Smothered (2002)

Synopsis: Focusing on an important time in American television history, SMOTHERED is a documentary about the Emmy award-winning CBS television show THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR, originally broadcast between 1967 and 1969. With their affable demeanor, traditional folk-tune routines, and... Focusing on an important time in American television history, SMOTHERED is a documentary about the Emmy award-winning CBS television show THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR, originally broadcast between 1967 and 1969. With their affable demeanor, traditional folk-tune routines, and and semi-Vaudevillian comedy, Tom and Dick Smothers delighted and challenged their faithful audience. Interviews with celebrity writers, performers, and news makers such as Joan Baez, Harry Belafonte, and Rob Reiner peppered the show with dynamic conversation. In addition, the show's open forum for Vietnam War protest and commentary on the popular drug culture of the time stirred up quite a bit of controversy. Week after week, censors banned whole segments. One of the most famous instances of censorship was singer Pete Seeger's performance of the antiwar anthem, "Waist Deep In The Big Muddy." Eventually, the show's social consciousness was the reason for its undoing, and it was cancelled, despite being the first program to give the long-running, seemingly unchallengeable BONANZA a run for its ratings money. As seen on the Bravo Network, SMOTHERED is directed by Maureen Muldaur. Including previously unavailable material, the film reveals the complete story behind the show's cancellation. The Smothers Brothers themselves get in on the storytelling action, making this an indispensable guide to a ground breaking television show and its impact on the culture of the era. [More]