Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

"The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" was an immensely popular show and it did very well in the ratings. However, it was also canceled despite these good ratings....and this 90 minute program explains why.

In order to tell the story, the film has interviews with the writers and Tom and Dick Smothers themselves as well as folks who represented the network. They also provided clips of various skits...including some of the controversial ones.

All in all, an excellent examination of the show and its demise...mostly because the writers were trying to push the envelope and the network was afraid of controversy. Well worth seeing and never dull.

All I have to say is that it was great finally hearing what really happened in the case of The Smothers Brothers. Seeing the Bros and their controversial guests talking about what happened was a treat.

As for the DVD, it would have been a good idea (as an extra feature) to include all the controversial sketches in their entirety. I understand using clips in the documentary so that the pace will not be hampered, but extra footage of the full sketches as a bonus would have been good.

Watch for Dick's reaction when Tommy talks about lighting up a joint.