The Johnny Cash Show (TV series)

History

Cash had been approached by ABC to host a television show after the major success of his two live prison albums, At Folsom Prison and At San Quentin.The show started with an hour-long tryout offered by ABC as "a summer replacement for its Saturday night variety extravaganza The Hollywood Palace." While Cash had a large degree of freedom, he "had to accept some compromises by hosting showbiz royalty like Bob Hope, George Gobel, Kirk Douglas, Burl Ives, Peggy Lee and Lorne Greene. They gave the show gravitas that satisfied both advertisers and the network".

The show was recorded at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, then home of the Grand Ole Opry. The show was conceived by Bill Carruthers, who also served as executive producer and director for the first season. Stan Jacobson was also a producer on the show. Myles Harmon was the program executive for ABC Television. The first show featured Joni Mitchell, Cajun fiddler Doug Kershaw, Fannie Flagg as a comic, and Bob Dylan.

The show included a "Country Gold" segment which featured legends rarely or never seen on network TV such as Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys. Author Rich Kienzle suggests that as well as providing entertainment, the show operated as a "Country Music 101".

Cash persisted in the face of ABC "network anxieties" on several occasions. He refused to cut the word "stoned" from Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down", he stood by his Christian faith "despite network anxieties", and persisted in bringing on Pete Seeger whose anti-Vietnam War song on another network had "caused a firestorm". He premiered his "Man in Black" song on an episode taped at Nashville's Vanderbilt University campus.

In 1970, Columbia Records released The Johnny Cash Show, a live album, as a tie-in with the TV series, though the record is not considered a soundtrack. The release is unusual as Columbia was affiliated with competing network CBS. Cash's version of Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down", included on the series, is included on the album and was released as a single, which was a major hit for Cash.

One unusual taping occurred in 1971. Cash began the program assuming it was a regular episode. Moments after Cash greeted the audience, June Carter Cash came on stage and said she had a special guest. Ralph Edwards then joined the two on stage; as the audience erupted in a standing ovation, Cash realized that it was actually a taping for an installment of This is Your Life honoring him.

The show was canceled in 1971 in response to the Prime Time Access Rule, which eliminated a half-hour of network prime time programming from all of the major networks' nightly schedules. Cash's show was one of many that had strong rural followings that were canceled across the networks in what came to be known as the "rural purge."

In 1976, CBS ran a revival of the show, Johnny Cash and Friends, as a replacement series for four weeks from August 29 to September 20, 1976. The new show was taped at the newly constructed Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Aside from musical performances, this series also featured a greater emphasis on comedy, with Steve Martin and Jim Varney appearing as regulars, and with June Carter Cash performing several comedy routines as "Aunt Polly" (reviving a character she had performed early in her career).

Following Johnny Cash and Friends, an annual Johnny Cash Christmas Special series was launched, starting in 1976, with specials airing almost every year until 1985.

Season 1 (1969-1970)

32 episodes

The Best of The Johnny Cash TV Show

A DVD set featuring 66 live performances from the show, called The Best of The Johnny Cash TV Show, was released in Region 1 on September 18, 2007. The DVD set was hosted by Kris Kristofferson and directed by Michael B. Borofsky, and was produced by Reverse Angle Productions for Sony Pictures Entertainment and Legacy Recordings, Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division. An accompanying CD, featuring selected numbers from the show (some of them not on the DVD set), was also released.

DVD track list

DVD 1

1. Johnny Cash – Ring Of Fire
2. Bob Dylan – I Threw It All Away
3. Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash – Girl From The North Country
4. Kris Kristofferson – Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)
5. Louis Armstrong and Johnny Cash – Blue Yodel #9
6. Stevie Wonder – Heaven Help Us All
7. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising
8. Linda Ronstadt and Johnny Cash – I Will Never Marry
9. George Jones – Medley (White Lightning with Johnny Cash, She Thinks I Still Care, Love Bug, The Race Is On)
10. Johnny Cash – Hey Porter
11. Waylon Jennings – Medley (Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line, The Singing Star's Queen, Brown Eyed Handsome Man)
12. Tammy Wynette – Stand By Your Man
13. Marty Robbins – Medley (Big Iron, Running Gun, El Paso)
14. Johnny Cash – Come Along And Ride This Train
15. Johnny Cash – As Long As The Grass Shall Grow
16. Johnny Cash – Man In Black
17. James Taylor – Sweet Baby James
18. Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash – Cripple Creek
19. Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash – Worried Man Blues
20. Johnny Cash – Sunday Morning Coming Down
21. Johnny Cash – Old Time Religion
22. Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, The Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins and The Tennessee Three – Daddy Sang Bass
23. Mother Maybelle and The Carter Sisters – Wildwood Flower
24. Neil Young – The Needle And The Damage Done
25. Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Three – Tennessee Flat Top Box
26. Joni Mitchell and Johnny Cash – The Long Black Veil
27. Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Three with Carl Perkins – Big River

DVD 2

1. Johnny Cash – I Walk The Line
2. June Carter Cash – A Good Man
3. Derek and the Dominos – It's Too Late
4. Derek and the Dominos with Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins – Matchbox
5. Charley Pride – Able Bodied Man
6. Chorus & Johnny Cash – Country Gold Intro
7. Bill Monroe And His Blue Grass Boys – Blue Moon Of Kentucky
8. Loretta Lynn – I Know How
9. Jerry Lee Lewis – Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
10. Johnny Cash – Ride This Train
11. Johnny Cash – America The Beautiful
12. Johnny Cash – This Land Is Your Land
13. The Everly Brothers with Ike Everly and Johnny and Tommy Cash – That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine
14. Ray Charles – Ring Of Fire
15. Johnny Cash – A Boy Named Sue
16. Conway Twitty – Hello Darlin'
17. Mother Maybelle Carter – Black Mountain Rag
18. Tony Joe White and Johnny Cash – Polk Salad Annie
19. Glen Campbell – Wichita Lineman
20. Neil Diamond – Cracklin' Rosie
21. Ray Price – For The Good Times
22. Roy Orbison – Cryin'
23. Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash – Pretty Woman
24. Johnny Cash – Wanted Man
25. Chet Atkins and Johnny Cash – Recuerdo De La Alhambra
26. Chet Atkins – Medley (Back Home in Indiana, Country Gentleman, Mister Sandman, Wildwood Flower, Freight Train)
27. June Carter Cash with Homer And Jethro – Baby, It's Cold Outside
28. Merle Haggard – No Hard Times
29. Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash – Sing Me Back Home
30. Carl Perkins – Blue Suede Shoes
31. Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, The Carter Family and The Statler Brothers – The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago
32. Roy Clark – Medley (In The Summertime, 12th Street Rag)
33. The Statler Brothers – Flowers On The Wall
34. Johnny Cash – Working Man Blues
35. Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash – Jackson
36. Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash – Turn Around
37. Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash – I Love You Because
38. Hank Williams Jr. – Medley (You Win Again, Cold Cold Heart, I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You, Half As Much)
39. Johnny Cash – A Wonderful Time Up There

CD track list

1. Johnny Cash – I Walk the Line
2. Johnny Cash – Flesh and Blood
3. Tammy Wynette – Stand by Your Man
4. George Jones – She Thinks I Still Care / Love Bug / The Race Is On
5. Johnny Cash – I've Been Everywhere
6. Bobby Bare – Detroit City
7. Ray Charles – Ring of Fire
8. Derek and the Dominoes – It's Too Late
9. Kris Kristofferson – Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)
10. Roy Orbison – Only the Lonely / Oh, Pretty Woman
11. Johnny Cash with The Carter Family and The Statler Brothers – Belshazzar
12. Waylon Jennings – Brown Eyed Handsome Man
13. Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell – Girl From the North Country
14. James Taylor – Fire and Rain
15. Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, The Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins and The Tennessee Three – Daddy Sang Bass
16. Johnny Cash – Closing Monologue – I Walk the Line (reprise)