Radio & TV: End of the Show

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After four years as a top-rated TV program, Your Show of Shows (Sat. 9 p.m., NBC) last week came in sight of the end of the road. In his Manhattan office, Producer Max Liebman and his two stars, Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, broke the news to reporters. Next fall each goes his own way: Caesar, who has signed a ten-year contract with NBC, will star in his own show; Liebman is working on the format of a new Show of Shows with a new cast; and Imogene thinks she will have a show of her own, too ("But NBC hasn't yet picked up my option").

The goodbyes were said with many tears by $10,000-a-week Imogene ("It's a sad event−I'm sorry it's happened"), a few tears by Liebman ("These things are natural developments in show business"), and none at all by $25,000-a-week Caesar, who observed: "To me, it's a really heartbreaking thing. But when a star starts to grow, there comes a time when a star must go on by itself." Producer Liebman, looking at the photographers, said to both of his stars: "Let's all smile now."