"Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" came in like a breath of fresh air when it first surfaced in the latter part of 1967. Maybe the idea wasn't totally new, but by television standards, it was VERY different.
I took to it immediately as a kid, in part because I was already hip to certain things (such as how SQUARE CBS was!), and how the show poked fun at so many things. Season One had a special raw quality, though seasons two and three were fun to watch as well.
Sadly, despite such GREAT talent as Johnny Brown and Lily Tomlin, the show started to run on tired blood when Season Four began. Maybe it was the very onset of the 1970s, because so much changed. The series began to look a little dated in Season Five because of the onslaught of such programs as "All In The Family," and by then, the ratings began to sag. And then it was all over by 1973.
No matter. When it was good, it was and IS fantastic! And it brought plenty of amusement to my life. It was also very innovative in other ways, such as having the Banana Splits (a children's show) appear on the show in 1968. Imagine, having children's and adults' programming come together like that. It was never done before.
And I am thankful for this.
I took to it immediately as a kid, in part because I was already hip to certain things (such as how SQUARE CBS was!), and how the show poked fun at so many things. Season One had a special raw quality, though seasons two and three were fun to watch as well.
Sadly, despite such GREAT talent as Johnny Brown and Lily Tomlin, the show started to run on tired blood when Season Four began. Maybe it was the very onset of the 1970s, because so much changed. The series began to look a little dated in Season Five because of the onslaught of such programs as "All In The Family," and by then, the ratings began to sag. And then it was all over by 1973.
No matter. When it was good, it was and IS fantastic! And it brought plenty of amusement to my life. It was also very innovative in other ways, such as having the Banana Splits (a children's show) appear on the show in 1968. Imagine, having children's and adults' programming come together like that. It was never done before.
And I am thankful for this.