Final episode of "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" airs 1973

The twenty-fourth episode of the sixth season of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In was the last of the series, airing March 12, 1973. The first episode aired January 22, 1968. Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, Gary Owens, and Ruth Buzzi appeared in all seasons.

The final episode starred Ernest Borgnine, Sammy Davis Jr., Robert Goulet, and Jo Anne Worley. The Flying Fickle Finger of Fate was awarded to the show itself.  The Cleveland Plain Dealer claimed that the show's jokes about Cleveland had caused economic damage to the city.

It was nominated for 32 Primetime Emmy Awards and won seven:

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Electronic Production for Arthur Schneider (1967)

Outstanding Writing Achievement in Music or Variety (1968)

Outstanding Musical or Variety Program for the 9/9/1967 episode (1968)

Outstanding Musical or Variety Series (1968)

Special Classification Achievements-Individuals (Variety Performances) for Arte Johnson (1969)

Outstanding variety or Musical Series

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety or Music for Mark Warren

The series was nominated for 6 Golden Globes and won two:

Best TV Show (1969)

Best Supporting Actress-Television for Ruth Buzzi (1973)

Comedian Extraordinaire Arte Johnson born 1929

Arte Johnson, born January 20, 1929 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, rose to fame playing many different roles on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.  His most notable character was Tyrone F. Horneigh, a dirty old man who always chased Ruth Buzzi's Gladys Ormphby. 

Of course, his Nazi spy hiding in the dwarf palm tree is another classic role.  He won a Primetime Emmy in 1969 for Special Classification Achievements - Individuals (Variety Performances).  He also won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Love At First Bite.

He passed away July 3, 2019 from bladder and prostate cancer.

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In first episode airs 1968

After a one-off show which aired September 9, 1967, the response to Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In was granted its own series, the first episode of which aired January 22, 1968 - the same day as the Apollo 5 launch!

The show lasted for 6 seasons and starred almost everyone in entertainment, sports and politics.  Richard Nixon made an appearance during his campaign in 1968 (Hubert Humphrey declined), so many credit his deadpan delivery of "Sock it to me?" for helping him get elected President.

Besides Nixon, stars included Carol Burnett, the Bee Gees, John Wayne, Leonard Nimoy, Wilt Chamberlin, Joe Namath, William F. Buckley, the Monkees, Rev. Billy Graham, Agnes Moorehead, Bill Bixby, and Oral Roberts.

Only four of the regulars appeared in every single episode: Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, Gary Owen and Ruth Buzzi, who won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in 1973.

Laugh-In won a Golden Globe for Best TV Show in 1969.  Arte Johnson won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1969 for Special Classification Achievements - Indiviuals (Variety Performances), while the show won for Outstanding Variety of Musical Series in 1968 and 1969.  It won awards throughout its 6 year run.

We look back on it now and wonder why we laughed so much back then at the humor which seems so ho-hum and un-funny now.  Maybe back then we had more to laugh about.