Half of the of the groundbreaking Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

American comic Tom Smothers, of the groundbreaking Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour TV show, died yesterday at the age of 86. He had recently been diagnosed with cancer.

His brother Dick, co-star of the revolutionary act, said: ‘Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner.

‘I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage – the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.’

The news was broken through the National Comedy Center, whose executive director Journey Gunderson explained the Smothers Brothers legacy.

He said: ‘Tom Smothers was not only an extraordinary comedic talent, who, together with his brother Dick, became the most enduring comedy duo in history, entertaining the world for over six decades – but was a true champion for freedom of speech, harnessing the power of comedy to push boundaries and our political consciousness.

‘Tom was a true pioneer who changed the face of television and transformed our culture with The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which satirised politics, combated racism, protested the Vietnam War, and led the way for Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, today’s network late night shows, and so much more.

‘We were proud to bring Tom and Dick out of retirement and reunite them on stage in 2019 to celebrate their legendary careers, and we are honoured to preserve Tom’s remarkable work and legacy here at the National Comedy Center for generations to come.’

Spinal Tap director Rob Reiner also paid tribute on social media, writing: ‘In 1968, Tommy Smothers plucked me out of the improv group, The Committee, and gave me my first writing job for his show. Tommy was funny, smart, and a fighter. He created a ground breaking show that celebrated all that was good about American Democracy. We loved you best, Tommy.’

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour – whose writers also included Steve Martin – launched on CBS in 1967 and became one of the most controversial American TV programmes of the era.

Despite being a ratings success, the brothers' material that was critical of the political mainstream and sympathetic to the emerging counterculture led to their firing by the  network in 1969.

» Buy Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour from Amazon

Published: 27 Dec 2023