Growing up in the 1980s, my sister & I would watch this show religiously. We used to roll on the floor & laugh so hard that it hurt. This was the funniest show on TV in its day. Our mother would often reprimand us for making fun of the program (and equating our reactions with sacrilege). However, mom would soon find out (thanks to us) that her mother had been sending PTL $$$ (On one visit, I noticed that she had the "Rice Patty" dolls, given to donors of over $100), Of course, our grandmother was a bit dippy so it really didn't surprise me.
The Bakkers really knew how to get Americans to cough up their $$$, and with such cheezy entertainment too. If only the Jerry Lewis Telathon was as unintentionally entertaining. Of course, Tammy stole the show with her crying & her makeup. But sometimes, the conversation would even trump these histrionics. My favorite was Tammy recounting a Tennis match with their neighbors (who drank & swore) & said that he told her: "Tammy, I may swear a lot & I know you pray a lot, but each of us knows that we don't mean what we say." Everyone reacted shocked to the comment, making it quite ironic & funny to see....and of course every time the money started dropping off, they'd wheel out a cripple in a wheel chair. It was quite transparent to my sister & I (early teens) at the time that they were milking people for their money. We even told our grandmother that it was a scam, but she wouldn't listen... until the scandals hit. Then she refused to acknowledge that she ever gave them any money.
It would be nice if someone could track down the tapes of the show & release them on DVD, or at least a "Best of....". I know I'd buy a copy.