Former Beacon Journal TV critic David Bianculli, who regaled newsroom audiences in the 1980s while I, as his TV Editor, waited for him to meet his latest story deadline, has his “Dangerously Funny” (Simon & Schuster/Touchstone) book out after what seems like eons.
It’s about Tom and Dick Smothers, and the absurdity of the censorship of their 1960s ratings hit “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” during the Vietnam War. CBS was more concerned about what Lyndon Johnson would think than what made its audience laugh. Bianculli’s book is about that time and atmosphere. Antiwar movements, unfortunately, cause brain bowel movements by their opponents. Even today. Will we ever learn?David will be on CBS’ “Late Show With Craig Ferguson” on Friday night, promoting his book. If you click on this headline, you can hear David discuss the book and the era that smothered the Smothers Brothers -- on National Public Radio, where Bianculli is NPR’s critic.
Check out Bianculli's web site
See a few photos of David
David left the BJ for the New York Post and then the New York Daily News, always as a TV critic, before becoming a Communications College professor at Rowan University. He lives in Cherry Hill, NJ.
Again, click on the headline to hear David’s NPR interview.
No comments:
Post a Comment