The 70s had a number of shows that broke new ground and changed TV. Before there was All in the Family, there was The Flip Wilson Show. It was the first variety show to be hosted by an African-American comedian and it was a major hit in its first two seasons.
I remember watching the show on Thursday nights and I thought it was very funny. It proved that Flip can handle a variety show as he interacted well with celebrities such as Redd Foxx and George Carlin and as characters he created such as Geraldine and The Reverend Leroy. To me, he was one of the best comedians to perform in drag since Monty Python debuted on British TV in 1969.
But in the fall of 1972 a new show came on the scene which would cause Flip's ratings to flop. It would be the most successful family drama of the 70s, The Waltons. Although the ratings took a tumble, the show would hang on for two more seasons until NBC canceled it in 1974.
Before NBC had "Must See TV" in the 80s and 90s, The Flip Wilson Show was a must see that was a groundbreaker. The past tense of one of Geraldine's catch phrases best described the show "What you saw was what you got."