Banking on the redneck obsession of the 1970’s, “Hee Haw” is that classic blue collared comedy sketch show that lives on mainly through late night television and syndication in country oriented cable television. My knowledge of “Hee Haw” is comprised mainly of sketches and segments I remember from showings on late night network television when I was but a small child. It’s gained a somewhat resurgence now thanks to the endless callbacks by Seth McFarlane on “Family Guy.”
Watching it now, the level of enjoyment of “Hee Haw” is dependent on nostalgia, and on if you’re a fan of the blue collar comedy tour. Back in the seventies, you could barely turn a television channel without stumbling on to some kind of variety or comedy sketch show like “Carol Burnett” or “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” and “Hee Haw” is just one of the many kinds of sketch shows that tries to hit a certain niche to stand out from the rest of the crowds. “Hee Haw” thrives on being shamelessly lowest common denominator Southern fried comedy with endless references to classic hillbilly stereotypes, along with a ton of performances from notable country music stars of the decade.
“The Hee Haw Collection” is a three disc DVD compilation of some of the best and most memorable episodes of “Hee Haw,” with eight disc and fourteen disc editions available through Time Life’s website. We were sent the three disc edition and were pleased with what Time Life put out for fans. “Hee Haw” was a shockingly long running series airing on television from 1969 til 1997 and garnered a massive lifespan and huge cult following, which says a lot for a lot of sketches that boil down to the typical hillbilly gags and jokes you can hear literally anywhere. In “The Hee Haw Collection,” we get five assorted hour long episodes with various extras, and it’s quite a treat.
“Kornfield Klassics,” coming to stores February 9th, is a nearly two hour compilation of some of the funniest and most memorable sketches from “Hee Haw” set within the cornfield setting of the television series. For folks that don’t want to or can’t afford to pay for the pricey sets, this is a nice little sampler from Time Life that grants you some of the most unique stand out comedy nuggets from the long running show. “Kornfield Klassics” definitely lives up to its promise, as we’re granted two episodes of the show with some of the funniest and weirdest sketches. Some of the more memorable moments include Bobby Mercer and Junior having trouble delivering a line about baseball talk that result in three bloopers.
They’re oddly kept in the show resulting in a slew of hilarious moments where the cast tries to maintain their composure. There’s also a clever back and forth in the barbershop about noses, horses, and colds. If you can endure the gags and puns, “Hee Haw” might be right up your alley that tried to march to the beat of its own drummer. There are plenty of cornfield one-line jokes, and some pretty catchy musical numbers, some of which feature the cast in a sing along. Among some of the performances featured, there’s Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, and Roy Clark, just to name a few. “Kornfield Klassics” doesn’t come with extras, you’ll have to pay for the larger sets if you want those fancy bells and whistles. That said, both DVD sets are fun collector’s items for “Hee Haw” fans, and it’s a goofy comedy show that surprisingly still holds up.