The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: The Best of Season 2 (2009) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)While I am pleased that we now have two best of volumes of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, I am disappointed that the decision has apparently been made not to issue complete seasons. I am also disappointed to see that some of the shows appear to be edited. Because I am not sure if we will ever get the complete series with unedited shows, I recommend buying the collection if you have fond memroies about the show or are curious to see what it was all about. I've taken off one star for that nagging feeling that something is missing.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: The Best of Season 2 (2009)

After the critical acclaim and retail success of Season 3, Tom and Dick are back with Season 2. (Remember, we're going backwards--we started with Season 3 and are working our way back to Season 1!) And, as with the first release, every moment in this 3-DVD set has been handpicked by Tom and Dick Smothers! The set's pièce de résistance is the famous Who performance of My Generation, during which the band destroys all their instruments--and then proceeds to smash Tom Smothers' acoustic guitar!

Get 30% OFF

Click here for more information about The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: The Best of Season 2 (2009)

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: Season 3 (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As everyone is asking, "Where are The Best of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour Seasons 1 and 2?" I spoke directly to a Smothers Brothers rep and here's what I found out. There have been delays in producing the best of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour dvd sets due to reasons unknown. I would guess that the reasons have something to do with getting all the approvals needed by the numerous guests on the shows, that is the cause of delay. Even this Season 3 is a few weeks behind schedule.
When I asked about certain musical groups appearing on this Season 3, I was happily told that The Who will not be on Season 3, but will be appearing on Season 2, which is right now in the making! I was so happy to hear that they are currently working on Season 2! This Season 2 will contain the famous performance by The Who, when Keith Moon used too many explosives and blew out poor Pete Townsend's eardrum!
Even though all 3 Seasons are being released backwards, starting with Season 3, I am still totally thrilled! The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour always had the best performers on their shows, along with great musical performances by the best groups of the time, not to mention all the political buttons they pushed for the politicians here in America!
It's certainly wonderful to hear that they are making the "Best Of" all three Seasons of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, even if they are being released starting with this last Season 3! Getting to see these shows again is certainly a rare treat!
The information I received on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour Season 3 dvd set from Time Life, states that the following is included:
This 4 dvd set includes 11 star packed episodes from Season 3, that were personally chosen by Tom and Dick Smothers. These 11 shows (there were 26 shows made in Season 3, 26 in Season 2 and 20 in Season 1) are shown as they were originally intended, uncut and complete. When these shows aired in 1968 and 1969, they had sketches and performances that were cut out by the network censors at CBS. These shows will now be seen complete, as intended back in the 60's, before the censors cut them up. Tom and Dick Smothers will comment with an introduction before each show on this set also.
The guest list includes some of the better known stars: George Harrison, Harry Belafonte (Harry sings a very rare "Don't Stop the Carnival" as footage of the police brutality and riots at the Chicago Democratic Convention plays behind him- this was originally cut by network censors, and is for the first time released on this set), Bob Newhart, Steve Martin, George Carlin, The Doors, Ray Charles, Jackie Mason, Cass Elliot, Jonathan Winters, Joan Baez, David Steinberg, Ike and Tina Turner, Judy Collins and more.
Also included is the infamous "Pat Paulsen for President" television special, which includes newly uncovered, a never been seen appearance by Robert F. Kennedy. This was originally cut from the broadcast because of the Senator's assassination, that was being mourned by our nation. This is a very rare clip that shows the Senator's humorous side. This also includes bonus footage when Pat Paulsen takes a trip to the White House.
Included also, is a rare interview which was originally intended to air on the first show of this 3rd Season with baby doctor, Dr. Benjamin Spock. It was cut by network censors due to Dr. Spock's anti war activist stance. There are also many extra's that include never before seen rehearsal footage and also included is the 1968 press conference following the abrupt termination of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour by CBS. The Smothers Brothers had just signed their 4th Season contract, when CBS terminated them. Back then in 1969, everyone knew that this sudden cancellation of the show was due to the Smothers Brothers outspoken political humour and views. What we didn't know is how many sketches and performances were cut by CBS censors, which we now get to see for the first time ever! This set is going to be a real treat with 11 uncut shows and lots of bonus material, and I can't wait to see the "Best of" Seasons 1 and 2, even if they are being released backwards!
UPDATE July 2009- After waiting a little over a full year, THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR:THE BEST OF SEASON 2 is being released by Time-Life on October 20, 2009!! You can pre-order on Amazon now!


Click Here to see more reviews about: The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: Season 3 (2008)

This 4 DVD set includes 11 star packed episodes from the third and final season of the hour-long variety show, uncensored, just as they were originally meant to be aired. The guest list reads like a '60s who's who, including comedy stars like George Carlin, Bob Newhart, Steve Martin, Jackie Mason, Jonathan Winters, David Steinberg and musical performances by The Doors, Ike & Tina Turner, Donovan, Harry Belafonte, Ray Charles, Judy Collins, Liberace, Joan Baez, the cast of Hair and more.

Get 28% OFF

Click here for more information about The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: Season 3 (2008)

Smothered - The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (2002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The 2002 documentary "The Great Smothers Brothers Censorship Wars" tells the story of how one of the most popular comedy variety shows on television in the Sixties went to far and was axed by the network. Tom and Dick Smothers were a popular comedy and folk singing team: Tommy played both the guitar and the role of dullard while Dick played bass, sang the tenor parts in the arrangement, and tried unsuccessfully to keep his brother in line. "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" first aired on February 5, 1967 going up against the #1 show on television, "Bonanza." The show finished 16th in the Nielsens and helped knock the Cartwrights out of the top spot the following season. The show was a hit with younger viewers, who liked the irreverence of the show, which poked fun at every sacred cow they could find, aided and abetted by Pat Paulsen's "editorials."
As this documentary shows, the Smothers Brothers were having trouble getting things past the CBS censors almost from the start. When Paulsen ran a joke campaign for the presidency, CBS kept him off the air fearing the real candidates would demand equal time, but the two key blows were an appearance by folk singing legend Pete Seger, who sang the Vietnam protest song "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" and a pair of comedy "sermons" by comedian David Bernstein. The technical reason for canceling the show was the failure to provide a tape on time to be cleared by the censors, but the motivation was clearly the anti-war, left-wing, and outspoken guest stars. Tommy Smothers could yell about the First Amendment all he wanted, but in the end CBS replaced the show with "Hee Haw," a lesson that was lost on no one at the time, which was, you should remember, Richard Nixon's first term in the White House.
The documentary is fairly balanced, with talking heads from both sides, some of which will be recognizable to young viewers (e.g., Steve Martin, a Smo Bro writer). For those of us who fondly remember Leigh French, Bob Einstein, and Mason Williams, this is a nice walk down memory lane, albeit through some bad times. "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" was my favorite television show and when we left for Japan where my father was stationed it was the last television show I watched the night before the flight over. The documentary does assume that you know about the comedy of the Smothers Brothers, because that takes a back seat to the behind the camera conflicts between CBS and Tommy Smothers. Of course, in the television climate of today with what is available on cable the problems of the Smothers Brothers seems rather nostalgic, but there is still a chilling aspect to the tale when you recall the protests against the war, the assassinations of Kennedy and King, and the movement against dissent by the establishment at the end of that decade.
The great irony of course was that it was CBS that would be the network that would decide to air "All in the Family," which both ushered in an age of "relevant" prime time programming and constituted a de facto absolution for Tommy Smothers. Unfortunately, when the Smothers Brothers were let back on the air (on NBC) they were produced by Joe Hamilton, Carol Burnett's husband, who tried to force them into the mold of his wife's successful comedy variety show. By the time Tommy took over the producer's role the show was doomed by the half dozen shows he put on at the end were as fine as anything the format had seen and I am glad that when I met him several years ago I was able to tell him exactly that.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Smothered - The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (2002)

An incredible slice of America’s media and pop-culture history, SMOTHERED tells the story of the censorship struggles of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, the Emmy Award winning television program, broadcast on CBS from 1967 until it was prematurely stru

Click here for more information about Smothered - The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (2002)