Yes, you there off to the side. You had a question about the half time shows at the Super Bowl? Well, the modern blowout spectacle of the Super Bowl halftime show is thanks in part to the sketch comedy antics of âIn Living Colorâ thirty years ago. Check out these spectacular Super Bowl halftime show lineups before 1992âŠ
- 1989: âBe Bop Bamboozledâ – Special 3D glasses required, with an Elvis impersonator, a stadium-wide card trick and local South Florida dancers.
- 1990: âSalute To New Orleans & Peanutsâ – With performances by three marching bands and a famed clarinetist and fiddler.
- 1991: âItâs A Small Worldâ – A tribute to 25 years of the Super Bowl, with performances by a childrenâs choir and New Kids On The Block.
- 1992: âWinter Magicâ – A tribute to the winter olympics, with a 30 foot inflatable snowman and special appearances by Brian Boitano and the University of Minnesota Marching Band⊠and Gloria Estefan booked at the last minute.
Why the last minute big name booking in 1992, you ask? Well Fox decided to air a special live episode of âIn Living Colorâ as disruptive counter-programming during half-time of the game and CBS panicked a little bit⊠and rightfully so. âNearly twenty-nine million viewers tuned in to Fox that night, and the Super Bowlâs ratings on CBS for the second half crashed by ten points. The following year, they hired Michael Jackson, then the biggest entertainer on the planet.â
âWe swooped in like pirates and took over that halftime half hour,â says Jim Carrey. âWeâre the reason why you see all that amazing entertainment at Super Bowl halftime now.â
For more fun television history stories, track down a copy of the fascinating book âHomey Donât Play That: The Story Of In Living Colorâ by David Peisner.
In the meantime, Iâll just leave this here: