He wanted to create an evening out at a big band club, complete with relaxing conversation and music perfect for people who only knew a few dance steps. The format of his variety show never really changed. Welk's persistence on the airwaves is fascinating. Kids during the groovy era may have rolled their eyes at the cute songs and naïve sensibilities of The Lawrence Welk Show, but as anachronistic as it was the series made older viewers feel like someone was speaking to them. There were musical skits, polka, ballroom dancing and bubbles. From 1951-1982 Welk basically hosted a 1940s style radio show but for television. No one worked harder to keep his audience happy than Lawrence Welk. In fact, to older people watching the changes in society in the '50s and '60s, an evening with Lawrence Welk was probably a soothing escape from the coarse and noisy world outside. Watching Lawrence Welk was like visiting a parallel universe where rock 'n roll had never been invented, and there was no problem so great that it couldn't be solved by a sister act clad in matching outfits act doing a salute to something or other. Lawrence Welk was a bandleader and host who delivered incredibly square entertainment, what he called "Champagne music," throughout the Groovy Era. You could depend on the Lawrence Welk Show for 31 years - like it or not.
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