Laugh-In Judy Carne

Black and white photograph of a woman on a blue background with black text

Laugh-In was a popular American sketch comedy television show created by Dan Rowen and Dick Martin.  The show, which consisted of 140 episodes, ran from 1968-1973.  The title was a play on words reflecting the “love-ins” and “sit-ins” common in the 1960s hippie culture and civil rights movements.  Skits from the show featured regular cast members and special guest stars and became the launching platform for stars such as Goldie Hawn, Lilly Tomlin and Arte Johnson.  Laugh-In became the #1 television show in America within two months of its debut.

Judy Carne (1939-2015) was born Joyce Autrey Botterill in Northampton, England.  She is best known for her portrayal of the “sock it to me” girl from the Laugh-In series where she appeared from 1968-1970.  Carnes line, “sock it to me,” was usually followed by being dowsed with a bucket of water or falling through a trap door, or some other kind of indignity.  Her life post-Laugh-In consisted of a few Broadway appearances, two marriages (Burt Reynolds and Robert Bergmann), and problems with drug addiction and alcohol.  In 1985 Carnes published an autobiography titled Laughing on the Outside, Crying on the Inside.  In her later years, she returned to England and enjoyed a quiet life in the city in which she was born.