Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

"At the Dance", a recurring Muppet Show sketch inspired by Laugh-In.

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In was a comedy variety series that debuted on NBC in 1968 and ran until 1973. The series, hosted by Dan Rowan and Dick Martin, featured a troupe of character comedians, whose ranks changed over the years, and featured oddball topical humor and swinging 60s decor and costuming. In addition to introducing several previously unknown comics who would become stars and placing an emphasis on creating catch phrases (ranging from "Sock it to me" to "Is that a chicken joke?"), the series influenced many subsequent sketch comedy shows, from Saturday Night Live to The Electric Company, and including the Muppets.

As Lewis Bernstein recalled, the series influenced the initial format of Sesame Street, in particular the emphasis on short, fast-moving sketches: "At the time, we were competing with cartoons, so we kept everything very short and varied, like 'Laugh-In,' which was the best show on TV then."

The Muppet Show also showed signs of Laugh-In influence. A Laugh-In mainstay, "the Cocktail Party," in which assorted eccentrics from gurus to poets to parsons gathered at a swinging party to drink and exchange one and two-liners, was reworked to become "At the Dance".

References

• An early Sesame Street animated insert, "J Commercial," featured the line "Here comes de judge," which was popularized on Laugh-In.

• In Muppets Tonight episode 101, the 60s-style "Muppet Dating Game" sketch features Dr. Bunsen Honeydew making repeated references to his "bippy," one of several nonsense words popularized on Laugh-In.

Muppet Mentions

• In the December 7, 1970 broadcast featuring Phil Silvers, the guest is repeatedly drenched with water after saying the "Sock it to me" catchphrase. At the end, Silvers remarks, "I could've worked Sesame Street like a gentleman."

Appearances

Several Laugh-In regulars have appeared in Muppet/Henson productions, reprising their roles from that series.

Arte Johnson as Wolfgang, the German soldier, in Sesame Street inserts

Lily Tomlin as Edith Ann in an insert with Herry Monster

Lily Tomlin as Ernestine in Sesame Street Stays Up Late, and also in Here Come the Muppets and Kermit Unpigged

Ruth Buzzi reprised her role of spinster Gladys Ormphby in multiple sketches.

Connections

Cast and Regular Guest Performers

• Dennis Allen, regular (1970-1973)
• Johnny Carson, regular guest (1968-1973)
• Richard Dawson, regular (1971-1973)
• Goldie Hawn, regular (1968-1970)
• Gary Owens, regular/announcer
• Flip Wilson, regular guest performer (1968-1970)

Guests

Herb Alpert Steve Allen Kaye Ballard Harry Belafonte Milton Berle Mel Brooks Sid Caesar Michael Caine Johnny Cash Dick Cavett Carol Channing Cher Rosemary Clooney James Coco Perry Como Tim Conway Phyllis Diller Micky Dolenz Hugh Downs Sandy Duncan Peter Falk Sally Field Lorne Greene Buddy Hackett

Bob Hope Lena Horne Martin Landau Jerry Lewis Liberace Rich Little Paul Lynde Ed McMahon Peter Marshall Roger Moore Joe Namath Bob Newhart Leonard Nimoy Regis Philbin Vincent Price Don Rickles Kenny Rogers Diana Ross Peter Sellers Dinah Shore Nancy Sinatra Dick Smothers Jean Stapleton Connie Stevens Andy Williams Paul Williams