#23: Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, 1968
Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In was an American sketch comedy show that ran on NBC for six seasons from 1968 to 1973. Hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin, the show, which was originally meant to be a one-time Holiday special, ended up becoming one of the most popular TV shows in the U.S.
The show’s creators invented the term “laugh-in” as a satirical reference to the “ins” culture of the 60s, a time when “love-ins,” “sit-ins,” and “sleep-ins” were popular names for hippie demonstrations and protests. This gave the series an anti-political dimension and cemented it as a TV show that was purely for fun and laughs.