Episode 170 - The Smothers Brothers
pplpod2 Okt 2025

Episode 170 - The Smothers Brothers

Dive deep into the often-forgotten first major television venture of the iconic folk-comedy duo, the Smothers Brothers!

Before they redefined television comedy, battled network censors, and created the revolutionary The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967–1969), Dick Smothers and Tom Smothers starred in The Smothers Brothers Show, an American fantasy sitcom created by Aaron Spelling.

This one-season wonder, which aired on CBS from September 17, 1965, to April 22, 1966, puts the famous brothers in roles familiar to their dynamic: Dick plays a rising young executive at Pandora Publications. His stable life is completely upended when his older brother, Tom, reappears. Tom, who was lost at sea two years earlier, returns as an apprentice angel assigned to Earth to perform good deeds and earn his wings. Under the direction of his unseen boss, Ralph, Tom’s efforts to help people usually fail, forcing Dick to perpetually clean up the divine messes. Dick consistently serves as the straight man to Tom’s humorous antics.

We revisit this early period of their network career, which included 32 episodes and holds the distinction of being CBS's last sitcom filmed in black-and-white. Hear the inside story of the creative control struggles Tom Smothers faced, as he felt the sitcom format did not utilize the duo's comedic strengths, leading him to fight Four Star executives over the direction of the series.

Join us as we explore the 1965 sitcom that set the stage for the Smothers Brothers’ turbulent and unforgettable run in the 1960s.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(7428)

Chief Joseph: The Diplomat Turned Into a Mythic Warrior

Chief Joseph: The Diplomat Turned Into a Mythic Warrior

In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, the leader remembered through the powerful but misleading legend of the “Red Napoleon.” The episode begins by stripping...

19 Juni 20min

Buffalo Bill: The Man Who Sold the Wild West to the World

Buffalo Bill: The Man Who Sold the Wild West to the World

In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life of William Frederick Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill, the man who helped turn the American West into a global myth. The episode begins with Cody’s bru...

19 Juni 23min

Black Hawk: The War Leader America Defeated, Then Turned Into a Symbol

Black Hawk: The War Leader America Defeated, Then Turned Into a Symbol

In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life of Black Hawk, the Sauk war leader whose story captures one of the deepest contradictions in American history. Born around 1767 in Saukenuk, near present...

19 Juni 20min

Annie Oakley: The Survivor Behind Little Sure Shot

Annie Oakley: The Survivor Behind Little Sure Shot

In this episode of pplpod, we explore the real life of Annie Oakley, the legendary sharpshooter whose story is much darker, tougher, and more complicated than the Wild West caricature most people reme...

19 Juni 19min

Shivaji: Tiger Claws and the Founding of the Maratha Empire

Shivaji: Tiger Claws and the Founding of the Maratha Empire

Shivaji Bhonsle carved the Maratha Empire out of Mughal-controlled India through guerrilla warfare, naval innovation, and a flair for the dramatic that included escaping a besieged fortress in a baske...

17 Juni 1h

Themistocles: The Man Who Saved Athens Then Defected to Persia

Themistocles: The Man Who Saved Athens Then Defected to Persia

Themistocles persuaded Athens to build the fleet that destroyed the Persian navy at Salamis in 480 BCE, the most consequential naval battle in Western history. Within a decade, Athens ostracized him. ...

17 Juni 21min

James Brown: The Violent Brilliance of the Godfather of Soul

James Brown: The Violent Brilliance of the Godfather of Soul

James Brown grew up in a brothel in Augusta, Georgia, served time in juvenile prison, and became the hardest-working man in show business. He invented funk, pioneered the rhythmic foundation of hip-ho...

17 Juni 20min

Ray Charles: The Tragic Genius Who Invented Soul Music

Ray Charles: The Tragic Genius Who Invented Soul Music

Ray Charles went blind at seven, lost both parents by fifteen, and became addicted to heroin before he turned twenty. He also invented soul music by fusing gospel, blues, and jazz in a way that scanda...

17 Juni 47min

Populärt inom Nöje

mellan-himmel-och-jord-med-jlc
filip-fredrik-svarar
mardromsgasten
badfluence
schulman-show
rss-p3-musikdokumentar
dialogiskt
chilla-med-de-vet-du
fem-i-topp
mannen-utan-spar
gott-snack-med-fredrik-soderholm
skandal
rss-made-in-sverige-podcast
trekant-med-kakan-och-oris
sexet
rss-rockpodden
karatefylla
vardagsmysterier
hundaren-motgangspodden-av-tomas-andersson-wij
trumpodden