The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967–1970)The Smothers Brothers host a comedy variety that would become notorious for its topical satirical humor. |
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The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967–1970)The Smothers Brothers host a comedy variety that would become notorious for its topical satirical humor. |
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| Series cast summary: | |||
| Tom Smothers | ... |
Himself - Co-Host
(72 episodes, 1967-1969)
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| Dick Smothers | ... |
Himself - Co-Host
(72 episodes, 1967-1969)
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| Pat Paulsen | ... |
Regular Performer
(55 episodes, 1967-1969)
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| Peter Cullen | ... |
Announcer
(43 episodes, 1967-1968)
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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. Written by Kenneth Chisholm <kchishol@execulink.com>
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!