The Judy Garland Show

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Judy Garland's variety show, while not popular at the time, has come to be regarded as some of her finest work.

The Judy Garland Show was an American musical variety television series that aired on the CBS Network during the 1963-1964 season.

The series was the first and only weekly program starring singer Judy Garland, and it was produced as a followup to an Emmy-nominated special broadcast in February 1962 (also called The Judy Garland Show) in which Garland had performed with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. She had just turned 41 when production began on the first episode in July 1963; the series debuted on September 29, 1963. The series was shot on videotape at CBS Television City in Los Angeles although it was originally to have been produced in New York City.

Although the series received very positive critical reaction, it failed to generate strong ratings as it was scheduled opposite the high rated Bonanza on NBC. As a result, CBS adjusted the format of the show several times. Original producer George Schlatter was replaced after the first five episodes by Norman Jewison, who in turn was replaced after another seven episodes by Bill Colleran. This, combined with the fact episodes were shown out of order, led to the series having an uneven quality. Under Colleran, the series increasingly became a one-woman show and, according to Judy Garland: A Portrait in Art and Anecdote by John Fricke, registered a rise in the ratings.

Critics of Garland's work often cite The Judy Garland Show as among her finest late-career work, and the series allowed her to appear with (and vocally duel with) the likes of Lena Horne, Ethel Merman, Peggy Lee, Mel Torme, Barbra Streisand, Bobby Darin (the closest thing to a rock and roll performer the show ever had), and Vic Damone. Garland also got to perform with her daughters Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft for the first time in a professional venue. The series also featured much-publicized reunions with some of her MGM movie co-stars such as Mickey Rooney, Peter Lawford, June Allyson, and Ray Bolger. During Bolger's appearance, he and Garland performed "The Jitterbug", presenting to audiences for the first time the song that had been deleted from their 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. Another highlight occurred when Garland performed "Battle Hymn of the Republic" in tribute to the recently assassinated President John F. Kennedy.

Appearing as a regular on the series was comedian/actor Jerry Van Dyke. Most episodes ended with Garland singing "Maybe I'll Come Back." The original lyrics for the song included the line "President Coolidge is a cousin of mine." For the TV series, Garland would substitute a different name each time she sang the song. People honored in this way ranged from the show's video camera operator to Bela Lugosi; the Lugosi lyric was the one chosen when a segment of the show was recreated in the made-for-TV biopic Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows.

Despite the star power, and the aforementioned ratings rebound under Colleran's tenure, The Judy Garland Show was cancelled in the spring of 1964, with 26 episodes produced. Most of these episodes have been released on DVD. Capitol Records released an album of songs from the show, and in 2002, Hip-O Records released, The Judy Garland Show: The Show That Got Away, a collection of soundtrack recordings from the show, including several performances that were never broadcast.

[edit] Christmas special

The Judy Garland Show Christmas Special was videotaped on December 6, 1963 and broadcast on December 22, 1963 as a special episode of The Judy Garland Show. The show featured performances by Garland and her children, Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft. Other guest performances were by Mel Torme, Jack Jones and Tracy Everitt.

The set, used only for this episode, was a California-modern style home inspired by Garland's own home, appropriate to the family theme of the episode.

Taped only weeks after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, no mention is made of the national trauma. The poignant side of the Christmas holiday is nevertheless much in evidence.

The episode is often shown as a stand-alone special during the holiday season by the Trio channel in the United States.