43 years ago tonight, on Monday, January 22, 1968 “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” premiered on NBC and it was unlike anything on TV at the time. Most noticeably, the pace of the show was fast and frenetic. TV’s early comedy/variety shows had been rooted in vaudeville and had a more stage-bound presentation. With Executive Producer George Schlatter and comedy duo Dan Rowan and Dick Martin at its helm, “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” became a classic.
This LP, featuring audio of sketches from the show, was released later in 1968.
This crazy, hip comedy show replaced “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” on NBC’s schedule, and although it was a mid-season replacement it garnered big enough ratings to finish the season ranked 21st in the Nielsen ratings. It would become the number 1 show for the following two seasons, before dropping out if the top 10 for good. By May 1973 “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” was off the air. And you can “look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls.”
It left America with plenty of catchphrases like; “You bet your bippy,” “sock it to me,” “verrrrrrry interesting,” and “look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls.” It also made a star out of Goldie Hawn.
43 years ago “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” shot into America’s consciousness like a rocket and then burned out a little more than 5 years later. Say Goodnight Dick.
Raised by TV 
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