RBBB Specials #1 (From Jerry Digney)

Circus1, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Circus TV Specials when i was the pr guy on RBBB during the 70s, we did a national TV special every year with a celebrity host. These were 60 minutes and aired on either CBS or NBC. In those days, there were still only three networks so the the viewing audience was pretty big. Actually, RBBB annual circus TV specials started in the late 50s and continued into the 80s, so there were roughly 30 years of TV specials. In addition to the circus specials, Irvin Feld produced two, I believe, separate specials featuring Gunther. The annual TV specials were shot over 2-3 days at the Bayfront Center in St. Pete following the week long engagement there. The L.A. TV guys actually started shooting material in Venice but special TV lights and a TV audience were brought in for the final St. Pete tapings. Of course, these were highlight shows so not every act was included and the schtick and banter between celebrity host and circus performers was generally predictable and corny. But in the end they were a great promo for the circus dates. A change in programming trends saw the circus specials fade away and they've been absent from network TV for almost 25 years. However, my sense is that the TV market is hungry once again for family entertainment like this. Here are some of the ads and stars who appeared over the years on these TV outings which generally aired around Valentine's Day. Of the half-dozen or so I worked on, I remember Johnny Cash being gracious and us working together earlier in the year on TV ads for Lionel Trains, which was that year's sponsor--a less pleasant character was Danny Kaye who hosted in 1979.