Television series
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
- Satire
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The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a groundbreaking variety show that mixed sketch comedy, musical performances, and biting political satire. Hosted by the charming, musically gifted sibling duo, it became a cultural battleground where counterculture met mainstream television. Essential viewing for understanding how comedy changed America.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy sketch and variety comedy where the jokes have teeth, the musical guests matter as much as the banter, and the brothers' sibling bickering is half the fun.
Skip it if you want a tight, modern pace; this is a 60-minute variety hour from the late sixties, so the sketches, songs and stage patter can feel loose and dated.
What it asks of you: Settle in for an hour at a time across three seasons, expecting a rotating mix of routines, musical numbers and guest turns rather than a single story to follow.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In1967
Fast-paced sketch comedy with political edge and a young, eclectic cast. It proved the Smothers' success wasn't a fluke—variety comedy could be both hip and massively popular.
But The rapid-fire gag format means plenty of misses alongside the hits. Some sketches feel dated even by late-60s standards.
The Carol Burnett Show1967
Long-form variety with heart, sketch depth, and genuine affection for its audience. Proves variety shows could thrive on character and craft rather than just provocation.
But Deliberately gentler and less political than the Smothers. If you want controversy, you won't find it here.
Saturday Night Live1975
The spiritual heir to everything the Smothers pioneered: live comedy, musical guests, sketch satire, and a young cast pushing boundaries. Direct lineage, clearer execution.
But By the time SNL launched, the battles had been won. You lose the thrilling sense of watching something genuinely dangerous.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Midnight Special1972
Both shows understood that music and comedy together could capture a generation's spirit better than either alone. The Smothers' musical guests became the Midnight Special's entire reason for being.
A concert special series that inherited the Smothers' gift for pairing music with cultural moment. It's what happens when the musical side of variety takes over completely. Raw, unpolished, genuine.
But Essentially a succession of live music performances with minimal comedy. If you want laughs, you'll be waiting between songs.
More like this (6)
The Colbert Report2005
Political satire as the main event, not a side dish. Shows what the Smothers' DNA became when comedy finally reclaimed the territory they fought for.
But A single host in one format, night after night. Lacks the variety show's scope and the surprise of live performance.
The Flip Wilson Show1970
Proves variety shows could outlast the 60s and thrive with character and warmth. Wilson's charm and comedic range are genuinely exceptional.
But Less political edge, more straightforward entertainment. Feels safer than what the Smothers were fighting for.
Monty Python's Flying Circus1969
Sketch comedy unshackled from network constraints, doing internationally what the Smothers did domestically. Absurdist rather than topical, but equally revolutionary.
But British sensibility and surrealist logic won't click if you want American political commentary and variety acts.
The Ed Sullivan Show1948
The template the Smothers inherited and then detonated. Watching it shows you what mainstream variety looked like before the brothers took dynamite to it.
But Can feel stiff and dated. You're watching history, not always entertainment—and that's the point.
The Jonathan Winters Show1967
Wild improvisational comedy with no political agenda, just pure comedic invention. Winter's energy and creativity influenced everyone, including the Smothers.
But Sketch-heavy without the musical or topical balance. Some sketches ramble; the show's scattered nature tests patience.
The Selling of the Pentagon1971
The same battle: what can you actually say on network television? The Smothers fought it as performers; this film proved they'd won enough ground for journalists to occupy.
A documentary that does what the Smothers tried to do on TV: interrogate power through entertainment and irreverence. CBS actually broadcast this essay-film as a special, proving the network learned something.
But It's a serious documentary, not a comedy. There are no laughs, no music, no variety—just argument and evidence presented elegantly.
