The Cher Show

Cher opens the show with a torch rendition of “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” dressed in a purple fringe halter dress and framed by a gauzy curtain. In her monologue, she jokes about being too skinny, detailing the efforts of her crew and guests—Redd Foxx, Ted Knight, and her secretary—to fatten her up. She also introduces Labelle, teasing the network-approved, sanitized version of “Lady Marmalade” before flipping her hair dramatically. Foxx and Cher discuss the power of attitude, trading impressions and performing a playful duet before voguing long before Madonna made it famous. Ted Knight plays a by-the-book cop booking Foxx’s gambler in a hilarious sketch, while in another, Foxx struggles to return ill-fitting pants to Cher’s sassy complaint clerk. Laverne returns in her diner, encountering a hilariously cheap Knight, and later, Foxx plays a down-and-out man philosophizing about milk, while Knight mocks his habits. In the “Saturday Night” segment, Cher arrives home tipsy, sorts through a purse that isn’t hers, and, just as she’s about to collapse into bed, gets a late-night call from Gregg Allman. She delivers a dreamy performance of “Never Never Land” in a fur-trimmed ensemble as snow swirls around her. Foxx and Knight charm as struggling writers contemplating suicide, only to turn their misfortune into inspiration—before accidentally drinking their own poison. The finale is a showstopper as Labelle performs a dazzling “Lady Marmalade,” then joins Cher for “What Can I Do For You,” their wild costumes throwing off brilliant camera flares. Cher, exhausted from trying to keep up, embraces Patti Labelle as the joyfully chaotic performance ends. The show closes with Cher donning a feathered cape, thanking her guests, and singing “Lady Marmalade” with Labelle as Foxx and Knight dance along.