Line #19 Series/HeeHaw


1	[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-Hee_Haw1_4683.jpg]]
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3	''Hee Haw'' was an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on Creator/{{CBS}} from 1969 to 1971 before a 20-year run in local UsefulNotes/{{syndication}}. The show was inspired by ''Series/RowanAndMartinsLaughIn'', the major difference being that ''Hee Haw'' was far less topical, and was centered on rural culture and CountryMusic. Initially co-hosted by musicians Music/BuckOwens and Roy Clark, the show was well known for its voluptuous, scantily clad women in stereotypical farmer's daughter outfits, its male stars Jim and Jon Hager, and the cornpone humor of its comedy sketches.
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5	The appeal of ''Hee Haw'' was not limited to a rural audience. It was successful in all of the major markets, including UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity, UsefulNotes/LosAngeles and UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}.
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7	Two rural-style comedians, already well known in their native Canada, gained their first major U.S. exposure on ''Hee Haw'' — Gordie Tapp and Don Harron (whose KORN Radio character, newscaster Charlie Farquharson, had been a fixture of Canadian television since 1952 and later appeared on ''Series/TheRedGreenShow'').
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9	Other cast members over the years included: Roy Acuff, Cathy Baker, Billy Jim Baker, [[Magazine/{{Playboy}} Barbi Benton]], Jennifer Bishop, [[SouthernFriedGenius Archie Campbell]], John Henry Faulk, Marianne Gordon (Rogers), the Hager Twins (Jim and Jon), Victoria Hallman (as "[[SexySecretary Miss Honeydew]]"), Gunilla Hutton (as "[[HospitalHottie Nurse Goodbody]]"), [[CoolOldGuy Louis "Grandpa" Jones]], Zella Lehr (the "unicycle girl"), Creator/GeorgeLindsey (reprising his "Goober" character from ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow''), Jimmy Little, Irlene Mandrell, the Rev. Grady Nutt, Minnie Pearl, Claude 'Jackie' Phelps, [[Film/DrStrangelove Slim]] [[Film/BlazingSaddles Pickens]], Kenny Price, Ann Randall, Susan Raye, Jimmie Riddle, Lulu Roman, Misty Rowe, Junior Samples, Gailard Sartain, Jeff Smith, Roni Stoneman, Linda Thompson, Lisa Todd, Nancy Traylor and Creator/JonathanWinters, among many others. A lot of the regulars were also regulars in the [[UsefulNotes/{{Nashville}} Grand Ole Opry]].
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11	Buck Owens' band, The Buckaroos, were the house band on this popular syndicated show and consisted of: Don Rich, Jim Shaw, Jerry Brightman, Jerry Wiggins, Rick Taylor, Doyle Singer (Doyle Curtsinger), Don Lee, Ronnie Jackson, Terry Christoffersen, Doyle Holly and Jesse Rose [=McQueen=] (Victoria Hallman).
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14	!!This show presents examples of:
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16	* AffectionateParody: Gordie Tapp's Samuel B. Sternwheeler was a parody of Samuel Clemens.
17	* [[AGoodNameForARockBand A Good Name For A Country Band ]]: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BR549 BR5-49.]]
18	* AwfulWeddedLife: Gordie Tapp and Roni Stoneman had a recurring skit as [=LaVern=] and Ida Lee, the Naggers.
19	* BigBeautifulWoman: Lulu Roman, who was a former go-go dancer but had a thyroid condition.
20	* BigEater: Junior Samples is implied to be one. At the end of one of the "Hey, Grandpa, what's for supper?" gags, Grandpa Jones says, "... and even Junior will get enough."
21	* BlowingARaspberry: At the end of "Where O Where Are You Tonight?" (This eventually became a competition of sorts to see which actor could raspberry the other first.)
22	* BrainlessBeauty: Many, though some were a lot smarter than they seemed. Others played this trope straight, though.
23	* Advertising/BurmaShave: An occasional gag presented a Burma-Shave-style rhyme/joke, one line at a time on a series of roadside signs filmed by a camera moving slowly past them.
24	* TheCameo: Often, especially in the "Where, Oh Where are You Tonight?" sketches (the cameo star would often have their back turned to the camera until the chorus [[TheReveal reveal]]). [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv13g44ROaw Enjoy a few examples.]]
25	** Hey, It's That... ''Car?'' The [[Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies Clampetts]]' [[TheAllegedCar car]] was often used in humorous five- to 10-second shorts between main segments of the show.
26	* CharacterCatchphrase: Several.
27	** Sa-LUTE!
28	** '''Owens:''' "I'm a-Pickin'...!" \
29	'''Clark:''' "...And I'm a-Grinnin'!"
30	** '''Minnie Pearl:''' HOWWWWWW-DEEEEEEE![[note]]This was actually her personal catchphrase. She had been using it in her act long before she appeared in the show.[[/note]]
31	** '''Cathy Baker:''' "That's all!"
32	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Several, as much of the humor was based on this. Most notably, Junior Samples.
33	* ComicBookAdaptation: Creator/CharltonComics published a seven-issue series in 1970/71.
34	* [[FrontierDoctor Country Doctor]]: Archie Campbell played one.
35	* CountryMusic: The show was built around it and would usually have popular country music guest stars.
36	* DeepSouth: Kornfield Kounty is located somewhere here.
37	* DespairSpeech: The song "Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me" is a parody of this trope.
38	-->''Gloom, despair, and agony on me\
39	deep, dark depression, excessive misery\
40	if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all\
41	gloom, despair, and agony on me.''
42	* TheDitz: Junior Samples was this in spades.
43	* DoubleTake: Often.
44	** The "Hambone Brothers" sketches, with Jimmie Riddle "eefing" (an Appalachian musical form similar to beatboxing, but a hundred years older) and Jackie Phelps "hamboning" (another Appalachian musical form consisting of rhythmically slapping one's thigh) was just so weird that it would often get a double-take from Roy Clark. (Although after a while, Roy embraced the weirdness and started joining in with them.)
45	* DrowningMySorrows: As hinted by the moonshine jugs in the "Doom, Despair and Agony On Me" sketches.
46	* EccentricTownsfolk aplenty.
47	* FadeToBlack: In a silly, corn-filled comedy program whose commercial bumpers were almost always the hapless hen and other barnyard animals parading and doing silly things, the "fade-to-black" segments – where the audience did not applaud, laugh, or otherwise react – were very noticeable. The Hee Haw Gospel Quartet segments -- one of the few serious musical segments, featuring (most commonly) Buck Owens, Roy Clark, Grandpa Jones, and Kenny Price, or perhaps a guest singing a gospel song –- was the most common by far, but there were several times through the years that the cast paid tribute to a recently passed cast member; those included David "Stringbean" Akeman, the banjo player; and Junior Samples, the simple-minded comedian. The most poignant and emotional by far was the show's tribute to Music/ElvisPresley (in early 1978), when Elvis's father, Vernon Presley, gave a short tribute to his late son and his impact on country music, and how much he was a devoted fan of ''Hee Haw''; several of the cast members were crying on camera during the tribute as a light piano tune played, before the segment faded to a commercial.
48	* FarmersDaughter: Most every girl on the show, especially the [[MsFanservice Hee Haw Honeys]].
49	* FatIdiot: This was Junior Samples in a nutshell. (A very large nutshell.) In a show where everyone was essentially dimwitted country bumpkins, Junior took it to the next level.
50	** Mr. Gordon's assistant Maynard would frequently make ridiculous purchases that would end up costing the general store money, much to Mr. Gordon's frustration.
51	* GenderBlenderName: [=LaVern=] Nagger, the henpecked husband played by Gordie Tapp and married to Ida Lee (Roni Stoneman).
52	* GoodNewsBadNews: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fMnQAvz0ek This]] famous Archie Campbell sketch.
53	* GoodOlBoy: Most every guy on the show.
54	* GossipyHens: The Gossip Girls sketches. (Not to be confused with [[Series/GossipGirl the soap opera]].)
55	* GreasySpoon: Lulu's Truck Stop.
56	* HalfWittedHillbilly: This trope is one of the main sources of ''Hee Haw'''s humor, which fits thematically with the silly, lighthearted skits and jokes cornier than a Fritos factory. However, as the cast was populated with very famous country singers and comedians, any lack of intelligence was clearly just an act.
57	* HeroicDog: Beauregard the Wonder Dog (earlier, Kingfish the Wonder Dog; later, Buford). Four dogs actually played the dog during the show's run (usually seen in the Moonshiners sketches). Played with in that the bloodhound did nothing but sleep.
58	* HiddenDepths: Several of the Honeys were also talented singers, and often got solos; most notable were Barbi Benton and Lisa Todd. Fans who only knew Roni Stoneman for her work in "The Nagers" skits were likely surprised at her vast talents as a musician (with the Stoneman Family).
59	* HonestJohnsDealership: Junior Samples's used car lot, "Samples Sales".
60	** Jack Burns would frequently show up as a fast-talking city slicker who tried to pull a fast one on Goober and sell him something that he didn't need or was worthless, only for Goober to outwit the huckster.
61	* IconicOutfit: Minnie Pearl's hat.
62	* LargeHam: Roy Clark could simply not contain himself from mugging to the cameras and it makes the often extremely complex music that he would play all the more entertaining.
63	%%* LaughTrack
64	* LazyBum: One frequent segment called The Moonshiners, where a couple of the cast would lazily tell a joke while dozing on the floor near a bunch of moonshine jugs and [[OldDog Beauregard the]] Wonder Dog (Kingfish the Wonder Dog in earlier shows), with scantily dressed girls in the background.
65	* NewsParody: KORN News
66	* [[RidiculouslyLongPhoneNumber Ridiculously Short Phone Number]]: [[FiveFiveFive BR5-49]]
67	** Somewhat justified in that early phone numbers in rural areas were much shorter than today's standard seven digits.
68	%%* LongRunner
69	* ProWrestlingEpisode: Professional wrestler Wrestling/HillbillyJim made several guest appearances in the late 1980s.
70	* SacredHospitality: The "Hey, Grandpa, what's for supper?" gag (Grandpa Jones would then describe a meal in poetic rhyme, often a delicious country-style meal that would be met with cast approval, but sometimes a comically bad entree (met with a "Yuk!"). Jones would be miming cleaning a window when the segment started, but then lean through the "glass" to say his lines. On a couple of rare occasions, Grandpa would be booed: once when he said "Ah ain't got nuthin", and another time when he offered "a big fresh roast of good moose meat".
71	* {{Schoolmarm}}: Minnie Pearl often played one.
72	* SdrawkcabName: Archie Campbell's retelling of Cinderella ("[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJv_YXIXBsE&feature=related Rindercella]]") and the Three Little Pigs ("[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0Os2IGDXM8&feature=related Pee Little Thrigs]]"). (Actually more like [[{{Spoonerism}} spoonerisms]], but "telling it backwards" was the joke.)
73	** Archie Campbell also had a running gag after the Hee Haw Salutes segment described under ShoutOut. "And (name of hometown) spelled backwards is...."
74	%%* SexySecretary: Miss Honeydew.
75	* ShoutOut: A cast member would salute an American small town and give its population, followed by the entire cast popping up from a cornfield and yelling "Sa-loote!!!!" Early on, this was met with canned laughter, but this soon changed to applause (in a nod that small-town America was being honored, rather than this be a joke).
76	** Occasionally, if that week's guest was from a larger city, s/he'd salute it.
77	* SimpleCountryLawyer: Justus O'Peace; "Cletus Biggs of Biggs, Shy, & Stir — Kornfield Kounty's most honorable law firm — where our motto is, 'When in doubt, sue!'"
78	* SigningOffCatchPhrase: "So long everybody! We'll see you next week on... 'Hee Haw'!"
79	** And after the credits, Cathy Baker's "That's all!"
80	%%* SouthernBelle: Colonel Daddy's daughter.
81	%%* SouthernFriedGenius: Archie Campbell, "Samuel B. Sternwheeler".
82	%%* SpiritualSuccessor: The Series/BlueCollarComedy Tour.
83	%%* SweetHomeAlabama: See Deep South.
84	* ThatsAllFolks: Literally. After the credits, Cathy Baker would say, "That's all!"
85	* TitleThemeTune: "HEEEEEEEEEE HAWWWWWWWWW! Hee hee hee haw haw haw! Hee Haw!"
86	* WeatherReport: In later seasons, the KORN news skits added a weather girl.
87	* WrapUpSong: The whole cast assembled [[EveryEpisodeEnding at the end of each episode]] to sing, "We Love the Time We Spend With You." Replaced in later seasons with the more upbeat, "So Long."
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89	->''That's all!''
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Context Series / HeeHaw