Hee Haw

Hee Haw is an American television variety show. Hosted by Roy Clark and Buck Owens, it ran 655 episodes over twenty-six seasons from 1969 through 1997. It focused on country music and rural culture and humor.

History
Its creators, Frank Peppiatt and John Aylesworth, were inspired by both Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and rural sitcoms such as Green Acres. They brought on two fellow Canadian writers with more experience in rural humor, Gordie Tapp and Don Harron. Hee Haw premiered on CBS as a summer 1969 replacement for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. It was dropped in July 1971 as part of the so-called "Rural Purge" along with fellow country-themed shows The Beverly Hillbillies, Mayberry R.F.D., and Green Acres.

Undaunted, the producers put together a syndication deal for the show. It found success in syndication like similar niche-music programs Soul Train and The Lawrence Welk Show, despite competing against them in some markets. Ratings began to decline for Hee Haw around 1986, when Owens left the show.

In the fall of 1991, the show's format and setting were greatly overhauled in an attempt to win back viewers and attract a younger audience. The changes included a new title, The Hee Haw Show, more pop-oriented country music, and the barnyard and cornfield sets replaced by city street and shopping mall sets. The changes alienated many of its longtime viewers while also failing to gain younger viewers.

During the summer of 1992, a decision was made to end first-run production, and instead air highlights of the show's earlier years in a revamped program called Hee Haw Silver as part of the 25th season. Under the new format, Clark hosted a mixture of classic clips and new footage. The ratings showed improvement with these classic reruns, however the series was canceled in June 1993.

Reruns aired on The Nashville Network from 1993 until 1996. Then another new season aired on that network from 1996 through 1997.

Cast
Besides the hosts, Roy Clark and Buck Owens, cast members have included Roy Acuff, Cathy Baker, Billy Jim Baker, Barbi Benton, Archie Campbell, John Henry Faulk, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Marianne Gordon, Jim and Jon Hager, Gunilla Hutton, Grandpa Jones, Zella Lehr, George Lindsey, Irlene Mandrell, Charlie McCoy, Grady Nutt, Minnie Pearl, Slim Pickens, Kenny Price, Anne Randall, Susan Raye, Riddle and Phelps, Jeannine Riley, Alice Ripley, Lulu Roman, Misty Rowe, Junior Samples, Gailard Sartain, Shotgun Red, Roni Stoneman, Linda Thompson, Buck Trent, Pat Woodell, and Jonathan Winters.

Guests
Among its many guests were country music legends including Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Charley Pride, and Tammy Wynette.

Adaptations
The show spawned both a magazine and a comic book adaptation, as well as a number of records and a variety of books.