to the youngsters: this kind of satire used to be on TV all the time

[grasswire]

To those of you too young to remember the Smothers Brothers (who were fired from CBS for their satirical attacks on the president) -- this is the way the comedians took corrupt administrations down.

Biting, bitter commentary, packaged in comedy.

There were "folksingers" and comedians galore. On the television every week packaged in popular shows, the truth trickled into the general public awareness. There wasn't anyone who didn't hear the truth that Reagan and Nixon were criminals.

I hope Tommy Smothers has watched Colbert's performance.

[TAPat]

1. Well said, my friend!

I remember the Brothers well - one of my favorites along with Laugh-In :)

[Stinky The Clown]

2. The good old days, indeed

Even in truly historic 'good old days' the court jester was the only one allowed to say in the monarch's presence whatever he wanted to.

[kansasblue]

3. it's going to be a crazy summer

[MuseRider]

4. Isn't it wonderful to hear it again?

God, it has been a looooong time. Refreshing.

[grasswire]

5. I had heard a rumor several years ago...

...that Tommy Smothers was looking for a way to be politically active again -- looking for a platform. I wrote to him urging him to start up a television network with a consortium of liberal Hollywooders. I got a note back from his personal secretary telling me that he was very touched by my comments. He and his brother run a winery in California now. We could use them again.

[BrklynLiberal]

6. Remember "That Was The Week That Was"? Another satire show.

Not any of those around any more. All we have is asinine reality shows on MSM.

[NYCGirl]

8. Yes, I remember it —brilliance!

An American version of TW3 was broadcast on the NBC television network; initially as a one-time pilot episode on November 10, 1963, and then as a regular series from January 10, 1964, to May, 1965. The pilot featured hosts Henry Fonda and Henry Morgan, guest stars Mike Nichols and Elaine May, and various supporting performers including Gene Hackman. The series had a recurring cast that included Frost, Morgan, Buck Henry and Alan Alda, with Nancy Ames singing the ever-changing lyrics to the opening theme song; regular contributors included Gloria Steinem, Tom Lehrer and Calvin Trillin. Also appearing as a guest was Woody Allen, performing some of his standup comedy act; the guest star on the final broadcast was Steve Allen. After the series' cancellation, Lehrer recorded a collection of his songs that were used on the show, That Was The Year That Was, which was released by Reprise Records in September 1965 and became a major hit LP.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Was_The_Week_That_Was

[dipsydoodle]

9. Did you have

an American verion of that ? The original, aka TW3, in early 1963 was how David Frost, John Cleese etc first got started on TV after Beyond the Fringe . It also led to the magazine Private Eye which I guess you may still get over your side. Private Eye has never held back on anything despite numerous court cases which some of which have cost them dearly.

[NYCGirl]

12. Check my post above for information on the US version...and no, we

don't have Private Eye — Peter Cook was a genius and he is sorely missed.

[dipsydoodle]

14. Thought you and Brklynliberal

might like this : http://www.strobes.uklinux.net/1037/

Would have like'd to have shown that in full but not sure how to display a picture within a thread. If one of you would like to use it then feel free, Acoording to Wyki whatever it's ok to use a copyright picture as long as it shows the publication name which the picture does.

[NYCGirl]

16. LOL! Very good! NT

[BrklynLiberal]

13. Yes. It was brilliant.

[ProudDad]

17. I was in Atlanta in '64. We LOVED TW3

I was a student at Ga. Tech. We used to go through the tunnel under the freeway to the Varsity Drive-in Restaurant, buy a cheeseburger, fries and coke (for about .75) and sit down in one of their color-TV rooms to watch TW3.

Imagine our surprise and anger when for a number of successive weeks in the fall of '64, the republican party would buy the 1/2 hour that TW3 was normally on to preempt it for a broadcast about the wonders of Barry Goldwater!! This went on every week until the election of '64.

Then Lyndon Johnson quietly had the series killed...


----------

I would like to dispel a myth though. There just wasn't very much good satire on tv then. The networks were just as tight about speaking truth to power as the whole mass media is now. The Brothers were BIG, BIG, BIG for only a couple of years, then fired...Laugh In was always watered down, pulled their punches -- hell, they even had Nixon on!...and frankly, there was NOTHING else in the way of political satire on the tube that I remember.

The Simpsons are more hard-hitting than anything that ran back then.

[dipsydoodle]

19. The original UK TW3

was killed off immediately prior to an election. It had become cult viewing by then.
Taking it off served no useful purpose because Private Eye took up there reins therafter and Peter Cooks crowd could say things in the magazine which the TV channel would never have allowed on air.

I still go round singing odd bits of Tom Lehrer's stuff as well !

[NYCGirl]

21. I just thought I'd post this for Peter Cook — because I miss him a lot!

[dipsydoodle]

23. Don't we all.

A very good TV film was made of his life late '04. It's called " Not Only But Always".
That's a play on words - the 1965 BBC TV series with Peter and Dudley Moore was called Not Only But Also. Unfortunately all the tapes of that were destroyed when the BBC had one of their clear outs. ior

The guy who played him in the biopic is soooooo good you'd think it was Peter. The other Fringe characters were accurately cast as well. It's listed on Amazon.com, much to my surprise, thought it would be on .co.uk only.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=br_ss_hs/102-1408368-9563348?platform=gurupa&url=index%3Dblended&keywords=not+only+but+always&Go.x=9&Go.y=6
Trust me and buy a copy. I taped it off TV but although you'd be welcome to that it would be as much use to you as an ashtray on a Harley Davidson - we're on PAL colour : not NTSC.

To make yopu smile here's the script of One Leg Too Few : http://www.epicure.demon.co.uk/alegtoofew.html

I know - you've got see too really appreciate it.

[NYCGirl]

24. I'll definitely check out the film. I saw Pete and Dud on Broadway 5 times

when they did "Good Evening" — and my fave sketch has always been "The Frog and Peach". And I did get to see them do "One Leg" in person.

Thank you so much!

:toast:

P.S. And then there are the Derek and Clive recordings:
http://www.phespirit.info/derekandclive/

[dipsydoodle]

27. One of my pals bought the

first Derek & Clive one when it came out. For ages afterwards "What do you mean hello" became a stock joke to those of us who were familiar with A Bloke Came Up to Me and Said.... The film I mentioned puts those characters in perspective - Peter Cook stitched up Dudley Moore by getting him drunk.

The other stuff which remains available on DVD is/are The Secret Policeman's Balls which were done in aid of Amnesty International. One of them has got the Last Supper sketch with John Cleese and Jonathon Lynn which the BBC had refused to let the Monty Python team do on TV and another has Peter Cook as an outrageous High Court Judge. Also - The End of the World sketch with Peter Cook was where Rowan Atkinson first used his Mr Bean voice.

We obviously share the same sense of humour.

Frog and Peach : http://www.davehitt.com/july99/frogskit.html

[NYCGirl]

28. I believe you're right — we do have the same sense of humor...

JULIE ANDREWS!!!

[redwitch]

22. Yup.

Tom Lehrer etc. I was pretty little but I remember it. My dad used to watch, he loved it!

[C_U_L8R]

7. The kids are waking up

yesterday I saw an SDS contigent in the NYC march...
yes ...that's Students for A Democratic Society.
They were young and angry.
I smiled.
THEN I saw some sort of Abbie Hoffman brigade...
YIPPIE ! These kids are alright. :-)

[MichiganVote]

10. To say nothing of what Robin Williams would do to * and the press

Honestly, what a bunch of absolute babies Washington has turned into. Colbert was funny and right on but plenty of comedians have done as much or worse in the past. Bunch of bigoted babies....

[Stinky The Clown]

11. The difference is context

That was then.

This is now.

[MichiganVote]

20. I don't know Robin Williams politics but had he a mind to skewer

*, Washington or the press corp. I'm sure we'd all be dining on BBQ tonight. I can recall reading and listening to the last great comic to bite into the Washington elite, Will Rogers. He was as vicious in his delivery as Colbert, albeit more pithy, less dramatic.

Comic's and artists keep anyone listening--sane.

[bvar22]

15. Last night was different.

I love the shows you cited, but they played to their own audiences. People were free to turn the channel.

Colbert brought his attack directly into the faces of those he ridiculed, and they were forced to sit and listen to every delicious word.
I don't believe there has ever been a performance like that at this particular event.
In that respect, Colbert's performance was historic.

The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[Karenina]

25. I heartily agree!

:toast:

[Greyhound]

18. Thus the GOP's anti-artist policies. The creative community

(yes, we had one of those then too) was largely responsible for waking up the sheeple, and the re:puke: didn't forget.

[SeaBob]

26. smothers brothers

I remember what tommy (the "Stupid" one)one said when the subject of long hair was being discussed. Dick had said the people with long hair were protesting the condition of the state of the nation. and Tommy asked " Why don't they cut their hair and infiltrate? I did.