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The Hee Haw Collection

Score: 85%
Rating: Not Rated
Publisher: Time Life
Region: 1
Media: DVD/3
Running Time: 369 Mins.
Genre: Musical/Comedy/TV Series
Audio: Mono

Features:

  • Bonus Interviews with Roy Clark, Lulu Roman, George Lindsey, Roni Stoneman, George Yanok, Charlie McCoy and Jim and Jon Hager

Time Life presents The Hee Haw Collection, the ever-popular variety show that premiered June 15, 1969 on CBS-TV as a summer replacement for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The show became a permanent fixture of American culture and ran for 28 years, including a 21-year run in local syndication. However, Hee Haw was cancelled in 1971 in an effort to cleanse rural-flavored shows from the networks and replace them with more contemporary urban shows for a younger audience.

Across the networks shows were put on the chopping block to remove the countrified sitcoms and variety shows that had become so much a part of America's television landscape. This was known as the "rural purge." The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Mayberry R.F.D., Petticoat Junction, Lassie, The Jim Nabors Hour, and The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour were also cancelled, along with many shows that reached an older audience like The Lawrence Welk Show. Because both Hee Haw and The Welk Show were cancelled, Roy Clark came out with his song, "The Lawrence Welk-Hee Haw Counter Revolution Polka."

Because of their "bucolic" image, the critics cancelled any hillbilly or country shows and replaced them with shows for an audience that was more in step with the changes taking place in the USA. Americans were still able to watch many of these shows on syndication. Actually, according to Roy Clark's interview in this collection, he admitted that while on television, Hee Haw ran on 165 CBS affiliates, but when they went into syndication, the show became more popular than ever! Regardless of the high-brow opinion of critics, the American public continued laughing at the down-home entertainment making Hee Haw the longest-running syndicated American TV program of its genre.

Hee Haw was an hour-long weekly show that featured guest artists, country music, Southern culture, and rural fictional Kornfield Kounty humor with regular skits such as "The Cornfield," "Pickin' and Grinnin'," "Pfft You Was Gone," and "Gloom, Despair and Agony On Me." Inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Hee Haw's country version was generally hosted by Buck Owens, Roy Clark and other guest hosts, and featured corn pone skits, silly one-liners, and the scantily-clad Hee Haw Honeys. (I was surprised to recognize the face of Playboy's cover girl Barbi Benton among the group.) The main entertainment consisted of country music, bluegrass and gospel singers with two or three up-and-coming stars and superstars guesting each week.

The Hee Haw Collection Three-Disc Collection features Episode Nos. 13, 15, 19, 56, and 99, with Bonus Interviews by Roy Clark, Lulu Roman, George Lindsey, Roni Stoneman, George Yanok, Charlie McCoy, and twins Jim and Jon Hager. The interviews will keep you spellbound as you hear stories about the cast members, the show's production, history, and the original "Country and Western Laugh-In," plus the team's tremendous talents and love for each other. Musical guests besides Buck Owens and Roy Clark include Loretta Lynn, who also co-hosted and was the first guest star of Hee Haw. Other performers are Grandpa and Ramona Jones, The Hagers, Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Gordie Tapp, Donna Fargo, Tommy Cash, Charlie Rich, Dottie West, Hank Williams, Jr. and Tennessee "Ernie" Ford.

Special comedy selections in this collection include the Hee Haw Players, Dear Royella, and the Amateur Minute with all-time favorites at the Board Fence, Cornfield, Moonshiners, Doctor Spot, Old Philosopher, General Store, Pfft You Was Gone, Haystack and Schoolhouse and Classics at the Barbershop, Archie Campbell's "Rindercella," and Junior Samples "Trigonometry."

The Hee Haw Collection (Three Discs edition) also contains a four-page pamphlet outlining the performing cast and acts. Because of the age and nature of the film and video elements of this Collection, occasional flaws in the image and sound quality may be noticed. However, they have restored the original materials to ensure the best quality possible. There are no subtitles, but The Hee Haw Collection is a great 'pearl' of American history and a wonderful evening of laughable, good, pure fun entertainment for the entire family. This would be a great addition to your DVD library and portrays a variety of entertainment that kept people laughing for over 20 years!



-Kambur O. Blythe, GameVortex Communications
AKA Jan Daniel

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