CBS censors took a stronger look at this new show, now on an hour earlier than the original series to attract a younger audience. The network complained that Cher's clothes and image were not appropriate for a recent divorcee. "Suddenly I should start coming off like Julie Andrews" was Cher's answer, "Hell, Sonny didn't die."

The show's ratings fell steadily over the next few weeks, as did the quality of the skits. For legal reasons, it was decided that none of the characters or situations from the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour could be reprised for this new hour. The new regular features the creative staff came up with (like 'Sonnytone News') were awful. Still, based on the early strong ratings, the show was renewed for a second season.

The 1976-77 season tried to recapture the magic of the original series with the return of the 'LaVern' and 'Vamp' sketches and former regular Terri Garr was brought back as a guest more often. Even seven year-old Chastity started appearing regularly in comedy segments.

Mid-season, the Sonny and Cher Show was moved to Friday nights at 9, then to Monday nights at 10 as the program attempted to appeal to a more adult audience - as a result, the opening dialogues between Sonny and Cher were better than ever as the couple sparred over their separately dysfunctional lives.

The show even re-ran the very popular animated musical films (like 'Big Yellow Taxi' and 'Bad, Bad Leroy Brown') from the original Comedy Hour and CBS used the same print ads they were running for the original show, complete with six year-old pictures - but all of this proved to be too little, too late.

It didn't help the couple's image any that the second season started with Cher now officially divorced from her new husband, the father of her three month-old baby. The Sonny and Cher Show hovered near the bottom of the ratings for most of the second year before limping off the air August 29, 1977.