Modernaires); and by the 1969–70 season as The Jimmy Joyce Singers and the dancers (introduced after 1964 as the Tom Hansen Dancers, after the show's credited choreographer); and finally introducing Skelton as the star of the show; the assembled dancers looking "stage left" anticipating Skelton's entrance on stage to begin his opening monologue. For the final CBS season (1969–70), a cold open blackout sketch was added, featuring the antics of two alien moon men, green in color, performing comedic antics on the moon, as the song Mah Nà Mah Nà was playing. This led immediately into the dancers' routine. Opening monologue After the opening song-and-dance routine, Skelton opened with a monologue. The monologue often lapsed into character humor, including "Gertrude and Heathcliff, the Two Seagulls", which he performed by crossing his eyes and sticking his thumbs into his armpits for "wings". (Johnny Carson, who was a writer on this program for a period, reminisced about writing for this spot.) Skelton performed the "Doughnut Dunkers," one of his earliest signature routines, in a 1964 episode during this monologue. Guest stars This was followed by a guest-star performance, often a singer. Musical accompaniment was generally provided by the show's orchestra and led by its well-known bandleader, David Rose. He was also the composer of the show's familiar signature tune, "Holiday for Strings"(U.S. Copyright Registration Date 26-3-1942). The guest then appeared with Skelton in a comedy sketch. In other episodes, the Tom Hansen Dancers would perform another song-and-dance number, sometimes joined by the guest star. Among the notable guest stars on the program were western film stars Amanda Blake and Roscoe Ates, who played a sheriff in the 1961 episode "Candid Clem". John Wayne, Jack Benny, Phyllis Diller, George Raft, Martha Raye, Robert Vaughn, Audrey Meadows, Carol Lawrence, Shirley Bassey, Godfrey Cambridge and Carol Channing also made appearances. Popular television actress Phyllis Avery appeared twice in "Clem's Watermelons" (1961) and "Nothing But the Tooth" (1962). Billy Gray, who played Bud Anderson Jr. on "Father Knows Best" guest starred after the former show ended its six-year run. Musical guests The Beach Boys made their network television debut as musical guests on a 1963 episode. The Rolling Stones videotaped three songs in London for a 1964 Skelton show. Another British Invasion band, The Kinks, appeared in early 1965 (shortly before the American Federation of Musicians banned them from touring in the US for the next