Television series
The Dean Martin Show
Dean Martin famously refused to rehearse, and the show is built entirely around that lazy, half-drunk charm — a song, a duet with whoever's dropped by, a sketch that feels improvised even when it isn't, all wrapped around the Golddiggers dancers. It's less a variety show than an extended, boozy Sunday-night hang with the coolest, most unbothered man in the room. Pure comfort television, low on ambition, high on charisma.
If you liked this
The Carol Burnett Show1967
Same variety-show DNA — big stars, live sketches, musical numbers — but Burnett's ensemble writing and physical comedy push it further than Martin's laid-back charm, giving you the genre's funniest, most inventive hour.
But Burnett's energy is manic and rehearsed where Martin's is loose; if you loved the boozy nonchalance, this can feel like too much effort.
The Ed Sullivan Show1948
The original template for the celebrity-variety format, where you can watch The Beatles, Elvis, and opera singers share a stage in the same hour — a genuine time capsule of mid-century culture.
But Sullivan himself is a stiff, awkward host with none of Martin's charisma — you're watching for the guests, not for him.
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In1967
Same NBC era, same love of stars dropping by for a bit, but sped up into a blitz of one-liners and catchphrases that reinvented what a variety show's pace could be.
But The rapid-fire style dates harder than Martin's crooning; some of the jokes now need a history footnote to land.
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Muppet Show1976
Jim Henson built this format directly from the Martin-era variety blueprint — host, orchestra, backstage sketches, musical finale — just filtered through felt and absurdism instead of a tuxedo.
Same skeleton — celebrity guest, live band, backstage chaos, big closing number — rebuilt with puppets and total anarchic invention, proving the format could survive any level of absurdity.
But If you want the human warmth of a real crooner holding a room, puppets performing that warmth might feel like a joke you didn't ask for.
More like this (7)
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour1971no page yet
A married pop duo instead of a solo crooner, but the same recipe of songs, guest stars, and gentle bickering-as-comedy that made Martin's show a Sunday-night comfort watch.
But Less starpower per episode than Dean commanded, and the format leans harder on the couple's chemistry than on outside talent.
The Judy Garland Show1963no page yet
Garland brings a rawer, more emotionally exposed stage presence than Martin's cool detachment, and her musical numbers with guest stars are simply extraordinary television.
But It's a heavier watch overall — Garland's personal struggles bleed through the performances in ways that undercut the pure escapism Martin offers.
The Flip Wilson Show1970no page yet
Character-based sketch comedy from a genuinely groundbreaking host, with the same loose, unforced variety format and knack for making everything feel like a good time.
But Wilson's signature characters need context to land today, and the show hasn't stayed as culturally present as some of its contemporaries.
Hee Haw1969no page yet
Takes the variety format rural and cornball, swapping tuxedos for overalls, proving the same bones — music, sketches, guest stars — work just as well down on the farm.
But The comedy is broad and deliberately corny, trading sophistication for hayseed charm on purpose.
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour1967no page yet
Same basic format turned political and rebellious, using music and sketch comedy as a Trojan horse for genuine satire and network-baiting commentary.
But It's often confrontational and topical in ways that clash with the pure, low-stakes pleasure of Martin's show.
Your Show of Shows1950
Both are TV variety built around one magnetic star surrounded by comedy talent and musical guests; Caesar's show is the direct ancestor that made Martin's possible, just decades earlier and far more frantic.
A decade earlier than Martin, live and unedited, Sid Caesar's sketch show is where American TV first tried this exact recipe — and the terror of live broadcast gives it a manic energy Martin never needed.
But Kinescope picture quality is rough, and the live-TV pacing is stagier and more theatrical than Martin's relaxed cool.
Sinatra: All or Nothing at All2015no page yet
Martin's genial ease on camera was itself a performance of the Rat Pack myth; this documentary about his closest friend and collaborator shows what that myth actually cost.
Strips away the tuxedo-and-cocktail glamour to show the real toll of exactly the kind of Rat Pack fame Martin's show sold as effortless, told largely in Sinatra's own words.
But It's a serious, sometimes melancholy documentary with none of the songs-and-jokes escapism — this is the hangover, not the party.
People
Cast
Dean MartinHost
Recommended by
The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Danny Kaye Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Julie Andrews Hour, The Red Skelton Show, The Milton Berle Show