There were sit ins, sleep ins, love ins and finally laugh ins. From the Moody Blues to Woodstock, is there anything that didn’t happen in the 60s? And now these mega cultural events are celebrating or about to celebrate their 50th year.
When I was just a pip squeak, I remember my mom’s friend George Schlatter about to launch a revolutionary new show called “Laugh In.” Locals — then unknowns like Goldie Hawn — were all a go go in their go go boots and skimpy bikinis.
It was exciting fare that was totally groundbreaking, fun and political … the “Daily Show” or “Colbert Report” of its day.
Like Malibu’s Smothers Brothers, it was on past my bedtime, so I resorted to a portable TV, which I watched with the covers over my head should grown-up interlopers interfere.
Though I barely remember Watergate, I remember the fickle finger of fate and Dick Nixon saying “sock it to me?” The language became part of our vocabulary with catchphrases like “Here come the judge” and “That’s the truth.” It turned TV watching upside down as original and outrageous.
Every week, the show aired from “Beautiful downtown Burbank.”
Dan Rowan and Dick Martin presided over a psychedelic 60s circus with a collection of characters including annoying telephone operator “one ring-ee ding-ee.”
Ernistine, played by Lily Tomlin, as well as “verrrry interesting” Arte Johnson, Jo Anne Worley, Judy Carne and Gary Owens.
To commemorate the television milestone, a fancy new box set will be released. It’s comprised of all 140 complete episodes over the ground breaking show’s six seasons.
The show launched careers, with players like Goldie going from disco dancing dumb blonde to Oscar winner.
Lily Tomlin also enjoyed an acclaimed film career with roles in local legendary director Bob Layman’s films like “Nashville” as well as “Shortcuts” and “9 to 5.”
More importantly, “Laugh In” gave the country a reason to laugh at a time when there wasn’t much to laugh about.
So is “Laugh In” still relevant after 50 years?
“You bet your sweet bippy.”
POWER STRIKES
He rode into Malibu (and Billionaires Beach) on the backs of a few kooky super heroes call “The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.” Despite its rather crude beginnings in the 1990s, the show became an international phenomenon.
Take one look and you’ll see that the Mighty men are all grown up and have the hi-tech gear and costumes to prove it. This big screen all action reboot morphs the TV superhero fantasy from cheesy after school to a player on the big screen.
It is available on DVD + streaming.