Comedy Pioneer George Schlatter Documentary Hits Digital Screens in December

Viewers will gain access to a new documentary profile of television veteran George Schlatter on Dec. 8. The film, titled Sock It To Me: The Legend of George Schlatter, will debut on digital video-on-demand platforms across North America. Freestyle Digital Media, a distribution unit of Allen Media Group, purchased the regional rights to the project.

The feature examines the career of Schlatter, who created Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in 1968. That NBC variety hour introduced the public to Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin. The show also established the template for late-night comedy, a format that later produced Saturday Night Live. Schlatter went on to create and produce the reality series Real People, which began airing on NBC in 1979.

The documentary utilizes archival footage and current interviews to map Schlatter's seven decades in television. The 96-year-old producer appears in the film alongside former colleagues and talent. These contributors include Hawn, Tomlin, Tom Hanks, Martin Short, Billy Crystal, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, Lionel Richie, Lisa Ann Walter, Berry Gordy, and Byron Allen. Allen hosted Real People as a teenager, marking his first television role.

Schlatter explained in a statement that he had long resisted writing his own autobiography. He preferred to let others handle the narrative. "They then explained to me that it wouldn't be an autobiography, so here we are," he said. He described the deal with Allen's company as a "full circle moment" because of his history with the producer.

Chris Coronado wrote and directed the film. He serves as creative director at George Schlatter Productions, a role he has held since 2016. Greg Myers and Dayna Winston produced the project. Freestyle Digital Media negotiated the acquisition directly with the filmmakers and Schlatter's production company.

The digital release on Dec. 8 represents the next step for the film following its initial screening. The distribution agreement covers North American territories for video-on-demand access.