Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
Gabe Bullard Profile picture
Gabe Bullard
@gbullard
Journalist. I spent a long time in public radio. NF, '15. Co-founder of https://t.co/tnmd0e5tfs, a magazine about watching television.
Nov 16, 2018 • 32 tweets • 8 min read
A few words on Hee Haw, following Roy Clark's passing…

It is, possibly, one of the most interesting and important shows in American television history.

Really.

I'm not talking about its jokes or production. Many other things made it interesting and important.

Here goes… It debuted on CBS in 1969. It was a country version of Laugh-In, created by two Canadians.

The pitch seems pretty crass. CBS's comedy lineup was heavy on rural shows (Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, Mayberry RFD). And Laugh-In was a rising hit. Why not combine them?