Remembering the ‘Donny & Marie’ Variety Show With an Inside Look and Guide to Every Episode

While Other Variety Shows Were Fading, ‘Donny & Marie’ Became a Hit

In the mid-1970s there were variety shows featuring the likes of Sonny & Cher, The Captain and Tennille, Tony Orlando and Dawn. During that time, Donny and Marie had begun appearing on different talk shows and were gaining popularity to the point that when their own show debuted, it pretty much exploded out of the gate.

“What’s interesting is that it was light even for the variety shows of the ’70s,” says Don. “Whereas Sonny and Cher were dealing with things like their divorce and had more couples-related jokes, Donny and Marie really toned that down in a significant way. It was something I was watching when I was maybe eight, my sister was maybe four, and it seemed like this kind of fun, ‘adult’ thing, but it was really toned down for kids or for people who just don’t want any kind of controversy. It’s saccharin and sweet and really an escape from the troubles of the day. I also remember the show being on Friday nights, which were the key years I watched it. It was the kind of thing where you could watch Donny & Marie at 8 o’clock, have dessert after dinner and in some ways it was mindless to the point where you just didn’t have to worry about anything.”

The show was also perfect counter-programming to hits like Sanford and Son and Chico and the Man. Notes Don, “Sanford is West Coast, California, African American, and Donny & Marie has this kind of Midwestern feel to it. Just a different, different world.”

The wholesomeness of the show was something that writer Bruce Vilanch certainly recognized. Prior to working on Donny & Marie, he wrote for a Manhattan Transfer variety show as well as The Brady Bunch Hour. “The Manhattan Transfer show aired on CBS, but they weren’t really doing that hip kind of show very much, so it was short-lived. Florence Henderson was a friend of mine and she said, ‘Come and do The Brady Bunch and no one will ever say you’re too hip again.’ I was up to the task. So I did that and then they moved me over to Donny & Marie when Marie was turning 18. They wanted to make the show a little bit more adult and a little less girlish for her. It was a good fit, because The Brady Bunch Hour was patterned on Donny & Marie. Donny & Marie had ice skaters, so The Brady Bunch had water ballerinas.”

As to allowing Marie to grow up, Bruce laughs, “To age Marie a little bit means that you heard ‘no’ a lot. You would hear, ‘That’s wonderful, but she can’t do that. She’s too young to do that. That goes against our principles and we can’t do that.’ So it became like a running gag about all the stuff that we couldn’t do. With the Osmonds, it was all one huge ball of wax. I mean, family, religion, show business — everything was tied together. There was no escape.”

Bruce points out that all aspects of the show had to be addressed in Salt Lake City by the Mormon Elders for review. “They were very strict about stuff,” he recalls. “People couldn’t take a coffee break on Donny & Marie show on camera. You couldn’t mention coffee, because coffee was caffeinated and we don’t do that. So I mean, it went down to that. It was at that level and the censor had nothing to censor. All she could do is if we had a disco number she had to look at and make sure that we didn’t run the lights at the the frequency that sends epileptics into seizures. There was nothing else for her to red pencil, because the show was so squeaky clean.”

A Sid & Marty Krofft Production

Don points out what he feels to be a very interesting part of the show: it was produced by Sid and Marty Krofft, whose shows included things like H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost, which were quality shows insofar as Saturday morning television was concerned. At the same time, they produced, he points out, “about a dozen other shows which are not really of the same level of quality. They’re actually kind of written poorly and were goofy, but with all this shininess, all these incredible sets that are sassy with bright colors, but the Kroffts aren’t necessarily known for hiring the world’s greatest writers. And the truth is, I’ve watched Donny & Marie in a modern sense and you can see there’s a lot of weird stuff that goes on in those episodes. Like a lot of the guests that they have who are older actors. People like Art Linkletter, Milton Berle and people from the ’50s and ’60s. They’re definitely going for this kind of older audience, as well as having on Sid and Marty Krofft stars, or the Harlem Globetrotters, a dance troupe called The Lockers with Toni Basil and Fred Berry from What’s Happening!!, and an early breakdancing guy. So there were all of these people who kind of floated around Hollywood in sort of a weird way, but you wouldn’t necessarily see them on higher-quality shows. The guests are strange.”

“They had the cast of The Brady Bunch, and the Bradys didn’t have a show anymore,” he continues. “The cast as a group had been off the air since 1974, but then one or two years later Donny & Marie have them back on, and that became the concept that brought about The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. And then there were guests like Rip Taylor, Fred Travalena, John Travolta’s brother, Joey, who was not really very well known; the Welcome Back, Kotter kids singing and dancing … Just odd, second-string stars. And really strange concepts and jokes that don’t even make sense today in any real capacity. There are all these running gags about Donny Osmond wearing purple socks, which is kind of odd.”

When it came to writing the show, Bruce points out, “So often when you’re writing for a purpose, it’s not because you were divinely inspired to write this thing. Woody Allen was a staff writer on a lot of television shows before he got to actually write what he was interested in. I don’t think you can compare The Gary Moore Show to Annie Hall.”

By 1978, Things Were Changing

Even by the middle of its run, Don points out, the show seemed to truly grow out of step with the times. “What I appreciated as a break from reality in 1976 started to seem, even at the age of 10 two years later, just a little bit too corny. Donny has always been able to play off that corniness and kind of go with it and then let it go, but I’ve always felt that Marie seemed a little bit more vulnerable, like she was putting her heart and soul into the show. Donny, again, was able to act and kind of say, ‘OK, this is a character and I’m going to play it and do this and enjoy it, even if it is a little bit corny.’”

And yet there was an undeniable appeal about the duo. “They were stars,” Bruce says matter of factly, “and they were plucked out of the bunch. There were 14 kids and she was the only girl. The family wanted her to be a Mormon housewife, but she wanted to perform and fought for it. Donny was groomed to be a big star and when they put them together, something clicked. I guess people liked the idea they were brother and sister and are both insanely talented. On top of that, the fact that they were family allowed them to rib each other in a loving way. It was something that resonated with people.”

“They really are talented,” emphasizes Don. “They have a history of being very exacting in their performances and rehearsals and things like that. Their appeal really comes from the fact that they were enormously talented and they could play off very light-hearted entertainment in a way that really just kind of made people happy and relaxed. It was just something that people desperately needed.”

Please continue to scroll down for a quick look back at the guests of every episode of Donny & Marie. Please note that when a person’s name is in bold, it marks their first appearance on the show.

Season 1, Episode 1 (January 23, 1976)

Lee Majors: At the time, he had been playing Steve Austin, aka The Bionic Man, on The Six Million Dollar Man; Farrah Fawcett: Married to Lee Majors at the time, she was making guest appearances on different shows (including her husband’s), but she would be exploding soon thereafter when the pilot for Charlie’s Angels and subsequent TV series turned her into one of the biggest stars in the world; Vincent Price: The veteran actor was best known for his horror and thriller films, and, later, for being the narrator of the mega-video for Michael Jackson‘s “Thriller”; Karen Valentine: Back in the 1970s, she had been one of the stars of ABC’s Room 222; and the Osmond Brothers.

Season 1, Episode 2 (January 30, 1976)

Bob Hope: The legendary comedian, who usually called his home NBC but appeared here as well; The Harlem Globetrotters: The basketball team as happy generating laughs as they are scoring baskets; Ted Knight: At the time, he was enjoying great success as news anchorman Ted Baxter on The Mary Tayler Moore Show. After that series ended, he went onto a show of his own titled Too Close for Comfort.

Season 1, Episode 3 (February 6, 1976)

Andy Williams: The singer, recording artist and host of his own TV variety series from 1962 to 71 (on which the Osmonds first caught people’s attention); Jimmie Walker: He was turning “Dy-No-Mite” into a national catchphrase as a part of the cast of the sitcom Good Times; Carl Ballantine: A comedian and magician who more or less came up with the concept of comedy magic.

Season 1, Episode 4 (February 20, 1976)

Paul Lynde: Beloved for portraying Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and for his quips as the center square on the game show Hollywood Squares; Kate Smith: A singer well known for her rendition of “God Bless America”; Edgar Bergen: He became a ventriloquist star on the radio (which really doesn’t make any sense) before bringing his act to television — he’s also the father of actress Candice Bergen; Ruth Buzzi: Creator of a number of characters on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.

Season 1, Episode 5 (February 27, 1976)

Roy Clark: The country western singer and comedian, who had a long run on the network-turned-syndicated series Hee-Haw; Charo: Spanish-American actress who really made the rounds in the ’60s and ’70s, and is well known for catchphrase, “cuchi-cuchi”; George Gobel: Humorist, actor and comedian, he had his own show in the late 1950s and was a regular presence on Hollywood Squares.

Season 1, Episode 6 (March 5, 1976)

Milton Berle: Television’s first superstar, he was known as “Uncle Miltie” and “Mr. Television.” He came from Vaudeville, and his schtick translated perfectly to the medium; Anne Meara: The late actress and comedian was the husband of Jerry Stiller, and together they’re the parents of Ben Stiller; Nipsey Russell: A comedian, poet and dancer best known for his game show appearances, including Hollywood Squares.

Season 1, Episode 7 (March 12, 1976)

Pearl Bailey: Actress and singer who won the 1968 Tony Award for Best Actress for her turn in an all-black version of Hello, Dolly!; Sherman Hemsley: Actor and comedian whose most well known part was that of George Jefferson in, first, All in the Family and, then, The Jeffersons; Iron Eyes Cody: Italian-American actor who frequently played Native Americans, and was famous for playing the one moved to tears at pollution across America in a series of TV commercials; Jim Connell: Actor who would frequently guest star on TV series like Get Smart! and Wild Wild West.

Season 1, Episode 8 (March 19, 1976)

Esther Rolle: Actress and comedian who played one of the lead roles in Good Times, which was a spinoff from Bea Arthur’s Maude (which, for the record, was a spinoff of All in the Family); Raymond Burr: Veteran actor best known for two long-running TV series, Perry Mason and Ironside. 

Season 1, Episode 9 (March 26, 1976)

Jerry Lewis: The legendary comedian from radio, films and television (obviously he did much more than serve as telethon host), who began as part of an act with Dean Martin and, when they went their separate ways, struck out on his own; Jim Nabors: Best known as Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show and the spinoff series, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.; Ruth Buzzi, The Osmond Brothers.

Season 1, Episode 10 (April 2, 1976)

Hal Linden: Actor of stage, film and screen who, after all these years, is probably best identified his title role on the ’70s cop sitcom Barney Miller, which was airing on ABC at the time of Donny & Marie; Robert Hegyes, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Ron Palillo: All three at the time stars of Welcome Back, Kotter as, respectively, Epstein, Washington and Horshack; Karen Valentine.

Season 1, Episode 11 (April 9, 1976)

Minnie Pearl: A country comedian who spent more than 50 years performing at the Grand Ole Opry and who was a regular on Hee-Haw; McLean Stevenson: Most popular role was Colonel Henry Blake on M*A*S*H, and least popular was the TV show Hello, Larry, which is one of the projects he quit the former for; Rick Hurst: Best known as Deputy Cletus Hogg, cousin to Boss Hogg, on John Schneider and Tom Wopat’s The Dukes of Hazzard.

Season 1, Episode 12 (April 16, 1976)

Gabe Kaplan: Comedian who was the lead in the series Welcome Back, Kotter (also airing on ABC); Ruth Buzzi, Paul Lynde, The Osmond Brothers.

Season 1, Episode 13 (April 23, 1976)

Barbara Eden: Yes, we know she’s done lots of other things, but let’s face the fact that when it comes to Barbara Eden it’s her lead role in I Dream of Jeannie that comes to mind; Jack Albertson: At the time he was starring as “the man” on the Freddie Prinze sitcom Chico and the Man, although a few years earlier he was Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Season 1, Episode 14 (April 30, 1976)

Don Knotts: When you think of this classic funnyman, no doubt The Andy Griffith Show or Three’s Company comes to mind, not to mention a wide variety of movies; Michael Landon: An actor who is best known for no less than three characters: Little Joe Cartwright on Bonanza; Charles Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie and Jonathan Smith on Highway to Heaven.

Season 2, Episode 1 (September 24, 1976)

Desi Arnaz: Forever known as not only Lucille Ball’s first husband but as Lucy Ricardo’s on the ’50s sitcom I Love Lucy and as an early pioneer of filming sitcoms in front of a live studio audience; Peggy Fleming: Figure skater who was the 1968 Olympic Champion in Ladies’ Singles and a three-time World Champion from 1966-1968; Arthur Godfrey: Radio and television entertainer who hosted his own variety shows, largely in the 1950s; Lassie: The world’s most famous Collie; Art Linkletter: Host of such radio and television shows as House Party and People Are Funny;  Groucho Marx: Needless to say, the most popular of the Marx Brothers; Harriet Nelson: Singer and actress, costar of the sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet; Gale Storm: Star of the sitcoms My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show; George Gobel, Milton Berle, Robert Hegyes and Paul Lynde.

Season 2, Episode 2 (October 1, 1976)

George Burns: Veteran comic who costarred with Gracie Allen in the ’50s TV series Burns and Allen; Evel Knievel: Famous for one death-defying motorcycle stunt after another, he also attempted acting — but it didn’t work out; Chubby Checker: Singer and dancer, best known for “The Twist”; Peggy Fleming, The Osmond Brothers.

Season 2, Episode 3 (October 8, 1976)

Florence Henderson, Maureen McCormick, Mike Lookinland, Susan Olsen and Christopher Knight: all stars of The Brady Bunch; Chad Everett: At the time, star of Medical Center; Ruth Buzzi.

Season 2, Episode 4 (October 15, 1976)

Sonny & Cher: Formerly married couple who had their own variety show on CBS — perhaps you’re familiar with Cher?; Loretta Swit: You know her as Margaret “Hop Lips” Houlihan on M*A*S*H; Billy Barty: Actor and activist who used his 3-foot-9 height to comic advantage against seemingly more powerful opponents; Edgar Bergen.

Season 2, Episode 5 (October 22, 1976)

Roz Kelly: At the time, the actress was riding high as Pinky Toscadero on Happy Days (in the photo above she’s seen with Henry Winkler’s The Fonz from that show); Charley Pride: Country singer whose songs include “Just Between You and Me,” “All I have to Offer (Is Me),” and “I Can’t Believe That You’ve Stopped Loving Me”; Cindy Williams: A few years earlier she had costarred in George Lucas’ American Graffiti, but at the time she was playing Shirley Feeney on the hit sitcom Laverne & Shirley; Jimmy Osmond.

Season 2, Episode 6 (November 5, 1976)

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans: Husband and wife singers and actors (and let’s not forget the restaurant!) who spent much of their time in Westerns on the big screen and the small, as well as radio; Georgia Engel: The late actress who portrayed Georgette on The Mary Tyler Moore Show at the time of Donny & Marie; Rich Little: The world’s foremost celebrity impersonator who, at the age of 80, is still going strong with an act in Vegas.

Season 2, Episode 7 (November 12, 1976)

Andy Griffith: Not much has to be said about the man who starred in The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock; Bo Diddley: Singer, guitarist, songwriter and music producer who is credited with helping music make the transition from the blues to rock ‘n’ roll; Ernest Thomas, Haywood Nelson and Fred Berry: Costars of What’s Happening!!, an ABC series at the time.

Season 2, Episode 8 (November 19, 1976)

Little Richard: Rock ‘n’ roll pioneer whose songs include “Tutti Frutti,” “Lucille,” and “Long Tall Sally”; Isabel Sandford: Actress best known as Louise Jefferson on the sitcom The Jeffersons; George Gobel, Ruth Buzzi.

Season 2, Episode 9 (December 3, 1976)

Carl Reiner: Golden Age of TV writer and creator of the TV series The Dick Van Dyke Show as well as his actor/director son, Rob Reiner; Roz Kelly, Charo, Paul Lynde, The Osmond Brothers.

Season 2, Episode 10 (December 17, 1976)

Andy Williams, Paul Lynde, The Osmond Brothers.

Season 2, Episode 11 (January 7, 1977)

Tina Turner: Actress and singer whose songs include “Whole Lotta Love,” “Night Time is the Right Time,” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It”; Billy Preston: Musician who worked with such superstars as Little Richard, Ray Charles and The Beatles; Rip Taylor: Comedian and actor whose schtick includes (for some odd reason) throwing confetti on everyone during his routines.

Season 2, Episode 12 (January 7, 1977)

Buddy Hackett: Actor and comedian whose movie roles include The Music Man, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Love Bug and The Little Mermaid (for which he voiced the character of Scuttle); Gary Burghoff: Best known as Radar O’Reilly on M*A*S*H; Chuck Berry: Rock ‘n’ roll singer/songwriter who gave the world, among others, “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Rock and Roll Music” and “Johnny B. Goode”; Paul Lynde.

Season 2, Episode 13 (January 14, 1977)

Merle Haggard: Country singer, songwriter, guitarist and fiddler whose singles include “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive,” “The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde,” “Okie from Muskogee,” “Everybody’s Had the Blues” and “Kentucky Gambler”; Ruth Buzzi, Jimmy Osmond.

Season 2, Episode 14 (January 21, 1977)

The Brady Bunch cast: We won’t even insult your intelligence by identifying who they are; The Osmond Brothers, Paul Lynde.

Season 2, Episode 15 (January 28, 1977)

Connie Stevens: Actress and singer well known for playing “Cricket” Blake on TV’s Hawaiian Eye, as well as the films Way … Way Out, Scorchy and Grease 2; Milton Berle, Jimmy Osmond.

Season 2, Episode 16 (February 4, 1977)

Paul Anka: Singer/songwriter behind hits like “Diana,” “Lonely Boy,” “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” and “(You’re) Having My Baby”; The Osmond Brothers, Paul Lynde.

Season 2, Episode 17 (February 11, 1977)

Roy Clark, Ruth Buzzi, Jimmy Osmond.

Season 2, Episode 18 (February 18, 1977)

Bert Convy: Actor and game show host; Anne Meara, The Osmond Brothers, Paul Lynde.

Season 2, Episode 19 (February 25, 1977)

Paul Williams: Actor and songwriter/singer, whose writing credits include “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Out in the Country” and the TV theme songs for The Love Boat and It Takes Two; Patty Maloney: An actress with dwarfism who appeared in a number of TV series or specials, including Far Out Space Nuts and The Star Wars Holiday Special; Jimmy Osmond, George Gobel.

Season 2, Episode 20

Don Knotts: Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show and Ralph Furley on Three’s Company, among many other roles; The Osmond Brothers, Paul Lynde.

Season 2, Episode 21 (March 11, 1977)

Lorne Green: At the time the actor was best known for Bonanza and, believe it or not, Alpo dog food commercials, though in 1978 he would gain a lot of attention as the star of Battlestar Galactica; Ruth Buzzi, Robert Hegyes.

Season 2, Episode 22 (March 18, 1977)

Sonny James: Country music singer/songwriter, who actually penned some songs for Marie Osmond, including her hit “Paper Roses”; McLean Stevenson, The Osmond Brothers.

Season 3, Episode 1 (September 23, 1977)

C-3P0 and R2-D2: Droids from Star Wars, which had just exploded around the world; Redd Foxx: Comedian who left his NBC sitcom Sanford and Son in 1976 to star in a 1977 ABC variety series, which, unfortunately, bombed in the ratings; Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson: Married couple who were singers (he also acts). Songs include “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” “We’re All Alone” and the James Bond theme “Octopussy” — his film roles include A Star is Born (1976 version costarring Barbra Streisand), Blade and Hickok. 

Season 3, Episode 2 (September 30, 1977)

Lucille Ball: Again, insulting to describe who she is, suffice to say we all love Lucy; Ray Bolger: Actor/dancer, best known as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz; Paul Williams, Paul Lynde.

Season 3, Episode 3 (October 7, 1977)

Robert Young: Actor best known for the 1950s sitcom Father Knows Best and the 1970s medical drama Marcus Welby, M.D.; Miss America Susan Perkins: That description kind of says it all; Neil Sedaka: Singer/songwriter, whose songs include “Oh! Carol,” “Calendar Girl” and “Breaking Up is Hard to Do”; Paul Lynde.

Season 3, Episode 4 (October 21, 1977)

Glen Campbell: Late singer, songwriter and actor, who counts among his songs at the time of his appearance “Rhinestone Cowboy,” “Southern Nights” and “Sunflower”; Bernadette Peters: Actress from film, television and, especially, stage, who continues to perform to this day.

Season 3, Episode 5 (October 28, 1977)

Ben Vereen: Actor, dancer and singer who, in the same year as this episode of Donny & Marie, costarred in the miniseries Roots; Kristy McNichol: Popular teen actress who, at the time, was starring in ABC’s Family; Billy Crystal: Before Harry met Sally, he was costarring on ABC’s serialized comedy series Soap; Shirley Hemphill: Comedian who was starring on the sitcom What’s Happening!!; Paul Lynde.

Season 3, Episode 6 (November 4, 1977)

Jack DeLeon: At the time he was playing Marty Morrison on the Hal Linden TV series Barney Miller; Ernest Thomas, Heywood Nelson and Fred Berry from What’s Happening!!, Paul Lynde.

Season 3, Episode 7 (November 11, 1977)

Cheryl Ladd: America was in the midst of falling in love with her as Kris Munroe on Charlie’s Angels; Bob Hope, Ruth Buzzi.

Season 3, Episode 8 (November 18, 1977)

Cindy Williams, Paul Lynde, Jay Osmond.

Season 3, Episode 9 (December 2, 1977)

The Sylvers: An American R&B/Soul family vocal group hailing from Watts in Los Angeles who found success with songs like “Fool’s Paradise,” “Boogie Fever” and “Hot Line”; Milton Berle, Charo.

Season 3, Episode 10 (December 16, 1977)

Mac Davis: Country singer/songwriter, also an actor whose movie credits include North Dallas Forty and The Sting II; Mackenzie Phillips: Introduced as an actress in American Graffiti, she was one of the stars of the sitcom One Day at a Time until her drug use resulted in her being removed from the show; Paul Lynde.

Season 3, Episode 11 (December 23, 1977)

The Mormon Tabernackle Choir: A 360-member choir that is a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; The Osmond Family, Paul Lynde.

Season 3, Episode 12 (January 6, 1978)

Charo, Andy Griffith.

Season 3, Episode 13 (January 20, 1978)

Suzanne Somers: Yet another actress introduced in American Graffiti, she, of course, was becoming a superstar thanks to the success of Three’s Company, on which she played Chrissy Snow; Ruth Buzzi, Buddy Hackett, Jack DeLeon.

Season 3, Episode 14 (February 3, 1978)

Lassie, Cheryl Ladd.

Season 3, Episode 15 (February 10, 1978)

Ron Howard: Little Opie Taylor from The Andy Griffith Show was the grown-up star of Happy Days and getting ready to embark on his incredibly successful directing career; Melissa Gilbert: Bringing tears to America’s living rooms on a weekly basis thanks to her role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on Little House on the Prairie; Johnny Dark: Comedian and comic actor who is probably best known for his recurring appearances on Late Show with David Letterman; Ruth Buzzi.

Season 3, Episode 16 (February 17, 1978)

Parker Stevenson: Teen heartthrob and one half, at the time, of The Hardy Boys mystery series; Englebert Humperdinck: British pop singer who the media often pit against Tom Jones, his hits include “Release Me,” “The Last Waltz,” After the Lovin” and “This Moment in Time”; Paul Lynde.

Season 3, Episode 17 (March 3, 1978)

Tom Jones: The Welsh singer whose incredible list of hit songs include “It’s Not Unusual,” “What’s New Pussycat,” “She’s a Lady,” “Delilah” and the James Bond theme “Thunderball”; Loretta Swit: Actress and animal activist best known for playing Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on M*A*S*H.

Season 3, Episode 18 (March 24, 1978)

Roy Clark, Ruth Buzzi, Johnny Dark.

Season 4, Episode 1 (September 22, 1978)

Olivia Newton-John: Australian singer and actress who was riding high in 1978 thanks to the phenomenal success of Grease, in which she costarred with John Travolta; K.C. and the Sunshine Band: A disco and fun band with songs like “That’s the Way (I Like It),” “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” “I’m Your Boogie Man” and “Get Down Tonight”; Bob Hope.

Season 4, Episode 2 (September 29, 1978)

Dirk Benedict: One of the stars of ABC’s Battlestar Galactica, which was premiering around the same time as this episode; Jaclyn Smith: Playing Kelly Garrett on Charlie’s Angeles at the time; Rita Coolidge, Paul Lynde.

Season 4, Episode 3 (October 13, 1978)

Kylene Barker: Miss America 1979; Robert Young, Kris Kristofferson, Paul Lynde.

Season 4, Episode 4 (October 20, 1978)

Robert Conrad: He had been the star of the ’60s hit The Wild Wild West and, in 1978, was leading the Baa Baa Black Sheep World War II drama on NBC; Andy Gibb: The solo Gibb and younger brother to Barry, Robin and Maurice, better known as the Bee Gees, who also recorded hit singles like “I Just Want to Be Your Everything,” “Shadow Dancing” and “An Everlasting Love”; Ted Knight, Johnny Dark.

Season 4, Episode 5 (October 27, 1978)

Sherman Hemsley, Ruth Buzzi, Johnny Dark.

Season 4, Episode 6 (November 24, 1978)

Lorne Greene, Cindy Williams.

Season 4, Episode 7 (December 1, 1978)

Betty White: The actress who over the past 70 years has had a TV show in every decade, and for her this appearance was between the end of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the beginning, some years later, of The Golden Girls; Suzanne Somers, Paul Lynde.

Season 4, Episode 8 (December 8, 1978)

Raquel Welch: The woman who set many hearts a flutter throughout the 1960s and ’70s, exuding a sexiness that a generation never forgot; Gavin MacLeod: Murray Slaughter from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and currently (or at least at that moment) Captain Stubing on The Love Boat; Ruth Buzzi, Johnny Dark.

Season 4, Episode 9 — ‘Christmas With the Osmonds’ (December 15, 1978)

Donny and Marie were joined by their famous siblings in this final episode of the series.