Talent Varieties

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox television

| image = Talent Varieties set.jpg

| caption = The set for Talent Varieties (November 1955)

| genre = Talent show

| creator =

| developer =

| writer =

| director = Bryan T. Bisney

| creative_director =

| presenter =

| starring = Slim Wilson
The Tall Timber Trio

| judges =

| voices =

| narrated =

| theme_music_composer =

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| composer =

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 1 (summer)

| num_episodes =

| list_episodes =

| executive_producer = Si Siman
John B. Mahaffey

| producer = Bryan T. Bisney

| editor =

| location =

| cinematography =

| camera = multi-camera

| runtime = 30 minutes

| company = Crossroads TV Productions

| channel = ABC-TV
ABC Radio

| first_aired = {{start date|1955|06|28}}

| last_aired = {{end date|1955|11|01}}

| related = Ozark Jubilee

}}

Talent Varieties is a country music talent show on American television and radio in 1955 that featured performers hoping to achieve fame in the entertainment business.File:Slim Wilson.jpg

The weekly ABC-TV program was a live half-hour summer replacement series hosted by Slim Wilson. Wilson introduced the amateur and professional talent, including music and comedy acts (many from the Ozarks); and his Tall Timber Trio,{{Cite book|last1=Brooks|first1=Tim|author-link=Tim Brooks (historian)|last2=Marsh|first2=Earle F.|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present|publisher=Ballantine Books|year=2007|isbn=978-0-345-49773-4|location=New York|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w8KztFy6QYwC&dq=%22Talent+Varieties+variety%22&pg=PA1354|page=1354|access-date=December 2, 2024}} composed of Speedy Haworth (guitar), Bob White (upright bass) and Bryan "Doc" Martin (steel guitar) provided accompaniment. Auditions were handled by Bill Ring.Sachs, Bill "Folk Talent and Tunes" (July 23, 1955) The Billboard, p. 93 The Westport Kids appeared July 12,Sachs, Bill "Folk Talent & Tunes" (July 23, 1955), The Billboard, p. 93 and Buck Griffin appeared August 2.Sachs, Bill "Folk Talent & Tunes" (August 27, 1955), The Billboard, p. 107

The show aired on Tuesday nights from June 28–November 1. Its original time slot was 7:30–8 p.m. Eastern Time, replacing Cavalcade of America, but moved to 10–10:30 p.m. in September to briefly replace Break the Bank.{{citation|first=Alex|last=McNeil|title=Total Television|publisher=Penguin Books|year=1996|isbn=0-14-024916-8}}

ABC Radio simulcast the program under the name Talent Round-Up from 7:30 p.m., as well as carrying an additional half-hour until 8:30.Sachs, Bill "Folk Talent & Tunes" (May 28, 1955), The Billboard, p. 56

The program originated from the Jewell Theatre in Springfield, Missouri, home to ABC's Ozark Jubilee; and was produced and directed by the Jubilee's Bryan Bisney,Sachs, Bill "Folk Talent & Tunes" (October 1, 1955), The Billboard, p. 64 who took over from Ring in September.Sachs, Bill "Folk Talent & Tunes" (July 23, 1955), The Billboard, p. 93