The Motown Revue Starring Smokey Robinson

Just for the record - there were 5 episodes of this show produced in the summer of 1985. It was a fun show, of course featuring many great Motown stars as well as such luminaries as Linda Ronstadt, Pee Wee Herman, Weird Al, Dean Martin, Chaka Khan, Wilson Pickett, Ray Charles, Boy George, Tears for Fears, Rick Nelson in what was one of his last TV appearances, a young Bill Maher (!) and others. Future stars Arsenio Hall and Khandi Alexander were part of the regular cast ("the Hitsville Gang") and future director Kenny Ortega was the choreographer. There was of course talk of it going a full season. But it came down to the decision of one guy, Brandon Tartikoff, president of NBC, and he nixed that notion. Which was unfortunate. We did a bit with Stevie Wonder wherein he professed the desire to be a make up artist, so he slathered on make up on a member of the troupe. I read his lines to him through an ear piece! Laugh-in's great producer George Schlatter, a friend of mine as well as of "the chairman" of Motown Berry Gordy. George was a sort of advisor/godfather. Yeah it was a golden TV moment. It may be viewable somewhere, and it's worth seeing if I do say so myself.

"The Motown Revue" was a too-short-lived Friday night musical series from the summer of 1985, hosted by Smokey Robinson. Many of the Motown majors were there (like Stevie Wonder), and also prominent R&B stars of the time (like Vanity), both singing and performing light stage comedy. In his appearance, Stevie Wonder received an achievement award, which he proceeded to "read" (and correct a misspelling) aloud on-camera. Vanity was her usual gorgeous self performing live, and Smokey Robinson featured an extra verse in Spanish to his "Being With You". The show was a blast to watch, and was gone way too soon; I believe there were only 2-3 episodes (with no reruns), or maybe just the one after all. I'd pay for a DVD of this program.