6 New Smothers Brothers Shows Coming Up on CBS

Encouraged by the reception the Smothers Brothers got for their hourlong special two weeks ago, CBS on Tuesday ordered six more programs from the comedy duo for airing in weekly installments this spring.

The Smothers Brothers series will debut March 28 in the time period that was to be occupied by “Magnum, P.I.”--8 p.m. Wednesdays. “Magnum” by then will have completed its original episodes for the season, except for a special two-hour show that will mark the end of the detective series. That will air in May.

If the six variety shows do well in the ratings, the Smothers Brothers could be a regular fixture in CBS’ prime-time schedule next season--20 years after their original series was running on CBS. The network canceled it in 1969 because of battles over the show’s antiwar, left-of-center political content.