Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Dean Martin

If you want to see some of Hollywood's greatest, a hall of fame quarterback, two U. S. Senators and great comedy this is the show for you. Be ready to laugh and yes Don Rickels is hosting, and a good time was had by all

From Orson Welles to Paul Lynde to John Wayne to Mohammad Ali, one of the best and most diverse line ups of any of the episodes. And nobody can beat Don Rickles for sheer hilarity. Every introduction was a treasure grove of laughs. So many greats on one stage is a real entertainment treat. A true classic!

It's an hour's comedic spotlight on roasts of celebrities such as Lucille Ball, Telly Savalas, Jackie Gleason, while the laughs are from a panel of around twenty humorists, such as Don Rickles, Milton Berle, Nipsey Russell, or non-humorists such as Ronald Reagan, Angie Dickinson. All, of course, are hosted in expert tipsy style by a bleary-eyed Dean Martin who blends in perfectly. But don't let his looks fool you, he knows exactly what he's doing despite that alcoholic facade.

The panel takes turns at the podium microphone with prepared comedic remarks mocking the evening's featured guest. The zingers are often hilarious which the guest takes in bemused fashion knowing it's all in fun. My only downside are the laughs sometimes spread on too thickly as though the guests are bent on supporting one another in a common infectious effort. But that's just a minor note.

Anyway, it's a good chance for nostalgia buffs to catch up with an array of celebrities circa-1976 for a fun filled evenng. So catch up with the delightful nonsense if you haven't already.

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Dean Martin (1976)

The host himself, Dean Martin, gets to be roasted as Don Rickles hosts this episode and there's no question that it was one of the strongest episodes of the series. With Rickles being the host you get his non-stop attacks throughout the show and we also get the likes of Orson Welles, James Stewart, John Wayne, Bob Hope, Gene Kelly, Muhammad Ali, Gabe Kaplan, Tony Orlando, Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, Howard Cosell, Joe Namath, Rich Little, Angie Dickinson, Joey Bishop, Foster Brooks, Paul Lynde and Nispey Russell.

As you can tell, everyone came out for this epiosde, which shows how beloved Martin was but it also means they were all bringing their "A" game as there's really not a weak act among them. Even a non-comedian like Namath gets a couple great jokes off and even John Wayne is rather funny in his bit. The highlight of the show actually turns out to be Joey Bishop who does a terrific and hilarious segment. The big guns like Welles, Stewart and Hope all live up to their big names and deliver some very funny moments as well.

Episode: A+