And Now For a Really Big Show.... Online Quiz | Television

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "The Ed Sullivan Show" was on CBS every Sunday night for a number of years. Do you know how many?

Answer: Nearly 23

The show ran from June 20th, 1948 to June 6th, 1971. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were on the first broadcast when it was known as "Toast of the Town". Singer Melanie along with a number of other performers were a part of the final airing.

2. The Beatles were a smash hit on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and the vanguard for the musical "British Invasion". The premiere night on American television for the Fab Four was February 9th, 1964 and 73 million televisions in the US were tuned in. This meant that 45% of all American households were watching. A congratulatory telegram was sent to the Mop Tops that evening by Elvis Presley. However, they were not the group from the British Invasion that appeared the most on Ed's show. Who was?

Answer: Dave Clark Five

The DC 5 made 18 appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" versus the Beatles' eight performances either live or via video tape. The Dave Clark Five single "Glad All Over" overtook The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" for the #1 spot on the UK singles charts in January 1964.

3. What singer was to perform the hit "Sixteen Tons" but instead was banned from any future appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" when he sang his own signature song?

Answer: Bo Diddley

Bo appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on November 20, 1955 and made the host very angry. Bo Diddley later recounted that "I did two songs and he got mad. Ed Sullivan said that I was one of the first colored boys to ever double-cross him. Said that I wouldn't last six months." The show had requested that he perform Tennessee Ernie Ford's hit song "Sixteen Tons", but when he came on stage, he sang his own song "Bo Diddley" instead.

This change resulted in his being banned from the show permanently. Chess Records included Diddley's rendition of "Sixteen Tons" on the album "Bo Diddley is a Gunslinger" that was originally released in 1960.

4. The Doors made a controversial appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" by singing a verse to a song that one of the show's producers had previously prohibited the band from including. The song was "Light My Fire" and the verse was "Girl, we couldn't get much higher". But what was the song The Doors performed immediately before "Light My Fire" on the show?

Answer: People Are Strange

"People Are Strange" was from The Doors' second album "Strange Days". The song focused on alienation and isolation. The Doors never performed on "The Ed Sullivan Show" again.

5. Topo Gigio was a 10-inch puppet mouse that appeared on the show over 50 times. The black light illusion techniques and the skills of four Italian puppeteers manipulating Topo's movements were quite remarkable. Topo ended each appearance on Ed's show by saying what?

Answer: "Eddie, kiss me goodnight"

The character of Topo worked directly with Ed on stage during the show. When Topo began each appearance he would say "Hello, Eddie." When Gigio asked for that kiss from Sullivan at the end of his act Ed would always oblige. Topo Gigio closed Ed's final show in 1971.

6. Ed was not able to host the night that included Elvis Presley's first appearance on the show, as he was recovering from a near fatal automobile accident. Who substituted for Sullivan that night?

Answer: Charles Laughton

Elvis Presley's first performance on the show was on September 9th, 1956 and was viewed by 60 million people, which represented 82.6% of the television audience. Elvis performed several songs in two segments of the broadcast that included "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog". Laughton was a famed English-American stage and film actor who famously portrayed Captain Bligh in the movie "Mutiny on the Bounty". Elvis made a total of three appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show".

7. What performer or performers made the most appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show"?

Answer: Wayne and Shuster

Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster appeared on the show a record 67 times. They were a Canadian comedy duo. They continued with comedy specials on Canadian television into the 1980s. When Ed brought his show to Toronto for a telecast in 1963 they appeared on stage with him as Mounties.

8. What comedian allegedly made an obscene gesture at Ed while performing and was temporarily banned from the show?

Answer: Jackie Mason

Mr. Mason allegedly used an obscene finger gesture directed at Ed during a show that aired October 18th, 1964. An angry Sullivan then banned Jackie from the show. Jackie claimed he was merely mimicking Ed's own finger gestures towards him signaling that there were two minutes left for his act before the show cut away to a speech by then President Lyndon Johnson. Mason won a libel suit in a New York court contending he made no such intended finger insult. Mason appeared again on the show two years later and Sullivan publicly apologized to him. Lenny Bruce never appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show".

9. What singer was slated to make his national TV debut in 1963 on Ed's show but never did when he wouldn't agree to a song change?

Answer: Bob Dylan

Dylan wanted to perform "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues" but CBS officials wouldn't allow it and wanted a substitute song. Bob said no, left the studio, and never performed.

10. The lead singer of what famous singing group recalled that Ed called them "the Girls" in an interview on a late night television show?

Answer: Supremes

On a "Late Show with David Letterman" broadcast Diana Ross related that Ed spoke of the Supremes as simply "the Girls". They performed numerous times on his show. Sullivan featured a number of Motown acts on his show over the years. Along with the Supremes, some other notables were the Temptations, the Four Tops, and the Jackson Five.

Source: Author Toneman52

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor guitargoddess before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

And Now For a Really Big Show.... Quiz

"The Ed Sullivan Show" was a television variety show that was broadcast on CBS for many years. Baby Boomers remember it well. How much do you know about this entertainment series?

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>