Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (2002)

Introduction
"Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" is a 2002 documentary directed by Maureen Muldaur. The movie examines the battles endured by Tom and Dick Smothers, comedy and musical duo who hosted "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" on CBS from 1967 to 1969. The show faced serious scrutiny from network executives and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), leading to its early cancellation.

The Trailblazing Show
"The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" was distinct for its era. Surpassing the conventional humor and light musical efficiencies, the show accepted political humor and satires, often highlighting and criticizing the social and political problems of the time like the Vietnam War, Civil Rights and flexibility of speech. Nevertheless, this non-traditional method brought problem. CBS network began heavy-handed censorships.

Conflict with CBS
The documentary tells that CBS censored the show heavily, erasing jokes or whole segments surrounding controversial topics. Tom and Dick Smothers, unwilling to jeopardize their innovative freedom and suppressed voices, featured guests whose political views inflamed the network, such as Pete Seeger or Harry Belafonte. This consistent tug-of-war increased tensions in between CBS and the Smothers Brothers, leading to numerous clashes and disputes. For instance, CBS chose to postpone the airing of comedian Joan Baez committing her song to her husband imprisoned for draft evasion.

FCC Involvement
CBS's censorial practices drew the attention of The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which began to examine the show. Although the FCC discovered no real proof of breaking any broadcast standards, CBS continued to secure down on the Smothers Brothers creating a difficult workplace for them. The documentary represents this situation efficiently, highlighting how the duo was systematically muzzled in spite of audience favorability and reasonable critics.

Early Cancellation
Amidst escalating conflicts over imaginative control and flexibility of speech, CBS quickly canceled the program in 1969, triggering outrage among fans. The network declared the cancellation was due to the siblings' failure to submit the program's episodes on time for evaluation, a claim the Smothers disputed. The cancellation led to considerable legal battles and eventually resulted in the siblings getting a settlement from CBS.

Important Response
"Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" was well gotten by critics and audiences alike. The documentary shone a spotlight on the premature end of a precious series, reinforcing the Smothers Brothers' status as trailblazers of politically-informed funny. As a historic retrospective, it provided audiences a deep dive into the censorship concerns of the late 1960s and early 1970s and the Smothers Brothers' defend imaginative expression and freedom of speech.

Conclusion
The documentary acts as an eye-opener to the battles for innovative freedom faced by lots of artists during the era. It reflects on a time of heavy censorship in American tv history, highlighting the rate the Smothers Brothers spent for their vibrant, straight-from-the-shoulder humor and satire. The tale of The Smothers Brothers and their fight versus censorship acts as a suggestion of the value of liberty of speech in innovative arts.

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