Can the prime time variety show ever make a comeback?

Rosie tried her hardest, but it was no go. I kind of miss the corny moments. The tacky production numbers and middle of the road acts belting out top forty hits. I do think there's a lot of talent out there who would be tailor made for this, too.

• Justin Timberlake is the only celebrity out there now, who could really handle it. He sings well enough and does comedy well enough to do a variety show.

• The corny stuff on Ed Sullivan was memorable. But there was also a lot of talent. Johnny Cash, Flip Wilson, Carol Burnett and the Smothers Brothers were all quite good in their own right and had some good people on their staffs. The first time I ever saw the Jackson 5 was the Ed Sullivan Show. Eydie Gorme and Steve Lawrence did corny stuff on Carol Burnett, but you also got to hear them sing.

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• SNL?

• I think the whole idea of a variety show worked in the day when there was only three channels, not 500. Back then, kids would sit through a corny act to see a musical group, and vice versa. And people like Carol Burnett riffed on common knowledge and experiences to create spoof sketches. Americans are so diverse now I don't think there are too many resonant touchstones that are familiar to a wide variety of people.

• They're not ready for prime time, r3.

• you're me touchstone Emma.

• What with our free time, Mitt and me talked about doing an old-fashioned, Mormon tinged, Donnie & Marie-esque television show. Our opening number would be "I'm Still A Little Bit Cuntry, and I'm A Loser Rocked by Polls."

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• Sabado Gigante

• No, OP. The variety show concept lives on in late-night talk shows and SNL. It's never going to come back beyond those avenues.

• Everyone is too cynical for a variety show to work now. Those things were devoid of irony and self-awareness. If anyone's going to do a one-night special they should get Carol Burnett and Julie Andrews to team up with a young actor to host.