Back in the mid-1970s, Saturday Night Live made it OK to stay home — or get back home by 11:30, anyway — to watch a TV show.

Although I can say a group of us gathered around the old telly to watch that first episode in 1975, I did not see or hear the first broadcast of “A Prairie Home Companion” (APHC) with Garrison Keillor the year before, mostly because I didn’t live in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

But in 1978, my dear friend Patti, now raising hell somewhere in the universe these past three years, turned me on to APHC. Or was it ‘79? (Some years are just a blur.) 

Whichever year it was, I was hooked. Another reason to hang out at home Saturday nights.

And it was cool - literally and figuratively.

A live, old time radio show full of great music, weekly skits including “Guy Noir, Private Eye” (my personal favorite), a takeoff on the classic noir films and radio dramas, which always begins and ends with: “A dark night in a city that knows how to keep its secrets, one man is still trying to find the answers to life's persistent questions, Guy Noir, private eye.”

This bit always included great metaphors, like this one from a Nov. 2011 show (taken from APHC website): “She was tall and beautiful and blonde. Her pants were so tight, I could count the change in her pocket, and she wore a blouse that laid all the cards on the table.” 

Fictional sponsor jingles and songs such as: Powdermilk Biscuits, “Give shy persons the strength to get up and do what needs to be done. Heavens, they're tasty and expeditious”; the Catchup Advisory Board, “Catchup, for the good times”; and Bebop-A-Reebop Rhubarb Pie, “sung like ‘Shornin’’ Bread,” with Keillor asking, “Wouldn't this be a great time for a piece of rhubarb pie? Yes, nothing gets the taste of shame and humiliation out of your mouth quite like Bebop-A-Reebop Rhubarb Pie”; among many others.

The musical guests were always outstanding, from Arlo Guthrie, Tom Rush, the Steep Canyon Rangers and Linda Ronstadt to Suzy Bogguss, Sam Bush, Taj Mahal and Emmylou Harris, the list goes on and on. It has been on for 41 years.

Every show ends with Keillor’s monologue about his fictional Minnesota hometown, Lake Wobegon, which always begins with: “'It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, my hometown, out on the edge of the prairie,” and closes with, “Well, that's the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.”

Anyway, too late to make this story short, but Keillor has announced the 2015-2016 season is his last. He embarked on his 36 day/30 city tour, “America the Beautiful,” in Wisconsin. 

Keillor, Fred Newman (sound effects man extraordinaire), singer-songwriter-musician Sarah Jarouz, and the astounding back up band led by Rich Dworsky, brought the audience at the Merrill Auditorium to their feet at the end of the Aug. 5 show.

Not surprisingly, it was a sold out house. This was my third time seeing one of APHC’s summer shows, and as in the past, I went with fellow Prairie Home fan and friend, Janice Gray.

We laughed ourselves silly during the song/skit Keillor did with Fred Newman, “Homage to a Sperm.” It's always fun to watch the interplay between the two; Keillor always trying to come up with the most outlandish sounds from the animal and mineral ‘kingdoms.’ And Newman never fails to meet each and every challenge!

Keillor introduced Sarah as the future co-host of APHC, with Chris Thile, of Nickel Creek fame, when he steps down from the stage to concentrate on writing and family; as he said during the show: “I have many promises to keep.”

Keillor sang duets with Sarah, including, “It Gets Lonely In A Small Town”; and sang a beautiful song (from the early days) he wrote for his father, and a host of others.

Rich and the band garnered wildly enthusiastic applause for a bluesy-ragtime number; bad off-color jokes were shared, Guy Noir was called into an investigation of a dentist recently back from safari (Keillor has never been one to shy away from commentary); and, did I mention how great the music was?

If you’ve never experienced this show, that has to change. Sure the show already has over 4 million fans listening from over 600 radio stations, but there’s always room for more! Maine Public Radio broadcasts (I listen from 90.1) the show on Saturday evenings at 6 p.m. and rebroadcasts at noon on Sunday.

“The formula is simple: a variety of music that appeals, radio actors who can do noir, or horror, or soap, strong writing, a Midwestern ethos, and the thrill of live radio. And a support staff to do the work. It isn’t what I planned to be doing for 40 years but luckily for me, my plans went awry. It’s a good show. People have grown up listening to it and now they are middle-aged and still like it,” Keillor said.

Indeed they do.