I clearly missed seeing this as a youngster (I was alive in 1967), but seeing this pilot almost 50 years after its initial airing is a revelation.
While the special itself was crude, it is immediately clear the show would be picked up. It was indeed very different from the usual comedy show, and it reflected the sensibilities of that memorable year of 1967, which is 50 years ago as of this writing.
While Gary Owens is absent here, some of the elements are already present, such as the cocktail party. One thing I liked with this special and with Season 1 was the New Talent portion of the program. Ruth Buzzi, who remained with the show to the end, turns in a memorable performance here. We also have the news segment as well!
Getting back to the crudeness of the show, some of the bit sequences play out like something from "The Banana Splits," which would air a year later on the same network as "Laugh-In" (and would factor in a crossover bit in fall 1968). Overall, this is truly worth a watch, because of its historical value! And it has value, since I remember television from that era, having grown up in that time.
While the special itself was crude, it is immediately clear the show would be picked up. It was indeed very different from the usual comedy show, and it reflected the sensibilities of that memorable year of 1967, which is 50 years ago as of this writing.
While Gary Owens is absent here, some of the elements are already present, such as the cocktail party. One thing I liked with this special and with Season 1 was the New Talent portion of the program. Ruth Buzzi, who remained with the show to the end, turns in a memorable performance here. We also have the news segment as well!
Getting back to the crudeness of the show, some of the bit sequences play out like something from "The Banana Splits," which would air a year later on the same network as "Laugh-In" (and would factor in a crossover bit in fall 1968). Overall, this is truly worth a watch, because of its historical value! And it has value, since I remember television from that era, having grown up in that time.