By: Will Harris

Given how long they’ve been performing, it sometimes feels as though the Smothers Brothers have always been around, but they actually ended up taking an unexpected (and undesired) break in 1969 when their CBS variety show, “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” caused so much controversy that the brothers were unceremoniously fired by the network. Not cancelled. FIRED. After many years of waiting, the show is finally making its DVD debut courtesy of the fine folks at Time-Life, and in typical Smothers Brothers style, they’re being slightly controversial by releasing the third season first. Bullz-Eye had the opportunity to speak with Tom Smothers about the upcoming release, following up on a brief encounter from a few weeks earlier, and he offered his position on how the show has aged over the years and why he thinks some people may be disappointed by it, explained about people taking drugs in the ‘60s for all the right reasons, offered his feelings about economic fascism, and – in a brief detour away from the show – gave his perspective of the famous night Harry Nilsson and John Lennon were thrown out of a Smothers Brothers concert at The Troubadour.

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