7 Responses to General Discussion, Wednesday, July 29, 2026

1. texan59 says:

   July 29, 2026 at 6:37 am

   Good mornin’, and happy hump day. I’m sure glad that I’m not Tony Fauci today. This is considered a steampunk coffee maker that operates via a siphon method. I’m not quite sure what goes where, but the sign said “Trust Me”. Keep your head on a swivel and carpe’ your coffee.

   

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   • WeeWeed says:

     July 29, 2026 at 7:11 am

     I dunno how it works either but it sure is purty! Mornin T!

     

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     • texan59 says:

       July 29, 2026 at 8:11 am

       Good mornin’, Miss Wee! I sure can relate to that doggy, on many a day!

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2. WeeWeed says:

   July 29, 2026 at 7:09 am

   Mornin’ kids!

   

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   • texan59 says:

     July 29, 2026 at 8:11 am

     Sure did watch a few episodes of that show.

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   • texan59 says:

     July 29, 2026 at 8:17 am

     I read a detaile story about this a few years ago, and thought it was fascinating. Hee Haw was not produced like a normal TV show where they filmed an episode at a time. They did it with what is called batch taping. Here’s how it was done –

     Hee Haw used a batch-taping, set-by-set production approach that was unusual for variety shows of its era, helping keep costs low while maximizing content.

     Batched Season Shoots
     Instead of filming each episode individually, the show taped entire seasons in two or three week-long sessions. Once a set was built — such as the hay loft, barber shop, or cornfield — all scenes for that set were shot in a short period, often just a couple of days. This allowed the crew to focus on one set at a time, minimizing setup and teardown time.

     Set Rotation
     After a set was used, a new one was constructed and filmed in a similar short burst. For example, the hay loft might be used for a few days, then the barber shop, then the cornfield, and so on. This method meant that the same set could be reused for multiple episodes, but each set had its own dedicated filming window.

     Editing Assembly
     The editor’s role was crucial: they would cut and piece together segments from different sets to form a complete episode. This required careful planning to ensure continuity and timing.

     Live Audience for Music, Laugh Track for Comedy
     Musical performances were taped before a live audience, while all other comedy segments were recorded without an audience and later added a laugh track.

     Filming Format
     In the mid‑1970s, when the show was still being produced, filming was done on Super 8 film rather than video, because portable video equipment didn’t exist yet. This gave a distinct look to behind‑the‑scenes footage.

     Why It Worked
     This method reduced the need for constant crew movement, allowed for creative reuse of sets, and kept production efficient. It also gave the show a consistent, high‑energy feel, with each set contributing its own flavor to the “Kornfield Kounty” world.

     In short, Hee Haw’s unique filming method was set‑driven, batch‑taped, and editor‑assembled, making it a cost‑effective and creatively flexible approach to producing a long‑running variety‑comedy‑music show.

     I also read that Buck Owens didn’t want to take a lot of his time filming the show so his segments were all done within a very compressed timeframe.

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     • WeeWeed says:

       July 29, 2026 at 8:38 am

       There’s a whole book about it – how that was done and short interviews with just about everyone on the show. Very efficient and everyone could tour or whatever most of the year. I’ll still watch a rerun when I can catch one! 😀

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