It's pretty amazing how subversive that show was. Basically nothing on TV nowadays compares. Jon Stewart-era Daily Show was probably the only thing that came close, and he has given the Smothers Brothers as a main influence.
the story goes, CBS needed to fill a spot. Now, keep in mind, that shows came and went all the time back then and the execs figured this was just a place holder show and would be replaced next season so they were completely hands off from the show. Because the execs weren't sending notes to the funny people, the show was actually funny, people actually watched and it became a ratings smash. The execs starting sending notes after they noticed the show existed, but the Smothers brothers told them to eat sh**t. This show was, for the time, crazy subversive. Eventually they were the number one show in the country. Then they made fun of Tricky Dick*, he called his buddies at CBS, CBS cancelled the number one show in the country because the President told them too. Biden's admin sucked ass when it comes to trying to control what people said about Covid, but they didn't try and shut down, say, Joe Rogan's podcast.
*it might have been Senator John O. Pastore (D-RI), head of the FCC and not Nixon, the internet isn't sure
