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Classic overview

Stage Show was a popular music variety series on American television originally hosted on alternate weeks by big band leaders and brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Produced by Jackie Gleason, the CBS-TV show included the first national television appearances by Elvis Presley. The series began as a one-hour show on July 3, 1954 as a summer replacement for The Jackie Gleason Show. Gleason brought it back in the fall of 1955 as a half-hour show and scheduled it from 8–8:30 p.m. ET before his own program on Saturday nights. In 1956, Jack Carter, a frequent guest, became the permanent host. The June Taylor Dancers made regular appearances. Bobby Darin made his national TV debut on the program in early 1956, singing "Rock Island Line". The show's final telecast was September 18, 1956.