Before there was Saturday Night Live and beating Monty Python’s Flying Circus by a year (more years if you count how long it took to import it to America) was Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. Dick Martin and Dan Rowan’s sketch comedy show was not the first sketch comedy show to hit American airwaves, not by a long shot. But it was a massive cultural touchstone in the way that it handled comedy.

Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, which is now seeing a Complete Series DVD release through Time Life, had it’s debut (of a six series run) in 1968. Sketch comedy and variety TV through out the 1960’s was a more wholesome and restrained affair, so when Rowan and Martin began with their more outrageous (for the time) brand of comedy, it took the nation by storm. Before SNL this was the show known for celebrity hosts, and one of it’s most popular moments is seeing presidential candidate Richard Nixon on an episode “SOCK IT TO ME!”. Obviously, this set a historical precedent with candidates like Bill Clinton later appearing on SNL.

The Time Life set collects the entire series across 37 disc packaged across 6 seasons. They are presented 1:33:1 in 480p presentations. Obviously not a tone of restorations was done on these episodes, but they look quite solid in their presentations. Audio is handled with English DVD-audio tracks and sound solid and clear. RECOMMENDED.