If only The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was still around to help us through another tumultuous US Presidential election. Pat Paulsen — where are you when we need you? A key writer/producer back on that 1966-69 comedy variety show was a Canadian — Allan Byle. Before the Smothers, he worked for Fred Rogers as well
Bob Einstein was one original character. That character was “Super” Dave Osborne, a parody of ’70s daredevil Evel Knievel. The real life stunt artist nearly killed himself leaping across school buses and the Snake River Canyon. The fake daredevil made an equally impossible leap — from Los Angeles to Toronto, where he spun Super Dave
“My name José Jiménez.” With those four words, uttered on The Steve Allen Show on Nov. 23, 1959, Bill Dana built a career. The comedian passed away last Thursday at his home in Nashville, Tenn. He was 92. I met him 20 years ago at one of those autograph-signing shows in Hollywood. That’s where he explained the