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If you were watching NBC on January 22nd 1968, you saw something no one had ever seen before, a TV show so unusual it became a sensation. As a kid, it was, perhaps, my all time favourite and I never missed an episode. It was "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" and in an era of short attention spans, it would likely fit right in today.
What an amazing show. And what a legacy. It introduced us to Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin, Arte Johnson and more. It affected the English language, from "Sock It To Me" and "Very Interesting" to "Look that up in your Funk and Wagnall's!" I'm not sure, but I think it's the show that created the most catch phrases, some of which are still around today. ("Get Smart" might be a close second.) It was also the very first TV program where the show continued as the credits were rolling - and even went beyond them, sometimes as long as 5 minutes.
This sensational article with creator/producer George Schlatter looks back at the origins of the show, how they chose the cast, why Rowan and Martin almost weren't involved, what they got past the censors, those amazing characters, and how that infamous Richard Nixon guest appearance may have won him the presidency.
What a show. If you were a fan and remember it as fondly as I do, this is a must read. You bet your sweet bippy.
'Laugh-In' at 50: How the Comedy Helped Elect Nixon and Set the Stage for 'SNL'
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Can't forget Sammy's, "hear come the judge"
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And lets not forget the "news of the future" where in 1968, Dan Rowan not only predicted the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1988, (ok, so he was off by a year and it was being replaced by a moat of alligators) but a cute piece involving "President Ronald Reagan" -- something at the time considered laughable.
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mmm..."Very interesting" post that is...
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Peter the K wrote:
And lets not forget the "news of the future" where in 1968, Dan Rowan not only predicted the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1988, (ok, so he was off by a year and it was being replaced by a moat of alligators) but a cute piece involving "President Ronald Reagan" -- something at the time considered laughable.
Both start at around the 4:24 mark.