Play Audiobook Sample
Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour' Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.05) - 447 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
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.
Download and start listening now!
"I was really looking forward to reading (or, in my case, listening) to this book. For the most part, it was an interesting and informative look back at a show that was very funny and a major cultural marker of the late 60s. If you're an old fan of the show or simply want to know what all the hubbub was about (material that was ridiculously mild by today's standards), it's worth pursuing. My only real criticism of the book is that Bianculli chronicles every episode of the show in painful detail. It's thorough, but often too repetitious."
— Dan (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
Compelling and immensely entertaining.
— Philadelphia Inquirer
Dangerously Funny Listener Reviews
-
" I really enjoyed this book. Though sometimes repetitive, the detail, research and interviews that have gone into the book are incredible. As someone who knew very little about The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, I found this quite informative while remaining entertaining. Which, in a nutshell, is what the brothers were going for with their show:) "
— Holly, 12/29/2013 -
" One of my favorite shows in my later teen years! The book gives the background to the show and their career at the time. The rumors I remember from those years of the battles with the network were true and then some - but looking back, Tommy (in particular) pushed a lot of network button on purpose! It was a great show and molded, to some degree, my sense of humor for years to come. Recommended! "
— Bob, 12/18/2013 -
" I remember enjoying the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, but I was a kid then. I remember there was some controversy about them, but I was ignorant of most of it. This book revealed a lot about the culture clash in the 1960's and gave me reason to respect and admire the Smothers Brothers for what they went through simply to entertain us and to bring new and socially relevant talent to the broadcast mainstream. So add censorship to the battles between the generations in the 1960's. Good book. "
— Ed, 11/24/2013 -
" This was quite the nostalgia trip to read - it's also a very interesting story of how the Smothers Brothers conflicted with the television network and were constantly censored. "
— Wayne, 11/24/2013 -
" Sometimes my interest in American pop culture goes about 360 pages too far. "
— Kirsten, 11/16/2013 -
" Great digging and quotes and analysis from Mr. Bianculli. Great nostalgia for boomers. Re-enlightening! "
— Arlen, 10/26/2013 -
" I'll bet there's an interesting story here, but it didn't make it into the book. "
— Ray, 10/10/2013 -
" Fascinating, illuminating, profile of the Smothers Brothers. I had known only vaguely of the Brothers' battles with CBS but this puts their lives, careers, and show in perspective. A great read. "
— Keith, 9/30/2013 -
" This is one of the best books of 60s era. Dovetails a lot of music, entertainment, politics and social change. "
— Mark, 9/27/2013 -
" Have been watching the DVDs of the last two seasons concurrently with this well-written and researched book by Fresh Air media critic Dave Bianculli. "
— Jim, 9/4/2013 -
" Wonderful book, well researched and fascinating account of a different (and yet not so different) time and a look a the entertainment industry. Highly recommended. "
— Andy, 1/12/2013 -
" Not as interesting as I thought it would be at first. Went a bit downhill toward the end. "
— Carol, 8/18/2012 -
" Not just a story of a TV show, but a snapshot of a time of great change for our country. For me, it was a memory of my very early adolescence, but it can serve as a social history for other generations. Reads fast and fun. "
— Obxboy, 12/25/2011 -
" I enjoyed this book. It felt like the author is a little head over heels for the Smothers Brothers, giving them credit for inspiring every comical utterance in the world from 1970 to present. Nevertheless, it provided a good history of the show and helped put it into the context of that time period. "
— Chad, 11/17/2011 -
" Fascinating, illuminating, profile of the Smothers Brothers. I had known only vaguely of the Brothers' battles with CBS but this puts their lives, careers, and show in perspective. A great read. "
— Kroxquo, 6/22/2011 -
" Some new useless knowledge learned from this book: Tom Smothers was the second guitar playing along with John Lennon on "Give Peace a Chance." A good nostalgic read. "
— Bill, 4/21/2011 -
" Great Read! The Smothers Brothers were ahead of their time! "
— Marci, 2/21/2011 -
" This was quite the nostalgia trip to read - it's also a very interesting story of how the Smothers Brothers conflicted with the television network and were constantly censored. "
— Wayne, 1/8/2011 -
" Wonderful book, well researched and fascinating account of a different (and yet not so different) time and a look a the entertainment industry. Highly recommended. "
— Andy, 1/5/2011 -
" Have been watching the DVDs of the last two seasons concurrently with this well-written and researched book by Fresh Air media critic Dave Bianculli. "
— Jim, 11/2/2010 -
" The writing is pedestrian at best, but the story and jokes are good enough to make it tolerable. "
— Thorn, 10/10/2010
About David Bianculli
David Bianculli has been a television critic for more than thirty years, currently on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and at www.tvworthwatching.com. He is also the author of two books on television and its impact: Teleliteracy: Taking Television Seriously and Dictionary of Teleliteracy: Television’s 500 Biggest Hits, Misses, and Events.
About Johnny Heller
Johnny Heller, winner of numerous Earphones and Audie Awards, was named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine in 2019. He has been a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award winner from 2008 through 2013 and he has been named a top voice of 2008 and 2009 and selected as one of the Top 50 Narrators of the Twentieth Century by AudioFile magazine.