right up there with the 'Kalaka' PSA from '74), I now see why the Razzle Dazzle Show was a full hour: that opening was half the show!

hobbyfan said...

Actually, it was a half-hour show---it aired in back of the Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine.

Silverstar said...

Oh, I see. I thought both of those shows were 60 minutes long. Hmm. Sorry, I was really young then. The More You Know...

hobbyfan said...

Considering CBS' freshman class also included Shazam!, US of Archie, and Valley of the Dinosaurs, and if memory serves, the five frosh aired right in a row, though I'm not sure of the order.