These are shows which... may not necessarily be "variety," exactly, but I'm not sure where else to put them. They're of no great importance to me, I may barely remember the fact that I watched them... but I feel compelled to at least mention them in passing.

How'd They Do That?, CBS
IMDb; TV.com

This was a show that... explained... how people did stuff. I guess. It ran from 1992-94. I know I watched it for awhile, because at the time there wasn't anything else on, because I didn't get a lot of channels. I don't remember it now with any clarity, but it was hosted by Pat O'Brien (whom I may have already known from Entertainment Tonight) and Dorothy Lucey.

Star Search, syndicated
IMDb; TV.com; TV Tropes; Wikipedia

This ran from 1983-95, apparently, though I'm surprised to learn that it still existed in the 90s. It was hosted by Ed McMahon, who was already famous for his work on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, though I didn't know him from that, because I didn't get NBC. I did know him from "TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes" (lower this page), and possibly from sweepstakes commercials (or maybe I didn't see those until a bit later). Anyway, Star Search was what we would today call a "reality show," though back then the genre didn't really exist. It was a precursor to things like "American Idol" and all those shows that are popular now, but which I never watch. People could compete in varous categories like singing, dancing, comedy, etc. I don't remember it clearly, but I'm sure it must have been of some interest to me, when I was a little kid. (There was a remake in 2003, which I never saw.)

TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes, NBC
IMDb; TV.com; TV Tropes; Wikipedia

This originally ran from 1984-86. It was hosted by Ed McMahon and Dick Clark. I guess in the 90s there was a series of specials, though I'm not sure if I saw any of those. Anyway, the series aired bloopers (outtakes) from various shows or whatever. And random practical jokes. I don't remember it clearly, but I definitely remember the title. I'm sure it was of some interest to me, when I was a little kid, but nowadays it's probably not something I'd care for. In particular, I'm not generally a fan of practical jokes. But, you know... nostalgia is nostalgia. Oh, yeah, I should mention, of course, that I didn't get NBC, so... I guess my local CBS station must have aired it, as they did with some off-network shows.

Oh and also... I should mention that the show was perhaps somewhat reminiscent of "Candid Camera," a show which originated in the 1940s, hosted by Allen Funt. It has had different runs in pretty much every decade since then, I guess. I'd probably heard of it when I was a kid, but had never seen it, though I think I saw a bit of an updated version in the 90s, hosted by Peter Funt (Allen's son). I probably didn't like it as much as Bloopers & Practical Jokes.