TV & Showbiz

A Television Gem

Last Updated on December 23, 2009

One of the interesting aspects of the internet is that if you start surfing and follow a few links, there’s no telling where you might end up. (Sometimes, depending on the content, that may be a bad thing.)

The other day, I wound up at YouTube, watching the credits of an old episode of a show that anyone over the age of 35 should remember, The Lawrence Welk Show. For those who remember the show, I suspect you’ll agree that there were few examples that better defined wholesome family programing, not to mention class.

For those younger than that, Welk was a band leader whose television show ran for 27 years and featured big band sounds mostly from the 1930s and 40s. ABC carried his show from 1955 to 1971, when it decided his audience was “too old.” From 1971 until his retirement eleven years later, Welk syndicated his weekly program to more than 200 stations that apparently didn’t find that much difficulty selling ad time to sponsors wanting to reach an “older” audience. Sadly, those who are younger these days are likely to look at the show and think it laughably old-fashioned.

The show began with the tune, “Bubbles in the Wine,” which had been Welk’s theme since the 1940s. The later run of the show ended with the cast singing a tune called “Adios, Au Revoir, Auf Weidersehn,” while Welk danced with one of the many female singers in the cast.

If you’d like to sing along with the tune, here are the lyrics:

Good night, good night, until we meet again
Adios, au revior, auf weidersehn…’til then.
And though it’s always sweet sorrow to part,
You know you’ll always remain in my heart.

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Good night, sleep tight and pleasant dreams to you.
Here’s a wish and prayer that every dream comes true.
And now, ’til we meet again,
Adios, au revior, auf weidersehn…..Good Night!

But I must warn you: if you’re not careful, this tune just might stick in your head for a while. Listen (or sing along) at your own risk!

the authorPatrick
Patrick is a Christian with more than 30 years experience in professional writing, producing and marketing. His professional background also includes social media, reporting for broadcast television and the web, directing, videography and photography. He enjoys getting to know people over coffee and spending time with his dog.

5 Comments

  • Certain personalities on tv astonish me. I have never figured out their continued popularity. Welk was one of them. I always felt he was milqtoast. The same with Mitch Miller. Guy Lombardo. Ozzie Nelson.

    I know. I know. These guys were fixtures in WWII and the post war era. They were popular figures who cheered people on and tried to entertain. I don’t fault them for that.

    I guess, I was always attracted to more flamboyant personalities such as Red Skeleton, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Jack Benny..etc.

  • Had to come out of Lurk mode for this one.

    I hated this show with a passion. My grandmother loved it. Like most families back then, we had only one TV and the adults were in charge, so we kids had to tough it out every week.

    Funny thing is, I’d give just about anything now to sit beside my gran one more time and watch Lawrence and the gang.

    Vicki
    PS. The bubbles were pretty cool.
    😉

  • I even remember “Rose Milk” lotion which was hocked during the show…. What other products can you remember from the show?

  • I remember when Bobby Burgess first showed up on the Lawrence Welk show.. it was the first time I began to feel “old”, since he was one of the original Mouseketeers! argh!

  • Come here… so I can thump your temple!!!!!!! It took me 35 YEARS to get that song out of my brain…now it is back, because I just HAD to read the ding-dong lyrics just now. And not only THAT, but now I can feel my bones creaking due to my advanced age! I can’t believe I remember Lawrence Welk. WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?

    ROFLMAO! Truly… Patrick! 🙂

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