The Lawrence Welk Show: Original ABC Closing `71

[Peckbo]

What a classy way to end a show. To call that guy out for water and honor him like that when he could easily have just taken the last few seconds to take a bow or toot his own horn. I'm not going to lie, my Grandma used to watch this when I was young and I would do everything in my power to run out of the room. But there is no doubt this guy had talent and now I see that he had class above and beyond as well.

[futura51]

Long running and classy as well, Lawrence welk

[tomservo56954]

Interestingly, it was being a good advertising conduit that got Welk to ABC originally. He started a show on Los Angeles television in 1951, sponsored by the local association of Dodge dealers. By 1955 they convinced the corporate people in Detroit to take the program national. Welk showed his appreciation by driving Dodge cars for decades, long after the company ended its affiliation with the program.

[tomservo56954]

Madandbugged....the Geritol sponsorship is key to why ABC cancelled the show. They fell the audience was too old, poor, and/or rural to attract prime advertising dollars. A number of shows ended in 1970 and 1971 for that reason, most notably all the countrified comedy shows on CBS ("Beverly Hillbillies", "Green Acres", "Petticoat Junction", "Hee Haw" and the like).

[AlbieGray]

@tomservo56954 Which was a crying shame, but Hee Haw and Lawrence Welk got the last laugh, when their shows went into Syndication and lasted such a long time and became beloved classics!

[PhotosByHamza]

Lawrence Welk had Class!

[collfan]

You had to know President Nixon was tuning in to this.

[cmulwee001]

Apparently, The "Adios, Au Revior, Auf Wiedersehen" closing song was not sung until the syndicated version, but what episode? The first syndicated episode's closing number was "Thank You Very Much" from SCROOGE(it was also the opening number). Maybe "Adios" was sung beginning with the next episode.

The early b/w episodes ended with "Goodnight Ladies" with newly rewritten lyrics to fit the programs format.

[Sheri451]

I remember waching Lawrence Welk as a child with my Grandma, I always used to watch this and wonder what Geritol was. He also used to sponsor Sominex too. I watched it in syndication too, this was after my Grandma passed away in November of 1971. I love the music they sing and play, I watch it now every Saturday night. I would love to see an original ending with the cast singing The Goodnight Song.

[rjvonbokern]

@Sheri451 The are 2 videos of the Goodnight Ladies song posted on you tube. They are from 1955 & 1964 & both are in b & w. Like you I grew up watching Mr. Welk with my parents & my mother, who is now 91, still watches it every Saturday night on PBS.

[rjvonbokern]

@Sheri451 There are 2 videos of the Goodnight ladies song posted. They're from 1955 & 1964 and both are in b&w. I grew up watching the Welk show with my parents & my 91 year mother still watches every Saturday night on PBS.

[steventhestudent]

those two old guys are sure scorin' tonight.

[calihartley2010]

Nice clean dancing. Now it is that horrible grinding and booty dancing. How vulgar

[DDandrums]

I love how Welk moves the old man along with his baton!

[madandbugged]

Ew geritol? Sounds like ol' propaganda medicine.

[visaman]

Lawrence Welk fighting for mental illness for the past 16 years.

[belladeballe]

That's not true. Lawrence Welk died of pneumonia on May 17, 1992 in Santa Monica, CA.. He was 89 years old. He was never mentally ill.

[visaman]

I was referring to the PSA spot after the credits.

[MCWEDS]

I'm 21 and if I danced with those girls I'd have a heart attack...I've danced with two girls my own age ever.

[sexymama1966]

u got the sponsor announcement...love it:D

[dalabaso428]

Oh, I get it! The final ABC version's episode was originally aired on Saturday Night, September 4th, 1971. Incredible. However, does anyone have a very classic episode for the very first syndicated version on the weekend of September 11th, 1971? Thank you very much for your generous support.

[donnacheer11]

It's a wonder Lawrence Welk didn't give the guy a heart attack with all that estrogen exposure, but ohhhhhhhhhh to chage places with him just for a moment

[landrykkb]

@donnacheer11 It was the bubbles and beautiful ladies dressed eloquently that drew me in as a kid,although I had no idea about musical tastes at the time.Yeah,I hear you and I wouldn't be doing much complaining to waltz with them all.

[romeman01]

I can tell from watching the end of this video that Bobby and I had something in common ... fondness for one particular singer.