After more than three decades of toe-tapping tunes, charming skits and the warmth of public television's most beloved bandleader, PBS Wisconsin will air its final broadcast of The Lawrence Welk Show at 5 p.m.
07/21/25
After more than three decades of toe-tapping tunes, charming skits and the warmth of public television’s most beloved bandleader, PBS Wisconsin will air its final broadcast of The Lawrence Welk Show at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9. We are grateful for the many years of musical enjoyment this program has offered to our Wisconsin audiences, and we thank you for your viewership.
As we prepared to share this farewell, we were delighted to discover a special connection between Mr. Welk and a member of our own PBS Wisconsin team: membership services specialist Julie Lytle.
“My great grandfather and he were cousins, and it was Lawrence who taught him to play the accordion. Isn’t that wunnerful, wunnerful! When Lawrence left North Dakota for California, he wanted to take my great grandfather with him, but my great great grandparents thought their son was too young. Oh, what might have been!”
Lytle closed her reflection with a heartfelt nod to both the show and our station.
“And while we are saying ‘Auf wiedersehen,’ I say to PBS Wisconsin for the many years of providing the show, what Lawrence did at the end of a musical number to the orchestra, ‘Tank-a-ya, boys.'”
Thank you for welcoming Lawrence Welk and his music into your homes all these years. We’d love to hear your favorite moments and memories from the show in the comments section below.
I would love to get your thoughts, suggestions, and questions in the comments below. Thanks for sharing!
PBS Wisconsin is a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. © 2025 All Rights Reserved.
Passport
Steve Dogan
I’m 51 but I’ve been into big band for decades. Does anyone know exactly WHY they are suddenly taking this off?
Julie P Huebner
This is such a GREAT loss. I love watching Lawrence Welk. A great insight into music history plus such great music, vocal, instrumental and even dancing. I do hope they replace it with some decent music and not more liberal DEI stuff.
Christine Rek
Probably due to lack of funds since the president cut their promised funding!
Emily
My dog is a fan of the Lawrence Welk show – I’ll have it on in the background while I’m doing other things on a Saturday, turn around to check on the dog, and he’s sitting on the couch watching the show. I’m sorry to see it go, but interested to see the programming that comes in that time slot!
Sarah Marty
Watching “The Lawrence Welk Show” with my grandmother on Saturday afternoons was a huge part of my childhood – it’s where I first saw big band orchestras and dancers and gained an appreciation for the music of the 1940s and 1950s, in particular. It was how I got my start as a musician – seeing so many talented individuals performing on this program and being exposed to different styles of social dance music. Even now, as an adult, it’s a regular part of trips back home …Rick Steves followed by Lawrence Welk.
Will episodes be available for viewing on PBS Passport? Per the PBS Wisconsin website, “The Lawrence Welk Show” is currently available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio. Will that continue, and, if so, I encourage you to add that information to this article.
Roberta Struck
I am so sad you are taking this off. My Mom passed away in 2020 At the age of almost 102. This was her very favorite show and we always watched it together. I’ve continued watching as it brings back such good memories of Mom. Also the cast members of the show are so multitalented. Many of them play multiple instruments, and sing and dance. It is a treasure and I don’t understand why you would quit airing it.
Cecelia Vanderlip
My 97 year old Mom is a faithful viewer…she will greatly miss the show:)
Irene Ihle
😭 Day it isn’t so!!
Kathy Schermetzler
Is there anything fans can do to bring the show back? There are so many of us that have grown up watching Lawrence Welk and continue to enjoy. Than you.
Jim kurtz
For the last decade I have enjoyed sharing with John and Marta B. Our mutual enjoyment. We are planning a tail gate share our pain.
Rod Wolf
He played at my parents wedding in Strasburg North Dakota before California. He was the ” hots e tots-te ” local band before TV in 1951. My uncle Albert Wolf attorney had his boyhood farm house put on the National Register of Historic places in 1993 to preserve for all to visit. You can still take a swim in the Lawrence Welk pool in Strasburg he donated to the city. Population 379!
Alyssa Beno
Sounds like a fun wedding! Thank you for sharing your story (and a fun roadtrip opportunity), Rod!
Marilyn
I know many people may have enjoyed the Lawrence Welk show, but I for one am glad to see the back of it. It is definitely time for PBS to move into this century and say a fond farewell to the last century.
Jim
I profoundly disagree with your decision to end of the Lawrence Welk show weekly broadcast.
The Lawrence Welk show is associated with senior citizens, and that’s partly true. I can imagine hundreds of retirement and nursing homes where the residents’ highlight of their week is to gather together to watch the Lawrence Welk show. You are depriving them of that happiness.
But I would say that the Lawrence Welk show is equally as important to all generations of viewers. There are fans of all generations that love big band music and the Welk stars, and also of pro-American wholesome entertainment. The Lawrence Welk show is also a highlight of my week, and has been so for my lifetime. It is truly a unique show.
Lawrence Welk fans should be part of the “public” in public television, just as any other demographic.
PBS now also risks losing the financial support of Lawrence Welk fans.
I am asking you to change your decision and keep Lawrence Welk on your weekly broadcast schedule. At a minimum, I request you make all Lawrence Welk episodes permanently available on PBS passport.
Amy Lehmann
I couldn’t agree more! My dad is in a memory care facility. He can only minimally work his TV, but every week my sisters and I make sure we are there to turn on Lawrence Welk for him. It’s the one thing he enjoys more than anything else. Listening to these songs brings him out of his fog, changes his mood, and brings him joy. He doesn’t do “streaming” or youtube, and this is the only program like it on all of cable. Anf though Im in my 50’s, I’ve come to really enjoy it, too. So sad to see it go!
Jim
Agreed, I’m also in my 50s, laughed at when I was young but now I take care of my 92 year old mom and we watch it together and it is so good for her mental health.