Lulu Roman, Who Brought Big-Hearted Sass to ‘Hee Haw,' Is Dead at 78
Her son and caretaker, Damon Roman, said she died of heart failure at his home, where she had been living.
Ms. Roman's broad comedic skills and down-home persona proved a valuable asset to 'Hee Haw,' which debuted on CBS in 1969 as a folksy heartland answer to NBC's 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,' a network take on contemporary mod culture known for its Day-Glo graphics and risqué one-liners delivered at Gatling-gun pace. It was originally a summer replacement for 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,' an even edgier variety show that had run afoul of censors for its pointed takes on race relations, drugs, religion and the Vietnam War.
But 'Hee Haw' was the opposite of hip, and intentionally so. It was the television equivalent of a big country breakfast, heavy on the cheese grits. And it worked.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Car Crashes Into Food Influencers Through Restaurant Window While They Were Filming
Two vloggers are recovering after a car crashed into the restaurant where they were filming a food review. Patrick Blackwood and Nina Santiago were about 10 minutes into their review of CuVee's Culinary Creations in Houston on Aug. 16, when they caught the terrifying moment on video. The two posted the full incident on their YouTube channel two days later, showing them biting into their food as a car crashes into the window near their booth. Patrick appears to be sitting closest to the window and was covered with shattered glass as Nina is seen falling out of her seat. After looking around, Patrick then helps Nina get up from the floor as they walk away. According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the female driver claimed she thought she put her black SUV in park outside of the restaurant and after releasing her foot off the brake, the vehicle rolled into the building. The sheriff's office says the two people inside the booth were injured and taken to a local hospital. Nina and Patrick documented their journey in the ambulance and at the hospital on video, showing some of the scratches on their faces, chins and arms. They were also visibly shaken when recounting the crash on camera. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
On the Sidelines S1E26: Seahawks preseason overreactions, Victor Robles suspended, Sounders' unbeaten run ends
Ethan and D-Jack begin the show with a pair of overreactions from the week, both pertaining to the Seahawks dominant performance against the Chiefs in their second preseason game. The guys break down what they saw from the offense and how it has differed from years past. Then, D-Jack explains why he's concerned about the Mariners with their tough stretch on this current east coast road trip while Ethan pumps the breaks on any major concern. Ethan and D-Jack also give their opinions on Victor Robles' outburst in a rehab game where he threw his bat at the opposing pitcher and discuss the implications of his lengthy ten-game suspension. The guys then talk the Sounders 1-0 loss to Minnesota ending a dominant stretch of ten straight matches without a loss. Dante gives his top 5 Sue Bird moments after her statue was unveiled outside Climate Pledge Arena. The guys finish with discussing MLB's interest in expansion and potential realignment of divisions.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dr. Phil's Bankrupt Media Company Sued Over $500 Million TV Deal
The bankruptcy of Dr. Phil's Merit Street Media has taken another turn, with its distribution partner suing the company for fraud and breach of contract. In a lawsuit filed in Texas federal court on Tuesday, Trinity Broadcasting accuses Dr. Phil, whose surname is McGraw, of swindling the Christian TV network under a $500 million, 10-year deal in which he allegedly failed to deliver a single episode of his flagship talk show. More from The Hollywood Reporter Dr. Phil Returns: Launches Envoy Media Co. in Comeback Bid Phil McGraw's Merit Street Media Files for Bankruptcy, Sues Distribution Partner Trinity Broadcasting Dr. Phil's Media Company Merit TV Hires New CEO (Exclusive) In a statement, a spokesperson for McGraw said 214 new episodes of Dr. Phil Primetime aired on Merit. 'To say otherwise is absolutely false,' he added. McGraw's Merit Street Media is simultaneously in bankruptcy court and suing Trinity Broadcasting for breach of contract over its downfall. The court has called the dispute anything but 'routine,' mainly because McGraw conditioned a loan to Merit Street on the company winning its lawsuit against the network. Merit Street claimed Trinity Broadcasting didn't live up to the terms of their joint venture, specifically by failing to secure national distribution. Shortly after the launch of its TV arm, the network 'began to abuse its power as a controlling shareholder' and forced it to enter into a series of expensive distribution deals rather than through its own network of local TV stations; engaged in self-dealing by leasing TBN studios space to produce McGraw's shows; and provided 'shoddy production services,' Merit Street alleged. In its lawsuit, Trinity Broadcasting, which at one point owned 70 percent of Merit Street, offers a different version of events. It says McGraw approached the company in 2022 as he was looking for a network to replace CBS as a production and distribution partner for his show, making certain representations regarding the financial success and ongoing popularity of his syndicated series. Chief among them: a 40 percent cut in the $68 million per year cost to make Dr. Phil by moving all production to Texas and terminating all unionized employees. McGraw also said that he owned the rights the series, that CBS sold out advertising inventory for the show and that he would create new, 90-minute episodes. In negotiations, McGraw told Trinity Broadcasting that it must sign a deal with his production banner Peteski and pay him $20 million as a gesture of good faith, or he'd accept an offer from CBS to pay him $75 million annually. Anything less, he claimed, would be a 'deal killer,' the lawsuit says. Under a purported $500 million, 10-year agreement, Trinity Broadcasting would provide production and distribution services to Merit Street and Peteski, in turn, would provide new content, including 160 new episodes, according to the complaint. The relationship turned sour last year when it became clear that McGraw couldn't deliver the viewership numbers, product integrations and advertising revenues he promised to Trinity Broadcasting, the company alleges. It says it spent more than $100 million by the end of June, some of which had to recorded as loans to Merit Street. That figure ballooned as Trinity Broadcasting continued to funnel up to $13 million into the production per month while McGraw failed to make a single episode, the lawsuit claims. At the same time, McGraw hired dozens of employees from Dr. Phil despite agreeing to slash production costs by terminating all ununionized employees and hiring local workers. He also refused to hand over old episodes of his talk show to Merit Street and make a $9 million payment for Peteski's 30 percent interest in the company. 'Instead, McGraw brazenly demanded that TBN pay him $100 million to obtain a 50 percent interest in the media library,' states the complaint, which notes that he insisted that Merit Street enter into lucrative distribution deals with friends Steve Harvey, Nancy Grace (Cops) and Chris Harrison (The Bachelor). When Trinity Broadcasting told McGraw that the funding would end, he urged the network to hand over ownership control of Merit Street in order to secure lucrative investments at a $425 million valuation. Relying on that representation, Trinity Broadcasting increased Peteski's share in Merit Street to 70 percent while diluting its stake to 30 percent for nothing. Once the deal was finalized, McGraw described the plan as a 'gangster move' to reduce the network to nothing more than a 'passive minority investor,' the lawsuit alleges. Trinity Broadcasting says it learned of Merit Street's Chapter 11 filing in July, which allegedly wasn't approved by its members on the board of directors. It accuses McGraw of plundering the company and plotting to pull the license for Dr. Phil for use at Envoy, his new venture. The lawsuit advances several claims for fraud and breach of contract. It seeks a court order of both companies' rights and obligations under their deal, as well as a ruling that McGraw agreed to hand over his library of old episodes of Dr. Phil as part of Peteski's consideration for receiving a 30 percent stake in Merit Street. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
