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)

"The Love Bug" released 1969

Everyone's favorite racing car Herbie appeared first in The Love Bug, which opened to wide release March 13, 1969.  It premiered in a limited release December 24, 1968.  The movie starred Dean Jones, Michelle Lee, David Tomlinson, Buddy Hackett and Gary Owen of Laugh-In fame.

It is based on the book Car, Boy, Girl by Gordon Buford, published in 1961, and it was the last live-action movie authorized by Walt Disney.  It was released two years after his death.  Dean Jones attributes this to the movie's success.

It was the third-highest grossing movie of 1968.

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.