Cher is an American variety show that aired on CBS from February 1975 to January 1976, hosted by singer-actress Cher. The series served as Cher's solo television vehicle following the end of The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (1971–1974) and her divorce from Sonny Bono.
Overview
The show's first episode aired on February 12, 1975, as a television special featuring guests Elton John, Bette Midler, and Flip Wilson. It was followed four days later by the weekly series, which aired Sundays at 7:30 p.m. (later moving to 8:00 p.m. in its second season). The program featured Cher interviewing celebrity guests from music, film, and pop culture, performing songs with a live band, and participating in comedic sketches and field reports. David Geffen served as producer.
Reception and Ratings
At the end of its first season, the show ranked first among variety shows and twenty-second among all programs, with a 21.3 average household share. It also received the most fan mail of any CBS program at the time.
Production History
After the divorce, both Cher and Sonny Bono were given their own series. Cher retained the Comedy Hour's musical director, Jimmy Dale, and director Art Fisher directed several episodes. Sonny Bono's competing show, The Sonny Comedy Revue, was canceled by ABC before Cher premiered. By the end of the season, the former couple reconciled their differences, and Cher was replaced by a revived The Sonny & Cher Show, which ran until 1977. Cher later stated that doing the show alone was overwhelming.
Episodes and Seasons
The series ran for two seasons and produced 26 episodes.
Home Media
Time-Life has included select episodes of Cher in compilation DVD sets: ten episodes appear in The Best of Cher and five in I Got You Babe: The Best of Sonny & Cher. The network getTV has sporadically rerun the series.
