THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR: THE BEST OF SEASON 3
How in the world did I overlook giving this set a Seal of Approval until now? When Time Life approached Tom and Dick Smothers about releasing best-of-season sets of their classic, influential Sixties variety series, the company wanted to begin sequentially, with Season 1, but Tom insisted upon starting with Season 3. It was his favorite, and he feared that a complete series might never follow – and damned if he wasn’t right, at least for now, because production stopped after Season 3 was released. But what a season: Pat Paulsen running for President, the Smothers Brothers taking on the censors, Mason Williams delivering a final-episode poem called “The Censor,” and contributions from such final-season writers as Steve Martin and Rob Reiner. I wrote the liner notes – and the book about this show, Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour’– but that’s not why I’m recommending this set. I’m recommending it because it’s wonderful – and, in TV history, important. –DB