
Dangerously Funny
The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'
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Narrated by:
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Johnny Heller
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By:
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David Bianculli
About this listen
Decades before The Daily Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour proved there was a place on television for no-holds-barred political comedy with a decidedly antiauthoritarian point of view. In this explosive, revealing history of the show, veteran entertainment journalist David Bianculli tells the fascinating story of its three-year network run---and the cultural impact that's still being felt today.
Before it was suddenly removed from the CBS lineup (reportedly under pressure from the Nixon administration), The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a ratings powerhouse. It helped launch the careers of such comedy legends as Steve Martin and Rob Reiner, featured groundbreaking musical acts like the Beatles and the Who, and served as a cultural touchstone for the antiwar movement of the late 1960s.
Drawing on extensive original interviews with Tom and Dick Smothers and dozens of other key players---as well as more than a decade's worth of original research---Dangerously Funny brings listeners behind the scenes for all the battles over censorship, mind-blowing musical performances, and unforgettable sketches that defined the show and its era. David Bianculli delves deep into this riveting story to find out what really happened and to reveal why this show remains so significant to this day.
©2009 David Bianculli (P)2010 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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In 1963, 30-year-old Friedman - who had recently quit his job as a Boston advertising executive and returned to his hometown of New York to become a theatrical producer - opened a coffee house for Broadway performers called the Improvisation. His goal? Simply to make a living, and if all went according to plan, to also make enough professional contacts to be able to mount his first Broadway show within a year's time. Later shortened to the Improv, its first West 44th Street location was in a seedy section of Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen.
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Shockingly tone deaf
- By JenniferW on 06-28-23
By: Budd Friedman, and others
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The Ultimate History of the '80s Teen Movie
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Sixteen Candles, Revenge of the Nerds, The Karate Kid, The Breakfast Club, Dead Poets Society, and Everything in Between
- By: James King
- Narrated by: Mike Cooper
- Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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The Ultimate History of the '80s Teen Movie goes behind the scenes of a genre where cult hits mingled with studio blockbusters, where giants like Spielberg and Coppola rubbed shoulders with baby-faced first-timers, and where future superstars Sean, Demi, and Tom all got their big break. Music, comedy, and politics all play a part in the surprisingly complex history of the '80s teen movie. And while the films might have been aimed primarily at adolescents, the best tackle universal issues and remain relevant to all ages.
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inaccurate as all get out
- By Richard E. Meier on 05-22-22
By: James King
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Improv Nation
- How We Made a Great American Art
- By: Sam Wasson
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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At the height of the McCarthy era, an experimental theater troupe set up shop in a bar near the University of Chicago. Via word-of-mouth, astonished crowds packed the ad-hoc venue to see its unscripted, interactive, consciousness-raising style. From this unlikely seed grew the Second City, the massively influential comedy theater troupe, and its offshoots - the Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade, SNL, and a slew of others. Sam Wasson charts the meteoric rise of improv in this richly reported, scene-driven narrative.
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Compulsively listenable historical overview
- By Keith on 03-26-18
By: Sam Wasson
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The Garner Files
- A Memoir
- By: James Garner, Jon Winokur
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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After suffering physical abuse at the hands of his stepmother, James Garner left home at fourteen. He became Oklahoma's first draftee of the Korean War and was awarded with two Purple Hearts before returning to the United States and settling in Los Angeles to become an actor. Working alongside some of the most renowned celebrities, including Julie Andrews, Marlon Brando, and Clint Eastwood, Garner became a star in his own right, despite struggles with stage fright and depression.
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What a disappointment.
- By Linda on 11-14-11
By: James Garner, and others
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Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude
- By: Dan Aykroyd
- Narrated by: Dan Aykroyd
- Length: 1 hr and 56 mins
- Original Recording
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Elwood Blues (aka Dan Aykroyd) is on another mission—to tell the full story of how two young actors went from blues lovers to Blues Brothers. In this fascinating audio documentary Aykroyd “gets the band back together”, taking listeners on a road trip through time—from late nights in the early days with John Belushi at Dan’s speakeasy in Toronto, to working with blues legends Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Ray Charles on The Blues Brothers movie, through the founding of House of Blues, the Blues Brothers 2000 sequel, and beyond.
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You had to be there
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 07-26-24
By: Dan Aykroyd
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There's Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say
- By: Paula Poundstone
- Narrated by: Paula Poundstone
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Abridged
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What do the lives of Lincoln, Helen Keller, Joan of Arc, and other historical figures have in common with Paula Poundstone? In the hands of this wryly observant and self-deprecating comedian, the answer is outrageously funny and unexpectedly touching. Poundstone compares her crazy life to theirs, as she holds forth on her children, her career, and the time in her life when it appeared she would lose them both.
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More!
- By Evelyn on 02-11-07
By: Paula Poundstone
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Live from New York
- An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live
- By: Tom Shales, James Andrew Miller
- Narrated by: Christopher Burns, Eric Conger
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Abridged
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A history of Saturday Night Live that finally reveals what really went on backstage, on the set, in the writers' offices, and on the town. Dozens of stars, writers, and guest hosts recall the backstage gossip, feuds, foibles, drugs, sex, struggles, and calamities of the show that changed television.
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Interesting inside look, so-so presentation
- By Tim on 12-22-02
By: Tom Shales, and others
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Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning
- 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City
- By: Jonathan Mahler
- Narrated by: Kyle Tait
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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By early 1977, New York City was in the grip of hysteria caused by a murderer dubbed "Son of Sam". And on a sweltering night in July, a citywide power outage touched off an orgy of looting and arson that led to the largest mass arrest in the city's history. As the turbulent year wore on, the city became absorbed in two epic battles: the fight between Yankee slugger Reggie Jackson and team manager Billy Martin, and the battle between Ed Koch and Mario Cuomo for the city's mayoralty.
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Excellent
- By pp on 04-22-21
By: Jonathan Mahler
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The Late Shift
- Letterman, Leno, & the Network Battle for the Night
- By: Bill Carter
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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When beloved host Johnny Carson announced his retirement after 30 years on The Tonight Show, millions of Americans mourned. But inside the television industry, the news ignited a battle between two amazing talents - Jay Leno and David Letterman - who both yearned to occupy the departing legend's chair. For NBC, it would be a decision with millions of dollars at stake. Soon these two comedians with strikingly different styles, who had once shared a friendship as they worked the clubs together, would be engaged in a fierce competition for the prize.
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Very detailed, spectacular, and riveting!
- By John Collins on 02-09-21
By: Bill Carter
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The Cake and the Rain
- A Memoir
- By: Jimmy Webb
- Narrated by: Jimmy Webb
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Jimmy Webb's words have been sung to his music by a rich and deep roster of pop artists, including Glen Campbell, Art Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Donna Summer, and Linda Ronstadt. He's the only artist ever to win Grammy Awards for music, lyrics, and orchestration, and his chart-topping career has, so far, lasted 50 years, most recently with a Kanye West rap hit and a new classical nocturne. Now Webb delivers a snapshot of his life from 1955 to 1970, from the proverbial humble beginnings into a moneyed and manic international world of beautiful women, drugs, cars, and planes.
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This Book is Hard to Listen to
- By Robert Alexander on 01-14-21
By: Jimmy Webb
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Steve McQueen
- A Biography
- By: Marc Eliot
- Narrated by: Marc Eliot
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and '70s with now-classics such as The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Thomas Crown Affair, and Bullit, Steve McQueen is renowned as one of the most exciting actors ever to come out of Hollywood. Now, in Steve McQueen: A Biography, best-selling author Marc Eliot gives unique insight into McQueen's life, from his films to his three marriages, many affairs, and struggles with addictions.
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Snooze
- By Cill on 10-27-11
By: Marc Eliot
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Seinfeldia
- How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything
- By: Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Comedians Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld never thought anyone would watch their silly little sitcom about a New York comedian sitting around talking to his friends. NBC executives didn't think anyone would watch either, but they bought it anyway, hiding it away in the TV dead zone of summer. But against all odds, viewers began to watch, first a few and then many, until nine years later nearly 40 million Americans were tuning in weekly.
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This bad narration is making me thirsty...
- By Audio Gra Gra on 10-06-16
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The Godfather: A Film We Can't Refuse
- By: Paramount Pictures
- Narrated by: Rebecca Keegan
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
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With exclusive insights from the legendary cast, including Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Robert De Niro, and Talia Shire, and commentary from a diverse array of film experts and ardent aficionados, we dissect the film’s magnetic allure and its pervasive influence across our culture. Journey alongside Rebecca Keegan, acclaimed senior film editor at The Hollywood Reporter, as she explores the heart of this cinematic masterpiece through a new lens.
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Deep dive into The Godfather
- By C.F. on 08-28-24
What listeners say about Dangerously Funny
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- Lori E White
- 01-31-16
Should be taught in history classes. Amazing.
I learned more about the 60s culture wars through the lens of the Smothers brothers than anything before. Got choked up a few times even. I'm a changed person!
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- Sandra
- 10-25-10
Great topic, well written, poorly narrated
I've been a big fan of Bianculli's, enjoying his reviews, blogs and your appearances on Fresh Air. I just heard a repeat of his interview with Terri about Dangerously Funny. This made me race off to Audible.com to see if there was a recorded version (the only kind of book I read for various reasons). At Audible I discovered the book was long and cost more than the usual $14.00 or so I spend for a book. This was $18+ but oh, well. I clicked "buy" without listening to a sample, which I almost always do. Oh, how disappointed I am. A book is only as good as its narrator. I'm sorry but I expected Bianculli's quality...maybe not his voice which I love, but at least as good a speaker. But no, this voice is monotone, unexciting, and just plain irritating (sorry, Heller). I've been considering asking for my money back, but the topic interests me so much that I think I'll stick with it. But if he writes another book, and I hope he does, please don't use Johnny Heller to narrate it. I know it's a lot of work, but he would do such a better job of reading his own material.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Justin York
- 09-22-22
Important
First, the performance was fantastic. The Smothers Brothers provided the shoulders upon which all other “comedy with a message” performers have stood ever since—from SNL through Colbert and so many in between. This is a must read for all my fellow comedy history nerds.
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- Barbara
- 05-08-11
Interesting to read behind the scenes
I was a child when I saw this show. I found the behind the scenes very interesting.
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- D. Martin
- 07-01-12
Good story, but just not significant enough
The big question with this book has to be: is it really worth my time to listen to a book about a fight over a television show from 45 years ago?
Well, Bianculli makes a valiant effort to argue that the answer should be yes, and the truth is I found this story remarkably interesting. There are deep questions here about the role of speech and censorship and media and national political divisions and youth culture, and drugs and all of that, and I'm amazed at how much this story comes off as an archetypal story of rebellious free spirits fighting for their freedom of expression against a tyrannical corporate and political structure trying to restrain them. Certainly that's how Tom Smothers saw things. Somehow "freedom" has become a watchword of the right; this book helps remind us that it's properly the province of the left.
That being said, it's still the inside story of a fight over what to put on television 45 years ago, and I can't help but think that it was not worth my time. Moreover to round out the book, there's a fair amount of filler on things like the Smothers' early career, earlier battles over television censorship by Jack Parr and others, and the Smothers' influence on later comedians. Honestly, I think this could have been a really good magazine article. But it's not a great audiobook.
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- Ryan
- 06-04-11
Not super funny, but well worth the money
I'm not an avid audio book consumer, but I do have a few years of at least 30 hrs/week of podcast consumption. So please take those facts into consideration.
First, the book gives exactly what the title says, except, well... Censorship just isn't as good as it used to be, so 'uncensored' means more like 'I let my 8 year old listen to this'. And I did just that while we were on a trip with his grandparents (who by the way LOVED the book). Don't be concerned about catching a crude joke by today's standards. Second, it is accurate through multiple sources in all accounts, and explains conflicting accounts as points of view, which endeared me, personally.
Lastly, while the reader was very good, there were points (probably between takes) where the readers volume rose and fell. I didn't notice it so much while listening with headphones, but through a car stereo I had to adjust the volume up and down a hair every so often.
****
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- Tim Simpson
- 03-02-22
great book q
I used too watch the Smothers brothers ever night on nick at night when i was growing up. after the book I understand more about both sides network and the brothers. I don't agree with all of their politics but I believe in what they were attempting they just went about it all the wrong way. a great books though.
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- William Milz
- 08-31-10
Great Memories
The series bounces back and forth between actual performance sessions, but weaves a story of behind scenes interplay between the regular cast and guests. Great memories renewed. Too bad the full seasons aren't available on dvd!
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2 people found this helpful
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- Paul
- 01-05-24
Great story well-told
I picked up this audiobook immediately after Tommy died. I remembered the program fondly although I was pretty young. The details of how the show went down—and what occurred on and off the air with each episode—was all new to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride and highly recommend the book most especially to anyone interested in TV production and network history, stand-up comedy, and anyone incensed by efforts to silence points of view critical of authority. After reading several reviews, I had some trepidation due to the harsh criticism of the narrator; I thought he was excellent. There were some very momentary drops in audio level but on my phone it was not that noticeable and only happened maybe a half-dozen times. I didn’t find the narrator monotone at all. And I enjoyed his impressions: I think he did Ed Sullivan and David Steinberg quite well; John Lennon and Harry Belafonte not so much! Haha I’ll forgive him for mispronouncing the town that hosted Woodstock (Bethel—read Taking Woodstock for that wild story). Major kudos to David Bianculli for doing a truly excellent job telling this story. It’s everything I’d hoped for. But mostly, thank you, Dick and Tom. Especially you, Tom, for refusing to shut up!
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- GogginGuy
- 04-14-14
Well done
If you could sum up Dangerously Funny in three words, what would they be?
Comprehensive. Engaging. Historical.
Have you listened to any of Johnny Heller’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
This is my first for Mr. Heller. Terriffic, terriffic job.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No -- this one needs to be parsed out.
Any additional comments?
I was too young for the Smothers Brothers show, but the albums are among my favorites, so getting to hear the details of the rumors/stories about the show I'd always heard was the fascinating part for me. The relationship TV creators and networks had then was fascinating given the era we live in now, and that's the real hidden gem of interest in this book. In the light of history of the SB show itself, it's easy to see who the heroes were -- but the tactics of Tommy Smothers are properly characterized as brave, but also, well, not so bright. I can't speak too much to anyone who is not a SB fan, but the balance of power in that day and age is really explored and puts that aspect of this book on, at the very least, an American historical level, and well worth learning if you like television.
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2 people found this helpful