Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Joe Namath

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Joe Namath (1979)

Legendary quarterback Joe Namath is the special quest for this episode, which includes the following roasters: Lee Meriwether, Angie Dickinson, Milton Berle, Red Buttons, David Doyle, Tom Bosley, Bernie Kopell, Rich Little, George Blanda, Dick Butkus, Mel Tillis, Norm Crosby, Jackie Gayle, Bruce Jenner, Jimmie Walker, Orson Welles, Joey Bishop, Sandy Herdt, Ruth Buzzi and Charlie Callas. As you can tell, there are some sports personalities included here and to be honest their acts weren't all that funny. Even the usually reliable Orson Welles is wasted as he pretty much narrates a highlight of games that Namath was in. Berle and Rich Little do a nice job as does Norm Crosby but there's no question that this wasn't one of the strongest episodes. Bruce Jenner is also on hand and considering where he is today, hearing Martin refer to him as "quite the man" gets an unintentional laugh.

Episode: B-