That show was a huge success. It had very high ratings and won several emmy awards. Chrysler urged their dealers to have viewing parties in their showrooms and bring in color TV's just for the event.

It also encouraged Astaire to do two more in the next two years, Another Evening with Fred Astaire(1959) and Astaire Time (1960). I think all three were shown on the Disney channel many years ago and I have a bootleg tape of them. The second one, Another Evening, has missing segments of tape filled in with b/w kinescope. I personally think it is the best of the three shows, more entertaining and Astaire is much more relaxed and funny in it.

Astaire's success with the first convinced Gene Kelly to do his own special in '59, which was sponsored by Pontiac. Here's a couple of clips from it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx04D...48FE1D27BB074A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfjKb...48FE1D27BB074A