Rowdy and raucous, The Osbournes made a big splash on cable TV just six short years ago. When their reality show first filled screens in 2002, they quickly became the first family of rock n roll. If you think Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack left the small screen too quickly, FOX has something in store for you.

The network has given the green light to six episodes of a new variety-style show featuring the famous family. FOX has likened the project to - get this - The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. The new Osbourne show, as yet unnamed, will give viewers an hour’s worth of entertainment in the form of comedic skits, musical numbers, audience participation and special guest stars.

It all sounds quite awful, really. According to rumor, FOX is potentially working on one segment featuring another Obsourne family where the two clans will mix and meet. The show will begin, also according to industry rumor, with a Christmas special.

During its three-year stint on MTV, the Osbournes garnered the Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program. After the show, Kelly Osbourne enjoyed a short-lived musical career of her own. Sharon Osbourne went on to appear in other reality shows such as The X Factor. She can currently be seen as part of the judging panel on American’s Got Talent.

Variety shows have a long history on television, though many such projects have failed to achieve success. Notable variety-style successes on TV include Saturday Night Live (which has run for decades on NBC) and Laugh-In (which also ran on NBC for five years). With a strong cast and true comedy, variety shows work. However, the addition of musical numbers is always a little tricky - as evidenced by the quick fall of the ill-fated Brady Bunch Hour. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, by the way, ran for three years before cancellation.