Dangerously Funny

The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'

By: David Bianculli

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's 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 antiauthoritarian point of view. In this explosive, revealing history of the show, veteran entertainment journalist David Bianculli tells the fascinating story of its three-year network run---and the cultural impact that's still being felt today.

Before it was suddenly removed from the CBS lineup (reportedly under pressure from the Nixon administration), The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a ratings powerhouse. It helped launch the careers of such comedy legends as Steve Martin and Rob Reiner, featured groundbreaking musical acts like the Beatles and the Who, and served as a cultural touchstone for the antiwar movement of the late 1960s.

Drawing on extensive original interviews with Tom and Dick Smothers and dozens of other key players---as well as more than a decade's worth of original research---Dangerously Funny brings listeners behind the scenes for all the battles over censorship, mind-blowing musical performances, and unforgettable sketches that defined the show and its era. David Bianculli delves deep into this riveting story to find out what really happened and to reveal why this show remains so significant to this day.

©2009 David Bianculli (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

“A fast-paced, informative reminder of the importance of speaking out.” ( Kirkus)

Great story well-told

I picked up this audiobook immediately after Tommy died. I remembered the program fondly although I was pretty young. The details of how the show went down—and what occurred on and off the air with each episode—was all new to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride and highly recommend the book most especially to anyone interested in TV production and network history, stand-up comedy, and anyone incensed by efforts to silence points of view critical of authority. After reading several reviews, I had some trepidation due to the harsh criticism of the narrator; I thought he was excellent. There were some very momentary drops in audio level but on my phone it was not that noticeable and only happened maybe a half-dozen times. I didn’t find the narrator monotone at all. And I enjoyed his impressions: I think he did Ed Sullivan and David Steinberg quite well; John Lennon and Harry Belafonte not so much! Haha I’ll forgive him for mispronouncing the town that hosted Woodstock (Bethel—read Taking Woodstock for that wild story). Major kudos to David Bianculli for doing a truly excellent job telling this story. It’s everything I’d hoped for. But mostly, thank you, Dick and Tom. Especially you, Tom, for refusing to shut up!

Entertaining and Enlightening

I was just a young girl when the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was on TV. I remember watching it with my mom and brother and laughing and laughing. My favorite skit was the continuing saga of Pat Paulson running for President. While I am sure I didn't catch all of the innuendos and inside jokes pertaining to Nixon's administration, I did understand most of what was going on. Listening to this as an adult and hearing the back story, I had no idea there was such in-fighting and drama behind a comedy show. I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommended it to my brother.

A Great Story but Poor Narrator

I enjoyed the book because I "came of age" with the Smothers Brothers. Unfortunately I found it to be a very hard listening experience because the narrator has a raspy voice which makes it sound like he is speaking in a tunnel. This should have been an entertaining book and fun to listen to with it bringing back lots of memories of the Smothers Brothers wit and satire; however I had to listen so hard to understand the narration it took the joy out of the experience.

Well written and researched

I enjoyed reading this book. It reminded me of when I watched the Smothers Brothers in the 1960’s.

great summary of an exciting time!

I was part of the generation that grew up with the Smothers Brothers. This book captures both the show and the time.

Outstanding

This was a timely read for me. There are so many correlations between the 60’s and today and it was an encouragement to be reminded of those that spoke out for civil rights and against the Vietnam war. They may have done as much as anyone to give the blacklisted artists a platform and to restore them to a legitimate status in our society.

Fascinating Look at the Brothers and their Hit Sho

I remember this show from some reruns, but knew about its impact from several other books I've read. The Smothers Brothers were super funny and most definitely ahead of their time. It was fascinating to learn about how much well known talent was first discovered or appeared on their show. I loved that Classical Gas song, and it was a delight to know that it came about because of Mason Williams friendship and collaborative efforts on their show. I also loved the stories of them fighting for (at the time) controversial guests and musical guests ahead of their time. Even making strides in race relations. What an eye for finding and nurturing talent as well as being funny. Their fight with CBS was maddening because after CBS cancelled the show, just two years later, they had to bring even more controversial shows on the air, to keep a new audience that the Smothers Brothers fit perfectly. I'm glad they won their lawsuit. The bits about Nixon trying to sabotage them was not surprising, given the era and he got caught. I wish they had a show or podcast now. An absolutely wonderful visit to the dawn of a new era with two amazingly talented brothers.

Unlistenable

The content of the book is really good. But why have a narrator that is sort of mealy mouthed and voice lilts to a fade at the end of some words and sentences? And the recording volume goes up and down terribly.

Very interesting book otherwise but the audio is unbearable.

Fascinating Read!

Regardless of your perspective on their politics, this is a fascinating read! Couldn't wait to get to my car for my commute to hear the next chapter.

Having remembered the Smothers Brothers very vaguely, this was a very informative book, not only of their careers, but of the controversy and innovation surrounding the show. The story of how they grew up and became a duo was interesting, especially the big "launch" of their careers after their performance on the Jack Parr show.

The story of their battles with the network censors (and the censors were not always the bad guys) is captivating stuff, especially trying to see it from the perspective of 1960's television. It is also interesting to note that their sketches resulted in personal calls from then President Lyndon Johnson and also Bobby Kennedy's wife.

It is also noteworthy how many "discoveries" of new talent they found along the way. And the way in which they approached showcasing new talent was also very unique for their time.

Near the end of the book, they quoted a number of prominent entertainers and writers who were influenced by the Smothers Brothers. Gary Trudeau's take on their troubles was very insightful - that they started out with the right degree of "rebelliousness", but after awhile Tom just took it too far.

If you're thinking about reading the book and have Netflix or Blockbuster Online, it may be worth the effort and time to rent the DVD's and view a few shows, as it makes the book much more meaningful.

All in all a 5 star read.

it's quite an enjoyable romp

a really fun ride through the smothers brother's comedy television shows, but the fact that the narrator tries to do all of the voices the author interviewed was not to my taste. also several times the individual chapters read more like essays than part of a book, with the author repeating himself in several places several times. overall still worth a listen, tho.