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Smothers brothers returning to TV
United Press International
HOLLYWOOD — The Smothers
Brothers, television’s rebellious
comedy team of the turbulent ‘60s,
have returned to the tube just as
funny but more subdued than dur
ing their salad days as the voices
The brothers were TV’s bad little
kids. Their songs and jokes were
larded with vitriolic politico-
philosophical satire attacking the
Vietnam war, Richard Nixon and
the establishment in general.
Their 76 "Smothers Brothers
seasons, 1966-69, epitomized
youthful discontent in the country.
But as the show wore on it grew
less funny and increasingly politi
cal.
CBS, accusing them of poor
taste, fired the brothers. The boys
contended the cancellation
violated their contract. Suits and
countersuits were filed attended by
public disaffection with the
brothers.
In 1973 the brothers won $1 mil
lion in damages from the network,
but taxes and lawyers’ fees took
most of it. By that time the
Smothers Brothers were past his
tory, washed up on TV and not a
big attraction on the road.
The cool, laid-back 70s had no
ear for their old insurgent song.
Tom and Dick Smothers, ap
pearing on TV for the first time in
five years on last month’s Emmy
Awards, got a thunderous wel
come from the audience. They sur
faced again this week with their
own NBC-TV special. There’ll be
another Nov. 11.
Next January they begin their
own hour-long weekly comedy-
drama series — as opposed to a
variety show — for Universal.
Dick will play a San Francisco
TV newsman and Tom his wacky
cameraman on the still untitled
show. They won’t be playing
brothers.
“We got good, positive reaction
from viewers and people in the in
dustry who saw the Emmy show,”
said Dick, the straight man. "We’d
already signed for our first NBC
special but it encouraged the net
work to give us a second one.”
Tom grinned and added, “It was
the first time we’d been together on
national TV in five years. Our last
regular series was a 13-week sum
mer show in 1970. It was a good
show but our time had passed. We
had become the bad boys of TV.”
“By that time viewers were tired
of us,” Dick said. “The two specials
we’ve done this fall relate to the
’80s, not the ’60s. We’ve got an
’80s attitude, sorta crazy but we
aren’t involved with heavy issues.
“Any act that stays together for a
long time and fails to grow has got
to suffer,” Tom said. “So we pur
posely stayed off the tube individu
ally. We avoided talk shows and
game shows and variety programs.
They were going through talent like
a chopping block.”
“We went our own ways as ac
tors,” Dick said, picking up the nar
rative. “We worked in plays in little
theaters and dinner theaters. It
was okay. We needed the money.”
The brothers reformed as a team
to star on Broadway in “I Love My
Wife” for eight months of full-house
business. They toured in the same
play from December 1979 through
April this year.
They purposely scheduled per
formances in San Francisco and
Los Angeles, hoping movie and TV
folk would take notice. The Los
Angeles engagement never
materialized but producer Glen
Larson of Universal Television
caught the play in San Francisco
and signed them for the new
series.
During the brothers’ absence,
such other comedians as Steve
Martin, Dan Aykroyd, John Be-
lushi, Chevy Chase and Robin Wil
liams have come along.
Dick and Tom believe their
humor is still a counterpoint to what
most Americans are seeing on TV.
It is less frantic than it was at the
height of their popularity. They
aren't pressing anymore.
“Our 20-year-old material is right
with the times today,” said Dick.
“The difference is we’re not neurot
ically hitting out at everyone. We
make more fun of ourselves than
other people and issues.
“We never did get as vicious as
some of the things you see on
‘Saturday Night Live,”’ Tom added.
“About 1970 I lost my point of view
and humor dealing with heavy top
ics. I forgot what satire is. I let the
issues get in the way.
“Now, thanks to working in ‘I
Love My Wife’ together, we’ve re
gained our timing. Dick and I have
begun to believe in ourselves
again.”
Tom, twice divorced, is unmar
ried now. Dick, his wife Linda and
their three children, live in Santa
Cruz, Calif., where they own a
vineyard and a thriving wine
business — bottling 3,300 cases of
various wines this year.
During the time immediately fol
lowing their break-up as a team,
Tom spent the better part of two
years avoiding show business at
his ranch in Sonoma, Calif. Dick,
who had been an avid race car
driver — winning at Sebring twice
— gave up racing to concentrate
on his winery.
Throughout their hard times the
brothers remained in touch with
one another.
“Now we're starting over,” Dick
said. “The bad days only brought
us closer together.”
of youthful protest.
Comedy Hour” shows over three.
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