Hee Haw (1969–1997)

Televised comedy/variety show with a country bent.

Creators:

John Aylesworth, Frank Peppiatt

Stars:

Roy Clark, Gunilla Hutton, Buck Owens

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Roy Clark	...	Himself - Host (293 episodes, 1969-1992)
Gunilla Hutton	...	Herself (237 episodes, 1969-1992)
Buck Owens	...	Himself - Host (230 episodes, 1969-1986)
Junior Samples	...	Himself (145 episodes, 1969-1983)
Lisa Todd	...	Herself (141 episodes, 1970-1986)
Grandpa Jones	...	Himself (136 episodes, 1969-1992)
Minnie Pearl	...	Herself (134 episodes, 1969-1991)
Archie Campbell	...	Himself (125 episodes, 1969-1988)

Storyline

"Hee Haw" a mixture of music and comedy skits was a staple of syndicated television for more than 20 years; originally, the show had aired on CBS, but was canceled in 1971 because the network thought it was "too rural." A majority of each week's "Hee Haw" shows included a series of skits, blackouts and corny jokes; however, the meat of series came from its music. Each week, two or three country music stars guested usually one or two of the guests being well-established, the others newer and up-and-coming stars as well as bluegrass, country gospel and other acts, signers and musicians popular with country audiences. During the final segment of each show, the Hee Haw Gospel Quartet (through the mid-1980s, usually co-hosts Owens and Clark, along with Kenny Price and Grandpa Jones) performed a gospel song. The shows were taped only a few weeks out of the year, usually weeks (and sometimes, months) in advance; that meant some of the short-lived "newer" acts had already lost their star ...

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Plot Keywords:

country music

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Taglines:

The critics are unanimous...but watch it anyway!

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Genres:

Comedy | Music

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Details

Official Sites:

Gaylord Entertainment Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 June 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Country Corn

Filming Locations:

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), Gaylord Productions, Gaylord Program Services

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The "Hee Haw" set is on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN.

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Quotes

Grandpa Jones: The watermelons just exploded.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Jaime Pressly/Corinne Bailey Rae (2006)

User Reviews

A wonderful show...

This show lasted nearly a quarter century, but even that hardly seems enough. I'm not that big a fan of the stuff that currently passes for country music, but I love the older stuff. Many of country music's biggest legends guest starred on this show, and several others were regulars at one point or another. This was the last of the successful variety shows on tv and by far the most successful country music show on television. It's doubtful that we'll ever see anything like it again. It's a shame that this show is currently off the air- I don't think you can even catch reruns nowadays. Hopefully, Hee Haw (or at least the early seasons) will eventually become available on DVD. I certainly hope so.