Smothers Brothers Reunion February 1988

A nice trip down memory lane, thanks to this 1988 CBS special. The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a breakout hit for CBS beginning in February of 1967 and continuing until early April of 1969, when the show was abruptly cancelled by the network.

The show was original and quite daring for its time, outspoken on issues of the day like The Vietnam War and marijuana use. That caused some heartburn for the CBS brass, who had given the boys creative control of the show, but began to look for an excuse, any excuse, to ax it. They thought they found it in the supposed failure of the boys to provide the network a copy of the show in time for the CBS censors to "review" the show before air.

Long story short, the Smothers Brothers were fired at the height of their popularity. They sued the network and won a sizeable settlement a couple of years later.

Nevertheless, they were invited back by CBS in February of 1988 for this TV special. It was so special it garnered high ratings, and subsequently the duo was invited back to the network to host a new variety show in 1988 that lasted one season. Though cleverly written and enjoyable, the variety format was old hat to viewers of the '80's, and the show couldn't keep up with new tastes in entertainment.

But if you're a fan of their original series, you'll love this 1988 return to a time when two daring comedians took on the Johnson administration, the Nixon administration, The Vietnam War, and the social norms of the day. This video also includes the network and local commercials presented during its airing.

Enjoy!