Variety shows were the mainstay of early American TV with stars such as , and dominating the airwaves. was a mainstay of television with his Sunday night show presenting everything from acrobats to stand-up comedians to scenes from Broadway plays. at one point had two hit TV shows on the air and his folksy charm seemed to be just what America wanted at the time. His firing of popular singer Julius LaRosa on live TV changed the public's perception of him. Singers hosting their own variety show became popular with , and both hosting very popular shows. was so popular that his show trounced (1955)in the ratings and six years later did the same against (1961). Sid Caesar's _"Your Show of Shows" (1950)_ made sketch comedy a staple of the variety hour, something that carried on for several decades with show like _"The Carol Burnett Show" (1967)_.
