Dangerously funny : the uncensored story of "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"

Summary: Decades before The Daily Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour proved there was a place on television for no-holds-barred political comedy with a decidedly anti-authoritarian point of view. Censorship battles, mind-blowing musical performances, and unforgettable sketches defined the show and its era. In this compelling history, the author draws on decades worth of original research, including interviews with Tom and Dick Smothers and other key players, to tell the fascinating story of the show's three-year network run--and the cultural impact that's still being felt today. (Publisher)

Record details

ISBN: 1439101167
ISBN: 9781439101162
ISBN: 1439101175
ISBN: 9781439101179
Physical Description: xx, 404 p., [16] p. of plates : ill. ; 24 cm.
print
Edition: First Touchstone trade paperback ed.
Publisher: New York : Simon & Schuster, 2010.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (p.[387]-394) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

The birth of the Smothers brothers (and the Smothers sister) -- The Smothers Brothers, all three of them, take the stage -- Tom and Dick shoot for Paar -- The Smothers Brothers, on the record -- "High noon on the Ponderosa" -- Revolution in a shoe box -- And so it begins : The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour -- Testing the CBS censors, the first encounters -- From hit status to Elaine May not -- Becoming more creative, and more substantive -- Homegrown talent : Pat Paulsen, Leigh French, Mason Williams -- Season two : breaking the blacklist of Pete Seeger -- The Who explodes -- The generation gap widens, even on TV -- Wading back into "The Big Muddy" -- "Classical gas" -- The Smothers Brothers Smothers Show -- Season three : "We're still here" -- Meet the Beatles, this time on Comedy Hour -- Pat Paulsen for president -- David Steinberg finds religion -- Hair today, gone tomorrow -- Beeping censors lurking in the wings -- Classics and controversies -- Fired, not canceled -- The aftermath, the bed-in, and the trial -- After the fall, and couples therapy -- The Smothers Brothers legacy.