Dick Martin (comedian) was an immediate hit, becoming the #1 American television program within two months of its debut. It was the top-rated show in its second and third seasons. "Laugh-In" had a kaleidoscopic format, with what was then a uniquely fast-paced stream-of-consciousness style of blackout gags, double entendre, topical satire and catchphrases, much of it delivered by a cast of then-unknowns such as Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin, and Arte Johnson. At the center of the maelstrom stood the veterans Rowan and Martin, who bemusedly made no effort to slow down the program. Martin later said, "We designed it so that we are
Letters to Laugh-In Match Game", which had been canceled after a seven-year run in that slot. Like "Match Game", "Letters to Laugh-In" faced the popular "Dark Shadows" on ABC and reruns of "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." on CBS. "Letters to Laugh-In" was soundly beaten in the ratings. As such, unlike the nighttime "Laugh-In" (which enjoyed a five-year run on NBC), "Letters to Laugh-In" lasted only three months before being canceled on December 26. Its replacement was "Loman & Barkley's Name Droppers", an equally short-lived game that was replaced on March 30, 1970, by the soap opera "Somerset". One episode of "Letters to Laugh-In" was