The Dean Martin Comedy World
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Created by legendary crooner Dean Martin and his producer Greg Garrison, The Dean Martin Comedy World traveled around the world to find new comedy acts and show them on the air. Clips from classic comedy films (like Chaplin's "Modern Times") were also used, as were interviews with comedy legends like Jack Benny and Don Rickles. The hodge-podge, staccato-style of editing different comic bits didn't work out, and the show aired only in 1974 as a summer replacement series to The Dean Martin Show. This was also that program's last summer replacement series.
British comedy troupe Monty Python had its first primetime appearance on United States television on this show, with clips from several sketches and Terry Gilliam animations used. (It was Garrison's purchase of the rights to air Python clips that paid for the conversion of the BBC series from PAL to NTSC, which allowed "Monty Python's Flying Circus" to be sold to PBS later that year.) These clips did have to pass muster with American network censors, and so in the "Dull Life of a City Stockbroker" sketch the topless news agent was cut out.
The show was hosted by Jackie Cooper, Nipsey Russell and Barbara Feldon. Notable among those who appeared was the debut television performance by comedy legend Andy Kaufman.
