"The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" (1967) TV series 1967-1970

Directors:

Bill Davis
Stan Harris

Writer:

Norman Sedawie (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

5 February 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

The Smothers Brothers host a comedy variety that would become notorious for its topical satirical humor.

Plot Keywords:

Variety | Political | Summer Of Love | Cult TV | Satire

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Tom Smothers	...	Himself - Co-Host (71 episodes, 1967-1969)
Dick Smothers	...	Himself - Co-Host (71 episodes, 1967-1969)
Pat Paulsen	...	Regular Performer / ... (54 episodes, 1967-1969)
Peter Cullen	...	Announcer / ... (43 episodes, 1967-1970)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

CBS Television City - 7800 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

The show was in the top ten at the time it was cancelled.

Quotes:

[Dick is singing 'McNamara's Band']
Tom: Okay, hold it, hold it!
[Music stops]
Tom: Didn't hear one Jewish name in there. You really stepped into it that time, didn't ya.
Dick: Yeah, I...
Tom: So you launch into a song full of the worst kind of controversy...
Dick: What's the matter - ?
Tom: There's not one Chinese, one Italian, one Greek - I didn't hear anybody in there.
Dick: Of course you didn't, because they're all Irish.
Tom: There wasn't one Palucci, one Rabinowitz, one Hayakawa. I bet you there isn't even one colored person in that band.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Coming Home (1978)

Don't Believe Everything You Hear

Lemmee say right up front that, yeah, this was a funny show. I rarely if ever missed it. And it was cutting edge too. Really pushed the envelope. But, that said, you young'uns out there that never got to see it, don't buy into the manufactured swill that it was "censored." It wasn't. Tom and Dick made all the political and social commentary points they wanted to make. They just wanted to take it a step further and posture and pose as "victims" being stepped on.

Just remember, we are talking about 1967 and the few years following, and in those days it was easy to be cutting edge. The times they were a changing. And the Smothers Brothers were right there in the middle of it. But they weren't victims and they weren't censored. CBS (yeah, *that* "see b.s.," of the forged phony lying documents to try to steal an election fame. Yep, *those* guys) tried to hold them to the standards then extant of the Tiffany Network, as CBS was once and then known. Their sponsors, the ones paying for it all, demanded it. That was all.

----UPDATE 02/02/2008----

Okay all you voters, you hate my comment. But I stand by it.

I said it was a good show. I said it was a show I rarely missed. My comment is that the allegations of "censorship" are way overblown. This show suffered from failing ratings. They tried to jack up the ratings by claiming that they were being persecuted, but it didn't work. It couldn't be saved. End of story. Use your common sense.