Donny & Marie

Donny & Marie was a variety show which aired on ABC from January 1976 to May 1979.

The show starred brother and sister pop duo Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond. Donny had first become popular singing in a music group with his brothers, The Osmonds, and Marie was one of the youngest singers to reach #1 on the Billboard Country Music charts (with “Paper Roses”, in 1973). The siblings were given the show by ABC-TV President Fred Silverman after he saw the duo co-host a week on The Mike Douglas Show which followed their series of popular remakes of oldies, such as “I’m Leaving It (All) Up To You,” “Morning Side Of The Mountain,” “Deep Purple” and “Make The World Go Away.”

Donny & Marie consisted mainly of an ice skating number intro, comedy skits, followed by songs performed by the duo. The most famous song performed on the show was “I’m A Little Bit Country, I’m a Little Bit Rock and Roll”, which formed the basis of a weekly segment in which Marie (“a little bit country”) would trade off singing a country music song with Donny (“I’m a little bit rock and roll”)) singing a rock and roll song. Each episode concluded with a musical finale and a cascade of balloons from the ceiling, matched to the colors of the sets and costumes. Donny and Marie would then sing their trademark closing song, “May Tomorrow Be a Perfect Day”.