Bring Back Some Variety

"I never thought I'd get a chance to do what I'm doing. It's such a dream." — Maya Rudolph

As we coast into summer, networks have continued to put out original programming. Some of it is borrowed from Canada — "Motive" and "Rookie Blue" on ABC I'm looking at you — and others are shows that networks ordered last year but decided they shouldn't have — like NBC's upcoming comedy "Undateable."

Then there's the wild cards. In the past few years a couple projects have gone to pilot stage but not become series. But sometimes the networks air the pilots to see what the response is in case they want to change their minds. "Mockingbird Lane" was supposed to be NBC's re-boot of "The Munsters," instead it was a weird one-hour Halloween special.

On Monday, NBC got back in the variety show business with "The Maya Rudolph Show." While it was billed as a special, behind the scenes there is the very real possibility it was supposed to be — and might still become — a weekly TV series. Monday's episode — which drew a healthy rating for NBC — was a return to a golden age of television; a time dominated by variety shows.

The hour featured special guests, sketch comedy, musical numbers, and, of course, plenty of dancing. Some of it felt PG-rated and goofy, some of it felt heart-warming, and some of it — particularly a sketch with Kristen Bell and Craig Robinson — felt a little "Saturday Night Live" level risqué. In short, it was a mixed bag.

In fact, the comparison to "Saturday Night Live" felt apt. Rudolph made a name for herself with her strong work on that show, and the "special" that aired Monday night was boosted by the presence of "SNL" alums Fred Armisen, Chris Parnell, and Andy Samberg. And since "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels served as an executive producer, it makes sense that there was something familiar about the tone and format of the show.

But, then again, there was something retro about it, too. In a different time, variety shows were a staple of American television. Nowadays, not so much. I'm not sure if I would tune in on a regular basis for "The Maya Rudolph Show" were it a regular thing, but it does provide a little variety for a medium that's quickly becoming dedicated to serialized mysteries and an endless slog of procedural crime dramas that make you feel a little less optimistic about humanity.

And maybe that's not such a bad thing.