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EspañolROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN
(Redirected from Laugh-In)
:''Here Comes The Judge redirects here, for the 1968 song see Shorty Long.''
'''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In''' was an American comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968 to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC. It originally aired as a one-time special on September 9, 1967 and was such a phenomenal success that it was brought back as a regular series, replacing ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' in the time-slot of Mondays at 8:00 p.m. on NBC.
The title, ''Laugh-In,'' came out of events of the 1960s hippie culture, such as "love-ins" or "be-ins." These were terms that were, in turn, derived from "sit-ins," common in protests associated with civil rights and anti-war demonstrations of the time.
The show was characterized by a rapid-fire series of gags and sketches, many of which conveyed sexual innuendo or were politically charged. But most were just silly. Rowan and Martin continued the exasperated straight man (Dan Rowan) and "dumb" guy (Dick Martin) act which they had successfully established as nightclub comics.
★ Shortly after the beginning of the show was a scene called "The Cocktail Party", with all cast members plus assorted surprise celebrities dancing in a swinging 1960s party atmosphere, in between delivering one- and two-line jokes (this was later adopted on ''The Muppet Show'', as the "At the Dance" segment).
★ "The Mod, Mod World" segment, with sketches based around a common theme, would be interspersed with footage of some of the female cast members go-go dancing in bikinis, their bodies painted with punchy phrases and plays on words. (This was usually done by Goldie Hawn, Judy Carne and Chelsea Brown; Ruth Buzzi and Jo Anne Worley popped up rarely, as did frequent guest star Pamela Austin. In the 1969–1970 season, the chore was handled briefly by new castmembers Teresa Graves and Pamela Rodgers before the go-go dancing became the sole domain of uncredited extras.)
★ The Farkle Family, a couple with a ''lot'' of kids — all of whom had flaming red hair and freckles just like the next-door neighbor Ferd Berfel (played by Dick Martin). Head of the family Frank Farkle never questioned this fact when Ferd visited. Most "plots" were cheap excuses to force the cast into horrendous tongue-twisters. Flicker Farkle, the youngest (played by Buzzi), had no lines except screaming "Hiiii!!!" Two of the kids were named Simon and Gar Farkle.
★ "Laugh-In Looks at the News," a parody of network news (introduced by a completely un-news-like song and dance number) commenting on current events. The segment often included "News of the Past" which lampooned historical events, and "News of the Future," predicting unlikely or bizarre future news stories to comic effect. (Rowan actually nailed some, mentioning "President Ronald Reagan" in a story from "1988, 20 years from now," eliciting laughter from the audience. Another prediction—that the Berlin Wall would be destroyed in 1989—likewise came true, although the follow-up gag prognosticating that it would be "quickly replaced by a moat full of alligators" did not.) The news segment was reminiscent of BBC's earlier ''That Was The Week That Was'' and in turn was echoed a few years later by ''Saturday Night Live's'' "Weekend Update" segments. ''Saturday Night Live'' creator Lorne Michaels was a Laugh-In writer early in his career.
★ The Flying Fickle Finger of Fate award, saluting dubious achievements by the government or famous people.
★ Judy Carne was often tricked into saying "Sock it to me," which then led to her being doused with water or otherwise assaulted. "Sock it to me" became a catch phrase for the show. During the September 16, 1968, episode, Richard Nixon, then running for President, appeared for a few seconds with a disbelieving vocal inflection, asking the question, "Sock it to ''me''?" (Nixon was not doused or assaulted after delivering the line.) An invitation was extended to Nixon's opponent, Vice-President Hubert Humphrey, but he declined. According to George Schlatter, the show's creator, "Humphrey later said that not doing it may have cost him the election."
★ At the end of every show, Dan Rowan turned to his co-host and said, "Say good-night, Dick," to which Martin replied, "Good-night, Dick" (varying a bit from the old George Burns and Gracie Allen radio show). The show then featured various cast members opening panels in a psychedelically painted 'joke wall' and telling short jokes to one another. As the show drew to a close and the general applause died down, the lone sound of Executive Producer George Schlatter's clapping continued even as the screen turned blank.
★ Arte Johnson portrayed a number of recurring characters, including:
★
★ Wolfgang, the Nazi soldier, commenting on the previous gag by saying "Verrry interesting", sometimes with additional comments such as "...but ''schtupit''!" He would close each show by talking to Lucille Ball and the cast of Gunsmoke — both airing opposite ''Laugh-In'' on CBS; as well as whatever was airing on ABC.
★
★ Tyrone F. Horneigh (pronounced "hor-NIGH," presumably to satisfy the censors), the dirty old man coming on to Gladys Ormphby (Ruth Buzzi), seated on a park bench, who inevitably clobbered him with her purse. Sample exchange: Tyrone asks, "Do you believe in the hereafter?" Gladys says, "Of course I do!" Pleased, Tyrone exclaims, "Then you know what I'm here after!" Both the Horneigh and Gladys characters returned in the "Nitwits" segments of the 1977 animated television show "Baggy Pants and the Nitwits".
★
★ Piotr Rosmenko, the Eastern European Man, who stood 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 predated a similar schtick by Yakov Smirnoff. Occasionally guest star Sammy Davis, Jr. would team with Johnson as "The Rosmenko Twins."
★
★ Rabbi Shankar (a pun on Ravi Shankar), an Indian guru dressed in a Nehru jacket dispensing pseudo-mystical Eastern wisdom laden with bad puns. He held up two fingers in a "peace sign" whenever he spoke.
★
★ An unnamed man in a yellow raincoat and hat, riding a tricycle. The image of him pedalling, then invariably tipping over and falling, was frequently used as a snippet between sketches. ''(a closer examination of some of the snippets suggest that it wasn't always Johnson in the hat and coat.)''
★ Announcer Gary Owens standing 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...".
★ Ruth Buzzi in many roles, including:
★
★ Gladys Ormphby, a drab, though relatively young, spinster who was the eternal target of Arte Johnson's Tyrone; when Johnson left the series, Gladys retreated into recurring daydreams, often involving marriages to historical figures, including Christopher Columbus and Benjamin Franklin (both played by Alan Sues).
★
★ Doris Swizzle, a seedy barfly (used frequently in the first season, paired with her husband, Leonard Swizzle, played by Dick Martin).
★
★ Busy Buzzi, a Hedda Hopper/Louella Parsons style gossip columnist.
★ Henry Gibson as:
★
★ "The Poet", holding a flower and reading offbeat poems. He pronounced his name as "Henrik Ibsen".
★
★ "The Parson" (who offered ecclesiastical quips and, in 1970, officiated at a near-marriage for Tyrone and Gladys).
★ Lily Tomlin as:
★
★ Ernestine, the obnoxious telephone operator with no concern for her customers ("'Fair'? Sir, we don't have to be fair. We're the phone company.").
★
★ A child named "Edith Ann" ("And that's the truth. Pbbbt!"). Tomlin performed her skits in an oversized rocking chair that made her appear small.
★
★ "Tasteful" society matron Mrs. Earbore.
(Tomlin later performed Ernestine for ''Saturday Night Live'', and Edith Ann on children's shows such as ''Sesame Street''.)
★ Judy Carne as an adorable, talking "Judy Doll", usually played with by Arte Johnson who never heeds her warning: "Touch my little body, and you get hit !"
★ Henny Youngman telling one-liner jokes for no apparent reason. (Often, any corny one-liners would be followed by the line, "Oh, ''that'' Henny Youngman!")
★ Alan Sues as "Big Al", a clueless and fey sports anchor who loved ringing his bell, which he called his "tinkle", and as hungover children's show host "Uncle Al, The Kiddie's Pal"
★ Goldie Hawn was the giggling dumb blonde who would innocently say many times: "I forgot the question."
★ Jo Anne Worley would sometimes sing songs showing how loud her operatic voice was, but mostly would detect "chicken jokes." Many times, during the Cocktail Parties, she talked about her boyfriend Boris (who was a married man).
★ Barbara Sharma as the dancing meter-maid, who ticketed anything and everything from trees to baby carriages, and often praised vice president Spiro Agnew--though she, as part of a running gag throughout the show, would call him 'Pres-ee-dent Agnew.'
★ Flip Wilson, whose frequent character, the cross-dressing "Geraldine," originated the phrase "What you see is what you get." Often stated "the devil made me do it."
★ Dan Rowan, as General Bull Right, a right-wing representative of the military establishment and outlet for political humor.
The show gave considerable publicity to singer Tiny Tim, an unusual-looking man with long dark hair, prominent nose, and cheap suit. He sang in a falsetto voice while accompanying himself on ukulele. Tiny Tim was really named Herbert Khaury, a serious scholar of old Tin Pan Alley tunes, who hit upon this strangely humorous characterization. Thanks to his appearances on the show, he recorded a hit single with his piercing version of the vintage 1920s song "Tiptoe Through the Tulips." Tiny Tim was later married on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' to a woman known as Miss Vicki. Martin would often refer to Tim's appearances by asking Rowan with some concern "You didn't bring back Tiny Tim, did you?"
Other musical moments came in the first season with some of the first music videos ever seen on TV, with cast members appearing in film clips set to the music of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Bee Gees, The Temptations, the Strawberry Alarm Clock and The First Edition.
Cast members Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn later became noted film stars (Hawn won an Academy Award while still a member of the cast; Tomlin would be later nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1975 for ''Nashville''). Henry Gibson would also later co-star in the Robert Altman film ''Nashville''. Ruth Buzzi became a regular on various children's television series. Dave Madden, whose trademark on the show was to throw a handful of confetti while keeping a dour expression at the punchline of a joke, later played the role of Reuben Kincaid in the television sitcom ''The Partridge Family''. Richard Dawson, who previously had a regular supporting role on the sitcom ''Hogan's Heroes'', went on to success on the game shows ''Match Game'' and ''Family Feud''. Larry Hovis, also a regular on ''Hogan's Heroes'', appeared on ''Laugh-In'' during the first and the fifth seasons. Teresa Graves parlayed her one season on the show into the title role of the police drama ''Get Christie Love!'' Flip Wilson took Geraldine and his other characters onto his own hit variety show from 1970 through 1974.
In addition to those mentioned above, the show created numerous popular catch phrases:
★ A memorable six-note pattern preceding a code-word or punch-line to an off-color joke, such as "do-doo-doo-da-do-doo ... smack!" or "... family jewels!" (sometimes extended to 18 notes by repeating the GGGDEC pattern two more times before the code-word)
★ "I didn't know that." (Dick Martin's occasional response as to what will happen on an episode)
★ "Easy for you to say!' (Dan Rowan's reply whenever Dick Martin tripped on his tongue during a joke)
★ "I was wondering if you'd mind if I said something my aunt once said to me." (A phrase that Dick Martin would always say to interrupt Dan Rowan's annoucements on what would happen during their next show; this phrase was followed by a story about a bizarre situation that his aunt went through at one time.)
★ "Look ''that'' up in your Funk and Wagnalls!"
★ "Go to your room."
★ "Uncle Al had a lot of medicine last night" (famous line by Uncle Al, the Kiddies' Pal, played by Alan Sues)
★ "You bet your sweet bippy!"
★ "Here come de' judge!" (reprising a bit first made famous by comedian Pigmeat Markham and further popularized by frequent guest star Sammy Davis Jr. and Flip Wilson. )
★ "'Ello, 'ello! NBC, beautiful downtown Burbank" (the response to the calls received by a switchboard operator played by Judy Carne). When the series was syndicated in 1983, both the NBC logo that was featured in the segment and the network's name in the catch phrase were edited out.
★ "One ringy-dingy...two ringy-dingies..." (Ernestine's mimicking of the rings that would occur while she was waiting for someone to pick up the receiver on the other end of the telephone lines)
★ "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 who she would call)
★ "I just wanna swing!" (Gladys Ormphby's catchphrase)
★ "Is that a chicken joke?" (Jo Anne Worley's outraged cry, a takeoff on the Polish jokes of the day)
★ "Here comes the big finish, folks!" (usually before the last of a series of guest stars' bad puns)
★ "Sock it to me!" (experienced its greatest exposure on Laugh-In although the phrase had previously been featured in songs like Aretha Franklin's 1967 "Respect" and Bob Seeger's 1966 "Sock It To Me Santa")
★ "Verrry interesting ... but shtupid."
★ "Oh, ''that'' Henny Youngman."
★ "Marshall McLuhan...what're you doin'?" [Henry Gibson as The Poet]
'''Laugh-In Magazine''' was published for about two years, and attempted to merge the show's format with that of ''MAD Magazine''. A comic strip ran in newspapers, and was republished in paperback form. The show had its own Topps trading-card set issued, including special "Joke Wall" cards which had perforations to allow a 'door' to open, displaying a joke punchline on the reverse.
There was also a short-lived spin-off daytime program hosted by Gary Owens called ''Letters to Laugh-In'', in which a few cast members would read and rate jokes sent to them by the general public.
The comedy film ''The Maltese Bippy'' featured several actors from the series.
The show was #1 in the ratings for the 1968–69 and 1969–70 seasons. At the end of '68–69, Judy Carne chose not to renew her contract as she wanted to pursue other projects, though she did make occasional appearances during '69–70; producer George Schlatter blamed her for breaking up the "family." The show also survived the departures of Goldie Hawn and Jo Anne Worley to remain a top-20 show in '70–71. New faces in the 1970–71 season (joining Tomlin, who first appeared late in the previous season) included tall, sad-eyed Dennis Allen, who alternately played quietly zany characters and serious straight man for anybody's jokes; comic actress Ann Elder, who also contributed to the scripts, tap dancer Barbara Sharma, who would later appear on ''Rhoda'', and beefy Johnny Brown, who later played the superintendent 'Bookman' on ''Good Times''.
Arte Johnson and Henry Gibson departed after the 1970–71 season, replaced by Dawson and Larry Hovis, both of whom had appeared occasionally in the first season. However, the loss of Johnson's many characters caused ratings to drop farther.
The show celebrated its 100th episode during the '71–72 season, and Carne, Worley, Johnson, Gibson, Graves, and Tiny Tim all returned for the festivities. John Wayne was also on hand for his first cameo appearance since 1968.
For the show's final season (1972-73), Rowan and Martin assumed the Executive Producer roles from George Schlatter (known on-air as "CFG", which stood for "Crazy F
★
★
★ ing George") and Ed Friendly.
Except for holdovers Dawson, Owens, Buzzi, and only occasional appearances from Tomlin, a new cast was brought in. But viewers didn't respond, and the show was cancelled.
This final season, which included future ''Match Game'' panelist Patti Deutsch, folksy singer-comedian Jud Strunk, and ventriloquist Willie Tyler of Willie Tyler and Lester fame, never aired in the edited half-hour rerun package that was syndicated to local stations in 1983 and later aired on Nick at Nite. The cable network Trio started airing the show in its original one-hour form in the early 2000s, but only the pilot and the first 69 episodes (extending to the fourth episode of the 1970–71 season) were included in Trio's package. Two "Best-of" DVD packages are also available; disappointingly for some fans, they only contain six episodes each.
Of the over three dozen entertainers to grace the cast, only Rowan, Martin, Owens and Buzzi were there from beginning to end. (Owens wasn't in the 1967 pilot and Buzzi missed two first-season episodes.)
In 1977, Schlatter and NBC briefly revived the property as a series of specials -- entitled simply ''Laugh-In'' -- with an entirely new cast, including former child evangelist Marjoe Gortner. The sole standout was a then-unknown Robin Williams; whose starring role on ABC's ''Mork & Mindy'' one year later prompted NBC to rerun the specials as a summer series in 1979.
★ Dan Rowan, host
★ Dick Martin, host
★ Gary Owens, announcer
★ Ruth Buzzi
★ 1----- Eileen Brennan (1968)
★ 123--- Judy Carne (1968-1970)
★ 1234-- Henry Gibson (1968-1971)
★ 123--- Goldie Hawn (1968-1970)
★ 1---5- Larry Hovis (1968, 1971-1972)
★ 1234-- Arte Johnson (1968-1971)
★ 1----- Roddy Maude-Roxby (1968)
★ 123--- Jo Anne Worley (1968-1970)
★ -2345- Alan Sues (1968-1972)
★ -2---- "The Fun Couple" Charlie Brill and Mitzi McCall (1968-1969)
★ -2---- Chelsea Brown (1968-1969)
★ -2---- Dave Madden (1968-1969)
★ -2---- Pigmeat Markham (1968-1969)
★ -2---- "Sweet Brother" Dick Whittington (actor/disc jockey) (1968-1969)
★ -23--- Byron Gilliam (1969-1970; uncredited in season 2, returned as dancer only in 5)
★ --3--- Teresa Graves (1969-1970)
★ --3--- Jeremy Lloyd (1969-1970)
★ --3--- Pamela Rodgers (1969-1970)
★ --3--- Stu Gilliam (1970)
★ --3456 Lily Tomlin (1969-1973)
★ --345- Johnny Brown (1970-1972)
★ ---45- Dennis Allen (1970-1973)
★ ---45- Ann Elder (1970-1972)
★ ---4-- Nancie Phillips (1970-1971)
★ ---45- Barbara Sharma (1970-1972)
★ ---4-- Harvey Jason (1970-1971)
★ ---456 Richard Dawson (1971-1973; also one appearance in Season 1)
★ -----6 Moosie Drier (1971-1973)
★ -----6 Tod Bass (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Brian Bressler (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Patti Deutsch (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Lisa Farringer (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Sarah Kennedy (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Jud Strunk (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Willie Tyler (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Donna Jean Young (1972-1973)
★ Jack Benny (1968-1970, 1972)
★ Johnny Carson (1968-1970, 1971, 1973)
★ Sammy Davis Jr. (1968-1970, 1971, 1973)
★ Zsa Zsa Gabor (1968-1970)
★ Peter Lawford (1968-1971)
★ Tiny Tim (1968-1970, 1971-1972)
★ John Wayne (1968, 1971-1973)
★ Flip Wilson (1968-1970)
★ Henny Youngman (1968-1969, 1971-1973)
George Schlatter, Lorne Michaels, Phil Hahn, Jim Mulligan, Jack Hanrahan, Gene Farmer, Jim Abell, Bill Richmond, Don Reo, Allan Katz, Jack Wohl, Larry Siegel, John Rappaport, Allan Manings, Jack Margolis, Bob Howard, John Jay Carsey, Richard Goren (also credited as Rowby Greeber and Rowby Goren), Chris Bearde (credited as Chris Beard), Chet Dowling, David Panich, Marc London, Paul Keyes, Dave Cox, Jack Kaplan, Stephen Spears, Hugh Wedlock Jr., Coslough Johnson (Arte Johnson's twin brother), Hart Pomerantz, Barry Took, Digby Wolfe, Jeremy Lloyd.
The musical director for Laugh-In was composer-lyricist Billy Barnes, who wrote all of the original musical production numbers in the show. Barnes is the creator of the famous Billy Barnes Revues of the 1950s and 60s, and composed such popular hits as "(Have I Stayed) Too Long at the Fair" recorded by Barbra Streisand and the jazz standard "Something Cool" recorded by June Christy.
Season One
★ 001 - January 22,1968 - Barbara Feldon, Pam Austin, Flip Wilson
★ 002 - January 29,1968 - Robert Culp, Flip Wilson, Muriel Landers
★ 003 - February 5,1968 - Cher, Tim Conway
★ 004 - February 12,1968 - Don Adams, Pam Austin, Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band
★ 005 - February 19,1968 - Kaye Ballard, Richard Dawson
★ 006 - February 26,1968 - Connie Stevens, Larry Storch, The Temptations
★ 007 - March 4,1968 - Sally Field, Terry-Thomas, Inga Neilsen
★ 008 - March 11,1968 - Barbara Feldon, Paul Winchell
★ 009 - March 25,1968 - Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, Pam Austin
★ 010 - April 1,1968 - The Bee Gees, Flip Wilson, Barbara Feldon
★ 011 - April 8,1968 - John Byner, Paul Winchell, Flip Wilson, Pam Austin
★ 012 - April 15,1968 - James Garner
★ 013 - April 22,1968 - Tim Conway, Barbara Feldon
★ 014 - April 29,1968 - Tiny Tim
Season Two
★ 015 - September 16,1968 - Richard Nixon, Bob Hope, Hugh M. Hefner, Barbara Feldon, Sonny Tufts
★ 016 - September 23,1968 - Herb Alpert, Eve Arden, Abbe Lane
★ 017 - September 30,1968 - Bob Hope
★ 018 - October 7,1968 - Robert Culp, France Nuyen
★ 019 - October 14,1968 - Mitzi Gaynor, Bobby Darin
★ 020 - October 21,1968 - Flip Wilson
★ 021 - October 28,1968 - Sonny Tufts, Marcel Marceau
★ 022 - November 11,1968 - George Gobel, Dick Gregory
★ 023 - November 18,1968 - Victor Borge, The Banana Splits, George Gobel
★ 024 - November 25,1968 - Phyllis Diller, Tiny Tim
★ 025 - December 2,1968 - Liberace
★ 026 - December 16,1968 - Douglas Fairbanks
★ 027 - December 30,1968 - Kate Smith, Vincent Price
★ 028 - January 6,1969 - Peter Falk
★ 029 - January 13,1969 - Peter Lawford
★ 030 - January 20,1969 - Nancy Sinatra
★ 031 - January 27,1969 - Janos Prohaska
★ 032 - February 3,1969 - Don Rickles
★ 033 - February 10,1969 - Davy Jones
★ 034 - February 17,1969 - Guy Lombardo, Tiny Tim
★ 035 - February 24,1969 - Connie Stevens
★ 036 - March 3,1969 - James Garner
★ 037 - March 10,1969 - Flip Wilson
★ 038 - March 17,1969 - Sammy Davis Jr.
★ 039 - March 24,1969 - Tony Curtis
★ 040 - March 31,1969 - Tiny Tim, George Gobel, Herbert/Harry/Sylvester Wiere
Season Three
★ 041 - September 15,1969 - Debbie Reynolds, Peter Sellers
★ 042 - September 22,1969 - Diana Ross, Michael Caine
★ 043 - September 29,1969 - Sonny & Cher
★ 044 - October 6,1969 - Mike Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones
★ 045 - October 13,1969 - Jack E. Leonard
★ 046 - October 20,1969 - Anne Jackson, Eli Wallach
★ 047 - October 27,1969 - Jack Riley, Flip Wilson
★ 048 - November 3,1969 - Buddy Hackett, Sandy Hackett
★ 049 - November 10,1969 - Carol Channing
★ 050 - November 17,1969 - Sid Caesar
★ 051 - November 24,1969 - Sammy Davis Jr.
★ 052 - December 1,1969 - Engelbert Humperdinck
★ 053 - December 8,1969 - Phyllis Diller, Roger Moore
★ 054 - December 15,1969 - Greer Garson, Lorne Greene
★ 055 - December 29,1969 - Nancy Sinatra, David Frey, Guy Lombardo
★ 056 - January 5,1970 - James Garner
★ 057 - January 12,1970 - Jonathan Winters
★ 058 - January 19,1970 - Peter Lawford
★ 059 - January 26,1970 - Stu Gilliam
★ 060 - February 2,1970 - Jack Benny
★ 061 - February 9,1970 - Carl Reiner, Andy Williams
★ 062 - February 16,1970 - Dan Blocker
★ 063 - February 23,1970 - Ringo Starr, Tiny Tim, Carol Channing
★ 064 - March 2,1970 - Danny Kaye, Zsa Zsa Gabor
★ 065 - March 9,1970 - Milton Berle, Jill St. John, Buddy Hackett, Sandy Hackett, Nancy Sinatra
★ 066 - March 16,1970 - Carol Channing, Tiny Tim
Season Four
★ 067 - September 14,1970 - Art Carney
★ 068 - September 21,1970 - Don Rickles
★ 069 - September 28,1970 - Goldie Hawn, Carol Channing, Tim Conway
★ 070 - October 5,1970 - Ken Berry
★ 071 - October 12,1970 - Tim Conway, Jilly Rizzo
★ 072 - October 19,1970 - Zero Mostel
★ 073 - October 26,1970 - Orson Welles, Rod Sterling
★ 074 - November 2,1970 - Carol Channing
★ 075 - November 9,1970 - Carl Reiner, Andy Williams
★ 076 - November 16,1970 - Bob Newhart
★ 077 - November 23,1970 - Desi Arnaz, Glenn Ash
★ 078 - November 30,1970 - Gore Vidal, Dinah Shore, Vincent Price, Richard Montalban, Peter Lawford
★ 079 - December 7,1970 - Phil Silvers, Don Ho
★ 080 - December 14,1970 - Debbie Renyolds, Phyllis Diller, Bing Crosby, Rich Little
★ 081 - December 28,1970 - William F. Buckley Jr.
★ 082 - January 4,1971 - Sammy Davis Jr., Wilt Chamberlain
★ 083 - January 11,1971 - Johnny Carson, Gore Vidal
★ 084 - January 18,1971 - Joey Bishop, David Steinberg
★ 085 - January 25,1971 - Andy Griffth, Jack Cassidy, Wilt Chamberlain, Teresa Graves
★ 086 - February 1,1971 - Marcello Mastroianni, Teresa Graves
★ 087 - February 8,1971 - Dinah Shore, Truman Capote, Peter Lawford, Richard Montalban, Wilt Chamberlain
★ 088 - February 15,1971 - No Guest or Unknown
★ 089 - February 22,1971 - Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Bing Crosby
★ 090 - March 1,1971 - Richard Crenna
★ 091 - March 8,1971 - No Guest or Unknown
★ 092 - March 15,1971 - Dinah Shore, George Raft, Fernando Lamas
Season Five
★ 093 - September 13,1971 - Raquel Welch, Martha Mitchell, Johnny Carson, Bob Hope
★ 094 - September 20,1971 - Roman Gabriel, Vida Blue, Andy Granatelli, Sugar Ray Robinson, Doug Sanders, Vin Scully, Bill Russell, Willie Shoemaker, Joe Namath
★ 095 - September 27,1971 - Rita Hayworth, Jill St. John
★ 096 - October 4,1971 - Karen Valentine
★ 097 - October 11,1971 - Tony Curtis, Frank Gorshin
★ 098 - October 18,1971 - Richard Crenna, Janet Leigh
★ 99 - October 25,1971 - Lee Grant, Jill St. John
★ 100 - November 1,1971 - Jo Anne Worley, Teresa Graves, John Wayne, Tiny Tim
★ 101 - November 8,1971 - Liza Minnelli, Jill St. John
★ 102 - November 22,1971 - James Coco
★ 103 - November 29,1971 - Vincent Price, Sheldon Leonard, Agnes Moorehead
★ 104 - December 13,1971 - Carroll O' Connor, Bing Crosby, Janet Leigh
★ 105 - December 20,1971 - Joe Namath, Petula Clark, Charo
★ 106 - December 27,1971 - Buddy Hackett, Sally Struthers, Fannie Flagg
★ 107 - January 3,1972 - Robert Goulet, Tiny Tim
★ 108 - January 10,1972 - Charles Nelson Reilly, James Coco, Fannie Flagg
★ 109 - January 24,1972 - Carl Reiner, Sue Ane Langdon
★ 110 - January 31,1972 - John Wayne, Chad Everett, Paul Lynde
★ 111 - February 14,1972 - Carol Channing, Dick Cavett
★ 112 - February 21,1972 - Sandy Duncan, Johnny Cash, Paul Lynde
★ 113 - February 28,1972 - Gene Hackman, Sue Ane Langdon, Robert Goulet
★ 114 - March 6,1972 - Debbie Reynolds, Dick Cavett, Johnny Cash
★ 115 - March 13,1972 - John Wayne, Carol Channing, Charles Nelson Reilly, Jo Ann Pflug, Gene Hackman
★ 116 - March 20,1972 - Charles Nelson Reilly, Jean Stapleton, Sandy Duncan, Joe Namath, Jo Ann Pflug, Roman Gabriel, Vida Blue, Bill Russell, Doug Sanders, Willie Shoemaker, Sugar Ray Robinson
Season Six
★ 117 - September 11,1972 - John Wayne, Jill St. John, Issac Hayes
★ 118 - September 18,1972 - Dyan Cannon, Julie London, Janet Leigh
★ 119 - September 25,1972 - William Conrad, Bob Crane, Nanette Fabray
★ 120 - October 2,1972 - Lucie Arnaz, Rich Little
★ 121 - October 9,1972 - Mama Cass Elliott, Della Reese, Michael Landon
★ 122 - October 16,1972 - Jack Benny, Charles Nelson Reilly, James Farentino, Michele Lee, Peter Marshall
★ 123 - October 23,1972 - Jean Stapleton, Bill Bixby, Jack Carter
★ 124 - October 30,1972 - Charles Nelson Reilly, Mike Connors
★ 125 - November 13,1972 - Jack Benny, Sally Struthers, Sue Ane Langdon
★ 126 - November 20,1972 - James Caan, Nanette Fabray, Della Reese, Bob Crane
★ 127 - November 27,1972 - Carol Burnett, Ross Martin
★ 128 - December 4,1972 - Jack Klugman, Rich Little
★ 129 - December 11,1972 - Steve Lawrence, Steve Allen, Peter Marshall
★ 130 - December 18,1972 - Vin Scully, Howard Cosell, Alex Karras
★ 131 - January 8,1973 - Don Rickles
★ 132 - January 15,1973 - Robert Goulet
★ 133 - January 22,1973 - Sammy Davis Jr.
★ 134 - January 29,1973 - Angie Dickinson, Monty Hall
★ 135 - February 5,1973 - Phyllis Diller
★ 136 - February 12,1973 - John Wayne, Don Rickles
★ 137 - February 19,1973 - Jo Anne Worley, Meredith Baxter Birney, Rip Taylor
★ 138 - February 26,1973 - Johnny Carson, Sandy Duncan
★ 139 - March 5,1973 - Dom DeLuise
★ 140 - March 12,1973 - Sammy Davis Jr., Jo Anne Worley, Rip Taylor, Robert Goulet
★ NBC's ''Laugh-In'' inspired CBS's ''Hee Haw'' which debuted in 1969.
★ ''You Can't Do That On Television'' was heavily influenced by ''Laugh-In'' for having the use of slime poured on people's heads when they say "I don't know", as well as using school lockers as a device similar to Laugh-In's joke wall. Ruth Buzzi was also a regular on its short-lived prime-time spinoff, ''Whatever Turns You On''.
★ On the November 20, 1999 episode of ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' (US series), John Carpenter was the first to correctly answer a $1 million question: "Which of these U.S. Presidents appeared on the television series ''Laugh-In''?" (Answer: "Richard Nixon".)
★ ''Laugh-In'' was juggled with ''Star Trek'' by NBC programmers. The network had originally promised "''Trek''" creator Gene Roddenberry that his series would air in the 7:30-8:30PM timeslot on Mondays for the 1968-69 season, and with this change, Roddenberry assured NBC that he would come back to personally oversee the show's third season. (He had been distancing himself from the day-to-day operations of the series after the toll of personally re-writing the first season's scripts.) However, this switch would bump ''Laugh-In'' to the 8:30-9:30PM slot (a half-hour later than its first season slot). George Schlatter threatened to take his series to another network if ''Laugh-In'' did not retain its 8 o'clock time slot. Because ''Laugh-In'' was NBC's highest-rated show at the time, and ''Star Trek'' was one of its LOWEST-rated shows, NBC gave in to Schlatter's demands. ''Star Trek'' was given the only open hour-long slot in the schedule: Friday nights from 10-11PM (traditionally, a death slot for most TV shows). Roddenberry then counter-threatened that if ''Trek'' were not returned to the promised earlier time slot, he would not return to produce the series as he had promised. But NBC did not acquiesce, and Roddenberry left the series to founder in what would be its final year.
★ Turn-On
★ Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (fansite)
★ Another fansite
★ References the effect of Nixon's appearance on Laugh-In on the US presidential election of 1968
★ FBI review of an episode devoted to the agency, quoted by ''Harper's Magazine'' in 2006
★ TV.com's page for the show
:''Here Comes The Judge redirects here, for the 1968 song see Shorty Long.''
'''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In''' was an American comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968 to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC. It originally aired as a one-time special on September 9, 1967 and was such a phenomenal success that it was brought back as a regular series, replacing ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' in the time-slot of Mondays at 8:00 p.m. on NBC.
The title, ''Laugh-In,'' came out of events of the 1960s hippie culture, such as "love-ins" or "be-ins." These were terms that were, in turn, derived from "sit-ins," common in protests associated with civil rights and anti-war demonstrations of the time.
The show was characterized by a rapid-fire series of gags and sketches, many of which conveyed sexual innuendo or were politically charged. But most were just silly. Rowan and Martin continued the exasperated straight man (Dan Rowan) and "dumb" guy (Dick Martin) act which they had successfully established as nightclub comics.
A typical episode's format
★ Shortly after the beginning of the show was a scene called "The Cocktail Party", with all cast members plus assorted surprise celebrities dancing in a swinging 1960s party atmosphere, in between delivering one- and two-line jokes (this was later adopted on ''The Muppet Show'', as the "At the Dance" segment).
★ "The Mod, Mod World" segment, with sketches based around a common theme, would be interspersed with footage of some of the female cast members go-go dancing in bikinis, their bodies painted with punchy phrases and plays on words. (This was usually done by Goldie Hawn, Judy Carne and Chelsea Brown; Ruth Buzzi and Jo Anne Worley popped up rarely, as did frequent guest star Pamela Austin. In the 1969–1970 season, the chore was handled briefly by new castmembers Teresa Graves and Pamela Rodgers before the go-go dancing became the sole domain of uncredited extras.)
★ The Farkle Family, a couple with a ''lot'' of kids — all of whom had flaming red hair and freckles just like the next-door neighbor Ferd Berfel (played by Dick Martin). Head of the family Frank Farkle never questioned this fact when Ferd visited. Most "plots" were cheap excuses to force the cast into horrendous tongue-twisters. Flicker Farkle, the youngest (played by Buzzi), had no lines except screaming "Hiiii!!!" Two of the kids were named Simon and Gar Farkle.
★ "Laugh-In Looks at the News," a parody of network news (introduced by a completely un-news-like song and dance number) commenting on current events. The segment often included "News of the Past" which lampooned historical events, and "News of the Future," predicting unlikely or bizarre future news stories to comic effect. (Rowan actually nailed some, mentioning "President Ronald Reagan" in a story from "1988, 20 years from now," eliciting laughter from the audience. Another prediction—that the Berlin Wall would be destroyed in 1989—likewise came true, although the follow-up gag prognosticating that it would be "quickly replaced by a moat full of alligators" did not.) The news segment was reminiscent of BBC's earlier ''That Was The Week That Was'' and in turn was echoed a few years later by ''Saturday Night Live's'' "Weekend Update" segments. ''Saturday Night Live'' creator Lorne Michaels was a Laugh-In writer early in his career.
★ The Flying Fickle Finger of Fate award, saluting dubious achievements by the government or famous people.
★ Judy Carne was often tricked into saying "Sock it to me," which then led to her being doused with water or otherwise assaulted. "Sock it to me" became a catch phrase for the show. During the September 16, 1968, episode, Richard Nixon, then running for President, appeared for a few seconds with a disbelieving vocal inflection, asking the question, "Sock it to ''me''?" (Nixon was not doused or assaulted after delivering the line.) An invitation was extended to Nixon's opponent, Vice-President Hubert Humphrey, but he declined. According to George Schlatter, the show's creator, "Humphrey later said that not doing it may have cost him the election."
★ At the end of every show, Dan Rowan turned to his co-host and said, "Say good-night, Dick," to which Martin replied, "Good-night, Dick" (varying a bit from the old George Burns and Gracie Allen radio show). The show then featured various cast members opening panels in a psychedelically painted 'joke wall' and telling short jokes to one another. As the show drew to a close and the general applause died down, the lone sound of Executive Producer George Schlatter's clapping continued even as the screen turned blank.
Memorable cast members/guests and their running gags
★ Arte Johnson portrayed a number of recurring characters, including:
★
★ Wolfgang, the Nazi soldier, commenting on the previous gag by saying "Verrry interesting", sometimes with additional comments such as "...but ''schtupit''!" He would close each show by talking to Lucille Ball and the cast of Gunsmoke — both airing opposite ''Laugh-In'' on CBS; as well as whatever was airing on ABC.
★
★ Tyrone F. Horneigh (pronounced "hor-NIGH," presumably to satisfy the censors), the dirty old man coming on to Gladys Ormphby (Ruth Buzzi), seated on a park bench, who inevitably clobbered him with her purse. Sample exchange: Tyrone asks, "Do you believe in the hereafter?" Gladys says, "Of course I do!" Pleased, Tyrone exclaims, "Then you know what I'm here after!" Both the Horneigh and Gladys characters returned in the "Nitwits" segments of the 1977 animated television show "Baggy Pants and the Nitwits".
★
★ Piotr Rosmenko, the Eastern European Man, who stood 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 predated a similar schtick by Yakov Smirnoff. Occasionally guest star Sammy Davis, Jr. would team with Johnson as "The Rosmenko Twins."
★
★ Rabbi Shankar (a pun on Ravi Shankar), an Indian guru dressed in a Nehru jacket dispensing pseudo-mystical Eastern wisdom laden with bad puns. He held up two fingers in a "peace sign" whenever he spoke.
★
★ An unnamed man in a yellow raincoat and hat, riding a tricycle. The image of him pedalling, then invariably tipping over and falling, was frequently used as a snippet between sketches. ''(a closer examination of some of the snippets suggest that it wasn't always Johnson in the hat and coat.)''
★ Announcer Gary Owens standing 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...".
★ Ruth Buzzi in many roles, including:
★
★ Gladys Ormphby, a drab, though relatively young, spinster who was the eternal target of Arte Johnson's Tyrone; when Johnson left the series, Gladys retreated into recurring daydreams, often involving marriages to historical figures, including Christopher Columbus and Benjamin Franklin (both played by Alan Sues).
★
★ Doris Swizzle, a seedy barfly (used frequently in the first season, paired with her husband, Leonard Swizzle, played by Dick Martin).
★
★ Busy Buzzi, a Hedda Hopper/Louella Parsons style gossip columnist.
★ Henry Gibson as:
★
★ "The Poet", holding a flower and reading offbeat poems. He pronounced his name as "Henrik Ibsen".
★
★ "The Parson" (who offered ecclesiastical quips and, in 1970, officiated at a near-marriage for Tyrone and Gladys).
★ Lily Tomlin as:
★
★ Ernestine, the obnoxious telephone operator with no concern for her customers ("'Fair'? Sir, we don't have to be fair. We're the phone company.").
★
★ A child named "Edith Ann" ("And that's the truth. Pbbbt!"). Tomlin performed her skits in an oversized rocking chair that made her appear small.
★
★ "Tasteful" society matron Mrs. Earbore.
(Tomlin later performed Ernestine for ''Saturday Night Live'', and Edith Ann on children's shows such as ''Sesame Street''.)
★ Judy Carne as an adorable, talking "Judy Doll", usually played with by Arte Johnson who never heeds her warning: "Touch my little body, and you get hit !"
★ Henny Youngman telling one-liner jokes for no apparent reason. (Often, any corny one-liners would be followed by the line, "Oh, ''that'' Henny Youngman!")
Lily Tomlin in a ''Laugh-In'' publicity photo.
★ Alan Sues as "Big Al", a clueless and fey sports anchor who loved ringing his bell, which he called his "tinkle", and as hungover children's show host "Uncle Al, The Kiddie's Pal"
★ Goldie Hawn was the giggling dumb blonde who would innocently say many times: "I forgot the question."
★ Jo Anne Worley would sometimes sing songs showing how loud her operatic voice was, but mostly would detect "chicken jokes." Many times, during the Cocktail Parties, she talked about her boyfriend Boris (who was a married man).
★ Barbara Sharma as the dancing meter-maid, who ticketed anything and everything from trees to baby carriages, and often praised vice president Spiro Agnew--though she, as part of a running gag throughout the show, would call him 'Pres-ee-dent Agnew.'
★ Flip Wilson, whose frequent character, the cross-dressing "Geraldine," originated the phrase "What you see is what you get." Often stated "the devil made me do it."
★ Dan Rowan, as General Bull Right, a right-wing representative of the military establishment and outlet for political humor.
Memorable moments and catchphrases
The show gave considerable publicity to singer Tiny Tim, an unusual-looking man with long dark hair, prominent nose, and cheap suit. He sang in a falsetto voice while accompanying himself on ukulele. Tiny Tim was really named Herbert Khaury, a serious scholar of old Tin Pan Alley tunes, who hit upon this strangely humorous characterization. Thanks to his appearances on the show, he recorded a hit single with his piercing version of the vintage 1920s song "Tiptoe Through the Tulips." Tiny Tim was later married on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' to a woman known as Miss Vicki. Martin would often refer to Tim's appearances by asking Rowan with some concern "You didn't bring back Tiny Tim, did you?"
Other musical moments came in the first season with some of the first music videos ever seen on TV, with cast members appearing in film clips set to the music of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Bee Gees, The Temptations, the Strawberry Alarm Clock and The First Edition.
Cast members Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn later became noted film stars (Hawn won an Academy Award while still a member of the cast; Tomlin would be later nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1975 for ''Nashville''). Henry Gibson would also later co-star in the Robert Altman film ''Nashville''. Ruth Buzzi became a regular on various children's television series. Dave Madden, whose trademark on the show was to throw a handful of confetti while keeping a dour expression at the punchline of a joke, later played the role of Reuben Kincaid in the television sitcom ''The Partridge Family''. Richard Dawson, who previously had a regular supporting role on the sitcom ''Hogan's Heroes'', went on to success on the game shows ''Match Game'' and ''Family Feud''. Larry Hovis, also a regular on ''Hogan's Heroes'', appeared on ''Laugh-In'' during the first and the fifth seasons. Teresa Graves parlayed her one season on the show into the title role of the police drama ''Get Christie Love!'' Flip Wilson took Geraldine and his other characters onto his own hit variety show from 1970 through 1974.
In addition to those mentioned above, the show created numerous popular catch phrases:
★ A memorable six-note pattern preceding a code-word or punch-line to an off-color joke, such as "do-doo-doo-da-do-doo ... smack!" or "... family jewels!" (sometimes extended to 18 notes by repeating the GGGDEC pattern two more times before the code-word)
★ "I didn't know that." (Dick Martin's occasional response as to what will happen on an episode)
★ "Easy for you to say!' (Dan Rowan's reply whenever Dick Martin tripped on his tongue during a joke)
★ "I was wondering if you'd mind if I said something my aunt once said to me." (A phrase that Dick Martin would always say to interrupt Dan Rowan's annoucements on what would happen during their next show; this phrase was followed by a story about a bizarre situation that his aunt went through at one time.)
★ "Look ''that'' up in your Funk and Wagnalls!"
★ "Go to your room."
★ "Uncle Al had a lot of medicine last night" (famous line by Uncle Al, the Kiddies' Pal, played by Alan Sues)
★ "You bet your sweet bippy!"
★ "Here come de' judge!" (reprising a bit first made famous by comedian Pigmeat Markham and further popularized by frequent guest star Sammy Davis Jr. and Flip Wilson. )
★ "'Ello, 'ello! NBC, beautiful downtown Burbank" (the response to the calls received by a switchboard operator played by Judy Carne). When the series was syndicated in 1983, both the NBC logo that was featured in the segment and the network's name in the catch phrase were edited out.
★ "One ringy-dingy...two ringy-dingies..." (Ernestine's mimicking of the rings that would occur while she was waiting for someone to pick up the receiver on the other end of the telephone lines)
★ "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 who she would call)
★ "I just wanna swing!" (Gladys Ormphby's catchphrase)
★ "Is that a chicken joke?" (Jo Anne Worley's outraged cry, a takeoff on the Polish jokes of the day)
★ "Here comes the big finish, folks!" (usually before the last of a series of guest stars' bad puns)
★ "Sock it to me!" (experienced its greatest exposure on Laugh-In although the phrase had previously been featured in songs like Aretha Franklin's 1967 "Respect" and Bob Seeger's 1966 "Sock It To Me Santa")
★ "Verrry interesting ... but shtupid."
★ "Oh, ''that'' Henny Youngman."
★ "Marshall McLuhan...what're you doin'?" [Henry Gibson as The Poet]
Merchandise tie-ins and spin-offs
'''Laugh-In Magazine''' was published for about two years, and attempted to merge the show's format with that of ''MAD Magazine''. A comic strip ran in newspapers, and was republished in paperback form. The show had its own Topps trading-card set issued, including special "Joke Wall" cards which had perforations to allow a 'door' to open, displaying a joke punchline on the reverse.
There was also a short-lived spin-off daytime program hosted by Gary Owens called ''Letters to Laugh-In'', in which a few cast members would read and rate jokes sent to them by the general public.
The comedy film ''The Maltese Bippy'' featured several actors from the series.
Cast comings and goings
The show was #1 in the ratings for the 1968–69 and 1969–70 seasons. At the end of '68–69, Judy Carne chose not to renew her contract as she wanted to pursue other projects, though she did make occasional appearances during '69–70; producer George Schlatter blamed her for breaking up the "family." The show also survived the departures of Goldie Hawn and Jo Anne Worley to remain a top-20 show in '70–71. New faces in the 1970–71 season (joining Tomlin, who first appeared late in the previous season) included tall, sad-eyed Dennis Allen, who alternately played quietly zany characters and serious straight man for anybody's jokes; comic actress Ann Elder, who also contributed to the scripts, tap dancer Barbara Sharma, who would later appear on ''Rhoda'', and beefy Johnny Brown, who later played the superintendent 'Bookman' on ''Good Times''.
Arte Johnson and Henry Gibson departed after the 1970–71 season, replaced by Dawson and Larry Hovis, both of whom had appeared occasionally in the first season. However, the loss of Johnson's many characters caused ratings to drop farther.
The show celebrated its 100th episode during the '71–72 season, and Carne, Worley, Johnson, Gibson, Graves, and Tiny Tim all returned for the festivities. John Wayne was also on hand for his first cameo appearance since 1968.
For the show's final season (1972-73), Rowan and Martin assumed the Executive Producer roles from George Schlatter (known on-air as "CFG", which stood for "Crazy F
★
★
★ ing George") and Ed Friendly.
Except for holdovers Dawson, Owens, Buzzi, and only occasional appearances from Tomlin, a new cast was brought in. But viewers didn't respond, and the show was cancelled.
This final season, which included future ''Match Game'' panelist Patti Deutsch, folksy singer-comedian Jud Strunk, and ventriloquist Willie Tyler of Willie Tyler and Lester fame, never aired in the edited half-hour rerun package that was syndicated to local stations in 1983 and later aired on Nick at Nite. The cable network Trio started airing the show in its original one-hour form in the early 2000s, but only the pilot and the first 69 episodes (extending to the fourth episode of the 1970–71 season) were included in Trio's package. Two "Best-of" DVD packages are also available; disappointingly for some fans, they only contain six episodes each.
Of the over three dozen entertainers to grace the cast, only Rowan, Martin, Owens and Buzzi were there from beginning to end. (Owens wasn't in the 1967 pilot and Buzzi missed two first-season episodes.)
Revival
In 1977, Schlatter and NBC briefly revived the property as a series of specials -- entitled simply ''Laugh-In'' -- with an entirely new cast, including former child evangelist Marjoe Gortner. The sole standout was a then-unknown Robin Williams; whose starring role on ABC's ''Mork & Mindy'' one year later prompted NBC to rerun the specials as a summer series in 1979.
Regular performers (with season numbers, where known)
★ Dan Rowan, host
★ Dick Martin, host
★ Gary Owens, announcer
★ Ruth Buzzi
★ 1----- Eileen Brennan (1968)
★ 123--- Judy Carne (1968-1970)
★ 1234-- Henry Gibson (1968-1971)
★ 123--- Goldie Hawn (1968-1970)
★ 1---5- Larry Hovis (1968, 1971-1972)
★ 1234-- Arte Johnson (1968-1971)
★ 1----- Roddy Maude-Roxby (1968)
★ 123--- Jo Anne Worley (1968-1970)
★ -2345- Alan Sues (1968-1972)
★ -2---- "The Fun Couple" Charlie Brill and Mitzi McCall (1968-1969)
★ -2---- Chelsea Brown (1968-1969)
★ -2---- Dave Madden (1968-1969)
★ -2---- Pigmeat Markham (1968-1969)
★ -2---- "Sweet Brother" Dick Whittington (actor/disc jockey) (1968-1969)
★ -23--- Byron Gilliam (1969-1970; uncredited in season 2, returned as dancer only in 5)
★ --3--- Teresa Graves (1969-1970)
★ --3--- Jeremy Lloyd (1969-1970)
★ --3--- Pamela Rodgers (1969-1970)
★ --3--- Stu Gilliam (1970)
★ --3456 Lily Tomlin (1969-1973)
★ --345- Johnny Brown (1970-1972)
★ ---45- Dennis Allen (1970-1973)
★ ---45- Ann Elder (1970-1972)
★ ---4-- Nancie Phillips (1970-1971)
★ ---45- Barbara Sharma (1970-1972)
★ ---4-- Harvey Jason (1970-1971)
★ ---456 Richard Dawson (1971-1973; also one appearance in Season 1)
★ -----6 Moosie Drier (1971-1973)
★ -----6 Tod Bass (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Brian Bressler (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Patti Deutsch (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Lisa Farringer (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Sarah Kennedy (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Jud Strunk (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Willie Tyler (1972-1973)
★ -----6 Donna Jean Young (1972-1973)
Regular guests
★ Jack Benny (1968-1970, 1972)
★ Johnny Carson (1968-1970, 1971, 1973)
★ Sammy Davis Jr. (1968-1970, 1971, 1973)
★ Zsa Zsa Gabor (1968-1970)
★ Peter Lawford (1968-1971)
★ Tiny Tim (1968-1970, 1971-1972)
★ John Wayne (1968, 1971-1973)
★ Flip Wilson (1968-1970)
★ Henny Youngman (1968-1969, 1971-1973)
Other celebrities who guest-starred
Series Writers
George Schlatter, Lorne Michaels, Phil Hahn, Jim Mulligan, Jack Hanrahan, Gene Farmer, Jim Abell, Bill Richmond, Don Reo, Allan Katz, Jack Wohl, Larry Siegel, John Rappaport, Allan Manings, Jack Margolis, Bob Howard, John Jay Carsey, Richard Goren (also credited as Rowby Greeber and Rowby Goren), Chris Bearde (credited as Chris Beard), Chet Dowling, David Panich, Marc London, Paul Keyes, Dave Cox, Jack Kaplan, Stephen Spears, Hugh Wedlock Jr., Coslough Johnson (Arte Johnson's twin brother), Hart Pomerantz, Barry Took, Digby Wolfe, Jeremy Lloyd.
Musical Direction and Production Numbers
The musical director for Laugh-In was composer-lyricist Billy Barnes, who wrote all of the original musical production numbers in the show. Barnes is the creator of the famous Billy Barnes Revues of the 1950s and 60s, and composed such popular hits as "(Have I Stayed) Too Long at the Fair" recorded by Barbra Streisand and the jazz standard "Something Cool" recorded by June Christy.
Episode Guide
Season One
★ 001 - January 22,1968 - Barbara Feldon, Pam Austin, Flip Wilson
★ 002 - January 29,1968 - Robert Culp, Flip Wilson, Muriel Landers
★ 003 - February 5,1968 - Cher, Tim Conway
★ 004 - February 12,1968 - Don Adams, Pam Austin, Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band
★ 005 - February 19,1968 - Kaye Ballard, Richard Dawson
★ 006 - February 26,1968 - Connie Stevens, Larry Storch, The Temptations
★ 007 - March 4,1968 - Sally Field, Terry-Thomas, Inga Neilsen
★ 008 - March 11,1968 - Barbara Feldon, Paul Winchell
★ 009 - March 25,1968 - Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, Pam Austin
★ 010 - April 1,1968 - The Bee Gees, Flip Wilson, Barbara Feldon
★ 011 - April 8,1968 - John Byner, Paul Winchell, Flip Wilson, Pam Austin
★ 012 - April 15,1968 - James Garner
★ 013 - April 22,1968 - Tim Conway, Barbara Feldon
★ 014 - April 29,1968 - Tiny Tim
Season Two
★ 015 - September 16,1968 - Richard Nixon, Bob Hope, Hugh M. Hefner, Barbara Feldon, Sonny Tufts
★ 016 - September 23,1968 - Herb Alpert, Eve Arden, Abbe Lane
★ 017 - September 30,1968 - Bob Hope
★ 018 - October 7,1968 - Robert Culp, France Nuyen
★ 019 - October 14,1968 - Mitzi Gaynor, Bobby Darin
★ 020 - October 21,1968 - Flip Wilson
★ 021 - October 28,1968 - Sonny Tufts, Marcel Marceau
★ 022 - November 11,1968 - George Gobel, Dick Gregory
★ 023 - November 18,1968 - Victor Borge, The Banana Splits, George Gobel
★ 024 - November 25,1968 - Phyllis Diller, Tiny Tim
★ 025 - December 2,1968 - Liberace
★ 026 - December 16,1968 - Douglas Fairbanks
★ 027 - December 30,1968 - Kate Smith, Vincent Price
★ 028 - January 6,1969 - Peter Falk
★ 029 - January 13,1969 - Peter Lawford
★ 030 - January 20,1969 - Nancy Sinatra
★ 031 - January 27,1969 - Janos Prohaska
★ 032 - February 3,1969 - Don Rickles
★ 033 - February 10,1969 - Davy Jones
★ 034 - February 17,1969 - Guy Lombardo, Tiny Tim
★ 035 - February 24,1969 - Connie Stevens
★ 036 - March 3,1969 - James Garner
★ 037 - March 10,1969 - Flip Wilson
★ 038 - March 17,1969 - Sammy Davis Jr.
★ 039 - March 24,1969 - Tony Curtis
★ 040 - March 31,1969 - Tiny Tim, George Gobel, Herbert/Harry/Sylvester Wiere
Season Three
★ 041 - September 15,1969 - Debbie Reynolds, Peter Sellers
★ 042 - September 22,1969 - Diana Ross, Michael Caine
★ 043 - September 29,1969 - Sonny & Cher
★ 044 - October 6,1969 - Mike Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones
★ 045 - October 13,1969 - Jack E. Leonard
★ 046 - October 20,1969 - Anne Jackson, Eli Wallach
★ 047 - October 27,1969 - Jack Riley, Flip Wilson
★ 048 - November 3,1969 - Buddy Hackett, Sandy Hackett
★ 049 - November 10,1969 - Carol Channing
★ 050 - November 17,1969 - Sid Caesar
★ 051 - November 24,1969 - Sammy Davis Jr.
★ 052 - December 1,1969 - Engelbert Humperdinck
★ 053 - December 8,1969 - Phyllis Diller, Roger Moore
★ 054 - December 15,1969 - Greer Garson, Lorne Greene
★ 055 - December 29,1969 - Nancy Sinatra, David Frey, Guy Lombardo
★ 056 - January 5,1970 - James Garner
★ 057 - January 12,1970 - Jonathan Winters
★ 058 - January 19,1970 - Peter Lawford
★ 059 - January 26,1970 - Stu Gilliam
★ 060 - February 2,1970 - Jack Benny
★ 061 - February 9,1970 - Carl Reiner, Andy Williams
★ 062 - February 16,1970 - Dan Blocker
★ 063 - February 23,1970 - Ringo Starr, Tiny Tim, Carol Channing
★ 064 - March 2,1970 - Danny Kaye, Zsa Zsa Gabor
★ 065 - March 9,1970 - Milton Berle, Jill St. John, Buddy Hackett, Sandy Hackett, Nancy Sinatra
★ 066 - March 16,1970 - Carol Channing, Tiny Tim
Season Four
★ 067 - September 14,1970 - Art Carney
★ 068 - September 21,1970 - Don Rickles
★ 069 - September 28,1970 - Goldie Hawn, Carol Channing, Tim Conway
★ 070 - October 5,1970 - Ken Berry
★ 071 - October 12,1970 - Tim Conway, Jilly Rizzo
★ 072 - October 19,1970 - Zero Mostel
★ 073 - October 26,1970 - Orson Welles, Rod Sterling
★ 074 - November 2,1970 - Carol Channing
★ 075 - November 9,1970 - Carl Reiner, Andy Williams
★ 076 - November 16,1970 - Bob Newhart
★ 077 - November 23,1970 - Desi Arnaz, Glenn Ash
★ 078 - November 30,1970 - Gore Vidal, Dinah Shore, Vincent Price, Richard Montalban, Peter Lawford
★ 079 - December 7,1970 - Phil Silvers, Don Ho
★ 080 - December 14,1970 - Debbie Renyolds, Phyllis Diller, Bing Crosby, Rich Little
★ 081 - December 28,1970 - William F. Buckley Jr.
★ 082 - January 4,1971 - Sammy Davis Jr., Wilt Chamberlain
★ 083 - January 11,1971 - Johnny Carson, Gore Vidal
★ 084 - January 18,1971 - Joey Bishop, David Steinberg
★ 085 - January 25,1971 - Andy Griffth, Jack Cassidy, Wilt Chamberlain, Teresa Graves
★ 086 - February 1,1971 - Marcello Mastroianni, Teresa Graves
★ 087 - February 8,1971 - Dinah Shore, Truman Capote, Peter Lawford, Richard Montalban, Wilt Chamberlain
★ 088 - February 15,1971 - No Guest or Unknown
★ 089 - February 22,1971 - Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Bing Crosby
★ 090 - March 1,1971 - Richard Crenna
★ 091 - March 8,1971 - No Guest or Unknown
★ 092 - March 15,1971 - Dinah Shore, George Raft, Fernando Lamas
Season Five
★ 093 - September 13,1971 - Raquel Welch, Martha Mitchell, Johnny Carson, Bob Hope
★ 094 - September 20,1971 - Roman Gabriel, Vida Blue, Andy Granatelli, Sugar Ray Robinson, Doug Sanders, Vin Scully, Bill Russell, Willie Shoemaker, Joe Namath
★ 095 - September 27,1971 - Rita Hayworth, Jill St. John
★ 096 - October 4,1971 - Karen Valentine
★ 097 - October 11,1971 - Tony Curtis, Frank Gorshin
★ 098 - October 18,1971 - Richard Crenna, Janet Leigh
★ 99 - October 25,1971 - Lee Grant, Jill St. John
★ 100 - November 1,1971 - Jo Anne Worley, Teresa Graves, John Wayne, Tiny Tim
★ 101 - November 8,1971 - Liza Minnelli, Jill St. John
★ 102 - November 22,1971 - James Coco
★ 103 - November 29,1971 - Vincent Price, Sheldon Leonard, Agnes Moorehead
★ 104 - December 13,1971 - Carroll O' Connor, Bing Crosby, Janet Leigh
★ 105 - December 20,1971 - Joe Namath, Petula Clark, Charo
★ 106 - December 27,1971 - Buddy Hackett, Sally Struthers, Fannie Flagg
★ 107 - January 3,1972 - Robert Goulet, Tiny Tim
★ 108 - January 10,1972 - Charles Nelson Reilly, James Coco, Fannie Flagg
★ 109 - January 24,1972 - Carl Reiner, Sue Ane Langdon
★ 110 - January 31,1972 - John Wayne, Chad Everett, Paul Lynde
★ 111 - February 14,1972 - Carol Channing, Dick Cavett
★ 112 - February 21,1972 - Sandy Duncan, Johnny Cash, Paul Lynde
★ 113 - February 28,1972 - Gene Hackman, Sue Ane Langdon, Robert Goulet
★ 114 - March 6,1972 - Debbie Reynolds, Dick Cavett, Johnny Cash
★ 115 - March 13,1972 - John Wayne, Carol Channing, Charles Nelson Reilly, Jo Ann Pflug, Gene Hackman
★ 116 - March 20,1972 - Charles Nelson Reilly, Jean Stapleton, Sandy Duncan, Joe Namath, Jo Ann Pflug, Roman Gabriel, Vida Blue, Bill Russell, Doug Sanders, Willie Shoemaker, Sugar Ray Robinson
Season Six
★ 117 - September 11,1972 - John Wayne, Jill St. John, Issac Hayes
★ 118 - September 18,1972 - Dyan Cannon, Julie London, Janet Leigh
★ 119 - September 25,1972 - William Conrad, Bob Crane, Nanette Fabray
★ 120 - October 2,1972 - Lucie Arnaz, Rich Little
★ 121 - October 9,1972 - Mama Cass Elliott, Della Reese, Michael Landon
★ 122 - October 16,1972 - Jack Benny, Charles Nelson Reilly, James Farentino, Michele Lee, Peter Marshall
★ 123 - October 23,1972 - Jean Stapleton, Bill Bixby, Jack Carter
★ 124 - October 30,1972 - Charles Nelson Reilly, Mike Connors
★ 125 - November 13,1972 - Jack Benny, Sally Struthers, Sue Ane Langdon
★ 126 - November 20,1972 - James Caan, Nanette Fabray, Della Reese, Bob Crane
★ 127 - November 27,1972 - Carol Burnett, Ross Martin
★ 128 - December 4,1972 - Jack Klugman, Rich Little
★ 129 - December 11,1972 - Steve Lawrence, Steve Allen, Peter Marshall
★ 130 - December 18,1972 - Vin Scully, Howard Cosell, Alex Karras
★ 131 - January 8,1973 - Don Rickles
★ 132 - January 15,1973 - Robert Goulet
★ 133 - January 22,1973 - Sammy Davis Jr.
★ 134 - January 29,1973 - Angie Dickinson, Monty Hall
★ 135 - February 5,1973 - Phyllis Diller
★ 136 - February 12,1973 - John Wayne, Don Rickles
★ 137 - February 19,1973 - Jo Anne Worley, Meredith Baxter Birney, Rip Taylor
★ 138 - February 26,1973 - Johnny Carson, Sandy Duncan
★ 139 - March 5,1973 - Dom DeLuise
★ 140 - March 12,1973 - Sammy Davis Jr., Jo Anne Worley, Rip Taylor, Robert Goulet
Shows similar to ''Laugh-In''
★ NBC's ''Laugh-In'' inspired CBS's ''Hee Haw'' which debuted in 1969.
★ ''You Can't Do That On Television'' was heavily influenced by ''Laugh-In'' for having the use of slime poured on people's heads when they say "I don't know", as well as using school lockers as a device similar to Laugh-In's joke wall. Ruth Buzzi was also a regular on its short-lived prime-time spinoff, ''Whatever Turns You On''.
Trivia
★ On the November 20, 1999 episode of ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' (US series), John Carpenter was the first to correctly answer a $1 million question: "Which of these U.S. Presidents appeared on the television series ''Laugh-In''?" (Answer: "Richard Nixon".)
★ ''Laugh-In'' was juggled with ''Star Trek'' by NBC programmers. The network had originally promised "''Trek''" creator Gene Roddenberry that his series would air in the 7:30-8:30PM timeslot on Mondays for the 1968-69 season, and with this change, Roddenberry assured NBC that he would come back to personally oversee the show's third season. (He had been distancing himself from the day-to-day operations of the series after the toll of personally re-writing the first season's scripts.) However, this switch would bump ''Laugh-In'' to the 8:30-9:30PM slot (a half-hour later than its first season slot). George Schlatter threatened to take his series to another network if ''Laugh-In'' did not retain its 8 o'clock time slot. Because ''Laugh-In'' was NBC's highest-rated show at the time, and ''Star Trek'' was one of its LOWEST-rated shows, NBC gave in to Schlatter's demands. ''Star Trek'' was given the only open hour-long slot in the schedule: Friday nights from 10-11PM (traditionally, a death slot for most TV shows). Roddenberry then counter-threatened that if ''Trek'' were not returned to the promised earlier time slot, he would not return to produce the series as he had promised. But NBC did not acquiesce, and Roddenberry left the series to founder in what would be its final year.
See also
★ Turn-On
External links
★ Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (fansite)
★ Another fansite
★ References the effect of Nixon's appearance on Laugh-In on the US presidential election of 1968
★ FBI review of an episode devoted to the agency, quoted by ''Harper's Magazine'' in 2006
★ TV.com's page for the show
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