The Cher Show

Cher kicks off the show with a beautifully contrasting medley of “Rainy Days and Mondays” and “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” shedding a rainbow boa to reveal a sheer dress adorned with white plastic circle fringing. Her monologue features a Q&A segment where she jokingly dodges questions about plastic surgery and her future wardrobe, teasing that she’ll be even more daring at 50. George Burns joins Cher for a charming moment, delivering a hilariously deceptive ballad, “The Baby Song.” Teri Garr and Martin Mull appear as interpreters struggling to arrange a royal marriage, showcasing their impeccable comedic timing. Cher then takes center stage for a visually striking but culturally questionable rendition of “Limehouse Blues,” set in a misty, atmospheric Chinatown backdrop. Later, she joins George Burns for a playful duet of “I Ain’t Got Nobody,” embracing a vaudeville-style sand dance while donning a black fringed halter dress and a bobbed wig. In another return to the Complaint Department skit, Cher plays the unhelpful clerk thwarting a couple (Garr and Mull) attempting to return unused wedding rings. The finale, “The Folly Sisters,” is a tribute to vaudeville revues, pairing Cher and Garr as classic song-and-dance entertainers. This leads into a series of sketches, including Martin Mull as a Christian Scientist hit by a truck, a doctor’s office skit featuring an old Jewish patient pursued by eager nurses, and an endearing Burns and Allen-style routine between Cher and George Burns, where Cher gleefully takes on Gracie Allen’s scatterbrained persona. As the show closes, Cher and Garr sing a roll call of famous vaudeville names, sneaking in a reference to Cher’s real-life secretary and close friend, Paulette. George Burns delivers the final laugh, questioning the last name. The episode ends with a continuation of the lively finale, though Martin Mull remains oddly unacknowledged.