‘Smothers Comedy Hour’ Gets OK for Return of Striking Writers

The producers of “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” have struck a legal deal with the Writers Guild of America to get their writers back on the job this week even though the rest of the guild remains on strike. But, after limping through the last three weeks without writers as a kind of unscripted “Ed Sullivan Show,” the Smothers don’t plan to change the format or the style of their show to make room for more writing.

“We’re happy to have our writers back,” Dick Smothers said in a telephone interview. “Now we might move them over into wardrobe or set design.”

To avoid violating the strike, the first three episodes of the show (Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS) have simply showcased a series of comedic and musical guests that performed their own self-contained acts. Tom and Dick Smothers revived some of their old shticks for the opening and closing of each show and tied the guest performances together with unscripted introductions.

Guild rules permit comics such as Tom and Dick Smothers, who are members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists but not members of the WGA, to create and perform material for themselves without violating the strike, said Ken Kragen, executive producer of the show.

“I asked (pop singer) Buster Poindexter before we went on how he would like to be introduced,” Smothers said, “and he said, ‘How about as the hottest recording star in the nation.’ I told him, ‘Sounds good to me.’ That’s about how much work we put into it.”

Kragen said that his interim agreement with the WGA prohibited him from revealing any details of the deal. So far during the six-week strike, the WGA has rejected all but one other request for waivers permitting members of the guild to cross picket lines and work for short periods on specific projects.

If the WGA had not granted the waiver, Kragen said that the show would have staggered ahead, but he doubted that they could have completed many more episodes.

“You would’ve seen us out there dancing to ‘Hava Nagila,’ ” Smothers joked.

Initially, CBS ordered six variety shows with an eye toward transforming them into a Smothers sitcom for its fall schedule. Without writers, however, the Smothers were forced to abandon character sketches and story lines in favor of an Ed Sullivan-type variety show.

Kragen said that even though the show has come in third place in its time slot all three weeks, CBS has been pleased that the ratings have been better than what they had been showing before in the 8 p.m. Wednesday spot and has ordered three additional shows.

With their five writers back on staff to create material for the Smothers, Kragen said they will definitely complete at least eight of the nine shows this spring. Though a crowded schedule of public appearances may prevent the Smothers from accepting the offer, Kragen also believes that CBS will renew the variety show for the fall.

That offer, Kragen said, would be in addition to another guaranteed deal with CBS that will see the Smothers starring in at least eight episodes of a new sitcom next season.