TV Series World

Premiered on August 1, 1974, Dean Martin and Celebrity Roasts was born. A video series spotlighting memorable moments and roasts hosted by Dean Martin. "Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts" were periodic specials aired in the 1970s and 1980s, which roasted or honored such stars like Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, Muhammad Ali, Johnny Carson and many others recalled comedic moments they shared. A regular on Roast specials,comedian, Rich Little served as a pitchman for the videos in a series of TV infomercials.

In 1973, The Dean Martin Show was declining in popularity. So for the 1973 - 1974 season, a new feature called a "roast" was added to try to pick up the ratings. The roasts seemed to be pretty popular among television audiences. So after the show was cancelled in 1974, NBC drew up a contract with Dean to do several specials and do more roast specials. Enter The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast.