PBS' 'Best of Laugh-in' gives look back at '60s

Ver-r-ry inter-r-resting.

Put a German accent on it and you have Wolfgang, a soldier in uniform on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In," a TV show that aired from 1968 to 1973, was produced by George Schlatter and attracted millions of viewers.

PBS is bringing back the show, if only for an hour, in "The Best of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" on March 22 at 7 p.m. on KUED, repeating March 25 at 9 p.m.

Those who watched it in the late '60s and '70s will remember sight gags, one-liners, comedy sketches, bright colors, psychedelic graphics, mini-dresses, bikinis, a lot of smoking and a cast of strange characters.

It was the show that showcased Goldie Hawn's infectious giggle — and launched her acting career. And the show that introduced catchphrases that became part of pop culture at the time: "Here come de judge" and "Sock it to me" — accompanied by a physical gag such as a bucket of water thrown on the speaker — as well as some other sayings that could be classified as impolite or even crass.

"Laugh-In" was also a show that brought regular guest appearances from such stars as Johnny Carson, Sammy Davis Jr., Jack Benny, Flip Wilson and John Wayne. And there were cameo appearances from Sally Field, Sonny and Cher (remember when his name came first?), Richard Nixon and even Colonel Sanders.

Robert Thompson, professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University, says the influence of "Laugh-In" went far beyond its edginess.

"When it played … all this stuff was going on — civil rights, the Vietnam War, the riots at the Democratic Convention and all that kind of stuff," Thompson said. "And while the news was covering all that stuff really well, prime time tended to totally ignore it.

"If you were to watch most prime-time television, you'd never know there was a war was going on or civil rights unrest or any of those major kinds of stories. 'Gomer Pyle USMC' was one of the top-rated shows in the country during the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War. Gomer Pyle took place in the contemporary Marine Corps and never once mentions Vietnam or Southeast Asia or anything more serious than the big locker inspection kind of thing."

Although "Laugh-In" ventured into social issues, that wasn't what made it an important show, according to Thompson.