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Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
A behind-the-scenes look at the rise and fall of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour -- the provocative, politically charged program that shocked the censors, outraged the White House, and forever changed the face of television.
Decades before The Daily Show , The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour proved there was a place on television for no-holds-barred political comedy with a decidedly antiauthoritarian point of view. In this explosive, revealing history of the show, veteran entertainment journalist David Bianculli tells the fascinating story of its three-year network run -- and the cultural impact that's still being felt today.
Before it was suddenly removed from the CBS lineup (reportedly under pressure from the Nixon administration), The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a ratings powerhouse. It helped launch the careers of comedy legends such as Steve Martin and Rob Reiner, featured groundbreaking musical acts like the Beatles and the Who, and served as a cultural touchstone for the antiwar movement of the late 1960s.
Drawing on extensive original interviews with Tom and Dick Smothers and dozens of other key players -- as well as more than a decade's worth of original research -- Dangerously Funny brings readers behind the scenes for all the battles over censorship, mind-blowing musical performances, and unforgettable sketches that defined the show and its era.
David Bianculli delves deep into this riveting story, to find out what really happened and to reveal why this show remains so significant to this day.
Decades before The Daily Show , The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour proved there was a place on television for no-holds-barred political comedy with a decidedly antiauthoritarian point of view. In this explosive, revealing history of the show, veteran entertainment journalist David Bianculli tells the fascinating story of its three-year network run -- and the cultural impact that's still being felt today.
Before it was suddenly removed from the CBS lineup (reportedly under pressure from the Nixon administration), The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a ratings powerhouse. It helped launch the careers of comedy legends such as Steve Martin and Rob Reiner, featured groundbreaking musical acts like the Beatles and the Who, and served as a cultural touchstone for the antiwar movement of the late 1960s.
Drawing on extensive original interviews with Tom and Dick Smothers and dozens of other key players -- as well as more than a decade's worth of original research -- Dangerously Funny brings readers behind the scenes for all the battles over censorship, mind-blowing musical performances, and unforgettable sketches that defined the show and its era.
David Bianculli delves deep into this riveting story, to find out what really happened and to reveal why this show remains so significant to this day.
382 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
660 people are currently reading
808 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
September 29, 2019
Clearly written and organized, and very informative. Bianculli had the advantage of full access to the Smothers Brothers, and it shows.
Any of you remember that Firesign Theatre album title, "Everything You Know is Wrong"? Well, I found out this was true of my memory of the whole Comedy Hour controversy. I thought the series ended because of the Vietnam War, Pete Seeger's "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy," and pressure from the Johnson White House, when in reality it had more to do with falling ratings (particularly in the Bible Belt), Tommy Smothers intransigence, and David Steinberg's edgy biblical routines.
Even if you remember the whole story better than I did, read the book anyway. It gives you an excellent picture of America in a period of profound transformation, and of the TV show that--for a few brief years--was on the cutting edge of that change.
December 5, 2025
I’ve always been intrigued by the whole genre of the 60s/70s variety show. It was a more modern version of the classic days of Vaudeville - a time when entertainers rotated from one show to another, performing quick acts that could range from singing and dancing to comedy and juggling.
Variety shows were a big deal back in the 60s, partly because they were easy and cheap to produce. Networks could whip up a new show in a matter of weeks whenever they needed to plug a hole in their lineup. It’s interesting to think that almost anyone who achieved a bit of celebrity seemed to end up with their own variety show - everyone from Perry Como to Flip Wilson to Glen Campbell had a go at it.
What made the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour stand out, though, was its timing. The show launched in 1967 and ran through 1969, a period that was nothing short of tumultuous. Tom and Dick Smothers were more than just comedians; they were provocateurs, pushing the boundaries of what could be shown on television during one of the most politically charged eras of the 20th century.
In many ways, the contentious times we’re living through now are a bit of a throwback to the late ’60s. It’s fascinating - and a little sobering - to see so many of the same issues still with us, and how the battle lines between conservatives and liberals were just as fiercely drawn back then.
What’s remarkable is how relevant the show’s content still feels today. The Smothers Brothers were tackling issues like censorship, war, and civil rights - topics that are still hot-button issues now. But it’s also a reminder of how much has changed in the world of entertainment. The skills on display in those variety shows are a bit of a lost art. It’s rare to see that kind of talent on stage today, and watching those old clips was a bit like peeking into a different world.
What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the unexpected journey it spurred me to undertake. Reading this book was truly a multimedia experience. I’d read about an act or show segment, and then go straight to YouTube to watch the clip. It was like having a backstage pass to see these legendary performances come to life after reading about the behind-the-scenes drama.
Honestly, it took me forever to get through the book because I spent as much time watching old clips as I did reading. But it was rapturous. I was introduced to so many talented people I had never known about before. These artists were masters of the short-form stage play, incredibly skilled at what they did. Seeing them in action was nothing short of a revelation.
The Smothers Brothers were given an incredible platform, and for a while, they used it to great effect. But the story of the show is also a cautionary tale of hubris. Tom Smothers, in particular, couldn’t resist picking fights with the network. He became a deeply troublesome loose cannon, and eventually, the network decided the daily conflicts he continually started simply weren’t worth it.
Local affiliates were revolting. Advertisers were furious. Tom Smothers had fistfights with his staff. Half the country loved him and the other half hated him. Despite his genius, no one could afford to keep working with Smothers. He was just too much of a wrecking ball.
It’s a bit tragic when you think about it - had Tom been willing to compromise just a little, the show might have run for years. Instead, it was canceled after 2 1/2 seasons, even though the ratings were still solid. Tom let fame go to his head, and he truly believed he was invincible.
So, would I recommend “Dangerously Funny?” Absolutely. But I wouldn’t just read it - take the same meandering journey that I did. Look up the acts, watch the clips, and immerse yourself in that time. It’s a wonderful glimpse into a bygone era of entertainment, and the book is a fitting tribute to the Smothers Brothers and all the artists who made those variety shows so special.
Variety shows were a big deal back in the 60s, partly because they were easy and cheap to produce. Networks could whip up a new show in a matter of weeks whenever they needed to plug a hole in their lineup. It’s interesting to think that almost anyone who achieved a bit of celebrity seemed to end up with their own variety show - everyone from Perry Como to Flip Wilson to Glen Campbell had a go at it.
What made the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour stand out, though, was its timing. The show launched in 1967 and ran through 1969, a period that was nothing short of tumultuous. Tom and Dick Smothers were more than just comedians; they were provocateurs, pushing the boundaries of what could be shown on television during one of the most politically charged eras of the 20th century.
In many ways, the contentious times we’re living through now are a bit of a throwback to the late ’60s. It’s fascinating - and a little sobering - to see so many of the same issues still with us, and how the battle lines between conservatives and liberals were just as fiercely drawn back then.
What’s remarkable is how relevant the show’s content still feels today. The Smothers Brothers were tackling issues like censorship, war, and civil rights - topics that are still hot-button issues now. But it’s also a reminder of how much has changed in the world of entertainment. The skills on display in those variety shows are a bit of a lost art. It’s rare to see that kind of talent on stage today, and watching those old clips was a bit like peeking into a different world.
What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the unexpected journey it spurred me to undertake. Reading this book was truly a multimedia experience. I’d read about an act or show segment, and then go straight to YouTube to watch the clip. It was like having a backstage pass to see these legendary performances come to life after reading about the behind-the-scenes drama.
Honestly, it took me forever to get through the book because I spent as much time watching old clips as I did reading. But it was rapturous. I was introduced to so many talented people I had never known about before. These artists were masters of the short-form stage play, incredibly skilled at what they did. Seeing them in action was nothing short of a revelation.
The Smothers Brothers were given an incredible platform, and for a while, they used it to great effect. But the story of the show is also a cautionary tale of hubris. Tom Smothers, in particular, couldn’t resist picking fights with the network. He became a deeply troublesome loose cannon, and eventually, the network decided the daily conflicts he continually started simply weren’t worth it.
Local affiliates were revolting. Advertisers were furious. Tom Smothers had fistfights with his staff. Half the country loved him and the other half hated him. Despite his genius, no one could afford to keep working with Smothers. He was just too much of a wrecking ball.
It’s a bit tragic when you think about it - had Tom been willing to compromise just a little, the show might have run for years. Instead, it was canceled after 2 1/2 seasons, even though the ratings were still solid. Tom let fame go to his head, and he truly believed he was invincible.
So, would I recommend “Dangerously Funny?” Absolutely. But I wouldn’t just read it - take the same meandering journey that I did. Look up the acts, watch the clips, and immerse yourself in that time. It’s a wonderful glimpse into a bygone era of entertainment, and the book is a fitting tribute to the Smothers Brothers and all the artists who made those variety shows so special.
October 8, 2011
If you remember the Smothers Brothers, read this book for a tiptoe thru the tulips (I know it was on a competing show, but timeliness was the aim) buried under the neiges d'antan. If either phrase has left you scratching your wig-holder, look THAT up in your Funk and Wagnalls.
But don't read this rather dense, somewhat longwinded recap of the three-season run of the Smothers Brothers's show. It will mean little to you, and the density of the behind-the-scenes material won't fascinate. The author clearly knows his onions about TV, about the time period, and about the brothers. His style isn't sparkling, but it is very informative and it's never dry. Just thick. Like a fallen souffle, it still has the savor but the texture's just a little off.
I grew up on Smothers Brothers material because my sisters are both much older than I am, so were listening to their albums, and Kingston Trio albums, and Vaughn Meader albums, and Bob Newhart albums. *sigh* What a way to grow up. Then along came the Beatles, and out went everything else...except the Smothers Brothers, the eldest sister was a granola-and-granny-gowns girl to the horror of our Balenciaga-wearing mother.
So along comes the TV show the clean-cut young men put on, on Sunday night opposite "Bonanza" which neither of my parents cared diddly about (if it had been opposite "Gunsmoke" I'd've never even heard of it); the closing-in-on-50 mom and closing-in-on-40 dad tried to be gravy (joke on "groovy," slang of the times...they were as inept at modern slang as I am, and you will be, youngsters) by watching it with their teens and the caboose.
We all loved it. Pat Paulsen was so funny that my arch-conservative parents thought he was the highlght of the show with his first-time-ever-done fake run for President. My sisters loved "Share Tea with Goldie", with a flower child making in-jokes about drugs that Mama and Daddy didn't get. I was in love with Mason Williams, of "Classical Gas" fame. Still one of my very favorite pieces of pop music, up there with "In Your Eyes" and "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel.
No one used dirty words. No one was more than mildly salacious, to my father's disgruntlement. But everyone was ethically opposed to the Vietnam war, and my mother's nephew was a Navy pilot at risk, plus she'd lost "someone close" in the Ia Drang battle (never discussed in detail, quite mysterious), so we as a family were opposed to the unwinnable war (Dad's name for it).
Hard to imagine now, in this fractured entertainment landscape, but the Smothers Brothers drew 35% (THIRTY-FIVE PERCENT) of the TV-viewing audience...and got canceled! If someone drew a 35% share today, the network execs would offer their grandchildren as slaves and their houses as rewards to the people who delivered such monster ratings. Then, well...that was just ordinary. What wasn't ordinary was the men delivering the ratings were young and idealistic and ready to talk about things that were taboo (eg, religious hypocrisy, racial politics) without hesitation. The people who watched the Smothers Brothers were mostly young, mostly rich, mostly well-educated and almost always all three. What an audience!!
And they got canceled.
Even my arch-conservative parents thought that was stupid. "Can't stop people thinkin' and best not to try," said Mama. "What's the use of a Constitution if you can only agree with powerful people?" asked Dad.
Yeah. That's what I'm sayin' after reading this book. They didn't back down from any fight, and they lost the war...but damn, it's hard not to admire their spirit. Tommy, though, comes across as a self-righteous little pisher and Dickie as a self-absorbed bore. But hey, they fought a good fight and today's TV landscape looks the way it does in good part because of these guys and their irritating ways.
Someone give them a show, quick! They're still alive, but who knows for how long!
But don't read this rather dense, somewhat longwinded recap of the three-season run of the Smothers Brothers's show. It will mean little to you, and the density of the behind-the-scenes material won't fascinate. The author clearly knows his onions about TV, about the time period, and about the brothers. His style isn't sparkling, but it is very informative and it's never dry. Just thick. Like a fallen souffle, it still has the savor but the texture's just a little off.
I grew up on Smothers Brothers material because my sisters are both much older than I am, so were listening to their albums, and Kingston Trio albums, and Vaughn Meader albums, and Bob Newhart albums. *sigh* What a way to grow up. Then along came the Beatles, and out went everything else...except the Smothers Brothers, the eldest sister was a granola-and-granny-gowns girl to the horror of our Balenciaga-wearing mother.
So along comes the TV show the clean-cut young men put on, on Sunday night opposite "Bonanza" which neither of my parents cared diddly about (if it had been opposite "Gunsmoke" I'd've never even heard of it); the closing-in-on-50 mom and closing-in-on-40 dad tried to be gravy (joke on "groovy," slang of the times...they were as inept at modern slang as I am, and you will be, youngsters) by watching it with their teens and the caboose.
We all loved it. Pat Paulsen was so funny that my arch-conservative parents thought he was the highlght of the show with his first-time-ever-done fake run for President. My sisters loved "Share Tea with Goldie", with a flower child making in-jokes about drugs that Mama and Daddy didn't get. I was in love with Mason Williams, of "Classical Gas" fame. Still one of my very favorite pieces of pop music, up there with "In Your Eyes" and "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel.
No one used dirty words. No one was more than mildly salacious, to my father's disgruntlement. But everyone was ethically opposed to the Vietnam war, and my mother's nephew was a Navy pilot at risk, plus she'd lost "someone close" in the Ia Drang battle (never discussed in detail, quite mysterious), so we as a family were opposed to the unwinnable war (Dad's name for it).
Hard to imagine now, in this fractured entertainment landscape, but the Smothers Brothers drew 35% (THIRTY-FIVE PERCENT) of the TV-viewing audience...and got canceled! If someone drew a 35% share today, the network execs would offer their grandchildren as slaves and their houses as rewards to the people who delivered such monster ratings. Then, well...that was just ordinary. What wasn't ordinary was the men delivering the ratings were young and idealistic and ready to talk about things that were taboo (eg, religious hypocrisy, racial politics) without hesitation. The people who watched the Smothers Brothers were mostly young, mostly rich, mostly well-educated and almost always all three. What an audience!!
And they got canceled.
Even my arch-conservative parents thought that was stupid. "Can't stop people thinkin' and best not to try," said Mama. "What's the use of a Constitution if you can only agree with powerful people?" asked Dad.
Yeah. That's what I'm sayin' after reading this book. They didn't back down from any fight, and they lost the war...but damn, it's hard not to admire their spirit. Tommy, though, comes across as a self-righteous little pisher and Dickie as a self-absorbed bore. But hey, they fought a good fight and today's TV landscape looks the way it does in good part because of these guys and their irritating ways.
Someone give them a show, quick! They're still alive, but who knows for how long!
October 17, 2017
Another book in the "Read Aloud With the Wife" series. Pretty interesting account of the brother's career, politics, and impact on the current generation of entertainers.
May 9, 2010
If you're interested in this sort of thing, and you should be, this is well told. The attempts to force the Nixon connection at the end get strained, but there's a lot of gold in here.
September 7, 2012
The first three-quarters of this book rates five stars, but the last quarter, which should have been omitted, turns into a political rant in which Bianculli offers idiotic opinions and lame-brain conclusions. Bianculli obviously sees the canceling, or firing, of The Smothers Brothers as some kind of conspiracy and some kind of right-wing conspiracy at that, rather than what it was--Tommy Smothers self-destructiveness spiraling out of control. Rather than spending so much time trying to uncover blame elsewhere for the battles that ultimately led to the cancellation, why didn't Bianculli try to find out what was really going on with Tommy Smothers at the time, since he seemed to have unfettered access to the brothers during the writing of the book.
This book offers no new insight into the story, although the story itself is chronicled in interesting and lively detail. What it doesn't offer is much perspective from Tommy and what was going through his mind when he pulled some of the stupid stunts he did with CBS. He doesn't take Tommy to task at all, nor challenge him in any way on his actions. Nor does Tommy seem to take any real responsibility for the cancellation. Instead its offered up as political censorship, ignoring the fact that those who censored and ultimately canceled the show weren't opposed to the brothers politics, they simply didn't want to offend the viewers on topics such as religion and sex or to offend anyone personally. It was never about the political ideas espoused.
The book could have been great if Bianculli had just kept his left-wing snarking asides out. It wasn't about Democrats versus Republicans as it so often is today. It was the younger generation versus the establishment. In fact, the Democrats of the 1960s were even more conservative than the Republicans. It was a Democrat, Pastore, who talked of censoring the brothers and most everyone involved in the censoring and ultimate firing of the brothers were Democrats. As is still the case in recent years when government censorship is pursued by Democrats such as Tipper Gore.
Here's a passage from the book that shows how much Bianculli wanted to uncover a right-wing conspiracy:
"Finding a smoking gun connecting Richard Nixon directly to the demise of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a task at which I proved unsuccessful, but not for lack of effort." Doesn't this guy have an editor at Simon & Schuster?
How can someone who spends so much time researching a story ignore the facts he uncovers and come to such idiotic conclusions? This is what partisan politics does to a writer.
This book offers no new insight into the story, although the story itself is chronicled in interesting and lively detail. What it doesn't offer is much perspective from Tommy and what was going through his mind when he pulled some of the stupid stunts he did with CBS. He doesn't take Tommy to task at all, nor challenge him in any way on his actions. Nor does Tommy seem to take any real responsibility for the cancellation. Instead its offered up as political censorship, ignoring the fact that those who censored and ultimately canceled the show weren't opposed to the brothers politics, they simply didn't want to offend the viewers on topics such as religion and sex or to offend anyone personally. It was never about the political ideas espoused.
The book could have been great if Bianculli had just kept his left-wing snarking asides out. It wasn't about Democrats versus Republicans as it so often is today. It was the younger generation versus the establishment. In fact, the Democrats of the 1960s were even more conservative than the Republicans. It was a Democrat, Pastore, who talked of censoring the brothers and most everyone involved in the censoring and ultimate firing of the brothers were Democrats. As is still the case in recent years when government censorship is pursued by Democrats such as Tipper Gore.
Here's a passage from the book that shows how much Bianculli wanted to uncover a right-wing conspiracy:
"Finding a smoking gun connecting Richard Nixon directly to the demise of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a task at which I proved unsuccessful, but not for lack of effort." Doesn't this guy have an editor at Simon & Schuster?
How can someone who spends so much time researching a story ignore the facts he uncovers and come to such idiotic conclusions? This is what partisan politics does to a writer.
August 16, 2010
Since we inhabit this realm called "Good Reads" and not, say, "Middling to Fair Reads", I am yanked back into reality by that realization.
David Bianculli's Dangerously Funny... is not, as it stands, an inherently "un-good" read, but neither is it particularly scintillating.
I blazed through it, and enjoyed it, but only because the subjects of '60s pop and political culture, issues of creative control and free speech and censorship of art/media, social control and corporate mentalities, TV of that era, and the Smothers Brothers themselves hold some interest for me. But I think you kind of have to have some experience with the show to really care much about the book. I did find it interesting to realize how much Tom Smothers (the "dumb" brother on the show) was the creative mastermind and tenacious button pusher whose uncompromising stances and tendency to seek a good scrap ultimately led to the program's cancellation.
Bianculli has done yeoman research and presents the facts in easy to read fashion. But in the end, the book really has no flair, and Bianculli too often resorts to hyperbole when heroicizing the brothers and their mark on culture. This is a common and noticeable tendency of boomers like Bianculli, perhaps overvaluing the importance of the pop cultural landmarks of their life.
David Bianculli's Dangerously Funny... is not, as it stands, an inherently "un-good" read, but neither is it particularly scintillating.
I blazed through it, and enjoyed it, but only because the subjects of '60s pop and political culture, issues of creative control and free speech and censorship of art/media, social control and corporate mentalities, TV of that era, and the Smothers Brothers themselves hold some interest for me. But I think you kind of have to have some experience with the show to really care much about the book. I did find it interesting to realize how much Tom Smothers (the "dumb" brother on the show) was the creative mastermind and tenacious button pusher whose uncompromising stances and tendency to seek a good scrap ultimately led to the program's cancellation.
Bianculli has done yeoman research and presents the facts in easy to read fashion. But in the end, the book really has no flair, and Bianculli too often resorts to hyperbole when heroicizing the brothers and their mark on culture. This is a common and noticeable tendency of boomers like Bianculli, perhaps overvaluing the importance of the pop cultural landmarks of their life.
August 31, 2011
Dick: People don't tune in to us to listen to us argue!
Tom: Some of them did.
*********
I was one of those people who tuned in between '67 and '69 to listen to Tom and Dick Smothers argue and sing and make me laugh on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." David Bianculli's book, "Dangerously Funny", traces the Brothers' career, but spends most of it's pages examining the evolution of Tom's enlightenment as an anti-establishment proponent in the sixties and his constant battles with the CBS censors over the politicization of the show. The controversy itself became fodder for the writers as they made fun of the censors in their skits, but Tom's resistance to make the changes being demanded of him ultimately led to the cancellation of the show.
***********
Tom: You can tell who's running the country by how much clothes people wear, see?
Dick: Do you mean that some people can afford more clothes on, and some people have... less on? Is that what you mean?
Tom: That's right.
Dick: I don't understand.
Tom: See, the ordinary people, you'd say that the ordinary people are the less-ons.
Dick: So who's running the country?
Tom: The morons.
************
The book itself is hardly a work of literature, but it gets the job done in recreating the era and telling the story. I enjoyed reliving a part of my past that still carry fond memories. The Smothers have always one of my favorite acts and it was a pleasure to get behind the scenes of one of my favorite childhood variety shows.
***************
Tom: Mom liked you best!
Dick: Lower your voice!
Tom: [Basso profundo] Mom liked you best!
Tom: Some of them did.
*********
I was one of those people who tuned in between '67 and '69 to listen to Tom and Dick Smothers argue and sing and make me laugh on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." David Bianculli's book, "Dangerously Funny", traces the Brothers' career, but spends most of it's pages examining the evolution of Tom's enlightenment as an anti-establishment proponent in the sixties and his constant battles with the CBS censors over the politicization of the show. The controversy itself became fodder for the writers as they made fun of the censors in their skits, but Tom's resistance to make the changes being demanded of him ultimately led to the cancellation of the show.
***********
Tom: You can tell who's running the country by how much clothes people wear, see?
Dick: Do you mean that some people can afford more clothes on, and some people have... less on? Is that what you mean?
Tom: That's right.
Dick: I don't understand.
Tom: See, the ordinary people, you'd say that the ordinary people are the less-ons.
Dick: So who's running the country?
Tom: The morons.
************
The book itself is hardly a work of literature, but it gets the job done in recreating the era and telling the story. I enjoyed reliving a part of my past that still carry fond memories. The Smothers have always one of my favorite acts and it was a pleasure to get behind the scenes of one of my favorite childhood variety shows.
***************
Tom: Mom liked you best!
Dick: Lower your voice!
Tom: [Basso profundo] Mom liked you best!
January 28, 2024
I was in high school in the late 1960s and every Sunday Night looked forward to watching the Smothers Brothers. I appreciated that they pushed the envelop, that they had performers I loved and following their regulars.
I thought they were really funny, but after reading Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, I realized that there was much of their humor that I probably missed.
This book delves into almost every show which the Smothers Brothers did, so if you are not that interested in them, you should probably avoid it.
I wanted to read it to honor the memory of Tom Smothers who recently died. It turns out that there was much more to the man than I realized. He was the older brother who was combative and brilliant and had an eye for recognizing and generously encouraging talent. Writers for the Smothers Brothers included Mason Williams, Steve Martin, Bob Einstein, Pat Paulsen and Rob Reiner among others.
I recommend the book for those truly interested in the Smothers Brothers.
I thought they were really funny, but after reading Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, I realized that there was much of their humor that I probably missed.
This book delves into almost every show which the Smothers Brothers did, so if you are not that interested in them, you should probably avoid it.
I wanted to read it to honor the memory of Tom Smothers who recently died. It turns out that there was much more to the man than I realized. He was the older brother who was combative and brilliant and had an eye for recognizing and generously encouraging talent. Writers for the Smothers Brothers included Mason Williams, Steve Martin, Bob Einstein, Pat Paulsen and Rob Reiner among others.
I recommend the book for those truly interested in the Smothers Brothers.
June 13, 2018
The author takes advantage of cooperative sources -- not only the Smothers Brothers and their collaborators but also a few CBS executives -- to take us behind the scenes of the popular 60s variety show. The book occasionally gets caught up in a catalog of guests and sketches, but we get a feeling for how the show fit into its time. To a present-day reader, the escalating battle between the show's writers and the network censors could seem inconsequential, but Bianculli makes the case for the Smothers Brothers' continuing influence on American media.
December 6, 2016
Well-researched, detailed backstory on how one of the most inventive and progressive prime-time TV shows ever presented got scuttled due to political and censorship issues. Covers both sides of the story and puts things in historical perspective to give us the insider scoop on how a show that was an "irritant" like a grain of sand, became a pearl over time. An important piece of media history well-told. - BH.
November 18, 2018
I wish this book was a lot more about the Smothers Brothers and a lot less about their nonstop battles with CBS. Nevertheless it was an interesting blast from the past. I remember watching their show as a kid but had forgotten that I picked up most of my teenage musical preferences from them.
May 12, 2010
I'll bet there's an interesting story here, but it didn't make it into the book.
October 22, 2023
Wow. Definetly one to add to the watch list.
Growing up, I was like tangentially aware of the Smothers Brothers, from my dad and my uncles. But I never watched it or really studied it.
This guy did, from the start to the finish. From the humble beginnings of a three man then two man comedy duo, to the series ending religiously themed show. I had an issue with the ending but then realized it was the history of the SHOW not the brothers. He covers the brothers as well, their fights, squabbles and love.
I recommend this to those who use comedy as a shield for hurtful things. True comedy speaks to injustice not to cause more injustice. True comedy shines a light on free speech and other issues. True comedy needs to be preserved and expanded.
Short review due to writing at breakfast.
Growing up, I was like tangentially aware of the Smothers Brothers, from my dad and my uncles. But I never watched it or really studied it.
This guy did, from the start to the finish. From the humble beginnings of a three man then two man comedy duo, to the series ending religiously themed show. I had an issue with the ending but then realized it was the history of the SHOW not the brothers. He covers the brothers as well, their fights, squabbles and love.
I recommend this to those who use comedy as a shield for hurtful things. True comedy speaks to injustice not to cause more injustice. True comedy shines a light on free speech and other issues. True comedy needs to be preserved and expanded.
Short review due to writing at breakfast.
August 16, 2023
After reading this book I think I have a better idea of how this show evolved and how Tom Smothers became such a courageous radical. I was just a kid when this show premiered and am trying to catch up on it via DVD. They pushed the envelope at a time when the old paradigms were falling apart. All because Tom and Dick were victims of police brutality in a botched arrest. Fascinating stories..
December 2, 2012
Fired not Canceled and other irrelevant distinctions of the Genius Tommy Smothers
I just finished Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” by David Bianculli. It is a wonderful recounting of Tom and Dick Smothers overcoming the death of their father in a POW camp on Bataan, and the revolving door of men in and out of their mother’s life. I laughed and laughed, and Mr. Bianculli does a wonderful job of capturing their rise to fame that at first seemed like as arbitrary and strange as driftwood washed up on a beach. Their self-destruction seems just another of the many vast right wing conspiracy stories that like a chronic drug induced paranoia hang over what is left of the brains many of the 1960’s flower power warriors. Like many, many other examples in their career, they were possibly the first recorded case psychedelic battle fatigue.
Some self-disclosure: From a political standpoint, there in not a single position of Tom and Dick that I know about that I agree with. But I have always loved their humor, and for some reason the Smothers Brothers show is one I actually remember from my early childhood. I was only 6 or 7 when it went off the air.
Politics aside, Tommy was a genius. The caliber of talent Tommy was able to place in front of America over and over and over again was and remains unparalleled. The writers alone included names like Steve Martin and Rob Reiner. The Who, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane all appeared on the Smothers Brothers before they were widely known to America and the world. Tommy worked with the greatest straight man, his brother Dick, since Gracie Allen. All of this was fueled and focused by Tommy very real and passionate idealism. Each week Tommy used his persona as a not too bright, but warm hearted little boy whose only desire was to have his mother’s love, trapped in the body of a grown man who took positions each week that put the counter in counter culture – and he killed. KILLED!
The Smothers Brothers went up against the biggest baddest television icon of American independence and grit – Bonanza; and the Smothers Brothers achieved what no one before them had ever done. The Smothers Brothers drew more viewers. This is what makes Tommy’s actions so infuriating and incomprehensible.
Apparently Tommy is allergic to censorship. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to defend CBS standard and practices, the Nixon administration, or even the lemming like mindset of the greatest generation who by this time were in their 40’s and just wanted a century or so of peace after surviving WWII. But Tommy was fighting the wrong battle.
Almost from the start CBS began limiting what he could say, and how he could say it. Over and over again, the anti-war, anti-establishment, anti-conformity present in Tommy’s humor resonated with his audience, and he had the love of the American people to prove it. Rather than using his immense talent to express his ideas in a different way. Knowing CBS would veto a bit with a not too subtle marijuana reference “Tea with Mary Jane”, the name that followed “A Little Tea with Goldie O’Keefe”. It got past the censors, but not the Smothers Brothers audience. With each battle Tommy became more entrenched, and victory with the audience was superseded by Tommy’s demand for a victory with the CBS censors. Tommy’s stubbornness was equivalent to Vincent Van Gogh demanding praise from the blind.
Ultimately, Tommy was not the loser, but rather the American people. In the arena of ideas the best idea does not always win. Look no further than the words our own Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal”, an idea that was almost immediately vanquished in constitution that did not outlaw slavery. Tommy had the chance to elevate the ideas being discussed in his day, and he missed it. Satire by its very nature is subversive, but Tommy became more interested in preaching about the hypocrisy of the censors. Yell at a fat man about his obesity, and he will remain fat. Make him chase you and like or not, his physical condition will improve.
From the moment CBS took the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour off the air, and to this day, Tommy has argued with all his might that the show was not canceled, but that he and Dick were fired. A federal court would later agree with Tommy. But the Vietnam war continued for five more years, Nixon was elected to a second term before endangering our republic and disgracing his office, and Tommy’s ideas, censored or not, were no longer in front of a massive American audience.
Tommy is certainly not to blame for these events. But there is a cliché of note which says that a rising tide lifts all boats Had his ideas remained in the American arena now known as “the ‘60’s” it may have been enough to raise us past these outcomes. Sadly, all we know for sure is that Tom and Dick Smothers were fired and not canceled.
I just finished Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” by David Bianculli. It is a wonderful recounting of Tom and Dick Smothers overcoming the death of their father in a POW camp on Bataan, and the revolving door of men in and out of their mother’s life. I laughed and laughed, and Mr. Bianculli does a wonderful job of capturing their rise to fame that at first seemed like as arbitrary and strange as driftwood washed up on a beach. Their self-destruction seems just another of the many vast right wing conspiracy stories that like a chronic drug induced paranoia hang over what is left of the brains many of the 1960’s flower power warriors. Like many, many other examples in their career, they were possibly the first recorded case psychedelic battle fatigue.
Some self-disclosure: From a political standpoint, there in not a single position of Tom and Dick that I know about that I agree with. But I have always loved their humor, and for some reason the Smothers Brothers show is one I actually remember from my early childhood. I was only 6 or 7 when it went off the air.
Politics aside, Tommy was a genius. The caliber of talent Tommy was able to place in front of America over and over and over again was and remains unparalleled. The writers alone included names like Steve Martin and Rob Reiner. The Who, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane all appeared on the Smothers Brothers before they were widely known to America and the world. Tommy worked with the greatest straight man, his brother Dick, since Gracie Allen. All of this was fueled and focused by Tommy very real and passionate idealism. Each week Tommy used his persona as a not too bright, but warm hearted little boy whose only desire was to have his mother’s love, trapped in the body of a grown man who took positions each week that put the counter in counter culture – and he killed. KILLED!
The Smothers Brothers went up against the biggest baddest television icon of American independence and grit – Bonanza; and the Smothers Brothers achieved what no one before them had ever done. The Smothers Brothers drew more viewers. This is what makes Tommy’s actions so infuriating and incomprehensible.
Apparently Tommy is allergic to censorship. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to defend CBS standard and practices, the Nixon administration, or even the lemming like mindset of the greatest generation who by this time were in their 40’s and just wanted a century or so of peace after surviving WWII. But Tommy was fighting the wrong battle.
Almost from the start CBS began limiting what he could say, and how he could say it. Over and over again, the anti-war, anti-establishment, anti-conformity present in Tommy’s humor resonated with his audience, and he had the love of the American people to prove it. Rather than using his immense talent to express his ideas in a different way. Knowing CBS would veto a bit with a not too subtle marijuana reference “Tea with Mary Jane”, the name that followed “A Little Tea with Goldie O’Keefe”. It got past the censors, but not the Smothers Brothers audience. With each battle Tommy became more entrenched, and victory with the audience was superseded by Tommy’s demand for a victory with the CBS censors. Tommy’s stubbornness was equivalent to Vincent Van Gogh demanding praise from the blind.
Ultimately, Tommy was not the loser, but rather the American people. In the arena of ideas the best idea does not always win. Look no further than the words our own Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal”, an idea that was almost immediately vanquished in constitution that did not outlaw slavery. Tommy had the chance to elevate the ideas being discussed in his day, and he missed it. Satire by its very nature is subversive, but Tommy became more interested in preaching about the hypocrisy of the censors. Yell at a fat man about his obesity, and he will remain fat. Make him chase you and like or not, his physical condition will improve.
From the moment CBS took the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour off the air, and to this day, Tommy has argued with all his might that the show was not canceled, but that he and Dick were fired. A federal court would later agree with Tommy. But the Vietnam war continued for five more years, Nixon was elected to a second term before endangering our republic and disgracing his office, and Tommy’s ideas, censored or not, were no longer in front of a massive American audience.
Tommy is certainly not to blame for these events. But there is a cliché of note which says that a rising tide lifts all boats Had his ideas remained in the American arena now known as “the ‘60’s” it may have been enough to raise us past these outcomes. Sadly, all we know for sure is that Tom and Dick Smothers were fired and not canceled.
February 26, 2019
If I’ve ever seen an episode of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, I can’t recall a time or place in which it might have occurred. The show, lasting only three seasons (from 1967 to 1969), was over before I was born. I don’t recall it airing on (at least when I would have had access to it) Nick at Night or TV Land, which showed reruns of many of Comedy Hour’s contemporaries. My parents would have been old enough (12 when the show premiered), but both were from conservative Midwestern Catholic families who would have been unlikely to choose it over Sunday night’s biggest show at the time, Bonanza.
Still, I knew enough about the the Smothers Brothers and their show — talented singers and musicians who could do folk music straight but were better when they lampooned it, the signature “Mom always liked you best!” line, the infamous Who appearance, Tommy Smothers playing guitar with John Lennon (and getting name-checked in the fourth and final verse) in the Montreal hotel room where “Give Peace a Chance” was recorded, getting folk singer Pete Seeger on TV for the first time in nearly 20 years after being blacklisted in the 1950s — that when I heard about David Bianculli’s book I immediately added it to my list.
What I didn’t really know, and what Bianculli (probably best known as television critic and occasional guest host for Terry Gross’ NPR program Fresh Air) wonderfully details in his book “Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” is just how groundbreaking, cutting-edge, envelope-pushing, and status-quo-challenging Tom and Dick Smothers’s variety show really was. At a time when television networks (remember, there were only three back then) actively avoided issues in their programming, Comedy Hour insisted on doing exactly the opposite. Lampooning a sitting U.S. president, criticizing the government and its policies, addressing hot-button issues, even something as seemingly benign as musicians performing unreleased songs — these are so commonplace today that we would scarcely have anything on late-night television without them. But in 1967, all of that was unheard of.
The show, under the driving force of older brother Tommy, and with its stable of young writers (including then-unknowns Steve Martin and Rob Reiner), worked tirelessly and ceaselessly to push the boundaries of what was considered permissible in television satire. Of course, it all seems so tame now. But Bianculli, by deftly placing the show in the context of its time and giving the reader a real sense of what America was like in the late ’60s — politically, morally, societally — brings vividly to life why the show was so threatening to middle America, so infuriating to CBS and its censors, and why, despite a still-sizeable viewership and winning an Emmy award for its writing, the show was abruptly cancelled.
The story, of course, doesn’t end there. Tom and Dick Smothers sued CBS and won, returned to television unsuccessfully in the mid-’70s, eventually regained success again as a stand-up duo, and ultimately became cultural touchstones and icons to a generation of writers and comedians. It’s impossible to imagine Saturday Night Live, Politically Incorrect, Real Time with Bill Maher, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Last Week Tonight, etc. existing without the Smothers Brothers’s efforts to reshape television into something more socially relevant. Despite losing their show, and never again regaining the massive and influential popularity they had as hosts of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, David Bianculli had these concluding words to say about their career: “The longer they lasted, and the more they stayed true to their beliefs and styles, the more that mainstream America came to respect and even revere them, for stubbornly fighting for principles and ideas that, over time, were acknowledged as the right ones.” That’s a fitting epitaph for a career that spanned more than 50 years. Kudos to Bianculli for so richly bringing it all to life.
Still, I knew enough about the the Smothers Brothers and their show — talented singers and musicians who could do folk music straight but were better when they lampooned it, the signature “Mom always liked you best!” line, the infamous Who appearance, Tommy Smothers playing guitar with John Lennon (and getting name-checked in the fourth and final verse) in the Montreal hotel room where “Give Peace a Chance” was recorded, getting folk singer Pete Seeger on TV for the first time in nearly 20 years after being blacklisted in the 1950s — that when I heard about David Bianculli’s book I immediately added it to my list.
What I didn’t really know, and what Bianculli (probably best known as television critic and occasional guest host for Terry Gross’ NPR program Fresh Air) wonderfully details in his book “Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” is just how groundbreaking, cutting-edge, envelope-pushing, and status-quo-challenging Tom and Dick Smothers’s variety show really was. At a time when television networks (remember, there were only three back then) actively avoided issues in their programming, Comedy Hour insisted on doing exactly the opposite. Lampooning a sitting U.S. president, criticizing the government and its policies, addressing hot-button issues, even something as seemingly benign as musicians performing unreleased songs — these are so commonplace today that we would scarcely have anything on late-night television without them. But in 1967, all of that was unheard of.
The show, under the driving force of older brother Tommy, and with its stable of young writers (including then-unknowns Steve Martin and Rob Reiner), worked tirelessly and ceaselessly to push the boundaries of what was considered permissible in television satire. Of course, it all seems so tame now. But Bianculli, by deftly placing the show in the context of its time and giving the reader a real sense of what America was like in the late ’60s — politically, morally, societally — brings vividly to life why the show was so threatening to middle America, so infuriating to CBS and its censors, and why, despite a still-sizeable viewership and winning an Emmy award for its writing, the show was abruptly cancelled.
The story, of course, doesn’t end there. Tom and Dick Smothers sued CBS and won, returned to television unsuccessfully in the mid-’70s, eventually regained success again as a stand-up duo, and ultimately became cultural touchstones and icons to a generation of writers and comedians. It’s impossible to imagine Saturday Night Live, Politically Incorrect, Real Time with Bill Maher, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Last Week Tonight, etc. existing without the Smothers Brothers’s efforts to reshape television into something more socially relevant. Despite losing their show, and never again regaining the massive and influential popularity they had as hosts of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, David Bianculli had these concluding words to say about their career: “The longer they lasted, and the more they stayed true to their beliefs and styles, the more that mainstream America came to respect and even revere them, for stubbornly fighting for principles and ideas that, over time, were acknowledged as the right ones.” That’s a fitting epitaph for a career that spanned more than 50 years. Kudos to Bianculli for so richly bringing it all to life.
November 19, 2010
I've only discovered the Smothers Brothers fairly recently, and I've never seen their show (I was 18 months old when it went off the air). After reading this book, I'd really like to fix this.
I knew them as funny folk singers. I'd heard they had a political bent as well, as many folk singers of that era did. I had no idea what they'd accomplished on their show, and how much more they tried to do, but were stopped by CBS and the censors.
I really enjoyed the look at the brothers as people, and I particularly liked finding out about how they influenced the world. Tom Smothers had an eye for talent, featuring writers, comedians and musicians that had never been heard from before, but are well known now.
The late 60s/early 70s were a time of change, and the conflicts within the show were representative of this.
On the one hand, there was a desire (particularly among the younger set) for more openness about sexuality (we're talking use of the word "breast", not anything that would be seen as steamy today), about religion (the first skit that caused problems was one that was actually enjoyed by audiences of clergy of multiple denominations), and drugs.
On the other hand, there was a feeling that the airwaves should be safe for everyone-- that no one should be offended by what they see on TV, and that the network censors had a responsibility to make that happen.
Then there was the political landscape-- the changing views about the Vietnam War, and what was appropriate to say about it was an ongoing issue for the show, and popular opinion underwent a significant change over the three years the show was on the air.
I really only know the big facts about Nixon and his presidency-- this book showed me a part of the kind of control he tried to wield over the entire nation, including the world of television.
The book also does a very good job of showing the influence the Smothers Brothers have had on later generations of shows and entertainers.
The content of the book gets a full 5 stars from me. Unfortunately, the writing style did not work quite as well.
I can't quite describe what bothered me about it-- the best I can say is that I was often aware of the narrator over the story being told, and I usually didn't see the value to this. In addition, the same information was repeated multiple times, perhaps in an effort to make each chapter able to stand on its own.
I didn't have any major problems with the writing, but it did dampen my enjoyment of the book a little.
Overall, this was a wonderful read, and I'd recommend it for anyone with an interest in television, in politics, or this era. Think holiday present!
I knew them as funny folk singers. I'd heard they had a political bent as well, as many folk singers of that era did. I had no idea what they'd accomplished on their show, and how much more they tried to do, but were stopped by CBS and the censors.
I really enjoyed the look at the brothers as people, and I particularly liked finding out about how they influenced the world. Tom Smothers had an eye for talent, featuring writers, comedians and musicians that had never been heard from before, but are well known now.
The late 60s/early 70s were a time of change, and the conflicts within the show were representative of this.
On the one hand, there was a desire (particularly among the younger set) for more openness about sexuality (we're talking use of the word "breast", not anything that would be seen as steamy today), about religion (the first skit that caused problems was one that was actually enjoyed by audiences of clergy of multiple denominations), and drugs.
On the other hand, there was a feeling that the airwaves should be safe for everyone-- that no one should be offended by what they see on TV, and that the network censors had a responsibility to make that happen.
Then there was the political landscape-- the changing views about the Vietnam War, and what was appropriate to say about it was an ongoing issue for the show, and popular opinion underwent a significant change over the three years the show was on the air.
I really only know the big facts about Nixon and his presidency-- this book showed me a part of the kind of control he tried to wield over the entire nation, including the world of television.
The book also does a very good job of showing the influence the Smothers Brothers have had on later generations of shows and entertainers.
The content of the book gets a full 5 stars from me. Unfortunately, the writing style did not work quite as well.
I can't quite describe what bothered me about it-- the best I can say is that I was often aware of the narrator over the story being told, and I usually didn't see the value to this. In addition, the same information was repeated multiple times, perhaps in an effort to make each chapter able to stand on its own.
I didn't have any major problems with the writing, but it did dampen my enjoyment of the book a little.
Overall, this was a wonderful read, and I'd recommend it for anyone with an interest in television, in politics, or this era. Think holiday present!
March 29, 2010
We always knew that Tommy Smothers was the more political of the famous Smothers Brothers comedy duo, but perhaps we never knew just how stridently he fought to maintain it. In 1967, (pre-cable) television was not the place for making snide, clever or obtuse political references on an entertainment variety show. At least so thought the well ensconced executives who ran the Tiffany network, CBS.
WIth guests like Joan Baez, David Steinberg, Pete Seeger and The Who (not to mention in-house talent like Steve Martin, Pat Paulsen, Mason Williams ("Classical Gas") and Glen Campbell), Tom and Dick Smothers produced a Sunday night, prime-time variety show that was made for the counter-culture times (drugs, anti-war, anti-cop, etc...) The trouble was, CBS didn't feel like inviting push-back from it's myriad of constituencies, ranging from big-name sponsors to the eventual Nixon White House. Thus the brothers found themselves in endless battles over content with the network censors such that each show, each skit had to be reviewed by various people in the food-chain to determine it's appropriateness in the days leading up to each broadcast.
Such machinations ultimately created a war between Tom and the network that, by 1969, ended in the termination of the show altogether.
Television writer, David Bianculli (Teleliteracy: Taking Television Seriously) has painstakingly gone back through every episode, internal memos, court transcripts (they sued CBS for breach of contract) as well as conducting interviews with everyone from the brothers to Lorne Michaels (then a writer for Smothers' competitor "Rowan & Martin's Laugh In") to CBS executives, former managers and others, in assembling the ultimate Smothers Brothers story. (Unfortunately, it took nearly fifteen years for Bianculli to finish the book between other projects and a heavy case of self-admitted procrastination.)
While much of the material that was considered `too hot for television' back in 1967-69 would seem undramatically harmless today, it is clear that the brothers were pushing the limits of network television content by 60's standards. To witness what they went through in combining comedy and politics and the effect it had on the times (the Vietnam War, LBJ, the Beatles, etc.) one cannot help but draw a straight line between their show and the work of modern day cable satirists like Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert and John Stewart, who would not be where they are today without the work of Dick and particularly, Tom Smothers.
WIth guests like Joan Baez, David Steinberg, Pete Seeger and The Who (not to mention in-house talent like Steve Martin, Pat Paulsen, Mason Williams ("Classical Gas") and Glen Campbell), Tom and Dick Smothers produced a Sunday night, prime-time variety show that was made for the counter-culture times (drugs, anti-war, anti-cop, etc...) The trouble was, CBS didn't feel like inviting push-back from it's myriad of constituencies, ranging from big-name sponsors to the eventual Nixon White House. Thus the brothers found themselves in endless battles over content with the network censors such that each show, each skit had to be reviewed by various people in the food-chain to determine it's appropriateness in the days leading up to each broadcast.
Such machinations ultimately created a war between Tom and the network that, by 1969, ended in the termination of the show altogether.
Television writer, David Bianculli (Teleliteracy: Taking Television Seriously) has painstakingly gone back through every episode, internal memos, court transcripts (they sued CBS for breach of contract) as well as conducting interviews with everyone from the brothers to Lorne Michaels (then a writer for Smothers' competitor "Rowan & Martin's Laugh In") to CBS executives, former managers and others, in assembling the ultimate Smothers Brothers story. (Unfortunately, it took nearly fifteen years for Bianculli to finish the book between other projects and a heavy case of self-admitted procrastination.)
While much of the material that was considered `too hot for television' back in 1967-69 would seem undramatically harmless today, it is clear that the brothers were pushing the limits of network television content by 60's standards. To witness what they went through in combining comedy and politics and the effect it had on the times (the Vietnam War, LBJ, the Beatles, etc.) one cannot help but draw a straight line between their show and the work of modern day cable satirists like Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert and John Stewart, who would not be where they are today without the work of Dick and particularly, Tom Smothers.
October 26, 2013
If you grew up in the United States, and were born after 1960 or so, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour may be the most significant television program you’ve never heard of.
It ran for only three seasons (1967-1969), but in that time it was television’s premier showcase for up-and-coming musical acts and topical humor. It booked some of the leading musical acts of the late sixties—Donovan, Jefferson Airplane, Joan Baez, and the Who—and broke the 17-year network-television blacklist of folksinger Pete Seeger, but its impact on comedy was even greater. Guided by Tom Smothers, who produced helped to write the show as well as sharing hosting duties with his younger brother Dick, Comedy Hour joked about once-taboo subjects (sex, drugs, religion) and hot-button political issues such as race relations and the Vietnam War. It was something unheard of at the time (and still rare): an entertainment program with a distinct political point-of-view.
The show’s constant pushing of the envelope made battles between the creative staff and the network censors inevitable, and Tom’s combative personality, and fierce commitment to his political principles intensified them. Both the network and the nation acquired new, more conservative presidents during the show’s third and final season, making the battles even more ferocious. CBS eventually won the battle—terminating the brothers’ contract on a flimsy legal pretext—but it lost culture war. The Smothers Brothers became heroes to the young, the educated, and the politically engaged . . . and inspirations for virtually every topical-comedy program that has aired on American television since.
David Bianculi sets out, in Dangerously Funny, to recount the history of the show and make a case for its significance. Both parts work brilliantly. The narrative of the show’s three seasons is meticulously detailed, but the details are carefully chosen to make the case for the Smothers Brothers as powerful, influential voices in a turbulent time. Bianculi writes with the warmth and enthusiasm of a fan, but the discrimination and analytical bent of a cultural historian. He takes care to move beyond “Isn’t it cool that Pete Seeger appeared on the show?” and into why—at that particular moment in 1968—it was revolutionary.
Dangerously Funny is, as a result of Bianculi’s eye for detail and ear for dialogue, not just a great book about a legendary television series—it’s an important contribution to our understanding of America in the 1960s.
It ran for only three seasons (1967-1969), but in that time it was television’s premier showcase for up-and-coming musical acts and topical humor. It booked some of the leading musical acts of the late sixties—Donovan, Jefferson Airplane, Joan Baez, and the Who—and broke the 17-year network-television blacklist of folksinger Pete Seeger, but its impact on comedy was even greater. Guided by Tom Smothers, who produced helped to write the show as well as sharing hosting duties with his younger brother Dick, Comedy Hour joked about once-taboo subjects (sex, drugs, religion) and hot-button political issues such as race relations and the Vietnam War. It was something unheard of at the time (and still rare): an entertainment program with a distinct political point-of-view.
The show’s constant pushing of the envelope made battles between the creative staff and the network censors inevitable, and Tom’s combative personality, and fierce commitment to his political principles intensified them. Both the network and the nation acquired new, more conservative presidents during the show’s third and final season, making the battles even more ferocious. CBS eventually won the battle—terminating the brothers’ contract on a flimsy legal pretext—but it lost culture war. The Smothers Brothers became heroes to the young, the educated, and the politically engaged . . . and inspirations for virtually every topical-comedy program that has aired on American television since.
David Bianculi sets out, in Dangerously Funny, to recount the history of the show and make a case for its significance. Both parts work brilliantly. The narrative of the show’s three seasons is meticulously detailed, but the details are carefully chosen to make the case for the Smothers Brothers as powerful, influential voices in a turbulent time. Bianculi writes with the warmth and enthusiasm of a fan, but the discrimination and analytical bent of a cultural historian. He takes care to move beyond “Isn’t it cool that Pete Seeger appeared on the show?” and into why—at that particular moment in 1968—it was revolutionary.
Dangerously Funny is, as a result of Bianculi’s eye for detail and ear for dialogue, not just a great book about a legendary television series—it’s an important contribution to our understanding of America in the 1960s.
December 31, 2023
RIP Tommy Smothers 1937-2023
The Smothers Brothers variety show of the late 60’s is really worth going back to watch.
Tom was always getting things wrong yet with a bit of impishness beneath the confusion and his constantly exasperated straight man brother Dick. When I was a kid, I thought they were funny, but six or seven year old me thought Dick was always so mean to Tom. Of course, behind the scenes Tommy was really the mastermind of the act and the show.
I’ve watched several episodes of the 1966-1969 show over the past year and they are still funny. And the guests! What a Who’s Who. And where else would you see the odd combination of guests like the episode featuring Don Knotts and Ravi Shankar or the one with Better Davis and The Who!
The boys were also musically talented and I love watching them perform old standards even though Tommy usually messes up something along the way.
We also get to see acts we never got to see anywhere else on television (Moms Mabley and Pete Seeger come to mind). The supporting performers were top notch too. They included Scoey Mitchell, hippie girl Leigh French and of course the dead-pan comic stylings of perennial “presidential candidate” Pat Paulsen.
And there were the politics that they didn’t shy away from. The Stephen Colberts, John Stewarts and Jimmy Kimmels of TV land certainly owe a debt of gratitude to the Smothers. Of course, the Smothers would often use more subtle tweaks than the sledgehammer approach of the more recent inclinations.
And they were right about civil rights, gun violence, the Vietnam War and that Ronald Reagan‘s presence in politics should have remained a punchline
It was too much for the networks and the show didn’t last nearly as long as it should have. Of course, the team remained a fixture on television for years to come after the demise of their show.
Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is a terrific rundown of their career and their show. I read it when it came out and Tommy’s final exit has made me want to revisit it.
The Smothers Brothers variety show of the late 60’s is really worth going back to watch.
Tom was always getting things wrong yet with a bit of impishness beneath the confusion and his constantly exasperated straight man brother Dick. When I was a kid, I thought they were funny, but six or seven year old me thought Dick was always so mean to Tom. Of course, behind the scenes Tommy was really the mastermind of the act and the show.
I’ve watched several episodes of the 1966-1969 show over the past year and they are still funny. And the guests! What a Who’s Who. And where else would you see the odd combination of guests like the episode featuring Don Knotts and Ravi Shankar or the one with Better Davis and The Who!
The boys were also musically talented and I love watching them perform old standards even though Tommy usually messes up something along the way.
We also get to see acts we never got to see anywhere else on television (Moms Mabley and Pete Seeger come to mind). The supporting performers were top notch too. They included Scoey Mitchell, hippie girl Leigh French and of course the dead-pan comic stylings of perennial “presidential candidate” Pat Paulsen.
And there were the politics that they didn’t shy away from. The Stephen Colberts, John Stewarts and Jimmy Kimmels of TV land certainly owe a debt of gratitude to the Smothers. Of course, the Smothers would often use more subtle tweaks than the sledgehammer approach of the more recent inclinations.
And they were right about civil rights, gun violence, the Vietnam War and that Ronald Reagan‘s presence in politics should have remained a punchline
It was too much for the networks and the show didn’t last nearly as long as it should have. Of course, the team remained a fixture on television for years to come after the demise of their show.
Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is a terrific rundown of their career and their show. I read it when it came out and Tommy’s final exit has made me want to revisit it.
September 10, 2012
This book is more than the story of the three year run of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. It is also the story of The Smothers Brothers. If you like the Smothers Brothers, it is a treasure trove of info about how the act was started and how it was shaped.
I listened to one or two of their comedy albums over and over, as a kid. I didn't see their show, except in re-runs and documentaries, but since I have a brother, their comedy was very funny to me.
Later in life, when I learned that Tommy (Guitar, left) was older I was really surprised, because he was the more immature acting of the two. In this audiobook, I learned that Tommy was the main writer of the show and did almost everything to get the 'Comedy Hour' on the air. It was his vision and really all his. Dick (Bass, right) came in, learned his stuff, performed it and when home and on vacation. I found that interesting, because the act makes it seem that those roles would be reversed.
A lot of the shows are discussed. The guests, the behind the scenes information I like to discover is in this audiobook. All that went into their controversy and the trumped up reason for being cancelled, when the real reason was probably the fact that the network didn't care for Tommy expressions of his political views and pushing the envelope of the network's standards and practices.
There is a lot in this book and it was all good for me.
I listened to one or two of their comedy albums over and over, as a kid. I didn't see their show, except in re-runs and documentaries, but since I have a brother, their comedy was very funny to me.
Later in life, when I learned that Tommy (Guitar, left) was older I was really surprised, because he was the more immature acting of the two. In this audiobook, I learned that Tommy was the main writer of the show and did almost everything to get the 'Comedy Hour' on the air. It was his vision and really all his. Dick (Bass, right) came in, learned his stuff, performed it and when home and on vacation. I found that interesting, because the act makes it seem that those roles would be reversed.
A lot of the shows are discussed. The guests, the behind the scenes information I like to discover is in this audiobook. All that went into their controversy and the trumped up reason for being cancelled, when the real reason was probably the fact that the network didn't care for Tommy expressions of his political views and pushing the envelope of the network's standards and practices.
There is a lot in this book and it was all good for me.
January 8, 2010
It's always easy to sentimentalize the past -- the light is always gold, things were more innocent, at least that's all true if the remembered time were really so halcyon. Jon Stewart recently pointed out that the best time for most adults occurred when they were children. Adults have a different take on the times. The late 60's were full of turmoil, change, not all of it for the best. But that could be said of any era. The Smothers Brothers grew with the times and tried to make their show more than the usual pastiche of comedy and music, falling afoul of the powers that be. Martyred in the name of change. This book by NPR's David Banculli evokes those times with candor and more than a little humor. There are some true laughs, and more than a little nostalgia -- I had forgotten the wonderful Jimmy Durante backed by Nelson Riddle, and that memory alone would make me recommend this book, let alone The Who's smashing of their instruments. (I particularly liked Dick Smothers' reaction to that anarchic trait of The Who.)
May 1, 2022
Until recently, I only really knew the Smothers Brothers as the folk music guys that were frequent guests on the 1980s version of Hollywood Squares.
But, as I've heard more and more about the history of comedy, their names kept coming up in discussion. Not too long ago, David Bianculli appeared on a episode of WTF with Marc Maron to discuss "Canceled Comedy" and he mentioned this book.
Not long after that appearance, Maron had the Smothers Brothers as guests and after hearing them talk about "the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," I realized that I needed to read the book.
I'm so glad that I did. I now have such a new appreciation for Tom and Dick. They're so much more than I had originally thought of them. Their show was ground breaking and important. It had a voice that spoke to people and for a generation.
Their show also influenced so much of what I watch and listen to now.
I'm so glad that I listened to those podcasts and that I read this book. It was really informative for me.
But, as I've heard more and more about the history of comedy, their names kept coming up in discussion. Not too long ago, David Bianculli appeared on a episode of WTF with Marc Maron to discuss "Canceled Comedy" and he mentioned this book.
Not long after that appearance, Maron had the Smothers Brothers as guests and after hearing them talk about "the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," I realized that I needed to read the book.
I'm so glad that I did. I now have such a new appreciation for Tom and Dick. They're so much more than I had originally thought of them. Their show was ground breaking and important. It had a voice that spoke to people and for a generation.
Their show also influenced so much of what I watch and listen to now.
I'm so glad that I listened to those podcasts and that I read this book. It was really informative for me.
September 28, 2010
I remember watching the Smothers Brothers in the 80s and liking them, though I was too young to get a lot of their jokes. I've been listening to some of their albums again and loving them, so I figured this book would be a great companion to that. The brothers were and continue to be a fascinating duo. But the book doesn't quite carry me away. There are a lot of facts I had no idea about, but Bianculli spends too much time (for my taste) getting into the nitty-gritty of the multitudes of specific people at CBS who came down against them. And there's a bizarre amount of repetition, as though the author doesn't trust that we'll remember a particular detail he mentioned two chapters ago. I also would like to have heard more about what Tom and Dick were experiencing in their personal lives as the show went on, to give it a fuller picture. He does that with what was going on in America, but I'd also like to have had more on what was going on within the Smother(s) families, too.
December 20, 2014
I never saw the show, born in 67, but I have an intense interest in stand-up and subversive comedy. I enjoy comedy and it's history and it appears the Smothers Brothers were way ahead of the game. I always thought these guys were kinda fuddy duddy and square, that's not the case at all. These guys, especially TommY Smothers, were rebels and anti-establishment all the way during the crazy days of the 60's. They used their show to express unpopular sentiments and were targeted as a result. This story is really about an age old battle between censorship and creative/free expression. The powers that be always want to stifle the freedom of expression to "protect" us from being offended or to preserve the sanctity of sacred traditions and institutions, read the conservative mindset. Didn't realize that the Smothers were part of a long line of satirical comics and musicians, springing from the folk tradition. I'll have to watch some of their shows now!
October 4, 2017
A tribute to the men who brought meaning to T.V.
I absolutely loved the Smothers Brothers Comedy Show. This wonderful book talks about the behind-the-scenes struggles to make T.V. relevant at a time when the Vietnam war was raging, and no one else was speaking up about the wrongness of it. Tom Smothers did and brought the younger generation back to television by introducing new young talent and talking about the things that they were concerned about. They were fired for it, but what an effect it had on T.V. in the future. Even if you don't even remember the show, this story is well worth to appreciate what Tom's genius did for the country.
I absolutely loved the Smothers Brothers Comedy Show. This wonderful book talks about the behind-the-scenes struggles to make T.V. relevant at a time when the Vietnam war was raging, and no one else was speaking up about the wrongness of it. Tom Smothers did and brought the younger generation back to television by introducing new young talent and talking about the things that they were concerned about. They were fired for it, but what an effect it had on T.V. in the future. Even if you don't even remember the show, this story is well worth to appreciate what Tom's genius did for the country.
August 31, 2012
I'm having a hard time reading this book. I grew up listening to my dad's folk records, especially The Kingston Trio, The New Christy Minstrels, and the Smothers Brothers, and I still love the music and humor of the Smothers Brothers. But it is hard for me to learn the "inside story" of their comedy hour, and I find myself losing respect for Tom in particular--who I remembered as being just so gosh-darn funny when I was younger, but comes across in these pages as self-righteous and preachy.
Definitely some good discussion material here.
Definitely some good discussion material here.
January 20, 2018
I loved listening to my parents' Smothers Brothers album when I was a kid. So, when I saw this book dealing with the Smothers Brothers and their TV show, I just had to read it.
The book spent a lot of time describing various skits on the show, and repeated itself often. A good edit would have shortened the book by about 10%. But, it was interesting.
If you like the Smothers Brothers, I would recommend.
The book spent a lot of time describing various skits on the show, and repeated itself often. A good edit would have shortened the book by about 10%. But, it was interesting.
If you like the Smothers Brothers, I would recommend.
August 15, 2013
Went on too long. Too much of who was mad at who and when. I was ready for the final page turn, close that back cover and exhale a "whew."
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