Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being that Hee Haw was far less topical, and was centered on country music. Initially co-hosted by musicians Buck Owens and Roy Clark, the show was equally well-known for its voluptuous, scantily-clad women in stereotypical farmer's daughter outfits, male stars Jim and Jon Hager and its cornpone humor.

    Hee Haw's appeal was not limited to a rural audience. It was successful in all of the major markets, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Other niche programs such as The Lawrence Welk Show (which targeted older audiences) and Soul Train (a black-oriented program) also rose to prominence in syndication during the era. Like Laugh-In, the show minimized production costs by taping all of the recurring sketches for a season in batches— setting up for the Cornfield one day, the Joke Fence another, etc. At the height of its popularity, an entire year's worth of shows would be taped in two separate week-long sessions, then individual shows would be assembled from edited sections. In addition, the show was taped in front of a live audience, with a laugh track added later to smooth over live audience reactions.

    The series was taped at WLAC-TV (now WTVF)[2] and Opryland USA in Nashville. The show was produced by Yongestreet Productions through the mid-1980s; it was later produced by Gaylord Entertainment, which distributed the show in syndication. The show's name was coined by show business talent manager and producer Bernie Brillstein and derives from a common English term used to describe the braying sound that a donkey makes.

    Created by

    Frank Peppiatt

    John Aylesworth

    Bernie Brillstein

    Presented by

    Buck Owens

    Roy Clark

    Starring

    Archie Campbell

    Gordie Tapp

    Grandpa Jones

    Junior Samples

    Lulu Roman

    Production

    Location(s) Nashville, Tennessee

    Running time 60 minutes

    Broadcast

    Original channel CBS; syndicated

    Original run

    June 15, 1969 (1969-06-15) – September 19, 1992

    More from Wikipedia....

    Thumbnail of Roy Clark

    Roy Clark on the creation of Hee Haw on CBS

    03:40
    Thumbnail of Jonathan Winters

    Jonathan Winters on his appearances on Hee Haw

    02:26
    Thumbnail of Bernie Brillstein

    Bernie Brillstein on the creation, development and syndication of Hee Haw

    07:20
    Thumbnail of Bill Davis

    Bill Davis on his favorite episode of Hee Haw and the legacy of Hee Haw

    03:13
    Thumbnail of Roy Clark

    Roy Clark on what made Hee Haw work

    02:06
    Thumbnail of Roy Clark

    Roy Clark on Louis "Grandpa" Jones on Hee Haw

    01:27

    Bernie Brillstein

    Bernie Brillstein on the creation, development and syndication of Hee Haw

    07:20

    Roy Clark

    Roy Clark on the creation of Hee Haw on CBS

    03:40

    Roy Clark on the original, CBS version of Hee Haw being canceled in Robert D. Wood's CBS "rural purge" in 1971

    03:02

    Roy Clark on guest-starring on The Jonathan Winters Show, which led to Hee Haw

    01:59

    Roy Clark on what made Hee Haw work

    02:06

    Roy Clark on working with Buck Owens on Hee Haw

    02:40

    Roy Clark on Junior Samples on Hee Haw

    04:57

    Roy Clark on Cathy Baker on Hee Haw

    01:43

    Roy Clark on working with Buck Owens on Hee Haw, and on Owens leaving the show

    05:32

    Roy Clark on working with Archie Campbell on Hee Haw

    02:25

    Roy Clark on the various producers of Hee Haw

    04:05

    Roy Clark on Jim and Jon, "the Hager Twins," on Hee Haw

    01:19

    Roy Clark on Louis "Grandpa" Jones on Hee Haw

    01:27

    Roy Clark on David "Stringbean" Akeman on Hee Haw

    02:18

    Roy Clark on working with Minnie Pearl on Hee Haw

    04:30

    Roy Clark on working with George "Goober" Lindsey on Hee Haw

    02:05

    Roy Clark on the comedy of Hee Haw

    03:45

    Roy Clark on the "Pickin' and Grinnin'" segments on Hee Haw

    02:51

    Roy Clark on the guests of Hee Haw, including Al Martino, Garth Brooks, and Sammy Davis, Jr.

    05:23

    Roy Clark on Hee Haw producer Sam Lovullo

    02:00

    Roy Clark on the legacy of Hee Haw

    03:35

    Bill Davis

    Bill Davis on directing Hee Haw

    09:09

    Bill Davis on directing Hee Haw

    03:34

    Bill Davis on the cast of Hee Haw

    04:59

    Bill Davis on the guest stars of Hee Haw

    02:23

    Bill Davis on his favorite episode of Hee Haw and the legacy of Hee Haw

    03:13

    Sam Lovullo

    Sam Lovullo on getting into producing at CBS, and on associate producing The Jonathan Winters Show, and on the inception of Hee Haw

    05:44

    San Lovullo on working with Perry Lafferty at CBS, and on bringing on Hee Haw as a summer replacement

    04:37

    Sam Lovullo on the genesis of Hee Haw, and on deciding to do the show in Nashville

    03:20

    Sam Lovullo on the development of Hee Haw

    03:00

    Sam Lovullo on finding the "voice" for Hee Haw, and on the cast of the show

    04:00

    Sam Lovullo on the Hee Haw theme song

    04:15

    Sam Lovullo on the need that Hee Haw filled in the culture when it premiered, and why the show worked

    03:35

    Sam Lovullo on the bloopers of Hew Haw, often left in, and on the set design of the show

    06:05

    Sam Lovullo on working with the unions on the production of Hee Haw

    03:06

    Sam Lovullo on the crew of Hee Haw

    05:26

    Sam Lovullo on how the city of Nashville reacted to the production of Hee Haw, and on trying to do a reunion show

    03:31

    Sam Lovullo on advertisers initial reactions to Hee Haw

    03:03

    Sam Lovullo on the production schedule for Hee Haw

    08:05

    Sam Lovullo on the studio audience for Hee Haw

    03:16

    Sam Lovullo on the cast of Hee Haw

    02:43

    Sam Lovullo on working with Roy Clark and Buck Owens on Hee Haw

    08:12

    Sam Lovullo on the Hee Haw being cancelled by CBS and going into syndication

    05:19

    Sam Lovullo on Buck Owens leaving Hee Haw, and on Roy Clark hosting it alone

    03:15

    Sam Lovullo on Archie Campbell on Hee Haw

    03:04

    Sam Lovullo on the Hager twins on Hee Haw

    00:36

    Sam Lovullo on Grandpa Jones on Hee Haw

    02:17

    Sam Lovullo on Lulu Roman on Hee Haw

    02:32

    Sam Lovullo on David "Stringbean" Akeman on Hee Haw

    02:35

    Sam Lovullo on Junior Samples on Hee Haw

    07:43

    Sam Lovullo on Minnie Pearl on Hee Haw

    06:34

    Sam Lovullo on Misty Rowe on Hee Haw

    01:48

    Sam Lovullo on Slim Pickens on Hee Haw

    03:36

    Sam Lovullo on George "Goober" Lindsey on Hee Haw

    03:04

    Sam Lovullo on Pat Buttram on Hee Haw

    00:52

    Sam Lovullo on the production schedule of Hee Haw

    05:34

    Sam Lovullo on the "Hee Haw Honeys" on Hee Haw, including Kathie Lee Gifford

    05:03

    Sam Lovullo on the recurring skits and bits on Hee Haw

    13:14

    Sam Lovullo on Buck Owens and Roy Clark's "Picking and grinning" segments on Hee Haw, and other recurring bits

    04:09

    Sam Lovullo on the Minnie Pearl's Schoolhouse sketches on Hee Haw

    01:03

    Sam Lovullo on the guest stars of Hee Haw, and their wardrobe

    05:22

    Sam Lovullo on the humor of Hee Haw

    06:09

    Sam Lovullo on dealing with record companies and artists once Hee Haw got popular

    08:29

    Sam Lovullo on his favorite guests on Hee Haw, including Ray Charles, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Paul Anka

    09:57

    Sam Lovullo on selling Hee Haw in syndication

    02:50

    Sam Lovullo on Gaylord Productions, Hee Haw's early production company

    02:00

    Sam Lovullo on Hee Haw and Gaylord Productions

    03:45

    Sam Lovullo on where Hee Haw was most popular, and on revamping the show towards the end of its run

    04:40

    Sam Lovullo on the end of Hee Haw

    02:46

    Sam Lovullo on the legacy of Hee Haw in terms of launching the careers of country singers

    06:54

    Sam Lovullo on what it was like on the set of Hee Haw when the show was cancelled, and on the longevity of the show

    04:16

    Carroll Pratt

    Carroll Pratt on providing a laugh track for Hee Haw, on dealing with regional and ethnic audiences when creating a laugh track, and on creating a laugh track for American shows that have been dubbed into another language

    06:14

    Leslie Uggams

    Leslie Uggams on The Leslie Uggams Show being CBS' response to cancelling The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and her show being replaced by Hee Haw

    02:47

    Jonathan Winters

    Jonathan Winters on his appearances on Hee Haw

    02:26

    All Shows

    Loading Shows...