The Farkel Family

The Farkel Family was a recurring skit on the television variety show "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In". The Farkel parents, Frank Farkel (played by Dan Rowan) and Fanny Farkel (played by Jo Anne Worley, later by Barbara Sharma and finally by Patti Deutsch), both had dark-colored hair and good eyesight. Curiously, all the children had red hair and wore glasses, just like their "good friend and trusted neighbor" Ferd Berfel, played by Dick Martin.

The youngest was Sparkle Farkel, played by Goldie Hawn. They also had the twins, Simon and Gar Farkel (a pun on Simon and Garfunkel). Despite being identical twins, they were played by actresses of different races, Pamela Rodgers and Teresa Graves. There also were skits where the identical twins, Sparkle and Charcoal Farkel were played by Goldie Hawn and Teresa Graves.

Much of the action in the Farkel sketches consisted of introducing every member of the large family by name. Otherwise the dialogue would lead to tongue-twisters ("That's a fine-looking Farkel flinger you found there, Frank"). One daughter, Flicker Farkel (played by Ruth Buzzi), always had a single word of dialogue: "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

See also

Milkman joke