Operation: Entertainment

{{Short description|American musical comedy TV series}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}

{{Infobox television

| image =

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| genre = Music
Comedy

| creator = Chuck Barris

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| starring = Various

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| narrated = Johnny Jacobs

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| country = United States

| language = English

| num_series =

| num_seasons = 1

| num_episodes = 31

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| executive_producer =

| producer = Chuck Barris
Bill Carruthers

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| location = Various

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| runtime = 52 minutes

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| channel = ABC

| first_aired = {{Start date|1968|1|5}}

| last_aired = {{End date|1969|1|24}}

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Operation: Entertainment was an American musical comedy television program that was directly aimed at past and present veterans of the military.{{Citation needed |date=March 2022}}

The show was produced and created by producer and game show host Chuck Barris along with Bill Carruthers.Archive of American Television Interview with Chuck Barris{{cite web|url=http://vote4bobcrane.blogspot.com/2011/11/veterans-day-weekend-operation.html|title=Vote for Bob Crane|date=November 12, 2011|publisher=vote4bobcrane.blogspot.com|accessdate=March 29, 2015}} It was first televised on ABC on January 5, 1968. Louis Armstrong was a performer on the pilot episode.{{cite web|url=http://dippermouth.blogspot.com/2013/04/operation-entertainment.html|title=The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong|publisher=dippermouth.blogspot.com|accessdate=March 29, 2015}} Each week, the show was filmed at a different military base and had a different host. The show's regulars were Jim Lange, the Terry Gibbs Band, and the Operation: Entertainment girls.{{cite book|last1=McNeil|first1=Alex|title=Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present |date=1996|publisher=Penguin Books USA, Inc.|location=New York City|isbn=0-14-02-4916-8|page= 627|edition=4th}} (Sivi Alberg, Darien Daniels, Marina Gahne and Eileen O'Neill). The show was announced by Johnny Jacobs.{{Citation needed |date=March 2022}}

The series aired a total of 31 episodes, 52 minutes in length each which were broadcast between January 5, 1968 – January 24, 1969.{{cite web|url= http://www.atvaudio.com/ata_search.php?keywords=OPERATION+ENTERTAINMENT|title=Archival Television Audio, Inc. – Operation: Entertainment|publisher=www.atvaudio.com|accessdate=March 29, 2015}}

The show's pilot music used a Terry Gibb's tune called "Pretty Blue Eyes". During the show's series, the closing theme was a Cole Porter tune called "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", performed live with the Terry Gibbs Dream Band.{{cite book|last1=Ginell|first1=Carl|last2=Gibbs|first2=Terry|title=Good Vibes: A Life in Jazz|date=2003|publisher=Scarecrow Press, Inc.|location=Lanham, MD, USA 20706|isbn=0-8108-4586-5|page=246|edition=1st|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2hTrC7WUst8C&q=%22operation%3A+Entertainment%22+pilot+music+terry+gibbs&pg=PA246|accessdate=September 21, 2015}}

Jack Shea was the director, and Ruth Goldberg was the talent coordinator.