Wikipedia
Canzonissima was an Italian musical variety show broadcast by Rai 1 from 1958 to 1974, with an interruption between 1963 and 1967, aired on Saturday evening except for the last two editions in which it was aired on Sunday afternoon. The program was referred to as "the synthesis and the model of comparison of the Italian television variety".
The show consisted of a musical contest (with singers combined with some state lottery numbers) from the elaborate rules which were generally different from one edition to another; the competition was interspersed with dances and comedy sketches involving special guests.
Editions include the 1959's, which contributed to launch the Nino Manfredi's career, and the 1970s, which launched the career of Raffaella Carrà.
The 1962 edition, hosted by Dario Fo and Franca Rame, generated large political controversities due to use of censorship to cut some satirical sketches of Fo; the couple Fo-Rame was eventually fired, and the scandal lead to a long interruption of five years.