Talk:Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

Comment
Wasn't the show revived in the later 70s? Seems to me that was one of Robin Williams' first shows. PBrain 17:04, 3 May 2004 (UTC)


 * In fact it was. I added a couple of sentences about it, but didn't add anything to the first sentence; couldn't decide if the addition would be helpful or not. PBrain

There is something slightly suspicious about an entry on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In that makes not a single mention of Goldie Hawn. Not only was she one of the, quite possibly *the*, most memorable cast members from the series (I'm speaking as a male teenager at that time), but has also since become the most well-known and successful of those appearing. Why, the reader is forced to speculate, has she been totally omitted from the entry?

The omission, together with the lack of citations, suggests that the entry is a publicity concoction, as seems so often to be the case for entries about 'celebrities', politicians and others in the public eye.


 * the anon editor posted the comment above on March 7. On the version of this article that existed on that day, Goldie was mentioned six times. Just for the record. Lambertman (talk) 14:38, 11 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Good to see that the omission has been rectified. At the time the posting was made there were *no* references to Goldie Hawn in the body of the article.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.133.15.192 (talk) 13:58, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Goodnight, Dick
Quote: 'At the end of every show, Dan Rowan turned to his co-host and said, "It's time to say good-night, Dick," to which Martin replied, "Good-night, Dick" (reprising a bit from the old George Burns and Gracie Allen radio show).'

I think this may not be accurate. The "Goodnight, Dick" running gag certainly consciously evoked the Burns and Allen gag, but at least as Burns and Allen played it on their television show (I can't speak to the radio show), it worked quite differently. As Allen reached some apogee of absurdity in her prompted monologue, Burns would seem to cut her off by saying "Say goodnight, Gracie." Allen would then simply say "Goodnight", the gag being the reversal of the expectation that, ditsy as she was, she would take Burns's instruction literally.

I think I'll go ahead with an edit of "reprising" to "varying". Any further explanation seems to unbalance the entry.

Best to all, MIchael 12:26, 4 May 2007 (UTC)Douglas Michael Massing

They may not have mimicked George and Gracie exactly, but I came across an audio clip of an old radio program that Groucho & Chico Marx did the exact same joke. As Groucho was addressing the audience at the end of the program, he said "Say Goodnight, Chico." and Chico said "Goodnight, Chico." and got a nice big laugh from it. That's more likely to be the inspiration of Rowan & Martin's bit, because it was the exact same joke. Gracie would say "Goodnight", she didn't say "Goodnight, Gracie". I don't know any more detail of the Marx Bros program, but it was on a 2002 CD called The Golden Age of Comedy and it was made up of several Marx Brothers pieces, and the one that had the Goodnight joke was called Hollywood Agents, and was the first clip.

Groucho says: "And so, my friends, for Raymond Page and myself, I say...Goodnight. Say Goodnight, Chico"

Chico says: "Goodnight, Chico"

66.222.33.154 (talk) 22:52, 1 January 2015 (UTC)

extensive use of video tape editing on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
wasnt this shows use of the then relatively new video tape editing capability something that should be discussed/detailed here? each show had what must have been thousands of very complicated edits that would have been near impossible to do with film....it was a wonderful aspect of the show....i remember watching it as a kid (i was about age 10 or 12 at the time) and being totally amazed by the huge numbers of extremely quick edits in every episode....it was hynotizing....and of course we had no vcr's back then to freeze frame or re-run those segments..if u missed something, too bad!

also worth mentioning here (if its accurate) >>> i think this may have been one of the 1st tv shows to be done exclusively on videotape....

all in all, it was a great show in so many aspects!...it always brings back many fond memories for me..... 1/7/05 comments by paul m

Under the heading-Other Celebrities Who Have guest-starred-Werner Klemperer, under Trivia, the fifth item relates to Werner's being asked to be Grand Marshal of the nationally televised Portland, Oregon Rose Parade, not a Memorial Day Parade in a California Town. The Jewish Community in Portland raised a stink, and Werner declined to participate.


 * Legacy or Influence section? Quick video editing is exactly why I came here, to see if the show was noted for making quick edits popular.  I also expected to see a "Legacy" section like you see in many influential movies or ideas, and Laugh-In certainly was an icon of 70s TV.  Let's write a section!  I need to find some sources before I can start anything.


 * After some review, the Post-Production section does mention the pioneering use of the jump cut in TV, but I still think the artcile warrants a legacy section. I also need to consult the Style Manual, since I know Trivia sections are discouraged, but I would doubt that legacy or Influence sections are discouraged. Spalding (talk) 15:06, 22 December 2013 (UTC)

Is this a factual error?
Under Memorable cast members/guests and their running gags, a pun on Ravi Shankar, dressed in a nehru jacket is mentioned. The link on Ravi shankar led me to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Sri_Ravi_Shankar

According to the articles in question, Laugh-in was stopped airing in 1973, and I presume the shows relating to pun on Ravi Shankar happenned before that. But according to the article on Ravi shankar, he started his Art of Living foundation and commenced giving his disclosures only after 1982.

If this is a factual error, or an incorrect link, please rectify it.

Wiki is just great!!!


 * The Ravi Shankar that's used as a pun in this instance isn't the one you linked to, but instead is the Ravi Shankar that worked with the Beatles during their psychedelic period by playing the sitar on Sg. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
 * Secondly, please try to sign your name at the end of talk page comments. Edman 05:01, 13 June 2007 (UTC)
 * Speaking of factual error, please list the Beatle tracks on which Ravi Shankar performed. Can’t wait... 2001:44B8:3102:BB00:D960:C232:4403:BE27 (talk) 06:51, 13 May 2020 (UTC)
 * Edited the link to point to Ravi Shankar, the musician, as above Trugster | Talk 12:58, 3 February 2008 (UTC)

Judy Carne in 3rd season
This has been my longtime theory - of which I have nothing in the way of hard evidence to back it up - as to why Judy left the show yet still "made appearances"; the picture quality of the series seems to improve markedly at the turn of the year to 1970, but clips with Carne still appear 1969-level grainy. I am of the opinion that she left after filming x amount of appearances, which were then parceled out to fill the season. (there's a sketch in particular where she's at a restaurant being the only person in a large crowd to not get rained on, only to get it socked to her at the end, after which she says "here we go again!" It aired later in the season, but it would have made more sense to have been in the first episode. Lambertman (talk) 20:46, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Flying Fickle Finger of Fate
Has anyone ever compiled a list of each of the FFFF award winners? 68.252.62.180 (talk) 13:37, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

Lola Falana
Is it just me? I can't find her listed anywhere in this article, yet she was one of the more memorable performers appearing on the show--or so I thought at the time. And the article on Lola Falana mentions that she appeared on the show. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Grisunge (talk • contribs) 13:34, 9 December 2010 (UTC)

News of the Future predictions
The bits about "President Ronald Reagan" in 1988, and the Berlin wall being torn down in 1989 and replaced with a moat full of alligators were both included in the PBS Laugh-In special yesterday (3/5/11)... -- AnonMoos (talk) 03:22, 7 March 2011 (UTC)


 * Is this an acceptable citation for the two laugh-in predictions? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLlWbDu30PI
 * 71.185.58.79 (talk) 17:38, 31 March 2013 (UTC)

Unbelievagable!
I have a fond memory of Arte Johnson in his Wolfgang role (I think) regularly using the expression "unbelievagable!" or possibly "unbiggalievagable!" - does anyone else have this recollection? I use it quite often when joking around. I've never been able to find a reference to it and I haven't heard it used by anyone else before or since. AllanJH (talk) 11:45, 24 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Good memory - I watched the reruns extensively in the '80s and I remember those Wolfgang sequences. I think they were only used in one episode, though. 12:14, 11 June 2012 (UTC)

Unbelievagable may have been a catch phrase of Misterjaw, a cartoon character that Johnson voiced.Just1thing (talk) 20:52, 18 June 2016 (UTC)

Here's a breadcrumb, in a video of baseball footage from the late 70s (at 0:59): https://www.facebook.com/PhilliesHighlights/posts/1048095245631704. 2:18, 09 October 2020 (ET) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.117.208.17 (talk)

Is or was?
The lead section says it IS a TV series. Shouldn't that be WAS? I didn't make the change because maybe there is some subtlety or convention on this of which I am unaware. I often take note of which word is used for things like rock bands, etc., to see if they are still around, so it seems important which word is used. Spalding (talk) 15:18, 22 December 2013 (UTC)


 * Recently many past-tense verbs were replaced by present tense; not entirely sure why... AnonMoos (talk) 03:25, 17 January 2014 (UTC)


 * I've seen the argument that while programs like this are no longer being produced, they still exist for reruns, etc, so "is" is correct. HiLo48 (talk) 03:51, 17 January 2014 (UTC)

International broadcasts
Hello, this is the first time, that I have done, this, but I thought I would correct an in-correct statement:

[For Australia]...The series aired on Nine Network

This is not correct, because at that time [1969], Channel 0, [now the 10 network] had their studio in Nuddawading, near the cnr of Burwood Highway, and Springvale Road, Melbourne and I can remember going past the studio, with a sign up showing their top TV programs, and their most popular was "Laugh-In".

Regards. — Preceding unsigned comment added by FlashJackFromGundagai (talk • contribs) 08:36, 4 January 2015 (UTC)

Goldie Hawn's departure
I've removed the material about Goldie Hawn's departure during/after Season 2. The article also says that her departure was during Season 3, so one of the assertions had to go. Goldie Hawn shows her in Seasons 1-3, and IMDb shows her in every episode of Season 3.

I also removed the material on George Schlatter's stabs at replacing her with a succession of three other daffy blondes. Per IMDb, Pamela Rodgers was on concurrently with Hawn throughout Season 3, not as a replacement. Sarah Kennedy and Donna Jean Young were both on throughout Season 6, and only during Season 6, so the "finally" before Young's name was incorrect, as she appeared concurrently with Kennedy, not afterwards. Since Seasons 4 and 5 had gone by before the two of them were added, the connection between their arrival and Hawn's departure is unclear. The entire statement was unsourced. (I know IMDb is not considered a reliable source, but I'm using it to cast enough doubt on an unsourced claim to justify removing it, not to support a claim.) Largoplazo (talk) 06:56, 12 May 2016 (UTC)

Source for the suffix -In in the name Laugh-In:
The name is a parody of the term Sit-in, which had been in use in the civil rights and anti-war movements during recent years. The suffix -In had become a shorthand reference for a protest-driven publicity event in the same manner as the suffix -Gate (as in Watergate) would later become shorthand for a political scandal.

''My above contribution deleted from the article due to lack of sourcing. Hey, I lived it. How are you going to find a footnote for something like that?'' — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.15.171.107 (talk) 20:06, 18 June 2016 (UTC)


 * I can't help with sources, but of course you are right. Not only sit-in, but love-in, be-in, etc. Rothorpe (talk) 21:16, 18 June 2016 (UTC)

Way way way too much detail and trivia
I grew up with Laugh-in and have loving memories of it, but wikipedia is not the place to indulge such nostalgia. This article is an swamp of unsourced fanboy memories. It should be eviscerated. - DavidWBrooks (talk) 19:27, 6 April 2017 (UTC)

DVD section
The DVD section smells like marketing to me. It isn't really about the show, it's more like "here's where you can go to spend money to see the show", especially with all the trivia about special bonuses and such that come with them. Does anyone else feel we should get rid of it? Largoplazo (talk) 23:33, 10 December 2017 (UTC) Largoplazo (talk) 23:33, 10 December 2017 (UTC)

"Official" links?
What makes the links you added to the article "Official" as their names imply? Who operates these social media presences? Largoplazo (talk) 21:09, 18 January 2018 (UTC)
 * I wanted to add the YouTube one after seeing the first link went to "Get the DVD's" on TimeLife and some other miscellaneous aspects (had creator's name in videos, featured channels, quality,. . .). I thought more things would confirm "officialness", but I didn't find much. I still think it is the official with the focus only on Laugh-In. The TimeLife and George Schlatter Produtions channels also have Laugh-In videos and probably have permission to post. If you feel that is not the case, you can remove them.

"Sock it to me?" listed at Redirects for discussion
An editor has identified a potential problem with the redirect Sock it to me? and has thus listed it for discussion. This discussion will occur at Redirects for discussion/Log/2022 March 6 until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion. Shhhnotsoloud (talk) 14:09, 6 March 2022 (UTC)

Requested move 5 June 2022

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion. 

The result of the move request was: Not Moved (non-admin closure) >>> Extorc . talk  06:39, 11 June 2022 (UTC)

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In → Laugh-In – Per WP:COMMONNAME&#32;PhotographyEdits (talk) 20:10, 4 June 2022 (UTC)
 * This is a contested technical request (permalink). DanCherek (talk) 03:48, 5 June 2022 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
 * Object to speedy move I think this should have a full discussion. From my personal experience, people frequently use the longer title. But others may disagree -- 64.229.88.43 (talk) 00:49, 5 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Oppose - The preponderance of sources (and, like IP above, my personal experience) leads me to think that the full title is the common name. -- Netoholic @ 04:54, 5 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Oppose move. The longer title is common enough.  O.N.R.  (talk) 15:52, 5 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Oppose, per common name. Randy Kryn (talk) 17:33, 5 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Oppose. This is the clear common name. -- Necrothesp (talk) 12:51, 8 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Oppose, per common name. In ictu oculi (talk) 07:17, 10 June 2022 (UTC)

Elton John
If you check the two dance party sequences in the episode with Victor Borge and The Banana Splits (Season 2, Episode 9), you will see a young Elton John sitting at the piano. 2600:1702:1F00:5EB0:FD81:386E:8BCA:F8B (talk) 19:37, 17 December 2022 (UTC)

Keel's 1966 Flying Fickle Finger of Fate novel?
What's the origin of the phrase, FFFoF? Had it already established as an expression by the mid 60s or was it coined by John Keel for his 1966 novel? OrangeCounty (talk) 21:41, 29 August 2023 (UTC)
 * Keel didn't invent the phrase, it has been around since at least the 1930's as pop slang . - LuckyLouie (talk) 22:04, 29 August 2023 (UTC)