Iconic Television Series: ‘Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In’

The show was a pop culture phenomenon

Publicity photo of Dan Rowan (left) and Dick Martin (right) from Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Photo by NBC Television uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The show debuted in 1967 as a special

When this show first appeared on television, it was a network special showing. Because of the success it received, it came back as a regular series the following year. It was so popular. The show’s name was a play on words from the hippie days such as love-ins or sit-ins.

One of the routine cast members was Ruth Buzzi. Others who were on the show for a long time included the following:

• Dennis Allen (b. June 10, 1940, d. Dec. 1, 1995, at age 55 from lung cancer).
• Johnny Brown (b. June 11, 1937, d. Mar. 2, 2022, at age 84). Brown also played the superintendent on the series, Good Times.
• Judy Carne (born Joyce Audrey Botterill, Apr. 27, 1939, d. Sept. 3, 2015, at age 76). She had the show’s phrase, “Sock it to me.”
• Sammy Davis, Jr. (b. Dec. 8, 1925, d. May 16, 1990, at age 64 from throat cancer). He was known for the show’s line, “Here come da judge.”
• Richard Dawson (birth name, Colin Lionel Emm, Nov. 20, 1932, d. June 2, 2012, at age 79 from esophageal cancer). He also starred in the series, Hogan’s Heroes.
• Henry Gibson (born…