Anyone who wasn't around in the late 1960s can't possibly appreciate how popular "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" was in 1968 and 1969. Everyone watched it and the jokes were endlessly repeated at my school the next morning. The humor touched upon formerly taboo subjects like sex, homosexuality, drugs, pregnancy, infidelity, and just about everything else. The series also had several innovations such as a joke wall, the party sequence, the news of the past, present, and future, and dignified guest stars (such as George Raft, Edward G. Robinson, John Wayne, plus many others) acting like clueless idiots. The show also introduced what became household names, including Judy Carne, Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin, Alan Sues, Arte Johnson, Henry Gibson, and many others. The primary thing that made everything work--in addition to the very funny writing--was the breathtakingly fast editing used. No one had ever done or seen anything like that before.
The show was so refreshing when compared to usual late 1960s fare that it was an instant smash hit that lasted six seasons. While it seems curiously dated now--the subject matter is so mild today--it was cutting-edge, daring, and uproarious 47 years ago. While the show finally faded away in 1973, it's a reminder of a time in the country's history when everyone was ready for something new, different, and very funny. "Laugh-In" provided something completely new, offbeat and screamingly funny all those long years ago.
The show was so refreshing when compared to usual late 1960s fare that it was an instant smash hit that lasted six seasons. While it seems curiously dated now--the subject matter is so mild today--it was cutting-edge, daring, and uproarious 47 years ago. While the show finally faded away in 1973, it's a reminder of a time in the country's history when everyone was ready for something new, different, and very funny. "Laugh-In" provided something completely new, offbeat and screamingly funny all those long years ago.