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)

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.

I grew up loving these guys

As the title indicates, this isn't a complete biography of the brothers. You get background information on both of them, but it's more the story of their careers, together and apart. I knew a few things from seeing them give interviews, but that only gives one a few sound bites.

It's probably naive of me, but I never would have suspected the alcohol and substance abuse issues. Of course, I was a child in the sixties so I missed the whole free love and drug experimentation.

Some reviewers complained about the narration and audio quality, and they'd be right. The frequency level was not consistent and the narrator has a raspy voice so not always easy on the ears. Still, it was worth the listen.

Narrator has comic attributes and historically interesting timeline of the brothers’ rise to fame

I didn’t realize how difficult it was for them to get their programs made and aired. Tom worked so hard to make topical shows and produced and edited as well. He played the goofy brother but really held everything together. Very enjoyable to listen to this audio book.

Great book - terrible narrator

Great history of the Smothers Brothers, unfortunately, the book was almost ruined by one of the worst narrators I've ever heard do an audio book. Listen to a preview and see if you can tolerate him before purchasing.

Almost unlistenable

The narration is so off-putting as to make it difficult to pick up the book for the next listening. The up and down of his intonation makes it necessary to dial the volume up to hear the quiet parts, assaulting the eardrums a second later. And his bare attempts at imitating Pat Paulson's voice and timing, or Richard Nixon, or Lyndon Johnson, or Bobby Kennedy, grate on the nerves like dragging fingernails on a blackboard. Only the interesting subject matter elevates this rating to a 2.

Not Funny

What disappointed you about Dangerously Funny?

All they talked about for most of the book was their battle with the network and the TV Sensors

What do you think your next listen will be?

Anything would be better!

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Johnny Heller?

No One

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No

Any additional comments?

When you see Smothers Brothers you would think that the book would be Funny, NOT!

Better Name: Dangeroulsy Exaggerated

Would you try another book from David Bianculli and/or Johnny Heller?

No for the author and yes for the reader

Would you be willing to try another book from David Bianculli? Why or why not?

God no!

Bianculli is a TV critic, so this is his core knowledge base. The bulk of this book is basically a play-by-play for every show. It can be very informative, but also very tedious, but that I can forgive because it seems to me that it's how a TV critic would think.

The big issue is that he tries to over-sell the product.

He uses extreme exaggeration. The easiest way to describe this without spoiling anything is in the final chapter when he tried to proclaim the shows influence on today's television/comedy scenes, linking it to every possible show he can. He says they influenced Flight of the Conchords, who are from New Zealand, were born a number of years after the show was cancelled and most importantly and have never made such claims. Just because there are two of them and they sing, doesn't mean that they were ever influenced by Dick and Tom. And would Stephen Colbert have ever attempted to get on the ballot in South Carolina without Pat Paulsen having done so in 68? Of course he would have. He contradicts this claim by listing other people who had run as part of a humor bit. He uses this method elsewhere in the book too, but that begins to border on spoilers.

He also plays the conspiracy card by trying to incriminate Nixon in their being fired. Despite owning up to the fact that he could find no proof, he then spends a lot of time using logical fallacies to tie a man who had been in office for barely 3 months to their being fired.

And he makes too many unsubstantiated claims. I imagine that some of them are true and some of them are not, but because he does it so often, I come away wary of all his claims

He's a critic and not a historian and that shows. Opinion is not stronger than fact and he seems blissfully unaware of that.

What character would you cut from Dangerously Funny?

More like who would I add. Is it possible that Dick Smothers was so inconsequential to the show that after the book shifts into the history of it, he deserves only a few passing mentions? I doubt it.

Any additional comments?

At the end of the day, Dick and Tom have cultural relevance. But what is the value of that cultural relevance? After reading the book, I am still unsure. I am quite sure its nowhere near the level that the author states.

Poor narration

I too found the narration to be uneven and choppy. The book is very interesting and the reader's voice is fine but too often it is poorly edited. It can be jarring when the volume and tone of the voice abruptly changes, sometimes in mid-sentence. I have listened to dozens of audio books and this is the first one that I have been so acutely aware of the edits. It does make for a less than enjoyable listen.