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The Flip Wilson Show

Season 1

20 listed hours · 1970–1974 · NBC

← All seasons · Show package

From the desk

How this season is filed

Filed by Rex Fontaine · Golden Age Dispatch

Flip Wilson owns a hit NBC variety hour on his own brand terms: Geraldine, Reverend Leroy, musical guests, and catchphrases that invaded playgrounds. First Black host of a major network variety franchise at this scale, packaged as entertainment rather than a lecture. The devil made him do it — and the sketches did.

TV Flash files Season 1 of The Flip Wilson Show (1970–1974) on NBC as the first listed season of 4 — 20 listed hours, 1970-09-17–1971-02-25 from “David Frost, James Brown, The Muppets” (S01E01) to “Don Rickles, Leslie Uggams, Ray Charles” (S01E22). Titles, dates, and synopses on file — no invented recaps.

Desk essentials in this season

  1. S01E01 David Frost, James Brown, The Muppets

    David Frost, James Brown, The Muppets: the 1970 open. Flip owns a hit NBC variety hour on his own brand terms — first Black host at this franchise scale, packaged as entertainment.

  2. S01E17 Muhammed Ali, Lily Tomlin, Bobby Darin

    Muhammed Ali, Lily Tomlin, Bobby Darin is first-season booking as a dare. Catchphrases invading playgrounds; Geraldine and Reverend Leroy already the characters the country quoted.

  1. S01E01

    David Frost, James Brown, The Muppets

    David Frost, James Brown, The Muppets — Season 1, Episode 1 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1970-09-17. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  2. S01E02

    Roy Clark, Bobby Darin, Stanley Myron, Denise Nicholas

    Roy Clark, Bobby Darin, Stanley Myron, Denise Nicholas — Season 1, Episode 2 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1970-09-24. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  3. S01E03

    Lily Tomlin, Redd Foxx, The Tempatations, Roger Miller

    Lily Tomlin, Redd Foxx, The Tempatations, Roger Miller — Season 1, Episode 3 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1970-10-01. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  4. S01E04

    Perry Como, Charlie Callas, Denise Nicholas, Lola Falana

    Perry Como, Charlie Callas, Denise Nicholas, Lola Falana — Season 1, Episode 4 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1970-10-08. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  5. S01E05

    Raymond Burr, Stanley Myron, The Muppets, Loretta Long, Sunday's Child

    Raymond Burr, Stanley Myron, The Muppets, Loretta Long, Sunday's Child — Season 1, Episode 5 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1970-10-15. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  6. S01E06

    Louis Armstrong

    Louis Armstrong — Season 1, Episode 6 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1970-10-22. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  7. S01E07

    Bill Cosby, Gina Lolabrigida

    Bill Cosby, Gina Lolabrigida — Season 1, Episode 7 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1970-10-29. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  8. S01E08

    Robert Goulet, Lola Falana, Robert Klein, Dean Martin

    Robert Goulet, Lola Falana, Robert Klein, Dean Martin — Season 1, Episode 8 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1970-11-06. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  9. S01E09

    Moms Mabley, Marcel Marceau, Arte Johnson, Doug Kershaw

    Moms Mabley, Marcel Marceau, Arte Johnson, Doug Kershaw — Season 1, Episode 9 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1970-11-13. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  10. S01E10

    Bobby Darin, Charlie Pride, Ella Fitzgerald

    Bobby Darin, Charlie Pride, Ella Fitzgerald — Season 1, Episode 10 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1970-11-20. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  11. S01E11

    Stevie Wonder, Connie Stevens, John Byner, Johnny Brown

    Stevie Wonder, Connie Stevens, John Byner, Johnny Brown — Season 1, Episode 11 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1970-12-03. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  12. S01E12

    Lena Horne, Tony Randall

    Lena Horne, Tony Randall — Season 1, Episode 12 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1970-12-10. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  13. S01E15

    Bing Crosby, The Supremes, David Steinberg

    Bing Crosby, The Supremes, David Steinberg — Season 1, Episode 15 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1971-01-07. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  14. S01E16

    Steve Lawrence, Zero Mostel, Roberta Flack

    Steve Lawrence, Zero Mostel, Roberta Flack — Season 1, Episode 16 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1971-01-17. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  15. S01E17

    Muhammed Ali, Lily Tomlin, Bobby Darin

    Muhammed Ali, Lily Tomlin, Bobby Darin — Season 1, Episode 17 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1971-01-21. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  16. S01E18

    Bill Cosby

    Bill Cosby — Season 1, Episode 18 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1971-01-28. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  17. S01E19

    Joe Namath, George Carlin, Johnny Mathis

    Joe Namath, George Carlin, Johnny Mathis — Season 1, Episode 19 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1971-02-04. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  18. S01E20

    Art Carney, Barbara Feldon

    Art Carney, Barbara Feldon — Season 1, Episode 20 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1971-02-11. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  19. S01E21

    Aretha Franklin, David Frost, Charlie Callas

    Aretha Franklin, David Frost, Charlie Callas — Season 1, Episode 21 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1971-02-18. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

  20. S01E22

    Don Rickles, Leslie Uggams, Ray Charles

    Don Rickles, Leslie Uggams, Ray Charles — Season 1, Episode 22 of The Flip Wilson Show. Aired 1971-02-25. Full plot synopsis not yet on file; see the show package for context.

More from the 1970s.