The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967–1970)

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

Stars:

Tom Smothers, Dick Smothers, Pat Paulsen

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Tom Smothers	...	Himself - Co-Host (72 episodes, 1967-1969)
Dick Smothers	...	Himself - Co-Host (72 episodes, 1967-1969)
Pat Paulsen	...	Regular Performer (55 episodes, 1967-1969)
Peter Cullen	...	Announcer (43 episodes, 1967-1968)

Storyline

This comedy was to content the way Laugh-In was for form on television in the 1960's. The audience was treated to a show where two perfectly innocent looking brothers regularly doing truly subversive humor that either enraged the network executives or gave them heart attacks. The humour often included direct jokes on the Vietnam War, religion, sexuality and censorship in styles that would mirror Saturday Night Live and other later shows.

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Plot Keywords:

joke | variety | social satire | celebrity | song | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 February 1967 (USA)

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), Comedic Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Smothers would often wait until the very last minute to turn that week's taping of the show over to C.B.S.. They figured that by waiting so long that it would barely give the censors time to cut out the more objectionable material from that week's broadcast.

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Quotes

Tom: Mom liked you best!
Dick: Lower your voice!
Tom: [Basso profundo] Mom liked you best!

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Connections

Featured in Coming Home (1978)

User Reviews

A clever poke in the eye of network censorship

What can I say about this except that it better demonstrates the ugliness of censorship than any other show I've experienced.

By this, I don't mean that the show was ruined. Rather, the Brothers poked fun at the censors and made evident just how ugly the censorship movement was (and IMO still is) in American television. This show should be watched, if ever you can have the fortune to see it, if only for the elucidation of the fact that our speech isn't nearly as free as we think it is.

Aside from that, the show was clever and funny. Many brilliant parodies that were ahead of their time.

Alas, it was censorship which eventually put an end to the show when CBS canceled it.

This is a show which could never, to this date, have existed at any other time. Previous to this era, it would not have been accepted at all. Subsequent to this era, political correctness has grabbed TV in a way which never would have permitted such honest parody.

We lost a gem when it ended but it's still remembered. Thanks, guys!