but that was part of the charm. >> here he is, ed sullivan! >> no matter who controlled the tv set on sunday, 8:00, you were going to watch ed sullivan. >> ed sullivan was a phenomenon. he was a powerful force. >> the beauty of the sullivan kind of variety show is that if you didn't like something, something else would be around in four minutes. >> no, no, it is very difficult. >> advertisers wanted everybody. and so they got everybody. a little kid and his grandparents to watch the same show. >> they would have an elephant on, and then the next thing somebody doing shakespeare, and a comic, an acrobat, and an opera singer. which was true variety.