THE CAPTAIN AND TENNILLE SHOW (1976-1977) FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

THE CAPTAIN AND TENNILLE (1976-1977) – Balladeer’s Blog’s recurring Forgotten Television posts look at the variety show hosted by the musical duo called the Captain and Tennille. The pair were married in real life and their full names were Toni Tennille and Daryl Dragon. Since “Captain Dragon” sounds like a superhero, the recording partners just went by the Captain and Tennille.

Hit songs like Love Will Keep Us Together, Muskrat Love, Shop Around, Do That to Me One More Time and others may ring a bell even with young audiences today. Their variety hour debuted on September 20th, 1976 and its final episode aired on March 14th, 1977. 

THE EPISODES:

ONE – For your Seventies fix, the show had guests Penny Marshall, Gabe Kaplan, Ron Palillo and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs.

In terms of guests whose fame peaked before that decade, “the Great One” himself, Jackie Gleason, was on hand.   

TWO – Daryl and Toni welcomed John Travolta, Redd Foxx, and for the grandparents – industry icon Bob Hope.

THREE – Gabe Kaplan made his second appearance on the program, but other than that it was like a Merv Griffin “Theme Show.” The other guests were Ron Howard, Erin Moran, Donny Most and Roz Kelly. 

FOUR – The Captain and Tennille were joined on stage by Art Carney and Roy Clark. This pairing made me wish for a future episode with Jackie Gleason and Buck Owens, but I’m kind of weird.   

FIVE – Ya want Seventies Kitsch? Well, from What’s Happening!! Cap and Toni welcomed Fred “Rerun” Berry, Haywood “Hey HEY Hey” Nelson and Ernest “Raj” Thomas. Rumor has it that the audience rioted when they realized Shirley Hemphill wasn’t there. (I’m kidding!) Other guests were Rita Moreno, Leonard Nimoy and Andy Griffith. 

SIX – Get ready for Georgia Engel from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, plus John Davidson, John Byner and Peter Schickele, the poor man’s Spike Jones.

SEVEN – All three original Charlie’s Angels performed in a comedy sketch about the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Piggies. Plus, the Captain and Tennille indulged Loretta Swit as she sang Shake Your Booty. You’ve been warned. 

EIGHT – Mr. and Mrs. Dragon once again hosted Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith from Charlie’s Angels, which made me want to see Captain & Tennille star as detectives in a crime show. But I’m kind of weird. Pat Morita and Raymond Burr showed up, too.     

NINE – We get Jack Albertson during his Chico and the Man phase, David Soul during his Starksy and Hutch period and David Brenner when his standup act was hot. Annette Funicello wandered into the studio, too. 

TEN – Some sources claim Jack Albertson was on the show again and this time performed Puttin’ on the Ritz with Toni Tennille. Albertson loved showing off his lingering dancing skill on every show that would let him.   

ELEVEN – I can’t find any Youtube copies of this episode nor any info about the guests. Weird.

TWELVE – This was a Christmas episode and aired December 20th, 1976. The Pointer Sisters guest starred as did Tom Bosley and Don Knotts.

THIRTEEN – The Seventies was strong with this episode. Guests were Muhammad Ali, Joe Namath, John Byner, John Ford Coley plus Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.

FOURTEEN – The Captain and Tennille welcomed Dick Clark, Tony Randall, Jim Stafford and the Sylvers.

FIFTEEN – Chaka Khan and Ed McMahon were on hand to discuss their messy divorce. (I’m kidding!) Paul Williams was another guest and Loretta Swit crashed the party again. 

SIXTEEN – O.J. Simpson was one of the guests. Who would he kill – Lou Rawls, Leo Sayer or John Byner?  

SEVENTEEN – Daryl and Toni hosted Don Knotts again as well as Vincent Price, Heart and Dionne Warwick.

EIGHTEEN – George Burns and Natalie Cole made their first appearances on the program. Viewers also got additional bits with Roy Clark and John Byner. 

NINETEEN – The venerable Ben Vereen guest starred along with the Manfred Mann Earth Band, who performed Blinded by the Light.

TWENTY – It had to happen! Englebert Humperdinck was one of the Dragons’ guests! Don Knotts and Leo Sayer were also there again plus Henny Youngman and, as required by law in the Seventies – Rich Little. 

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