Today we celebrate the 235th anniversary of our country and the 35th anniversary of the

July 4, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Today we celebrate the 235th anniversary of our country and the 35th anniversary of the Bicentennial, which was, for many of us, the highlight of 1976. We also cherish 1976 as the year TV brought us so many cheesy comedy- variety shows. Here are five examples:

v “The Sonny & Cher Show” (CBS): By 1976, the Bonos had divorced (Cher had married Gregg Allman and given birth to a son). Nevertheless, the network persuaded them to reunite in a last-ditch attempt to recapture the magic of the couple’s wildly popular “Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.” The experiment didn’t work.

v “The Captain and Tennille” (ABC): ABC had hoped the married “Love Will Keep Us Together” duo would become the next Sonny and Cher. They didn’t.

v “Van Dyke and Company” (NBC): Dick Van Dyke moved out of his familiar sitcom role into hosting this variety show that had a recurring skit about the dumbest family in the world and whose ensemble included Andy Kaufman, Richard (“Jaws”) Kiel and New York kiddie-TV fixture Chuck McCann.

v “The Tony Orlando & Dawn Rainbow Hour” (CBS): For its second season, the show switched its emphasis from music to comedy, adding George Carlin as a regular. It was gone by December.

v “Donny and Marie” (ABC): In its second season, Marie turned 18 and was given a fashion makeover, complete with Bob Mackie gowns to make her appear more adult. No such changes for Donny.

FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS: It’s birthday party time for the good ol’ US of A, and television wants in on the action. So if you can’t make it out to your local fireworks display, just kick back and watch things go ka-boom on your TV screen. First up is “A Capitol Fourth” (8 p.m., PBS), a big gala from Washington D.C. that features performances by Steve Martin, Josh Groban, Jordin Sparks, Little Richard and Matthew Morrison. Jimmy Smits hosts the show, which culminates with some razzle-dazzle in the sky. Then there’s the “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular” (9 p.m., NBC) from New York City with performances by Beyonc and Brad Paisley, and the “Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular” (9 p.m., CBS) with actor Michael Chiklis hosting the Independence Day festivities in Beantown.

“Citizen U.S.A.: A 50-STATE ROAD TRIP” (9 P.M., HBO): The program is a patriotic travelogue from documentary filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi. She crosses the nation to attend naturalization ceremonies and listen to recent immigrants explain why they want to be Americans.

TV Listings, B6

DVD RELEASES

Movies that will be released Tuesday on DVD and through digital providers include:

“Of Gods and Men” (PG-13): A story of eight French Christian monks who live with Muslims. Starring Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale and Olivier Rabourdin.

“13 Assassins” (R): Thirteen brave Samurai must face overwhelming odds. Starring Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada and Yusuke Iseya.