58 Years Later, This Prank On A TV Icon Is Still The Greatest Gag Ever Pulled

Published Sep 12, 2026, 4:30 PM EDT Mustafa Gatollari has been an internet culture and entertainment writer since 2015, but got his start reporting in local print in Bergen County, NJ at 18 years old. His work has appeared on the Daily Dot, Distractify, Motor1, BroBible, The Independent, The Mary Sue, Subplot, The Big Lead and his personal blog, Ultra News. Mustafa's passion for film and TV dates back to his first visit to the movies at 5 years old, when his mother took him to watch 'The Addams Family.' Mustafa's also been in front of and behind the camera. He co-created and successfully distributed 'Haunted Discoveries' alongside Brandon Alvis, whom he initially met on A&E's 'Ghost Hunters' where the two were selected as lead investigators for the reboot of the popular unscripted series. He and Brandon are currently releasing a slate of new documentaries, beginning with 'Ghosts of the Gold Rush,' which combines decades of their film production and paranormal experience to convey an oft-overlooked period in America's history. And the hauntings purportedly connected to this time that have persisted nearly two centuries later. You can email him at mustafa.gatollari@gmail.com or find him online on X or Instagram. The "King of Cool" is one of the most recognizable talents from Hollywood's old guard. Dean Martin turned being a bon vivant into an expansive career, garnering 12 Emmy wins out of 18 total nominations. His success permeated nearly every entertainment medium available: live musical performances, record sales, memorable screen moments from show-stealing Western movie roles to TV cameos, Dean Martin achieved the lot. Some of his most endearing moments, however, are immortalized in The Dean Martin Show. One in particular has stood the test of time and arguably encapsulates the spirit of an era that influenced a myriad of shows that came after it. Martin's show, among others, laid the groundwork for the best sketch comedy shows and variety acts of subsequent decades, which have become central to American entertainment culture. His whimsical piano fall prank captures a moment in TV history that's unforgettable and viscerally hilarious without being mean-spirited, mostly because of Martin's reaction to figuring out he'd been had. Dean Martin's Crew Used His Own Habits To Set Up The Prank The Dean Martin Show carries an energy that is wholly specific to the iconic performer. A staple segment of the series featured Martin singing one of his own songs, such as Goodfellas soundtrack needle drop "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?", with musical accompaniment courtesy of live pianist Ken Lane. But this recurring bit featured a bit of a twist: Martin would sing his tracks and insert nonsensical lyrics whilst doing so to try and make Lane crack up laughing. Nearly every time Martin engaged in this bit, he'd jump up on the piano during his song to up the comedic ante as he attempted to elicit laughter from Lane. Martin had a laid-back approach to filming, which was a large part of the show's charm. This notoriously led to a slew of iconic off-script blunders, and genuine reactions that entertained audiences across its 9-year span, which is really 19 as The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast can be viewed as an extension of the OG show's premise. Audiences clearly couldn't get enough of Martin's presence on TV, and a lot of it had to do with the host's easy-going persona. The Dean Martin Show's production team must've had all of this in mind when setting up the prank. They knew that Martin would more than likely jump on the piano. They also knew he would probably have a wonderfully candid reaction, as he almost always did, to the gag. The prank first appeared on air as part of the show's season 4, episode 1 premiere on September 19th, 1968. Crew members placed a fake piano on stage, packed with a large foam insert. It was strong enough to stand up on its own, but designed to break apart if a significant amount of weight was suddenly placed on top of it. Ken Lane played the prank perfectly. He sat, as he almost always did, at the piano, getting ready to engage in a game of musical chicken with Martin. From the onset, Martin makes a beeline for the piano. He hops up on top of it, and it immediately comes crashing to the ground, eliciting uproarious applause and laughter from the audience. After falling to the floor, Martin looks up at everyone in attendance laughing, and he instantly catches onto the joke, grinning widely at how perfectly executed it was. Dean Martin Had A Ridiculous List of Demands To Film The Dean Martin Show The Movie Stills Database There was a laundry list of requirements Martin needed to satisfy before agreeing to his own TV show. NBC first pitched the series to Martin in 1964, and he was reluctant at first to accept it, prioritizing live stage performances that built his music career, and acting in movies, such as The Sons of Katie Elder with John Wayne, instead. So to do the show, Martin made a ton of stipulations. First, he reportedly asked for a lot of money. According to It's About TV, Martin was at one point the highest paid entertainer in show business, and a single 3-year extension of the show in 1968 netted him a whopping $34 million. This doesn't include the money he was making off of his music, other TV show appearances, concerts, and films he appeared in between shooting the series. It's not like Martin's time commitments to the show were all that extensive, either. In addition to the high pay he was receiving, Martin stated that he only wanted to work on Sunday, which is when the program was recorded and prepped for broadcast. He also didn't memorize his lines, cue cards were held up for Martin and second takes/re-shoots were practically non-existent. Martin didn't just act like a dilettante off camera. This personality trait was effectively baked into the nucleus of The Dean Martin Show. Whenever he would flub a line or miss a beat, he'd have a personal response to it, and would even chalk up the error to imbibing a little too much and having too great of a time. Release Date 1965 - 1974-00-00