The Sonny & Cher Show

Following their very public and bitter divorce, Sonny & Cher each hosted their own variety series. With their solo ventures limping along after one season, a professional reconciliation was reached and the duo reteamed for The Sonny & Cher Show in February 1976.The new series debuted to outstanding ratings and high expectations. With a whole new array of comedy sketches and sets, Sonny & Cher sought to rekindle their former primetime success. Unfortunately, the show never reached the status that their former series, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour had. While the stars felt that the show was funnier than ever, audiences were not to keen on the couple's new relationship. Many of the barbs that catipulted them into the top ten two years ago didn't go over very well with viewers, now that the couple was divorced. By the end of the 1975-1976 season the show had slipped to number 23 in the Nielson Ratings, not a bad spot, but not on par with CBS's original expectations. The second season of the series brought few changes to the format. An attempt to romantically reunite Sonny & Cher (or at least their alter egos, LaVerne and Alvin) did not seem to be enough to keep the show from slipping in the ratings. Many felt all attempts to catipult the show back into the top 10 were too little too late. Then, to add insult to injury, CBS moved the show from their native Sunday night timeslot, to Fridays at 9, and then finally to Monday at 10. By August 1977 the show had fallen out of the top thirty, the first time in five years. This proved to be enough of a reason to cancel the series. On August 29, 1977 the last episode of the Sonny & Cher Show was aired, thus closing the book on the decades most memorable and beloved variety series.moreless