As part of today’s program, host Jane Pauley is presenting a retrospective pegged to an old CBS program, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, that premiered on the same network 50 years ago today. I’ll be watching. And back in 2009, when I was doing the last lap of research for my book Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,’ I met with Tom and Dick Smothers in Los Angeles, where they were about to be guests on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and took them on a tour of their old Comedy Hour soundstages, which were housed in the same building. One of the main stages they used for Comedy Hour back in the 1960s was now the home of The Price is Right, hosted by Drew Carey. Someone took a photo that day, of the three of us on the Price Is Right, and former Comedy Hour, stage. On the golden anniversary of the premiere of Comedy Hour, I share that personal photo as a thank-you to the brothers Smothers, for putting up with my 14 years of research leading up to the book’s publication – and for remaining friendly to me in the eight years since. For my articles about this particularly meaningful golden anniversary of Comedy Hour, see Bianculli’s Blog – or, for lots of Smothers video and quotes from Tom and Dick and head writer Mason Williams, see my article from Saturday’s New York Times, called The Smothers Brothers: Laughing at Hard Truths. Happy anniversary, Tom and Dick. Enjoy the fuss. You earned it – and, by being fired unfairly by CBS because of your outspokenness and defiance, paid for it.

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1 Comments

Mark Isenberg

Actually,the Brothers got almost one million from CBS in a contract violation suit over their cancellation for not giving the network advance previews of content which was false because every network requires legal review of a program so they won't be subject to litigation or libel. And when does Mason Williams get a documentary too,for writing and that tune,Classical Gas?

Feb 5, 2017 | Reply

David Bianculli

Dear Mark: Since I wrote the book on the Smothers Brothers, I think I can settle this particular court "case." The reason the networks now require advance reviews of programs is BECAUSE of the Smothers Brothers -- but there was nothing in their contract, when they began making the show, requiring that. It was something CBS insisted on down the line, which is why their legal standing in firing the Brothers was so flimsy. I agree, though, that a documentary on Mason Williams is long overdue. He's a fascinating guy, and he's done great things in TV, poetry, politics, art, and, of course, music.

Feb 11, 2017

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