the 1970s–80s, including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, Love American Style (S2E09 "Love and the Young Executive" 1970 Nov 20), The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Spenser: For Hire. Davidson made numerous appearances on the original Hollywood Squares, from the game show's 1966 premiere to its 1981 cancellation, and he was there known for his long-winded bluffs. None of the comparatively minor celebrities who were guests of producers Merrill Heatter and Robert "Bob" Quigley were more convincing at getting contestants to believe his (often ridiculous) answers to questions the program's "Square-Master", or host, entertainer Peter Marshall, posed. Most times, Marshall could barely conceal a grin as Davidson started in on some far-fetched but plausible explanations for his answers, often prefaced with something to the effect of: "I just read about it in the New England Journal of Medicine, it was a fascinating study, and it said that..." Davidson sold these preposterous stories with such sincerity that contestants were often duped more than once in the same show. In 1973 and 1974, he starred alongside Sally Field on the situation comedy The Girl with Something Extra. (The "something extra" Field's character had was telepathy.) In 1974 he guest-starred on the television series The Streets of San Francisco, in the episode "Mask of Death", portraying a cross-dressing lounge singer who murders his/her fans. In the episode, Davidson sings in drag while impersonating such notables as Carol Channing, singing "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend". Also in 1974, the singer posed near-nude (with a strategically placed towel) for the magazine Cosmopolitan. In 1977, Davidson was present at the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in Southgate, Kentucky. He was expected to appear onstage as the headline act the evening the fire broke out, killing 165. Davidson helped others escape before fleeing through a back door. Davidson's music director, Douglas Herro, was among the victims. Davidson was not injured and later participated in a charity concert to raise funds for the families of fire victims. In the late 1970s, the actor became one of four regular guest hosts (along with Joey Bishop, McLean Stevenson, and Joan Rivers) on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and hosted the show 87 times. In the early 1980s he hosted his own talk show, produced by Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W, after it canceled The Mike Douglas Show. Davidson's show aired daily in syndication from 1980