I've touched on this before, but if variety shows — or even just television history, really — hold a special place of interest in your heart, you could doubtfully do yourself a better favor than check out Telly Davidson's legitimately groovy TV's Grooviest Variety Shows of the '60s and '70s. That's the author, above, and while this breaks with Shared Darkness' informal policy of linking and/or celebrating only hot chicks, it's the exceptions that make the rule, and this is a worthy exemption.

With cable and 24-hour news cycles, the small screen of today is vastly different than television of yore — it might as well be another galaxy, really. So examining the histories of programs like The Lawrence Welk Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Flip Wilson Show and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour is a daunting task, particularly for a young writer. But those shows and many more get a comprehensive workout in Davidson's tome, which is full of warm anecdotes and behind-the-scenes detail but also keen analysis of the business landscape that rose up, sustained and ultimately felled these shows (and largely the entire variety genre). For more information, and/or to purchase the book via Amazon, click here.