Jeri Jacquin
On DVD from Time Life, the company that continues to bring
us comedy is ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN: The Complete 5th and 6th
Season.
The gang is back for it’s fifth season on DVD with 24
episodes of the hit comedy series from 1971-1972. This is an epic year as
finally Dick Martin gets a long awaited wish when Raquel Welch makes her lovely
one and only debut on the show. Such a gorgeous woman and it is so much fun to
watch Dick finally have his day!
Of course if you are going to watch Laugh-In them you better be surprised for some amazing guest stars.
Not from any one genre, era or walk of life, Laugh-In reaches around it all to bring such guests from television
like Steve Allen and Johnny Carson. Also comedy from the likes of Carol
Channing and Henny Youngman along with entertainers of song with Bing Crosby,
Petula Clark Liza Minnelli, Doc Severinsen and the legendary Johnny Cash.
Let’s not forget the Laugh-In
regulars that include Lily Tomlin, Ruth Buzzi, Gary Owens, Alan Sues, Ann
Elder, Dennis Allen, Barbara Sharma, Johnny Brown, Larry Hovis, Richard Dawson,
Judy Carne, Arte Johnson, Henry Gibson, Jo Anne Worley and Teresa Graves. All
brought in to celebrate the 100th episode because what’s a party
without a little name dropping!
This season also includes the classic characters and situations
we come to expect from Dan Rowan and Dick Martin. The famous Cocktail Party and the announcement of
who would receive the Fickle Finger of
Fate is fun filled only to end the show with a trip to the Joke Wall.
The characters of Edith Ann (who is only five years old mind
you – and that’s the trutttthhhhhh!) as well as the loving couple of Gladys and
Tyrone and Ruth Buzzi’s Hollywood Reporter give us the scoop on childhood,
being a couple and the buzz around Buzzi’s Hollywood.
Let’s not forget what Laugh-In
also brought to television viewers of the show, it brought comedy sure, but
also digs at sports and politics and the joke was on them. This 6-disc 24
episode Fifth Season makes sure we are in on all of it.
ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN: The Complete Sixth Season
continues with the comedy and the stars bringing a final season to the show
changing series. Now understand, this series wasn’t to go down without making
sure every zing was thrown and every chance of shade uttered.
Continuing with the previous years line up, the addition of
Moosie Drier, Tod Bass, Brian Bressler, Patti Deutsch, Sara Kennedy, Jod
Strunk, Willie Tyler & Lester, and Donna Jean Young join Dan, Dick, Lily
Tomlin, Ruth Buzzi, Arte Johnson, Richard Dawson and Gary Owens to revel in a party
from Downtown Burbank!
The final season’s celebrity line up is straight out of the
sky as stars line up to have their moment with Jack Benny, James Caan, William
Conrad, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dom DeLuise, Angie Dickinson, Sandy Duncan, James
Farentino, Robert Goulet, Jack Klugman, Rich Little, Don Rickles, Mark Spitz,
John Wayne, the beloved Michael Landon and the red head who needs no
introduction but we’ll do it anyway – Carol Burnett.
The show takes aim at guns, laws, adult books, morality, the
circus, Thanksgiving, beautiful people, sports, commercials, the family,
airlines, actors, the Summer of ’72 and the golden state of California
As sad as the final season may have been at the time (and no
longer sad now because all six seasons are offered by Time Life), the
characters that I came to absolutely adore and excited to see every week at
least came to play for one last season. Including Fickle Finger of Fate, Here Comes the Judge, the Joke Wall, General
Bull Right, Big Al, Ernestine and
Edith Ann along with The Swizzles and Robot Theater. That’s what makes this
collection so epic, I can go back and enjoy myself time and time again with the
comedy I grew up on!
Time Life continues to bring never before released anywhere
classic collections of television shows for fans to revisit and remember what
has made television so special. Time Life has released Mama’s Family, CPO Sharkey
and The Tonight Show and they now
reminds of us of a time when sex and politics were up for grabs with ROWAN
& MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN. For more of what Time Life has to offer fans of
classic television visit www.timelife.com.
The amazing thing about both of these seasons is that no
matter how much you watch, there is always something new to laugh about. Even
more amazing are the issues Laugh-In raised
in regards to women, people of color and politics that are no so far away from
the same issue we deal with today. Giving their pokes and prods, this series
got away with a lot more than is possible today.
Time Life has made it possible for us all to relive not only
a time in our lives when humor was television king, but share with our growing
families what made us all laugh in the 70’s. They may even learn that the
series Laugh-In brought sayings that
are still used today and for the same reasons.
That is what this series did for television, for comedy and
for bringing awareness to things that are funny but also important in our
lives. There’s nothing wrong with that in the slightest and Laugh-In gave me a funny bone that I’m
proud to carry every day.
In the end – are you ready to celebrate laughter?
No comments:
Post a Comment