An interesting example of a long-running hit show that's beginning to wind down, ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE SIXTH SEASON (Time-Life) shows how Dan and Dick and the rest of the cast did their best to keep the laughs going as the show headed into the sunset.
It's just as raucous and irreverent as ever, a colorful, fast-paced conglomeration of jokes, sight gags, blackouts, and song parodies that are both topical (for the early 70s) and timelessly silly.
Dan, the bourbon-breathed straight man, and Dick, the tipsy lothario with the mind of a child, are the merry ringmasters of it all, and it's nice to see how they still enjoy working together after all these years.
Sadly, most of the original cast are gone, with the brilliant comedienne Ruth Buzzy and perennial announcer Gary Owens the only holdovers from season one. Occasional guest appearances from old-timers such as the hilarious Jo Anne Worley are welcome.
Some of the more stellar later additions to the cast are still around. The great Lily Tomlin adds her classic characters Ernestine the telephone operator and bratty little Edith Ann, and Richard Dawson continues to brighten things up before heading for game show immortality.
Of this season's new cast members, only master ventriloquist Willie Tyler and his friend Lester truly shine. Dumb blonde Sarah Kennedy is a shameless attempt at recapturing the inimitable charm of Goldie Hawn. Others, such as Brian Bressler and Donna Jean Young, are non-descript.
Resolutely unfunny are newcomers Jud Strunk (who specializes in one-note rural New England characters) and Patti Deutsch, later to join Dawson as one of the celebrity panelists on "The Match Game." Strunk contributes one of the series' worst-ever moments by turning serious with a maudlin love ballad which he croons while plucking a banjo.
Even the production values are somewhat off this time, as though the budget had been reduced, and the comedy seems duller and less effortlessly outlandish as before. The addition of an ever-present gaggle of showgirl types fawning over Dick and Dan doesn't help.
As always, the show offers up a dazzling collection of celebrity guests, particularly good-sport John Wayne in his infamous appearance in a giant bunny costume. Other familiar faces include Johnny Carson, Janet Leigh, Ernest Borgnine, Sammy Davis, Jr., James Caan, Jack Benny, Carol Burnett, Howard Cosell, Angie Dickinson, Don Rickles, Steve Allen, Henny Youngman, Robert Goulet, William Conrad, Michael Landon, Sandy Duncan, Dom Deluise, and many more.
The 6-disc set from Time-Life is in 1:33.1 full screen with stereo sound and captions. Running time is 1234 minutes. Included in the package is an illustrated booklet. Picture and sound quality are very good.
For avid fans of the show, ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE SIXTH SEASON should prove as much fun as ever. But the bloom's off the rose, and it's fascinating to see how this once-unbeatable hit comedy series finally shuffled off into showbiz immortality.
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