DAVID BIANCULLI

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My Smothers Brothers Book "Drops" This Week -- And So Do I, Into a Few National TV and Radio Shows
November 30, 2009  | By David Bianculli  | 5 comments
 

daily-beast.jpgWell, this is the week I've been waiting for -- for some 15 years -- so please forgive a little pride, and self-promotion. But Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour' hits bookstores Tuesday -- and this week, I show up on a few national shows to promote the book. Here's the breakdown of where and when...

MONDAY, NOV. 30 -- NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. This is a very exciting show for me. For the first half, I'm the guest, interviewed by Terry about my book. Then, in the second half, I turn around and talk with Hal Holbrook, who has a new movie out. Interviewee, then interviewer, in the same hour. I'm proud of both halves of that double feature.

(Check local listings for air times, or click HERE after about 5 p.m. ET to listen to the show.)

TUESDAY, DEC. 1 -- ABC's Good Morning America. So far as I know, a pretaped segment featuring Tom Smothers and me will run Tuesday during the show's second hour (8-9 a.m. ET). The interviewer is Tom Bergeron, who was very nice and well-informed. And I didn't even have to dance.

FRIDAY, DEC. 4 -- CBS's Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Again, so far as I know, I'll be appearing on this show Friday, in a segment to be taped this Thursday. More on this later -- but much as I'm petrified by this appearance, I know I'm in good hands.

And that's pretty much my major media blitz. After that, like a locust emerging once every 15 years or so, I'll burrow back underground (well, to my basement office) for another long round of dormancy.

Oh, and one more thing: A website devoted to the book launches today: dangerouslyfunnythebook.com. Click on it, and you'll get the main page, which we've just made live. (Thanks, Rich and Eric!)

And over the next couple of days, we'll add quotes from, and links to, the latest reviews of the book, like the Daily Beast nod shown above. (To read the review, click HERE.) Also, we'll add detailed chapter-by-chapter book notes, for those interested in my research.

Remember, also, that you can BUY this book, too. (Links to that are at the top of this site, and the new one.) You must know SOMEONE old who doesn't want another tie for the holidays...

Anyway, wish me luck. Hell has frozen over for real -- and the ice slide looks like a hell of a lot of fun.

 

14 Comments

 

shauna said:

Congratulations and good luck David! Can't wait to see you with Craig.

Comment posted on November 30, 2009 11:55 AM


Mac said:

Good luck David-I got my copy from Amazon(sorry,I forgot to go through the website for the added revenue) over the weekend and am swimming in all the details.Thank goodness this ain't a breezy tape recorder quick thoughts off the cuff kind of book but a newsy,interview laden,fact-checked story. I don't want to write a review on Amazon's website until I've absorbed all of the book.
Also,I'm hoping for a Philly area book signing at some time-hopefully on a weekend,since I work middle shift.
And when you get to Ferguson,have Craig's band of crack LA studio musicians play the Smothers' theme(I hope everyone gets the joke) and say "Hi" to Wavy the alligator/crocodile but don't get too close,he bites.

[Thanks for buying a copy! I'll be doing a book signing in Cherry Hill in January -- close as I'm getting to Philly. I'll keep you posted. And I'd love to met Wavy, too. -- David B.]

Comment posted on November 30, 2009 12:48 PM


Miles said:

My copies (one for me and one as a Christmas gift for my mom) arrived on Saturday courtesy of Amazon.com. 67 pages in and thoroughly enjoying it!

[TWO copies? My hero! Let me know what you think if you get all the way through it. -- David B.]

Comment posted on November 30, 2009 1:22 PM


elsie said:

At long last... Good luck, but even more...Congratulations!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!

Comment posted on November 30, 2009 1:35 PM


Melinda Copper said:

Congrats! so happy this came out while there are yet a few functioning brain cells that remember the sixties... I ordered myself a copy for Christmas but plan to sneak into it early.

[Dear Melinda -- Save those brain cells. My nefarious plan, if it works out, has us doing the next book together... a 35-year-old children's book... -- David B.]

Comment posted on November 30, 2009 1:52 PM


Neil said:

In my role as Chief of the Ambiguity Police, I must point out that Craig Ferguson's "Thursday" show actually airs on Friday (at 12:37 AM) on the coasts, and his "Friday" show airs on Saturday morning. And both of them tape (IIRC) on Thursday. So can you be more specific which of these shows it is?

Congrats on f.i.n.a.l.l.y giving birth to the book. Give a holler if your plans include a stop in the Bay Area.

[It's even more vague: I won't know until later today [Tuesday] whether I'll be on the Thursday or Friday shows, which you might consider the Friday or Saturday ones. We'll get it all sorted out today, and I'll post an update on my blog.

And I WAS in the Bay area, to tape the GMA piece that runs this morning. Sorry I missed you. But, at the time, I was too sick to do anything but cough and wheeze. -- David B.]

Comment posted on November 30, 2009 6:30 PM


Jason David said:

Hello, David. I'm reading your book, and I was wondering why you made no mention of Don Novello. Any particular reason?

[Yes. I love Don Novello - but he didn't appear until the Smothers' first comeback series in the mid-seventies. I gave very little detail about those post-60s shows. But you're absolutely right to ask. Novello, with his Vatican Correspondent bits, was another inspired lunatic embraced by Tom and the gang. -- David B.]

Comment posted on November 30, 2009 8:52 PM


Jason David said:

Regarding the Don Noveloo question, I forgot to mention that I'm really enjoying the book.

[And I forgot to mention that I didn't mind the question at all -- and I love that you HAVE the book! Thanks. -- David B.]

Comment posted on November 30, 2009 9:43 PM


len feiner said:

Any book signings coming up in NYC or Northern NJ? I'd like to come.

[It'd be great to see you! I have a NYC signing at the Barnes and Noble at Lincoln Triangle on Jan. 11, and a Cherry Hill-area date at the Borders in Marlton, NJ, on Jan. 16. More details later. -- David B.]

Comment posted on December 1, 2009 7:04 AM


Robert said:

Even though I pre-ordered two copies of your book from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, I was too impatient to wait until this week to get it - bought my third copy "in person" after seeing it (surprisingly) displayed at the Wall Street Borders store in NYC the day before Thanksgiving...can't say enough good things about it, and especially enjoyed reading about Tom and Dick's early years growing up. A perfect companion piece to the "Smothered" documentary and the Time-Life "Comedy Hour" Seaaon 2 & 3 DVD's - congratulations!

p.s. Any feedback from Tom and/or Dick yet? I have no doubt they must be very pleased!

[They're pleased they're still alive to read it -- I will say that. It took me WAY too long to finish. Thanks for the great kind words, and the Borders sighting of the book I haven't even been in a bookstore yet.-- David B.]

Comment posted on December 1, 2009 11:13 AM


Marlark said:

Congrtulations! Can't wait to bring my copy to your Cherry Hill book signing. Do you draw a parallel of The Smothers Brother's smothering to that of Bill Maher's by ABC?

[Indeed I do. Right there in the intro! Well done, sir! -- David B.]

Comment posted on December 1, 2009 12:30 PM


Jennifer said:

I am so looking forward to reading this book-I've been watching The Smothers Brothers on DVD and in some ways the show is very timeless.
I also wrote about them in a blog a couple of weeks ago. I'm also sending Messieurs Smothers the link soon as well:
http://www.redroom.com/blog/jenniferkate/move-over-che-smothers-brothers-are-here

Comment posted on December 1, 2009 8:22 PM


Jason David said:

Thanks for the clarification. I actually just read past the section which mentioned Novello. I think I was thrown off by his lack of presence in the index.
[The index is the one part of the book I didn't write... though I'm happy with it. Thanks. -- David B.]

Comment posted on December 1, 2009 11:19 PM


David Dean said:

Hey, David -- remember the comment I made when you first revealed the cover, and I wondered why "The Smothers Brothers" and "Comedy Hour" were two separate colors? Bought the book today, and it got fixed! All in red! Happy to help. And congratulations!

Comment posted on December 6, 2009 11:10 PM
 
 
 
 
 
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