Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Also known as	Laugh-In
Genre	Variety show
Created by	George Schlatter
Directed by	Gordon Wiles Mark Warren
Starring	Dan Rowan Dick Martin
Theme music composer	Ian Bernard
Opening theme	"Inquisitive Tango"
Country of origin	United States
No.of seasons	6
No.of episodes	140 (+ one-time special and special episode)(list of episodes)
Production
Running time	45–48 minutes
Production companies	George Schlatter-Ed FriendlyProductions Romart Inc.
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	January 22, 1968(1968-01-22)– March 12, 1973(1973-03-12)
Related
Turn-On Super Laff-In(Philippines version) Letters to Laugh-In Baggy Pants and the Nitwits

Dan RowanandDick Martin(1968)

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In(often simply referred to asLaugh-In) is an Americansketch comedytelevision program which ran for six seasons from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on theNBCtelevision network. The show, hosted by comediansDan RowanandDick Martin,originally aired as a one-time special on September 9, 1967, and was such a success that it was brought back as a series, replacingThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.on Mondays at 8 pm (ET). It quickly became the most popular television show in the United States.

The title of the show was a play on the 1960sHippieculture "love-ins"or theCounterculture"be-ins",terms derived from the"sit-ins"common in protests associated withcivil rightsandantiwar demonstrationsof the time. In the pilot episode, Dan Rowan explained the show's approach: "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to television's first Laugh-In. Now for the past few years, we have all been hearing an awful lot about the various 'ins'. There have been be-ins, love-ins, and sleep-ins. This is a laugh-in and a laugh-in is a frame of mind. For the next hour, we would just like you to sit back and laugh and forget about the other ins."

Laugh-Inhad its roots in the humor ofvaudevilleand burlesque, but its most direct influences wereOlsen and Johnson's comedies (such as the free-form Broadway revueHellzapoppin'), the innovative television works ofErnie Kovacs,and the topical TV satireThat Was the Week That Was.The show was characterized by a rapid-fire series of gags and sketches, many of which were politically charged or contained sexual innuendo. The co-hosts continued the exasperated "straight man" (Rowan) and "dumb guy" (Martin) act which they had established as nightclub comics.

The show featuredGary Owensas the on-screen radio announcer, and an ensemble cast.Ruth Buzziwas part of the ensemble throughout the show's six-year run, while others appeared in at least three seasons. This includes Judy Carne,Henry Gibson,Goldie Hawn,Arte Johnson,Jo Anne Worley,Alan Sues,Lily Tomlin,Dennis AllenandRichard Dawson.

In 2002,Rowan & Martin's Laugh-Inwas ranked number 42 onTV Guide's50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

Episodes

Main article:List of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In episodes

Caricatures ofDan RowanandDick MartinbySam Berman

Laugh-Inwas designed to be very lightly structured and consisted mainly of short comedic sketches. Some of these would reappear multiple times throughout an episode with variations on a theme, while others involved reoccurring characters created by the cast. In others, cast members and guest stars would simply appear as themselves, delivering jokes or reacting to a previous sketch. In addition to the announced guest star or stars of the evening, some recurring guest stars would appear unannounced multiple times through a season (which was easy to accomplish given the show's non-linear taping sessions). A trademark of the series was its (even shorter) blackout sketches, often involving rapid-fire cuts between two or more scenes or camera angles, set to a six-note musical sting (or at times, an elongated 16-note version). These were used as transitions into and out of commercials, among other places.

The show started with a batch of sketches leading into Gary Owens' introduction segment, in which the cast and announced guest star(s) would appear behind open doors of the show's iconic,psychedelicallypainted "Joke Wall". Owens would also insert offbeat lines in his monotone, deadpan style, in the introductions and occasionally throughout the episode, generally facing a microphone to his side with one hand cupped to his ear (Owens's character loosened up and became "hipper" in later seasons).

After more short sketches leading into and out of the first commercial break, Rowan and Martin would walk in front of the show's homebase set to introduce the show and have a dialogue, generally consisting of Martin frustrating Rowan by derailing his attempt to do a proper introduction via misunderstandings or digressions.

Eventually, Rowan would end the introduction and invite the audience to the "Cocktail Party". Thislive to tapesegment comprised all cast members and occasional surprise celebrities dancing before a 1960s "mod"party backdrop, delivering one- and two-line jokes interspersed with a few bars of dance music. (This was similar in format to the" Word Dance "segments ofA Thurber Carnival,and would later be imitated onThe Muppet Show.)

Another weekly segment was "Laugh-In Looks At The News", which began with the female cast members singing the segment's opening theme in a different costumed set piece each week, often with the help of the guest star. The news varied in presentation over the years, but in the earlier seasons started with Martin reading the "News of the Present", with Rowan providing "News of the Future" and sketches depicting the "News of the Past". Alan Sues, as his "Big Al" character, would provide a typically clueless sports report.

"Mod, Mod World" was a group of sketches introduced by Rowan and Martin that fit into an announced theme. This segment is notable for being interspersed with film clips of some of the female cast members (most frequently Carne and Hawn) performing go-go dancing in bikinis to the segment's burlesque-inspired theme, with the camera periodically zooming into jokes or images that had been painted onto their bodies. The segment also usually included an additional musical number based on the topic, performed by cast members at the beginning and end of the segment, as well as in short bridges between sketches.

At the end of every show, after a final dialogue, Rowan would turn to his co-host and say, "Say good night, Dick", to which Martin replied, "Good night, Dick!", leading into the final Joke Wall segment. The cast would pop out of their doors and either tell jokes to the camera, to each other, or to Rowan and Martin, who stood in front, or just yell out, "Good night, Dick!" This would lead into and continue under the closing credits. There would be one final batch of skits, including a closing appearance from Owens. Up until the finale of Season 4, the last gag would be Arte Johnson's character, Wolfgang, the German soldier. He would slowly rise up from among some plants, look into the camera and say with a thick German accent, "Veeeeery eeenterestingk!" This would bring the episode to a conclusion - almost. The very last thing the television audience would hear is one pair of hands clapping several seconds after all the credits had rolled. This was the conclusion to almost every show up to the Season 5 finale. For Season 6, the television audience would hear a woman laughing (Ruth Buzzi) very strangely long after the credits had rolled.

Other segments and recurring characters, listed below, would come and go throughout the years.

Overview Of Cast And Show Dynamics

Goldie Hawn and Ruth Buzzi in a 1968 Halloween skit

Rita Hayworthreprised herSadie Thompsoncharacter on the show in 1971.

John Waynebeing fitted for a giant bunny costume, 1972

1967 Special

The September 9, 1967, was meant to be a special, not a series, and featured:Pamela Austin,Ken Berry,Barbara Feldon,andMonte Landis.

Season 1, 1968

Season 1 ran from January to March, 1968 with 14 episodes.Gary Owensjoined the cast in the first episode along with series regularsPamela Austin,Eileen Brennan,Judy Carne, Ruth Buzzi,Henry Gibson,Larry Hovis,Arte Johnson,andJo Anne Worley.Goldie Hawnjoined the cast in the third episode. She had been under contract toGood Morning Worldat the time of the pilot.Eileen Brennan,Barbara FeldonandJack Rileymade frequent appearances in both season 1 and 2. Riley usually did skits as PresidentLyndon Johnson.

Ian Bernard (1930–2020) was the musical director for all 6 seasons. He composed the show's theme song along with numerous other pieces.

Billy Barnescomposed special comedic and topical songs for the show's cast and guest stars. He was regularly seen playing a golden grand piano to accompany solos by cast members such as Ruth Buzzi, Alan Sues and Jo Ann Worley and guest stars such asDinah ShoreandLena Horne.

Cast departures: all continued on into Season 2 but Hovis.

Season 2

Season 2 (1968–1969): New regulars includedChelsea Brown,Dave MaddenandAlan Sues.

Arte Johnson now insisted on star billing, apart from the rest of the cast. The producer mollified him by having announcer Gary Owens read Johnson's credit as a separate sentence: "Starring Dan Rowan and Dick Martin!AndArte Johnson! With Ruth Buzzi... "This maneuver gave Johnson the star billing he wanted, but it also implied that he was still part of the ensemble cast.

Cast departures: Chelsea Brown and Madden left at the end of season 2. Carne officially left the show after episode 11 but did return for a few appearances in season 3.

Season 3

Season 3 (1969–1970): New regulars includedJohnny Brown,Byron Gilliam,Teresa Graves,Jeremy Lloyd,Pamela Rodgers andLily Tomlin.Gilliam was a dancer in seasons 1 to 2 and promoted to cast member this season. Both Brown and Tomlin joined late in this season.

Cast departures and changes: After the finale, Gilliam returned to being a regular dancer in The Cocktail Party scene and in occasional skits. He remained until the end of the series. Graves, Hawn, Lloyd and Worley left after the season 3 finale. Tomlin remained until the series ended in 1973.

Season 4

Season 4 (1970–1971): There were major changes to the set and new additions to the cast. The overallpsychedelialook was replaced with a moreavant-gardeambience. The Cocktail Party set now consisted of oversized cutouts of celebrity and historical figures. The show began to depart from both itsHippie-esque "vibe" and humor and its leanings toward the counterculture of the 1960s.There were now significantly less jokes and commentary aboutrace relationsand anti-Vietnam Warsentiment.

New cast members included:Dennis Allen,writer-actressAnn Elderand tap dancerBarbara Sharma.

Cast departures: Gibson left after episode 10 and Johnson left after the season 4 finale.

Notable visits for season 4:Goldie Hawnmade a guest appearance in episode 3. After she left Laugh-In she made two movies,There's A Girl In My SoupandCactus Flower,for which she won anAcademy Award.Teresa Gravesmade two consecutive appearances toward the end of season 4. She made history in her own right by being the first African-American woman to star in her own TV show, "Get Christie Love!".

Season 5

Season 5 (1971–1972): Another new set design was introduced that combinedabstract artwithavant-garde.The Cocktail Party set now consisted of a main wall covered in mirrored tiles. The jokes, commentary and overall humor became even more mainstream in Season 5, and there were more "schtick"andVaudeville-esque musical numbers. The few political jokes told were mostly aimed at theNixon administration.Around mid-season, the show began to air brief anti-drug messages at the end of each episode. In keeping with Laugh In's ground-breaking nature, these messages strongly resembled 21st centuryGIFs.

New cast members:Hogan's HeroesalumniRichard DawsonandLarry Hovis.Both had been part of season 1. Child actorMoosie Drierwas also added, doing solo cameo jokes.

Cast departures after the season 5 finale: Brown, Elder, Hovis, Sharma & Sues. Dawson remained until the series ended.

During season 5 the show also celebrated its 100th episode. Former cast regulars Carne, Gibson, Graves, Johnson, and Worley returned for the festivities. Frequent guest starsTiny TimandJohn Waynewere also on hand to celebrate. This was Wayne's first guest appearance since 1968.

Season 6

Season 6 (1972–1973): This was Laugh-In's final season. Rowan and Martin assumed the executive producer roles fromGeorge SchlatterandEd Friendly.A new set was designed that mixed abstract art with mutedpsychedeliacolors. There was once again a visible studio audience. Ian Bernard, the show's musical director, and five other musicians became participants in the Cocktail Party scenes as the house band known as, "Ian Bernard and His Band At Large" Owens would often incorrectly introduce them as "Ian Bernard and His Band OfIrvineQuickies ","... His Band Of Lard "or"... His Band Of Lies. "Also new for the first few episodes was a group of six women dancers called" The Downtown Beauties ", referring to the show's running joke of" beautiful downtown Burbank. "The members of this group were in the Cocktail Party Scenes and the group was featured for many of the musical numbers. The known names of these dancers are Janice Pennington and Adele Yoshioko.

Cast, veteran returnees: Allen, Buzzi, Dawson, Owens and Tomlin. Cast, new members: child actorMoosie Drier,promoted to cast member & teamed with child actor Tod Bass, character comedian Brian Bressler (up to episode 10), comediennePatti Deutsch,German model Lisa Farringer (episodes 13–24),Sarah Kennedy,folksy singer-comedianJud Strunk,ventriloquist actWillie Tylerand Lester and Donna Jean Young. Former regular Jo Anne Worley returned for two guest appearances, including the series finale.

Although Owens was not in the 1967 pilot and Buzzi was not in two episodes of season 1, of the more than three dozen entertainers to join the cast over the years, only Rowan, Martin, Owens, and Buzzi were present from beginning to end.

This last season was not George Schlatter's property, so it was not included in the edited and condensed rerun package of half-hour episodes that was syndicated (throughLorimar Productions) to local stations in 1983 and later toNick at Nitein 1987. Season 6 ultimately was shown for the first time since its original 1972 -1973 run when the entire series of full, uncut episodes began airing onDecadesin 2017.

Cast Tenures

• All Seasons:Dan Rowan,Dick Martin,Gary Owens,andRuth Buzzi
• Season 1(1968):Pamela Austin,Eileen Brennan,Judy Carne,Henry Gibson,Goldie Hawn(episode 3 on),Larry Hovis,Arte Johnson,Roddy Maude-Roxby,Jo Anne Worley
• Season 2(1968–69):Chelsea Brown,Judy Carne,Arte Johnson,Henry Gibson,Goldie Hawn,Jo Anne Worley,Dave Madden,Alan Sues,•"Sweet Brother" Dick Whittington(through episode 14), •Charlie BrillandMitzi McCall- "The Fun Couple" (through episode 11), •Pigmeat Markham(through episode 14), •Jack Riley(episodes 4, 7, 12, 13, 16), •J. J. Barry (episodes 15–19)•Byron Gilliam (dancer), •Barbi Benton(dancer)

•Indicates an extended guest performer and not a regular cast member

• Season 3(1969–70):Johnny Brown(episodes 22 and 24, originally introduced as "John Brown" )Judy Carne(through episode 11),Henry Gibson,Byron Gilliam (through episode 11, but continued as a dancer and in occasional cameos), •Stu Gilliam(episodes 14, 16, 19, 20, 26),Goldie Hawn,Teresa Graves,Jeremy Lloyd,Arte Johnson,Pamela Rodgers,Alan Sues,Lily Tomlin(from episode 15),Jo Anne Worley

•Indicates an extended guest performer and not a regular cast member

• Season 4(1970–71):Dennis Allen,Johnny Brown,Ann Elder,Henry Gibson(through episode 10),Arte Johnson,•Nancie Phillips (through episode 17),Alan Sues,Barbara Sharma,Lily Tomlin,Byron Gilliam (dancer). In possible support of "AIM" -The American Indian Movementthat began in 1968 - the producers hiredBetty Ann Carr,ofCherokeeheritage, Sandra Ego, ofMescalero Apacheheritage, andLinda Redfearn,of Cherokee and Anglo ancestry, as dancers in the weekly Cocktail Party scene.

•Indicates an extended guest performer and not a regular cast member

• Season 5(1971–72):Dennis Allen,Johnny Brown,Richard Dawson,•Moosie Drier(child),Ann Elder,Larry Hovis,Barbara Sharma,Alan Sues,•Mona Tera (child- 6 episodes),Lily Tomlin,Byron Gilliam (dancer).

•Indicates an extended guest performer and not a regular cast member

• Season 6(1972–73):Dennis Allen,•Tod Bass (child)- teamed with other child actor ▪︎Moosie Drierthrough episode 10, Brian Bressler,Richard Dawson,Patti Deutsch,▪︎Lisa Farringer (episodes 13 - 24),Sarah Kennedy,Jud Strunk,Lily Tomlin,Willie Tyler and Lester,Donna Jean Young. Apparently, as an economic measure, producers Rowan and Martin gave performers the occasional week off, so not all cast members appear in every episode this season. Only Ruth Buzzi and Gary Owens were considered essential to the show's survival and thus appeared in every episode.
• Partial List Of Dancers – All 6 Seasons:

Terri Alexander, Jeanine Barrat, Sandahl Bergman, Betty Ann Carr, Pat Doty, Sandra Ego, Byron Gilliam, Jayne Kennedy, Millie Knight, Connie Kreskie, Lisa Moore, Janice Pennington, Dolly Read, Linda Redfearn, Beverly Reed, Carol Richards, Adele Yoshioko

John WayneandTiny TimhelpedLaugh-Incelebrate its 100th episode in 1971.

Regular guest performers

Main article:List of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In guests

• Jack Benny(seasons 2–4, 6)
• Johnny Carson(seasons 1–6)
• Carol Channing(seasons 3–5)
• Tony Curtis(seasons 2–3, 5)
• Sammy Davis Jr.(seasons 1–4, 6)
• Phyllis Diller(seasons 2–4, 6)
• Barbara Feldon(seasons 1–2)
• Zsa Zsa Gabor(seasons 2–3)
• Peter Lawford(seasons 1–4; Lawford became Dan Rowan's son-in-law in 1971)
• Rich Little(seasons 2, 4, 6)
• Jill St. John(seasons 1, 3, 5–6)
• Tiny Tim(seasons 1–3, 5)
• John Wayne(seasons 1–2, 5–6)
• Flip Wilson(seasons 1–4)
• Henny Youngman(seasons 2, 5–6)

Series writers

The writers forLaugh-Inwere: George Schlatter,Larry Hovis(pilot only),Digby Wolfe,Paul W. Keyes,Hugh Wedlock Jr. andAllan Manings,Chris Bearde(credited as Chris Beard), Phil Hahn andJack Hanrahan,Coslough Johnson (Arte Johnson's twin brother), Marc London and David Panich, Dave Cox,Jim Carlson,Jack Mendelsohnand Jim Mulligan,Lorne Michaels(before he became the producer ofSaturday Night Live)andHart Pomerantz,Jack Douglas,Jeremy Lloyd,John Carsey, Dennis Gren, Gene Farmer, John Rappaport and Stephen Spears,Jim Abelland Chet Dowling,Barry Took,E. Jack Kaplan,Larry Siegel,Jack S. Margolis,Don ReoandAllan Katz,Richard Goren (also credited as Rowby Greeber andRowby Goren), Winston Moss, Gene Perret andBill Richmond,Jack Wohl, Bob Howard and Bob DeVinney. Script supervisors forLaugh-Inincluded Digby Wolfe (comedy consultant, season 1), Phil Hahn and Jack Hanrahan (season 2), Allan Manings (season 3), Marc London and David Panich (seasons 3–6), and Jim Mulligan (season 6).

Musical direction and production numbers

The musical director forLaugh-Inwas Ian Bernard.He wrote the opening theme music, "Inquisitive Tango" (used in Season 1 and again permanently from season 4), plus the infamous "What's the news across the nation" number. He wrote all the musical "play-ons" that introduced comedy sketches like Lily Tomlin's character, Edith Ann, the little girl who sat in a giant rocking chair, and Arte Johnson's old man character, Tyrone, who always got hit with a purse. He also appeared in many of the Cocktail Party scenes, primarily Season 6, where he directed his band as they stopped and started between jokes. Composer-lyricistBilly Barneswrote all of the original musical production numbers in the show, and often appeared on-camera, accompanying Johnson, Buzzi, Worley, or Sues, on a golden grand piano. Barnes was the creator of the famous Billy Barnes Revues of the 1950s and 1960s, and composed such popular hits as "I Stayed Too Long at the Fair",recorded byBarbra Streisandand the jazz standard "Something Cool"recorded byJune Christy.For the entire 141-episode series ofLaugh-In,including the pilot, the show's musical coordinator was West Coast bebop jazz pianist and composerRuss Freeman.

Post-production

The show was recorded atNBC's Burbank facilityusing two-inchquadruplex videotape.As computer-controlledonline editinghad not been invented at the time,post-productionvideo editingof themontagewas achieved by the error-prone method of visualizing the recorded track withferrofluidand cutting it with arazorblade orguillotinecutter and splicing with adhesive tape, in a manner similar to film editing. This had the incidental benefit of ensuring the preservation of the master tape, as a spliced tapecould not be recycled for further use.Laugh-IneditorArthur Schneiderwon an Emmy Award in 1968 for his pioneering use of the "jump cut"– the unique editing style in which a sudden cut from one shot to another was made without a fade-out.

When the series was restored for airing by the Trio Cable Network in 1996, the aforementioned edits became problematic for the editors, as the adhesive used on the source tape had deteriorated during 20+ years of storage, making many of the visual elements at the edit points unusable. This was corrected in digital re-editing by removing the problematic video at the edit point and then slowing down the video image just before the edit point; time-expanding the slowed-down section long enough to allot enough time to seamlessly reinsert the audio portion from the removed portion of video.

Recurring sketches and characters

Rowan and Martin withJudy Carnein 1967

Sketches

Frequently recurringLaugh-Insketches included:

• "Sock it to me";Judy Carne was often tricked into saying the phrase (" It may berice wineto you, but it'ssaketo me! "), which invariably results in her (or other cast members) falling through a trap door, being doused with water, or playfully assaulted in various other manners. The phrase was also uttered by many of the cameo guest stars,most notably Richard Nixon,though they were almost never subjected to the same treatment as Carne. The phrase was "retired" after Carne left the series.
• "The Farkel Family",a couple with numerous children, all of whom wore round glasses, had bright red hair and large freckles - strikingly similar to their" good friend and trusted neighbor "Ferd Berfel (Dick Martin). The sketch employed diversion humor, the writing paying more attention to the lines said by each player, usingalliterativetongue-twisters ( "That's a fine-looking Farkel flinger you found there, Frank" ). Dan Rowan played father Frank Farkel the Third, Jo Anne Worley, Barbara Sharma, and Patti Deutsch played his wife Fanny Farkel, Goldie Hawn played Sparkle Farkel, and Arte Johnson played Frank Farkel the Fourth. Ruth Buzzi played Flicker Farkel, who wore a frilly dress and would contort herself and roll on the floor and loudly say "HIIIIII!" in a very high-pitched voice. Two of the children were twins namedSimon and Gar Farkel,played by cast members of different races (Teresa Graves and Pamela Rodgers in the third season; Johnny Brown and Dennis Allen in the fourth). By the final season the Farkel offspring had dwindled to only two children, played by Ruth Buzzi and the puppet Lester. All of the Farkel skits were written or co-written by David Panich.
• "Here Comes the Judge".The judge, originally portrayed by British comicRoddy Maude-Roxby,was a stuffy magistrate with a black robe and oversized judge's wig. Each sketch featured the judge trading barbs with a defendant brought before him. On delivery of the punchline, he would strike the defendant with an inflated bladder balloon tied to the sleeve of his robe. Guest starsFlip WilsonorSammy Davis Jr.would introduce the sketch saying "Here come da judge!", which was a venerable catchphrase by nightclub comedianPigmeat Markham.Surprised that his trademark had been appropriated, Markham asked producer George Schlatter to let him play the judge himself; Schlatter agreed and Markham presided for the first half of the second season. After Markham left, the sketch was briefly retired untilSammy Davis Jr.donned the judicial robe and wig during his guest appearances, making the role his own. The character was introduced as "The Right Honorable Samuel Davis, Junior" (or "Right Hon." for short). Davis introduced each sketch with a spoken verse like "If your lawyer's sleepin', better give him a nudge! Everybody look alive 'cause here come de judge!" Davis would then strut off stage chanting "Here come de judge! Here come de judge!"
• "Laugh-In Looks at the News",a parody ofnetwork newscasts.The segment was introduced by the female cast members in a highly un-journalistic manner - with clever production numbers that had inticate choreography and amazing costume design. The sketch was originally called the Rowan and Martin Report (a take-off on theHuntley-Brinkley Report). The sketch itself featured Dick humorously reporting on current events, which then segued into Dan reporting on "News of the Past" and "News of the Future". The latter of these segments, on at least two occasions,correctly predictedfuture events, one being thatRonald Reaganwould be president in 1988, and another that theBerlin Wallwould finally come down in 1989 (S2 E23). A third predicttion came partially true in S3 E7 when Rowan lightheartedly discussed the devastaton of "Hurricane Bruce" on Burbank, with damage at $27.00 ". People laughed hysterically at the dubious name, but 16 years later, on

August 14, 1985, the real Hurricane Bruce, a Major Category 5, roared through the Caribbean and the Gulf States. The Cayman Islands got the brunt of the storm, with 95% of all buildings destroyed and 60 lives lost. The name Bruce was officially retired at the RA IV Hurricane Committee Meeting in the Spring of 1986. This segment was influenced by the BBC'sThat Was the Week That Was,and in turn inspiredSaturday Night Live's"Weekend Update" segments (SNLcreatorLorne Michaelswas aLaugh-Inwriter early in his career). The News segments were followed by "Big Al" (Sues) and his sports report in seasons 2–5. After Sues left the show, Jud Strunk took over the sports segment ( "reporting from the sports capital ofFarmington, Maine") by featuring films of oddly-named events which were actual sports films played backwards. An example is the" Cannonball Catch ", featuring a backwards film of a bowling tournament where the" cannonballs "(bowling balls) are caught one-handed by the catcher (the bowler) after rolling up the alley.

• "New Talent Time"also called" Discovery of the Week "in later seasons. Introduced oddball variety acts (sometimes characters played by regular cast members)
  • Tin Pan Alley musicianTiny Tim– The most notable of these acts was introduced in episode 1 and shot to fame. He returned in the Season 1 finale, made several guest appearances after, and was there for the series finale.
  • ActorPaul Gilbert(adoptive father of actressMelissa Gilbert) appeared in three episodes as an inept French juggler, introduced as "Paul Jill-bare".
  • 6'2 "actress Inga Neilsen made appearances as a bugle/kazoo player who could only play one note of" Tiger Rag "and had to deal with Martin's advances. Martin, who showed mild interest in most New Talent acts, enthusiastically cheered her on despite the obvious lack of talent.
  • VentriloquistPaul Winchellappeared three times as "Lucky Pierre", whose puppets would fall apart or die on him.
  • Arte Johnsonwould appear as his Pyotr Rosmenko character looking for his big American break, singing gibberish in a Russian accent.
  • Murray Langston,made an appearance. He would later achieve fame as the Gong Show's "Unknown Comic".

Laugh-Inwriter Chris Beard (later known as Chris Bearde) took the "New Talent" concept and developed it intoThe Gong Show.

• "The Flying Fickle Finger of Fate Award"sardonically recognized actual dubious achievements by public individuals or institutions, the most frequent recipients being members or branches of the government. The trophy was a gilded left hand mounted on a trophy base with its extended index finger adorned with two small wings.
• "The Wonderful World of Whoopee Award"was a counterpart to the" Flying Fickle Finger of Fate Award ", described by Rowan as a citation" for the little man who manages to outfight or outfox the bureaucracy "; the statue was similar to the Finger of Fate, only it was a right hand (without wings on the index finger) pointing straight up, and with a hidden mechanism that, when activated, waved the finger in a circular motion.
• "The C.F.G. Automat";a vending machine whose title was an inside joke for cast members who referred to producer Schlatter as" Crazy (F'ing) George ". The vending machine would distribute oddball items that were a play on the name. Examples: The 'pot pie' produced a cloud of smoke when the door was opened, then the pie floated away. The 'ladyfingers' was a woman's hand reaching out and tickling Arte's face while another 'ladyfingers' door opened and picked his pocket.
• Many episodes were interspersed with a recurring, short wordless gag in which an actor repeatedly tried to accomplish some simple task like entering an elevator, opening a window or door, watering a plant, etc., which would fail each time in a different, surprising way (the object would move unexpectedly, another part of the wall or room would move, water would squirt the actor in the face from the object, etc.)
• Another recurring wordless gag involved one or more actors walking around the street in a jerky fashion (using stop-motion or low shutter speed filming) holding and turning a bare steering wheel, as if they were driving a car or actually were a car, with various sound effects to simulate honking, back-ups, collisions with each other, etc.
• From season 4 on, a variety of sketches or jokes used the word "Foon", usually as part of the name of imaginary products or persons (e.g., Foon detergent, Mr. Foonman). The names "Nern" and "Wacker" were used similarly from Seasons 1 through 3.
• "Questions From The Audience / Dick's Costumes";In the sixth season, Dan Rowan would ask the audience if anybody had any questions about the show or otherwise. As he was doing so (in which nobody in the audience ever spoke up), Dick Martin would come out wearing a wacky costume which Rowan would ask about, leading to a humorous exchange on the costume's subject matter.

Characters

Johnny Brown,1971

• Dan Rowan,in addition to hosting, provided the "News Of The Future" and also appeared as General Bull Right, a far-right-wing representative of the military establishment and outlet for political humor.
• Dick Martin,in addition to hosting would also play the drunken Leonard Swizzle, husband of an equally drunk Doris Swizzle (Ruth Buzzi); and a character always buzzing for an elevator on which the doors never closed in a normal way
• AnnouncerGary Owensregularly stands in an old-time radio studio with his hand cupped over his ear, making announcements, often with little relation to the rest of the show, such as (in an overly-dramatic voice), "Earlier that evening..."
• Arte Johnson:
  • Wolfgang, the WWII German soldier who was unaware the war was over – Wolfgang would often peer out from behind a potted palm and comment on the previous gag saying, with a thick German accent, "Verrry in-te-res-tink", sometimes with comments such as "... butshtupid!"He eventually closed each show by talking toLucille Balland her husbandGary Morton,as well as the cast ofGunsmoke— both airing oppositeLaugh-InonCBS;as well as whatever was onABC.Johnson later repeated the line while playing Nazi-themed supervillainVirman Vundabaron an episode ofJustice League Unlimited.Johnson also reprised his Wolfgang character in a series of skits for the second season ofSesame Street(1970–1971), and in 1980 for a series of small introductory skits with a plant on3-2-1 Contact,during the "Growth/Decay" week.
  • Tyrone F. Horneigh (pronounced "hor-NIGH", presumably to satisfy the censors) was a "dirty old man" who was always after drab spinster Gladys Ormphby (Ruth Buzzi). As she sat on a park bench he would attempt to sit right next to her, eventually forcing her to the edge of the bench. Gladys always rebuked Tyrone's advances and would clobber him multiple times with her purse until he would make a final comment about his well-being and do a slow roll off the bench. Both Tyrone and Gladys later became animated characters (voiced by Johnson and Buzzi) in "The Nitwits" segments of the 1977 Saturday morning animated television show,Baggy Pants and the Nitwits.
  • Pyotr Rosmenko, a Russian man, stands stiffly and nervously in an ill-fitting suit while commenting on differences between America and "the old country", such as "Here in America, is very good, everyone watch television. In old country, television watches you!" This type of joke has come to be known as theRussian reversal.
  • Rabbi Shankar (a pun onRavi Shankar) was an Indian guru who dresses in aNehru jacketdispensing pseudomysticalEastern wisdom laden with bad puns. He held up two fingers in a peace sign whenever he spoke.
  • An unnamed character in a yellow raincoat and hat, riding a tricycle and then falling over, was frequently used to link between sketches. The character was portrayed by many people besides Johnson, including his brother Coslough (a writer for the show), Alan Sues, and Johnny Brown.
  • The Scandinavian Storyteller – spoke gibberish, including nonsensical 'Knock Knock' jokes in the Joke Wall. No one could ever understand him. Possibly inspiration for the Muppets' Swedish Chef character.
  • The Psychiatrist - a black haired, black clad doctor who often attends the cocktail party during season four and talks about his experiments and patients with a thick Freudian accent.
• Ruth Buzzi:
  • Gladys Ormphby – A drab, relatively youngspinster,she is the eternal target of Arte Johnson's Tyrone; when Johnson left the series, Gladys retreated into recurring daydreams, often involving marriages to historical figures, includingChristopher ColumbusandBenjamin Franklin(both played by Alan Sues). She typically hit people repeatedly with her purse. The character was recreated, along with Tyrone, inBaggy Pants and the Nitwits.Buzzi also performed as Gladys onSesame StreetandThe Dean Martin Show,most notably in the Celebrity Roasts.
  • Doris Swizzle – A seedy barfly, she is paired with her husband, Leonard Swizzle, played by Dick Martin.
  • Kim Hither – An exceedingly friendly hooker, commonly seen in sketches or at the cocktail party propositioning people while leaning against a lamppost.
  • Busy Buzzi – A cold and heartless old-styleHedda Hopper-type Hollywood gossip columnist.
  • Kathleen Pullman – A wicked parody oftelevangelistKathryn Kuhlman.This always helpful but overdramatic woman is always eager to help people.
  • Laverne Blossom - A former silent movie star with dark make-up around the eyes. She often attends the cocktail party in the later seasons.
  • Florence Lawrence - a meek wannabe secretary with giant teeth. Also attends the cocktail party during the back half of season four.
• Henry Gibson:
  • The Poet held an oversized flower and nervously read offbeat poems. (His stage name was a play on the name of playwrightHenrik Ibsen.)
  • The Parson – A character who makes ecclesiastical quips. In 1970, he officiated at a near-marriage for Tyrone and Gladys.
  • Would frequently just pop up and utter the phrase "Marshall McLuhan,what are you doin'? ".
  • Also played a cub reporter for Busy Buzzi. While she was looking for a scoop, Gibson would come in with one (usually aboutSteve McQueen) which Buzzi would completely garble up to sound like something out of left field.
• Goldie Hawnis best known as the giggling "dumb blonde",stumbling over her lines, especially when she introduced Dan's" News of the Future ". In the earliest episodes, she recited her dialogue sensibly and in her own voice, but as the series progressed, she adopted aDumb Doracharacter with a higher-pitched giggle and a vacant expression, which endeared her to viewers. Frequently did aDonald Duckvoice at inappropriate times, such as when she was expected to sing or doing ballet.

The Tasteful Lady (Lily Tomlin) entertainsRita Hayworth,1971

• Lily Tomlin:
  • Ernestine/Miss Tomlin – An obnoxious telephone operator, she has no concern at all for her customers and constantly mispronounced their names. Her close friend is fellow telephone operator, Phenicia; and her boyfriend, Vito. She would boast of being a high school graduate. Tomlin later performed Ernestine onSaturday Night LiveandHappy New Year, America.She also played the Ernestine character for a comedy album calledThis Is A Recordingand also made guest appearances as the character on shows and TV specials, such asSesame Street,The Electric Company,Free to Be... a Family,andSesame Street Stays Up Late!,in the last of whichOscarcalls the operator and harangues her into hooking him up with five of hisGrouch relatives.At the suggestion of CFG, Ernestine began dialing with her middle finger in Season 4, sometimes blatantly flipping "the bird" to the camera as a result. Censors never caught on – "we know she's doing something wrong, we just can't put ourfingeron it! "
  • Edith Ann – A5+1⁄2-year-old child, she ends each of her short monologs with: "And that's the truth", followed byblowing a raspberry.Tomlin performs her skits in an oversized rocking chair that makes her appear small. Tomlin later performed Edith Ann on children's shows such asSesame StreetandThe Electric Company.
  • Mrs. Earbore (the "Tasteful Lady" ) – A prim society matron, Mrs. Earbore expressed quiet disapproval about a tasteless joke or remark, and then rose from her chair with her legs spread, getting doused with a bucket of water or the sound of her skirt ripping.
  • Dotty – A crass and rude grocery checker who tended to annoy her customers at the store where she worked.
  • Lula – A loud and boisterous woman with a Marie Antoinette hair-do who always loved a party.
  • Suzie Sorority of the Silent Majority – clueless sorority college student who ended each bit with "Rah!"
  • The Babbler – A character given to speaking exuberantly and at great length while digressing after every few words and never staying on one subject, producing an unbroken, incomprehensible monolog.
• Judy Carnehad two characters known for their robotic speech and movement:
  • Mrs. Robot in "Robot Theater" – A female companion to Arte Johnson's "Mr. Robot".
  • The Talking Judy Doll – She is usually played with by Arte Johnson, who never heeded her warning: "Touch my little body, and I hit you!"
  • The Sock-It-To-Me Girl in which she would usually end up being splashed with water and/or falling through a trap door and/or getting conked on the head by a large club or mallet and/or knocked out by a boxing glove on a spring.
• Jo Anne Worleysometimes sings off-the-wall songs using her loud operatic voice or displaying an advanced state of pregnancy, but is better remembered for her mock outrage at "chicken jokes" and her melodic outcry of "Bo-ring!". At the cocktail parties, she would talk about her never-seen married boyfriend/lover "Boris" (who, according to her in a Season 3 episode, was finally found out by his wife).
• Alan Sues:
  • Big Al – A clueless and fey sports anchor, he loves ringing his "Featurette" bell, which he calls his "tinkle".
  • He would dress in drag as his former co-star, Jo Anne Worley, including skits where he appeared as a "fairy godmother". imitating Worley's boisterous laugh and offering help or advice to a Cinderella-type character in a conversation full of double entendres.
  • Uncle Al, the Kiddies' Pal – A short-tempered host of a children's show, he usually goes on the air with a hangover: "Oh, kiddies, Uncle Al had a lot of medicine last night." Whenever he got really agitated, he would yell to "Get Miss Twinkle on the phone!"
  • Grabowski – a benchwarmer football player obviously not cut out for the sport. Example lines included "He pushed me! He pushed me!... theyallpushed me! "and" No, you can't wear your ballet slippers on the field, Grabowski! "
  • Boomer – A self-absorbed "jock" bragging about his athletic exploits.
  • Ambiguously gay saloon patron – while Dan and Dick ordered whiskey, he would saunter up to the bar and ask for a fruit punch or frozen daiquiri.
  • In the last season where he was a regular, he would be the one who got water thrown on him after a ticking alarm clock went off (replacing Judy Carne as the one who always got drenched).
• Pamela Rodgers – "Your man in Washington"; she would give 'reports' from the Capitol that were usually double entendres to give the impression that the Congressmen were fooling around with her.
• Jeremy Lloyd– scrunched himself into an ultra-short character a laToulouse-Lautrec.
• Dennis Allen:
  • Lt. Peaches of the Fuzz – a stumble-bum police officer.
  • Chaplain Bud Homily – a droll clergyman who often falls victim to his own sermons.
  • Eric Clarified (a play on news commentatorEric Sevareid) – a correspondent forLaugh-In Looks at the Newswho further muddles up obfuscatory government statements he has been asked to clarify. Rowan would often throw to another correspondent (played by Sues) to analyze Eric Clarified's statements in turn.
• Barbara Sharma:
  • The Burbank Meter Maid – a dancingmeter maidwho tickets anything from trees to baby carriages.
  • An aspiring actress who often plays foil in cocktail-party segments to another "high-society" character (Tomlin).
  • In season four, aRuby Keeler-esque dancer (and arch-nemesis of Johnson's Wolfgang) who often praises Vice PresidentSpiro Agnew.
• Johnny Brownlent his impersonations ofEd Sullivan,Alfred Hitchcock,Ralph Kramdenand the Kingfish fromAmos 'n' Andy.
• Ann Elderas Pauline Rhetoric (a play on NBC reporterPauline Frederick), the chief interviewer for theLaugh-In Newssegments.
• Moosie Drierand Todd Bass – Drier did the "kids news for kids" segment of the Laugh-In news. Bass teamed with Drier in Season 6 to read letters from a treehouse
• Larry Hovis– the Senator, the Texan,David Brinkley,Father Time
• Richard Dawson–W.C. Fields,Groucho Marx,Hawkins the Butler, who always started his piece by asking "Permission to...?" and proceeded to fall over.
• Roddy Maude-Roxby,Pigmeat Markham– Here Come Da Judge (Roxby for Season 1, Markham for Season 2)
• Dave Madden– would always throw confetti after "a naughty thought", usually a punch line that was adouble-entendre.Once while kissing Carne, confetti erupted around him

Memorable moments

The first season featured some of the first music videos seen on network TV, with cast members appearing in films set to the music ofthe Nitty Gritty Dirt Band,theBee Gees,the Temptations,theStrawberry Alarm Clock,andthe First Edition.

During the September 16, 1968, episode, Richard Nixon, running for president, appeared for a few seconds with a disbelieving vocal inflection, asking "Sock it tome?"Nixon was not doused or assaulted. An invitation was extended to Nixon's opponent, Vice PresidentHubert Humphrey,but he declined.According to George Schlatter, the show's creator, "Humphrey later said that not doing it may havecost him the election",and" [Nixon] said the rest of his life that appearing onLaugh-Inis what got him elected. And I believe that. And I've had to live with that. "In an episode of the ill-fated 1977 revival, Rich Little as Nixon says, "I invited the American people to sock-it-to-me.... you can stop now".

After winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress inCactus Flower,Goldie Hawn made a guest appearance in the third episode of the fourth season. She began the episode as an arrogant snob of an actress; however, a bucket of water thrown at her transformed her back to her giggling dumb blonde persona.

On multiple occasions, producerGeorge Schlatterattempted to getWilliam F. Buckley Jr.to appear on the show, only to be refused each time until he suddenly agreed to an appearance. In the episode that aired December 28, 1970, Buckley appeared in an unusual sit-down segment (portions of which were scattered throughout the episode) flanked by Rowan and Martin and fielding questions from the cast (which included Lily Tomlin doing her Babbler and Ernestine shticks) and giving humorous answers to each. Near the end, when Rowan asked Buckley why he finally agreed to appear on the show, Buckley explained that Schlatter had written him "an irresistable letter" in which he promised to fly Buckley out toBurbank"in an airplane with two right wings". At the end, Rowan thanked him for appearing: "You can't be that smart without having a sense of humor, and you have a delightful one."

The 100th episode featuredJohn Wayne,Tiny Timand the return of several former cast members. Wayne, with his ear cupped, read the line "and me, I'm Gary Owens" instead of Owens himself. Wayne also shook Tiny Tim's hand, pretending that his grip was too overpowering.

Catchphrases

In addition to those already mentioned, the show created numerous catchphrases (for a full description of characters and recurring characters, see above sections.):

• "Lookthatup in yourFunk and Wagnalls!-- said primarily by cast members. F & W was a lesser-known set of reference books whose phonetically tricky name was aimed at the NBC censors to poke fun of them by bothLaugh-InandThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.Originally coined byPigmeat Markham.
• "Sock it to me!" -- got the most exposure from this show. It had been used in two songs released in 1966 - two years beforeLaugh-Inwent on the air in 1968 as a series. The first was "Sock It To Me, Baby!" byMitch Ryder&The Detroit Wheelsand the second was "Respect"byAretha Franklin.She repeatedly sang the phrase in her chart-topping hit. The phrase was retired after Season 3, when Carne left the series.
• "You bet your sweet bippy!" -- said primarily by Dick Martin.
• "Beautiful downtownBurbank"-- cast and guests. A tongue-in-cheek reference to the Los Angeles suburb in which the NBC studios were located and where the show was filmed. The same phrase was frequently used by Johnny Carson onThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
• "Here come de Judge!" -- this Pigmeat Markham sing-song phrase was brought to the show by Sammy Davis Jr. in season 1. He wore an American judge's robe with a British judge's white wig and had a new rhyme with each appearance. Used primarily in Seasons 1–3.
• "Verrry in-te-res-ting." -- done in a thick German accent by Wolfgang (Johnson) the soldier.
• "Blow in my/his/her ear and I/he/she will follow you anywhere." -- cast and guests.
• "One ringy-dingy... two ringy-dingys..." -- used solely by Ernestine (Lily Tomlin), the obnoxious telephone operator. She would mimic the rings while waiting for someone to pick up the receiver.
• "A gracious good afternoon. This is Miss Tomlin of the telephone company. Have I reached the party to whom I am speaking?" -- Ernestine's greeting to people she would call. She always mispronounced the names of famous people, such as:Gore Vidal,who was "Mr. Veedle" or "Gory",William F. Buckleywas "Mr. F'buckley",Richard Nixonwas simply "Milhous".
• "I just wanna swing!" -- Gladys Ormphby's catchphrase.
• "Ring my chimes!" -- Flip Wilson.
• "Was that another chicken joke?" –- Jo Anne Worley's outraged cry. A spoof of people's complaints aboutPolish jokes.
• "Think about it" -- used by cast members after a pun, especially one that stumped the censors.
• "Now, that's a no-no!" -- cast and guests.
• "And that's the truth – PFFFFT!" -- Edith Ann.
• "Go to your room!" -– cast members and guests. Used as a response to a particularly bad joke.
• "Want aWalnetto?"-- a pickup line first used by Tryone on Gladys. (Anything he said to her resulted in a purse drubbing.)
• "Oh...thatHenny Youngman!"-– preceded by cast members quoting a series of his punchlines in succession, but without the jokes leading up to them.
• "He pushed me!" –- usually said by Sues when another cast member would bump him.
• "Marshall McLuhan,what are you doin'"–- uttered by Gibson randomly between sketches.
• "How does that grab you?" and "BORRRRING!!!" -- loudly sung by Jo Anne Worley.
• "I/he/she am/is/was was a much better person for that." –- cast and guests.
• "Well, I'll drink to that", "I did not know that!", "Whatever turns you on" –- Dick Martin.
• "Goodnight, Lucy." -– During the first three seasons, Laugh-In was scheduled opposite Lucille Ball's third television series,Here's Lucy.At the end of the show, one or more cast members would say, "Goodnight, Lucy."
• "Goodnight, Dick." –- the closing portion of each episode of Seasons 1 and 2 which began with the cast and celebrities taking turns saying "Goodnight, Dick!". Occasionally, one of the celebrities would say "Who's Dick?". Thisshtickwas revived in the 6th season, usually after the end credits.
• "Gotcha!" -- cast and guests.
• "Wr-r-r-ong!" –- uttered first byOtto Premingerin a cameo. Subsequent cameo actors would repeat the line, mimicking Preminger's delivery of it.
• "I think I've got it too." –- running gag where the person would say this and start scratching themselves as if they caught a skin disease.
• "That's not funny" -- cast members and guests.
• "Wacker." –- a surname that was frequently used in sketches beginning in Season 2. It originated afterBobby Darinhad done a skit with Martin and proceeded to call him 'Wacker' throughout the rest of the episode.
• "Foonman" - another surname frequently used in skits after Season 4.
• "I've Got A Secret"(paying homage to the game show) -- a running gag during the first two seasons. Celebrities made cameos claiming to be a celebrity of the opposite gender then state,"...and I've REALLY got a secret! ".
• "Morgul the Friendly Drelb" –- a pinkAbominable Snowman-like character that was introduced in the second episode. It bombed so badly that his name was used in various announcements by Owens for the rest of the series. The name was usually used after the introduction of the cast - "Yours truly, Gary Owens, and Morgul as the Friendly Drelb!"

Merchandise tie-ins and spin-offs

A chain of Laugh-In restaurants opened in several states during 1968–69; primarily in Michigan, Ohio and Florida. Psychedelically-themed like the show, they offered such menu items as Bippy Burgers, Is That A Chicken Joke Chicken, Fickle Finger Of Fate Fries, Beautiful Downtown Burbank Burgers, Fickle Finger Franks, Verrrry Interesting Sandwiches, I'll Drink To That beverages, Sock It To Me soups, Laugh-In Fortune Cookies and Here Come Da Fudge sundaes. Staff often rode around on red tricycles wearing yellow raincoats and hats. All locations were closed by the mid-1970s. Menus, French fry bags, sandwich wraps, napkins, salt and pepper shakers and other memorabilia are still sold on EBay.

A humor magazine tie-in,Laugh-In Magazine,was published for one year (12 issues: October 1968 through October 1969—no issue was published December 1968), and a 1968-1972 syndicated newspaper comic strip was drawn byRoy Dotyand eventually collected for a paperback reprint.

TheLaugh-Intrading cards fromToppshad a variety of items, such as a card with a caricature of Jo Anne Worley with a large open mouth. With a die-cut hole, the card became interactive; a finger could be inserted through the hole to simulate Worley's tongue. Little doors opened on Joke Wall cards to display punchlines.

OnLetters to Laugh-In,a short-lived spin-off daytime show hosted by Gary Owens, cast members read jokes sent in by viewers, which were scored by applause meter. The eventual winning joke was read by actress Jill St. John: "What do you get when you cross an elephant with a jar of peanut butter? A 500 pound sandwich that sticks to the roof of your mouth!"

A cross-promotional episode ofI Dream of Jeannie( "The Biggest Star in Hollywood", February 1969) features Judy Carne, Arte Johnson, Gary Owens, and producer George Schlatter playing themselves in a story about Jeannie being sought after to appear onLaugh-In.

In 1969, aLaugh-InView-Masterpacket was issued byGeneral Aniline and Film(GAF); The packet featured 21 3D images from the show.

The horror spoof filmThe Maltese Bippy(1969,) starring Dan Rowan and Dick Martin as low-budget moviemakers, was loosely related to the series. Pamela Rodgers was the onlyLaugh-Incast member to co-star in the film. The film received only a token release byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer—it never even appeared in many key cities—and its disappointing performance resulted in no further Rowan & Martin films.

In 1969,Sears, Roebuck and Companyproduced a 15-minute short,Freeze-In,which starred series regulars Judy Carne and Arte Johnson. Made to capitalize on the popularity of the series, the short was made for Sears salesmen to introduce the newKenmorefreezer campaign. A dancing, bikini-clad Carne provided the opening titles with tattoos on her body.

Two LPs of material from the show were released: the first onEpic Records(FXS-15118, 1968); the second, which did not feature Rowan or Martin, was entitledLaugh-In '69and released onReprise Records(RS 6335, 1969).

DVD releases

On June 24, 2003, and then February 24, 2004,Rhino Entertainment Company(under itsRhino Retrovisionclassic TV entertainment brand), under license from the rightsholder at the time,SFM Entertainment,released two respectiveThe Best Ofreleases of the show, each containing six episodes presented in its original, uncut broadcast version. In 2003, Rhino, throughdirect-response marketingfirmGuthy-Renker,also released a series of DVDs subtitledThe Sock-It-To-Me Collection,with each DVD containing two episodes.

On June 19, 2017,Time Life,another direct-response marketer, releasedRowan & Martin's Laugh-In: The Complete Serieson DVD in Region 1, in a deal with current rightsholder Proven Entertainment.The 38-disc set contains all 140 episodes of the series, complete and uncut, restored and remastered as well as many bonus features and a special 32-page collector's book.

On September 5, 2017, Time Life began releasing individual complete season sets on DVD, beginning with the first season.This was followed by the second season on January 9, 2018,and the third season on March 6, 2018.The fourth season was released on May 8, 2018.Season 5 was released on July 10, 2018. Finally, Season 6 was released on September 4, 2018.

DVD Name	Ep #	Release Date
The Complete First Season	14	September 5, 2017
The Complete Second Season	26	January 9, 2018
The Complete Third Season	26	March 6, 2018
The Complete Fourth Season	26	May 8, 2018
The Complete Fifth Season	24	July 10, 2018
The Complete Sixth Season	24	September 4, 2018
The Complete Series	140	June 19, 2017

Ratings

TV season, ranking, average viewers per episode

• 1967–1968: #21 (21.3)
• 1968–1969: #1 (31.8)
• 1969–1970: #1 (26.3)
• 1970–1971: #13 (22.4)
• 1971–1972: #22 (21.4)
• 1972–1973: #51 (16.7)

Revival

In 1977, Schlatter and NBC briefly revived the property as a series of specials – titled simplyLaugh-In– with a new cast. The standout was a then-unknownRobin Williams,whose starring role on ABC'sMork & Mindyone year later prompted NBC to rerun the specials as a summer series in 1979. Also featured wereWayland Flowers and Madame(as well as his other puppet, "Jiffy" ), former childevangelistMarjoe Gortner,formerBarney MilleractressJune Gable,Good TimesactorBen Powers,Bill RaffertyofReal Peopleand comedianEd Bluestone.Barry Goldwaterappeared in three episodes.Rowan and Martin, who owned part of theLaugh-Infranchise, were not involved in this project. They sued Schlatter for using the format without their permission, and won a judgment of $4.6 million in 1980.

In 1987,George Schlatterattempted a revival of the program calledGeorge Schlatter's Comedy Club,the weekly half-hour program that appeared in syndication throughKing World Productionsduring the 1987-1988 television season. Featuring stand-up comedy routines alongside quick comedy sketches similar toLaugh-In,the series was hosted by Schlatter himself.

In 2019, Netflix produced a special tribute to the original series entitled,Still Laugh-In: The Stars Celebrate.Tomlin, Buzzi and Worley appeared in the special.

== Retrospective criticism and counterpoint view==

Critics' views in retrospect: While noting it being groundbreaking and unique, they have also opined that it has not aged well.From their perspective they feel that various aspects of the show were racist in the 60s and early 70s and thus come across as racist in current times. Other aspects stereotyped gay people and women. While the show included Black actors and made some comments on racism against Black people, at the same time, it was noted the show featured White actors portrayingAsiansin "yellowface". While the humor was appreciated by many at the time of release, it is not seen as humorous in the context of modern day (post-2010).

On the other side of the coin and in defense ofLaugh-In,it must be remembered that societal change in America began to happen around 1954 with the advent ofRock n Rolland TheCivil Rights Act of 1957and TheCivil Rights Act of 1960.Further changes began torapidlyoccur after the passage of TheCivil Rights Act of 1964and TheVoting Rights Act of 1965.To add to that momentum in theCivil Rights Era,the overallunderground movementof 1965 and "The Revolution of 1967" occurred, both being part of thecounter-culture movement of the 1960s.Within these came the emergence ofHippies,Flower Children,theanti-war movement(specifically theVietnam War), and protests and demonstrations. The 1967 Revolution was made public in June with theMonterey Pop Festival.In 1968, a landmark fair/equal housing law passed, TheCivil Rights Act of 1968.This entire unique era of the 60s peaked withWoodstockin 1969. The Laugh-In writers lived during all of these things. There was no way to avoid them. They may have been mere spectators or actual participants. After 1964, TV writers especially had new-found freedoms of expression and less censorship. They were in the eye of the storm and yet trying to move with and keep up with the changing times.

There were 5 main issues that loomed large and heavy in the daily lives of most Americans between 1960 and 1979, no matter if they were for or against them: Equal rights and full citizenship for African-Americans, harmonious and pleasant relations between African-Americans and Whites, (ending) the Vietnam War, women's rights and equality and the new-found open sexual liberation.

Laugh-In was a very topical show and the writers expressed the show's political and social beliefs and opinions quite clearly - and often - especially during seasons 1 to 3. Laugh-In critics state it's humor is often racist. But one must look objectively at the era in which it aired. The writers were chartering new territories and could suddenly freely express, more than ever, their outrage at both racial injustice and government stupidity - and do so without fear of retribution. They did the best they could, considering the era in which they lived and worked. Skits onanyshow in which White people are made-up as either Asians or Native Americans have made people cringe since about... 1980. That is just a mere 7 years after Laugh-In went off the air. Change happened very rapidly, even in the post Civil Rights era of 1980, or so, to 1990, or so.

While comedy writers do tend to have tunnel vision because getting laughs is the ultimate motivation and goal, the Laugh-In writers did not write anything in a spirit of hatred, bigotry, racism or maliciousness. Yes, by 21st century standards the writers were out of touch with both women's rights and gay rights - but by the standards of 1967 to 1973 they were actually slightly ahead of the average American. Sadly, these two groups arestilllagging behind in social equality in 2024. In looking at the "big picture" from 1960 to 2024, the Laugh-In writers and all other progressive TV writers of that era should not be maligned as racists and out of touch. The wrote from 1967 to 1973 - not in the 2020s. They were evolving products of their time in an era where views, opinions and situations could literally change overnight.

Not all TV shows appeal to everyone and tastes and opinions very often change as a person gets older. What one thinks was hysterical at age 10 may seem horrific at age 30. As for the non-controversial comedic content of Laugh-In, viewers - original and new - have varying opinions from thinking it is very funny, somewhat funny, entertaining, amusing or boring, stupid, not funny at all. Those born before 1960 may view it as "historical" or sentimental. Those born after 1995 may view Laugh-In as an out-of-touch dinosaur.

No matter what opinion people may now have of Laugh-In, it is a fact that it pushed and broke through all kinds of barriers and taboos, and put the spotlight on relevant social issues, many of which we are still struggling with in 2024. It is a fact that had Laugh-Innotbecome a series, so many other further-groundbreaking TV comedy shows would not have become a reality, shows that pushed for positive change and made a difference. Had that not happened, America's racial and gender standards and freedoms might be stuck somewhere in the late 90s. "Think about it."

Awards and honors

Emmy Awards

• Won:
  • 1968: Outstanding Musical or Variety Program, George Schlatter (for the September 9, 1967, special)
  • 1968: Outstanding Musical or Variety Series, George Schlatter
  • 1968: Outstanding Writing Achievement in Music or Variety, Chris Bearde, Phil Hahn, Jack Hanrahan, Coslough Johnson, Paul Keyes, Marc London, Allan Manings, David Panich, Hugh Wedlock Jr., Digby Wolfe
  • 1968: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Electronic Production – Arthur Schneider (tape editor)
  • 1969: Outstanding Musical or Variety Series – Paul Keyes (producer), Carolyn Raskin (producer), Dick Martin (star), Dan Rowan (star)
  • 1969: Special Classification Achievements – Individuals (Variety Performances), Arte Johnson
  • 1971: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety or Music, Mark Warren (episode #4.7 with Orson Welles)
• Nominated:
  • 1968: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety or Music, Bill Foster (pilot episode)
  • 1968 Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety or Music, Gordon Wiles
  • 1968: Outstanding Writing Achievement in Music or Variety, – Larry Hovis, Paul Keyes, Jim Mulligan, David Panich, George Schlatter, Digby Wolfe (pilot episode)
  • 1969: Special Classification Achievements – Individuals (Variety Performances), Ruth Buzzi
  • 1969: Special Classification Achievements – Individuals (Variety Performances), Goldie Hawn
  • 1969: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music – Gordon Wiles (For episode on February 3, 1969)
  • 1969: Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music – various writers (For episode on February 3, 1969)
  • 1969: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music – Billy Barnes (special material)
  • 1969: Special Classification Achievements – Individuals (Variety Performances) – Ruth Buzzi
  • 1969: Special Classification Achievements – Individuals (Variety Performances) – Goldie Hawn
  • 1969: Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and Scenic Design – Ken Johnson
  • 1969: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Electronic Production – John Teele and Bruce Verran (video tape editors)
  • 1969: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Electronic Production – Arthur Schneider (tape editor)
  • 1970: Outstanding Variety or Musical Series – George Schlatter (executive producer), Carolyn Raskin (producer), Paul Keyes (producer), Dan Rowan (star), Dick Martin (star)
  • 1970: Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music – various writers (For episode on November 3, 1969, with Buddy Hackett)
  • 1970: Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music – various writers (For episode on December 20, 1969, with Nancy Sinatra)
  • 1970: Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement – Individuals, Goldie Hawn
  • 1970: Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement – Individuals, Arte Johnson
  • 1970: Outstanding Achievement in Music, Lyrics and Special Material – Billy Barnes (composer) (For episode with Carol Channing)
  • 1970: Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design – Michael Travis
  • 1971: Outstanding Variety Series, Musical – George Schlatter (executive producer), Carolyn Raskin (producer), Paul Keyes (producer), Dan Rowan (star), Dick Martin (star)
  • 1971: Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement – Individuals – Arte Johnson
  • 1971: Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement – Individuals – Lily Tomlin
  • 1971: Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction and Electronic Camerawork – Marvin Ault (cameraman), Ray Figelski (cameraman), Louis Fusari (technical director), Jon Olson (cameraman), Tony Yarlett (cameraman)
  • 1972: Outstanding Achievement by a Performer in Music or Variety, Ruth Buzzi
  • 1972: Outstanding Achievement by a Performer in Music or Variety, Lily Tomlin
  • 1972: Outstanding Achievement in Music, Lyrics and Special Material – Billy Barnes (For episode with Liza Minnelli)
  • 1973: Outstanding Achievement by a Supporting Performer in Music or Variety – Lily Tomlin
  • 1978: Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music,Bea Arthur(for episode on October 25, 1977)
  • 1978: Outstanding Achievement in Video Tape Editing for a Series – Ed. J. Brennan (editor) (For show #February 6–8, 1978)

Golden Globe Award

• Won:
  • 1973: Best Supporting Actress – Television, Ruth Buzzi
  • 1969: Best TV Show
• Nominated:
  • 1972: Best Supporting Actress – Television, Lily Tomlin
  • 1971: Best Supporting Actor – Television, Henry Gibson
  • 1970: Best TV Show – Musical/Comedy
  • 1968: Best TV Show

International and U.S. re-broadcasts

• The first four seasons were broadcast onBBC2from January 1969 to November 1971.Some episodes from seasons 1, 2 and 3 were retransmitted during late 1983 and early 1984. Early broadcasts had to be shown with a black border, as technology was not available to render the 525-lineNTSCvideo recording as a full-screen 625-linePALpicture. This issue was fixed for later broadcasts.
• The series was broadcast onRTÉ One.
• The series originally aired on the0-10 Networkin the 1960s and 1970s. It later appeared in re-runs on theSeven Networkin the early 1980s.
• CTVaired the series at the same time as the NBC run.

1983 saw the first 70 one-hour shows syndicated to broadcast stations (the pilot, first three seasons and the first four episodes of season 4). Alternate recut half-hour shows (seasons 1–5, not including the pilot) were syndicated throughLorimar Televisionto local stations in 1983 and later onNick at Nitein 1987 through August 1990.

TheVivendi Universal-owned popular arts/pop culture entertainment cable networkTriostarted airing the show in its original one-hour form in the early 2000s; the same abbreviated 70 episode package was run.

In September 2016, digital sub-networkDecadesstarted airing the show twice a day in its original one-hour format, complete with the NBC Peacock opening and 'snake' closing. The entire 6 season run was supplied by Proven Entertainment.

In 2018, the original series became available in full onAmazon Prime Video.

In 2020, the partially complete series became available on-demand onTubi.

As of 2023,four episodes air per weeknight on theZ Livingchannel.

External links

• Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In's channelonYouTube
• Rowan & Martin's Laugh-InatIMDb
• FBI file onRowan and Martins Laugh-InTV Show