R.I.P. TV Variety Producer Gary Smith

As is not uncommon, we got a flurry of obit notices yesterday from the The Dark Angel known as Eve Golden. The one that hurt the most was Malcolm-Jamal Warner the likeable Theo Huxtable from the The Cosby Show. I was in my late teens when that show came on; and I remained a fan throughout the early years. MJW was taken too young and in a terrible way (rip tide). But today it makes more sense for me to acknowledge the passing of someone far less well known, but more relevant to my present line of inquiry. Emmy winning tv producer Gary Smith (1935-2025) passed away on July 18.

Smith specialized on producing variety shows, many of which I have written about on this blog, and that is why I rate him as more relevant. His credits include:

The Judy Garland Show

Kraft Music Hall

Ford Presents the New Christy Minstrels

The Roger Miller Show

The ABC Comedy Hour

And specials starring Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Burt Bacharach,Barbara Streisand, Julie Andrews, Perry Como, The Muppets, Glen Campbell,Jackie Gleason, Sammy Davis Jr., Sandy Duncan,Ann-Margret, Steve and Eydie, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire,Mac Davis, Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley, Lucille Ball,Shields and Yarnell, Shirley MacLaine, Luciano Pavarotti, Goldie Hawn, Rich Little, and many others including outliers like a version of Peter Pan, and The Star Wars Holiday Special.

After variety TV died, Smith produced lots of awards shows, galas, live events, and such like. Anyway, props today for a producer! They tend to be unsung.