Lucy had dominated Monday night ratings for CBS for years. When NBC put this on, they tried to take advantage of the Hippy generation. They took old vaudeville, old minstrel routine (including Black Face), quick comedy blackouts, and added many cameos from all walks of life. This is where Richard Nixon popped on and said "Sock it to me". Nixon might have been predicting the future as a few years after he was on this, we socked it to him after he tried to sock it to us.
As I have thought about many sitcoms over the years, the use of stereo types of people dominates all of them. If you do not believe that, I suggest you pick any successful sitcom and check for stereo types, and if your honest about it you will find all of them do. The difference between them and this is pace. All sitcoms pop along with a punch line (and canned audience laughter) about every 45 to 90 seconds. This one went to warp speed (yes this started after Star Trek) and shoves so much at you so quickly, it's hard to keep up. Some clips on this are 15 seconds or less.
Actually, even though you'd think this was an original idea, the folks who created this updated Olsen & Johnson's HELLAZPOPPIN (film version 1941) Broadway show. The show ran during the height of the Vietnam war & even though it ran pieces protesting the war, it also ran cameos on Nixon & all the famous politics's who were supporting it too. The show is often a bunch of disjointed sketches with the only thing in common the fact that it followed a framework every week. The opening would feature Gary Owens & Morgel the Friendly Drelb and a few sketches. Then Rowan & Martin would come out & do some quickie stand up comedy. Next would be the party where all kinds of characters would show up including the great flesh painted dancing of Judy Carne, Goldie Hawn, Terri Garr & others. After the party, the Laugh-In Dancers & Goldie would blow an introduction to the News. Martin would do the news of the Present, Rowan would do the news of the Future, Alan Sues would do sports with BIG AL & his tinkle, then Rowan would intro a sketch to news of the past. Once this part of the framework was over, a special musical guest would appear (I remember Strawberry Alarm Clock doing TOMORROW in one early episode). Eventually another rotating feature would be put in like THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE, or Lily Tomlin doing an Operator routine or spoiled girl in giant rocking chair. Then finally we'd get to the joke wall (say Goodnight Dick) where almost anything would get thrown in. The credits would roll with the wall & then the end would be Arte Johnson as the German Soldier (sometimes with help) saying Very Interesting but... enjoyable but dated with the dippy sets now days.
Many of the punch lines and routines on this are no longer politically correct. In fact it takes an adult to put up with the abuse of the elderly, and the radical left Democratic views of this time period. This show also got a lot of anti-war humor past the censors by making it look and sound harmless. Each show would start with a party, then the news of the past present and future. New Talent time would continue it. Then once in a while a special music event (except when Tiny Tim was the new talent). The Fickle Finger of Fate and General Bull Wright were added in and finally the Good Night Dick closing with the doors in the wall and credits. Finally Arte Johnson would close with the German soldier.
Arte played the old man harassing Ruth Buzzi (elder abuse) and one year he had the quip of the sketch. Ruth - "I don't want to wind up an old maid." Arte- "Okay, bring her in and I'll wind her up." The innocent of this era and the peace generation dominates it.
As I have thought about many sitcoms over the years, the use of stereo types of people dominates all of them. If you do not believe that, I suggest you pick any successful sitcom and check for stereo types, and if your honest about it you will find all of them do. The difference between them and this is pace. All sitcoms pop along with a punch line (and canned audience laughter) about every 45 to 90 seconds. This one went to warp speed (yes this started after Star Trek) and shoves so much at you so quickly, it's hard to keep up. Some clips on this are 15 seconds or less.
Actually, even though you'd think this was an original idea, the folks who created this updated Olsen & Johnson's HELLAZPOPPIN (film version 1941) Broadway show. The show ran during the height of the Vietnam war & even though it ran pieces protesting the war, it also ran cameos on Nixon & all the famous politics's who were supporting it too. The show is often a bunch of disjointed sketches with the only thing in common the fact that it followed a framework every week. The opening would feature Gary Owens & Morgel the Friendly Drelb and a few sketches. Then Rowan & Martin would come out & do some quickie stand up comedy. Next would be the party where all kinds of characters would show up including the great flesh painted dancing of Judy Carne, Goldie Hawn, Terri Garr & others. After the party, the Laugh-In Dancers & Goldie would blow an introduction to the News. Martin would do the news of the Present, Rowan would do the news of the Future, Alan Sues would do sports with BIG AL & his tinkle, then Rowan would intro a sketch to news of the past. Once this part of the framework was over, a special musical guest would appear (I remember Strawberry Alarm Clock doing TOMORROW in one early episode). Eventually another rotating feature would be put in like THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE, or Lily Tomlin doing an Operator routine or spoiled girl in giant rocking chair. Then finally we'd get to the joke wall (say Goodnight Dick) where almost anything would get thrown in. The credits would roll with the wall & then the end would be Arte Johnson as the German Soldier (sometimes with help) saying Very Interesting but... enjoyable but dated with the dippy sets now days.
Many of the punch lines and routines on this are no longer politically correct. In fact it takes an adult to put up with the abuse of the elderly, and the radical left Democratic views of this time period. This show also got a lot of anti-war humor past the censors by making it look and sound harmless. Each show would start with a party, then the news of the past present and future. New Talent time would continue it. Then once in a while a special music event (except when Tiny Tim was the new talent). The Fickle Finger of Fate and General Bull Wright were added in and finally the Good Night Dick closing with the doors in the wall and credits. Finally Arte Johnson would close with the German soldier.
Arte played the old man harassing Ruth Buzzi (elder abuse) and one year he had the quip of the sketch. Ruth - "I don't want to wind up an old maid." Arte- "Okay, bring her in and I'll wind her up." The innocent of this era and the peace generation dominates it.