Sid Caesar and Your Show of Shows

<p> In the early days of television comedy often meant stale vaudeville routines and stand-up. Then in 1950 a new comedy-variety show debuted on NBC--<I>Your Show of Shows</I>. Its gifted and mercurial star Sid Caesar talented ensemble cast and superb writing staff--including Mel Brooks Neil Simon Lucille Kallen and Mel Tolkin--would create comedy designed for the new medium and provide a template for successful shows that followed. With rare illustrations and the most complete sketch guide yet compiled this book highlights Caesar's reputation as a brilliant comic actor and describes the writing and production of the weekly live broadcast that kept 60 million TV viewers home on Saturday nights. </p>