On this day February 5th, 1967 aired the first episode of the Smother's Brother's Comedy Hour on CBS.
This first episode featured Jim Nabors singing "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha.
Since then the Smother's Brothers have had musical guests as George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Joan Baez, Buffalo Springfield, Cass Elliot, Harry Belafonte, Cream, Donovan, The Doors, Glen Campbell, Janis Ian, Jefferson Airplane, The Happenings, Peter, Paul and Mary, Spanky and Our Gang, Steppenwolf, Simon and Garfunkel, The Hollies, The Who and Pete Seeger.
Having Pete Seeger on CBS was a big deal because Seegar was blacklisted from televison since the 1950s. He sang "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy". The song was censored because it was considered an anti-war song against President Lyndon Johnson and his policy towards the war in Vietnam. A year later he was allowed back with some editing. Here is that video.
Another thing that was big on the Smother's Brothers was showing music videos. They were kind of the first MTV. They showed music videos of "Hey Jude" and "Revolution". Jimi Hendrix even dedicated a song to the Smothers Brother, "I Don't Live Today."
The Who made a smashing performance on the show when the explosives Keith Moon put in his drums did not go off. You can see Pete Townsend waiting for the explosion but there is nothing. Finally they go off late and too close to Pete.
In 1968 the Democratic national convention was going on and the guests on the Smothers brothers had a way of speaking their mind. The network ordered the Smothers Brothers to deliver their shows ten days in advance so the censors could edit what they wanted.
Some edits were Belafonte singing "Lord, Don't Stop the Carnival" and a David Steinberg sermon about Moses and the Burning Bush. The March 9th episode with Joan Baez they wouldn't even show. The networks said they had to play a rerun because that week's episode did not arrive in time to be previewed.
That was the episode Joan Baez played a song in honor of her husband, David Harris, who was in prison for refusing military service. They also edited out some jokes and aired the show two months later.
The struggle between the Smothers and the censors during the 1969 season until suddenly the network CEO William S. Paley canceled them on April 4, 1969.
Well you can find my sources here in the documentary Smothered from 2002.
Cover image credit foes to: pisces
Give it some thought.