The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts

Watch The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts

  • 1974
  • 2 Seasons

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts is a classic television show that first aired in the 1970s. It was a popular variety series that featured Dean Martin as the host, and a lineup of celebrity guests who were "roasted" by their peers. The show ran for over a decade and became a fan favorite.

Each episode of The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts featured a different celebrity guest, who was subjected to good-natured ribbing from a panel of fellow celebrities. The roasters were made up of actors, comedians, musicians, and other notable figures from the entertainment industry, and they spared no expense in poking fun at their target. The roasts were conducted in front of a live studio audience, who added to the energy and excitement of the show.

One of the most recognizable features of The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts was the iconic opening sequence. Each episode began with a musical number, featuring Dean Martin singing a lounge-style song while surrounded by beautiful women. The opening was a nod to Martin's trademark cool persona, and set the stage for what was to come.

Once the roasting began, nothing was off-limits. The roasters would make jokes about the celebrity guest's personal life, their career achievements (or lack thereof), and anything else they could think of. The jokes were often risqué and sometimes even controversial, but they were delivered with such wit and charm that it was hard not to laugh.

Some of the most famous roasts on the show were of Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan, Johnny Carson, and Muhammad Ali. The roasting of these big names drew in huge audiences, and helped The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts become one of the most popular shows on television at the time.

Apart from the hilarious banter, what really made The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts stand out was the camaraderie between the roasters. They were all clearly good friends, and their love and admiration for one another was evident. This made the roasting feel like more of a celebration than an attack, and added to the overall spirit of the show.

Another noteworthy aspect of The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts was the fashion. The show was filmed in the 70s, and the costumes and hairstyles were a sight to behold. From wide lapels to big hair, everything was oversized and flamboyant. The fashion sense of the era is perfectly captured in the show, and adds to the overall charm.

In addition to the celebrity roasts, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts also featured musical performances from some of the biggest names in music. The show regularly welcomed guests like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Nat King Cole, and their performances were just as memorable as the roasting.

Overall, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts is a must-see for anyone who loves classic television. The show is a time capsule of the 70s, and a reminder of a simpler time in entertainment. It's funny, heartwarming, and thoroughly entertaining, and well worth a watch for anyone who enjoys a good laugh.

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts is a series that ran for 2 seasons (44 episodes) between October 31, 1974 and on Time Life / WMG

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Seasons
Michael Landon (2nd Roast)
18. Michael Landon (2nd Roast)
December 7, 1984
The very last Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, broadcast in late 1984, was much like the 50 or so that had preceded it: a star-studded dais, plenty of laughs, lots of zingers. But the overall tone was a little different than usual-not because this was the last roast, but because the guest of honor was Michael Landon.
Joan Collins
17. Joan Collins
February 23, 1984
When Joan Collins was honored as the Woman of the Year on the February 23, 1984, Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, the occasion was notable for marking the roast's return from a five-year hiatus and, as it happened, for being the antepenultimate of these illustrious gatherings. Collins turned up at the apex of her cultural clout, when her note-perfect portrayal of Alexis Carrington
Jack Klugman
16. Jack Klugman
March 17, 1978
This episode roasts Jack Klugman, one of the pioneers of TV in the 1950s and best remembered for his 1970s TV work as Oscar Madison on The Odd Couple (1970 - 75) and as the medical examiner on Quincy M.E. (1976 - 83).
Gabe Kaplan
15. Gabe Kaplan
February 21, 1977
Starring in Welcome Back, Kotter as a teacher who returned to the dysfunctional school where he'd been a student, Gabe Kaplan drew on his own experience as a student in remedial ed. These days, he's better known as a professional poker player, but in 1977 his passions were baseball and improv. The roast featured early television appearances of two young comics, Billy Crystal and Ed Bluestone.
Dennis Weaver
14. Dennis Weaver
April 27, 1976
As the guests took their seats to roast Dennis Weaver, it seemed as if Dean Martin and George Hamilton were competing for the most outrageous tan; both of them were several shades bronzer than usual.
George Burns
13. George Burns
May 17, 1978
When The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts honored George Burns on May 17, 1978, 18 roasters gathered to show their distinctive brand of respect to the octogenarian (he was 82, and would live to be 100).
Evel Knievel
12. Evel Knievel
November 10, 1975
1970's a motorcycle-jumping stuntman, Evil Knievel, from Butte, Montana, vaulted this tradition from its sideshow origins to unthinkable heights of popularity and influence. He invented himself and his business, jumping, crashing, and miraculously recovering to promise even more outrageous stunts to come.
Redd Foxx
11. Redd Foxx
November 26, 1976
There was the Redd Foxx who made under-the-counter party albums in the 1950s and '60s based on his X-rated nightclub act and there was Redd "PG" Foxx who starred in Sanford and Son. The Redd Foxx who appeared twice on the Celebrity Roasts was closer to PG, but his delivery was salacious even when his gags weren't.
Muhammad Ali
10. Muhammad Ali
February 19, 1976
Let's situate The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast in Muhammad Ali's career. Billy Crystal performed startlingly dead-on impersonations of Howard Cosell and Ali at the Thrilla in Manila. Even Ali was tickled; clearly, Crystal was going places. The roast aired on February 19, 1976, one day before Ali took on Belgian heavyweight contender Jean-Pierre Coopman in a match he won easily.
Suzanne Somers
9. Suzanne Somers
November 21, 1978
ABC's Three's Company had made a star of Suzanne Somers. At the time of the roast, Three's Company was in its second season, and topped its time slot in the ratings. Although Suzanne didn't know it, this was as good as it got.
Dan Haggerty
8. Dan Haggerty
November 2, 1977
Dan Haggerty, the hirsute star of NBC's unlikeliest hit, The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, based on the real-life exploits of mountain man/animal trainer James "Grizzly" Adams-was the "Man of the Hour" in this show. Evenings like this elevated The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts from a consistently hilarious skewering of celebrities to a timeless cultural blitz of the moment.
Danny Thomas
7. Danny Thomas
December 15, 1976
This roast features beloved actor Danny Thomas, head of a TV household on Make Room for Daddy, where he played a striving middle-class nightclub entertainer with traditional '50s issues involving money, career opportunities, eager (and overeager) wives, and rambunctious children. Don Knotts, Lucille Ball, Howard Cosell, Gene Kelly and more celebs had fun making fun of Thomas all night long.
Valerie Harper
6. Valerie Harper
November 20, 1975
Valerie Harper (the memorable, earthy Rhoda Morgenstern of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and her own Rhoda sitcom, portrayals that earned her four Emmys and a Golden Globe). Milton Berle, Red Buttons, Phyllis Diller, Rich Little, Georgia Engel and others toss the barbs and jokes at Harper all evening, lead by fun-loving roastmaster Dean Martin.
Jimmy Stewart
5. Jimmy Stewart
May 10, 1978
If Jimmy Stewart's nice-guy on-screen persona were but a facade, then don't look to The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast of May 10, 1978, to debunk it. The assembled roasters: Stewart allies as Lucille Ball, Mickey Rooney, Henry Fonda, Janet Leigh, June Allyson and Sen. Barry Goldwater, among others-don't even hint at the five-time Oscar nominee (one-time winner) having a dark side.
Ted Knight
4. Ted Knight
March 2, 1977
This episode puts Ted Knight in the crosshairs. Knight played Ted Baxter, the lovable buffoon anchorman on TV's popular Mary Tyler Moore Show. A
Betty White
3. Betty White
May 6, 1978
Perennial roaster Milton Berle may have been "Mr. Television," but Betty White came to the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts' May 6, 1978, installment as an actress to the medium born-truly "Miss Television." In fact, she appeared on the small screen before television as we know it existed.
Jackie Gleason
2. Jackie Gleason
February 27, 1975
Ralph Kramden was Jackie Gleason's finest creation-the one for which he became a small-screen immortal. Although the original Honeymooners series ran just 39 episodes, it went out endlessly in reruns and Gleason stoked the legend with one-off specials.
Lucille Ball
1. Lucille Ball
February 8, 1975
When Lucille Ball appeared on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast of February 8, 1975, she was 15 years past being Lucy Ricardo. Having effectively closed the book on a career in which she became one of the most beloved and groundbreaking female actors in TV history, her time consumed less with acting than with gathering awards for her influential achievements in front of and behind the camera.
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Where to Watch The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts is available for streaming on the Time Life / WMG website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts on demand at Amazon Prime, The Roku Channel Free, Crackle and Pluto TV.
  • Premiere Date
    October 31, 1974
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