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
Game for a Laugh to host You Bet! (replacing Bruce Forsyth), and Stars in their Eyes (replacing Leslie Crowther, with Crowther having been injured in an auto accident). "Game for a Laugh" was spoofed in "Not the Nine O'Clock News", in a sketch showing a man (played by Rowan Atkinson) returning home from work to find his wife brutally beheaded. He runs out into the street screaming before being approached by the crew who then shout "Game for a Laugh", whereupon they all share the joke, despite the fact that the man's wife is dead. This parody featured Pamela Stephenson (in the Sarah Kennedy