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This PBS special examines the roots of television comedy through clips and interviews with Milton Berle, Red Skelton, Sid Caesar, Bob Hope, Steve Allen, Sammy Davis Jr., Buddy Ebsen and more.

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What The Critics Said

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Hollywood ReporterRay Richmond

Something of a definitive chronicle of the era.

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USA TodayRobert Bianco

The clips from Your Show of Shows and Burns and Allen alone are enough to make Pioneers a good viewing choice. It just isn't particularly good at documenting TV's history, something that really should be done before much more time passes.

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New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley

The subject is worthy, the approach well-intentioned - but there are too many exclusions and errors to make this anything more than a passable primer.

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Baltimore SunDavid Zurawik

While seeing the faces and hearing the voices of such show biz giants is always a pleasure, overall, Pioneers is seriously flawed.

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San Jose Mercury NewsCharlie McCollum

The hour is awfully disjointed, and the pacing is sluggish to the point "Pioneers" seems longer than its one-hour running time.

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Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker

Rarely has such a terrific topic been so thoroughly mangled.

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