IN: The Smothers Brothers are Thomas ("Tom" - born February 2, 1937) and Richard ("Dick" - born November 20, 1939), American singers, musicians, and comedians. The brothers' trademark double act was performing folk songs (Tommy on acoustic guitar, Dick on string bass), which usually led to arguments between the siblings. Tommy's signature line was, "Mom always liked you best!" Tommy (the elder of the two) acted "slow", and Dick, the straight man, acted "superior".

With its focus having evolved toward a more youth-oriented one, the show became both popular and controversial. Three specific targets of satire -- racism, the President of the United States, and the Vietnam War-- wound up defining the show's content for the remainder of its run, eventually leading to its demise.  The brothers soon found themselves in regular conflict with CBS's network censors. At the start of the 1968/69 season, the network ordered that the Smothers deliver their shows finished and ready to air ten days before airdate so that the censors could edit the shows as necessary. In the season premiere, CBS deleted the entire segment of Belafonte singing "Lord, Don't Stop the Carnival" against a backdrop of the havoc during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, along with two lines from a satire of their main competitor, Bonanza. As the year progressed, battles over content continued, including a David Steinberg sermon about Moses and the Burning Bush.  With some local stations making their own deletions of controversial skits or comments, the continuing problems over the show came to a head after CBS broadcast a rerun on March 9, 1969. The network explained the decision by stating that because that week's episode did not arrive in time to be previewed, it would not be shown. In that program, Joan Baez paid tribute to her then-husband, David Harris, who was entering jail after refusing military service, while comedian Jackie Mason made a joke about children "playing doctor". When the show finally did air, two months later, the network allowed Baez to state that her husband was in prison, but edited out the reason.  Despite the conflict, the show was picked up for the 1969-70 season on March 14, seemingly ending the debate over its status. However, network CEO and President William S. Paley abruptly canceled the show on April 4, 1969. The reason given by CBS was the Smothers' refusal to meet the pre-air delivery dates as specified by the network in order to accommodate review by the censors. This cancellation led the Brothers to file a successful breach of contract suit against the network, although the suit failed to see the brothers or their show returned to the air. Despite this cancellation, the show went on to win the Emmy Award that year for best writing. The saga of the cancellation of the show is the subject of a 2002 documentary film, Smothered.  Highlights from seasons two and three of the show have been released on DVD, but there is no explanation of why anything from season one remains unreleased.

When was the show cancelled?

OUT: April 4, 1969.


IN: Irwin was born on his mother's birthday to Lyn and Bob Irwin in Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. He was of Irish descent on his father's side. He moved with his parents as a child to Queensland in 1970, where he attended Landsborough State School and Caloundra State High School. Irwin described his father as a wildlife expert interested in herpetology, while his mother Lyn was a wildlife rehabilitator.

On 4 September 2006, Irwin was on location at Batt Reef, near Port Douglas, Queensland, taking part in the production of the documentary series Ocean's Deadliest. During a lull in filming caused by inclement weather, Irwin decided to snorkel in shallow waters while being filmed in an effort to provide footage for his daughter's television programme.  While swimming in chest-deep water, Irwin approached a stingray with an approximate span of two metres (6.5 ft) from the rear, in order to film it swimming away.  According to the incident's only witness, "All of a sudden [the stingray] propped on its front and started stabbing wildly with its tail. Hundreds of strikes in a few seconds". Irwin initially believed he only had a punctured lung. However, the stingray's barb pierced his heart, causing him to bleed to death. The stingray's behaviour appeared to have been a defensive response to being boxed in. Crew members aboard Irwin's boat administered CPR and rushed him to the nearby Low Isles where medical staff pronounced him dead.  Irwin's death is believed to be the only fatality from a stingray ever captured on video.  Footage of the incident was viewed by Queensland state police as part of their mandatory investigations. All copies of the footage were then destroyed at the behest of Irwin's family. Production was completed on Ocean's Deadliest, which was broadcast in the US on the Discovery Channel on 21 January 2007. The documentary was completed with footage shot in the weeks following the accident, but without including any mention of Irwin's accidental death.

How did he die?

OUT: stingray's barb pierced his heart, causing him to bleed to death.


IN: The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 2006. The band consists of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Benny Horowitz (drums, percussion). The Gaslight Anthem released their debut album, Sink or Swim, on XOXO Records in May 2007, and their second album, The '59 Sound, on SideOneDummy Records in August 2008. The band's third album, American Slang, was released in June 2010, and their fourth, Handwritten, was released in July 2012 through Mercury Records.

In July 2010, Fallon said he was already working on new material for a fourth album. Subsequently, Fallon stated on his blog that the band would start writing their record in January 2011. However, prior to playing on Pinkpop in June 2011, Fallon stated that they had just started working on the new album and that it would not be released for at least a few months. In the same interview Fallon said only one song was finished so far, referring to Biloxi Parish which they performed on stage at Pinkpop 2011 as well as Rock Am Ring. Fallon stated that the band's next record would sound closer to their breakthrough record, The '59 Sound, rather than American Slang. During this time, Fallon was also working with good friend Ian Perkins on their side project, The Horrible Crowes.  On October 6, 2011, the Gaslight Anthem announced via Facebook that they had signed with Mercury Records. They stated that they were sorry to leave their friends at SideOneDummy, but felt that the change was necessary for their musical career. On October 14, 2011, the band announced that their last show before going into the studio to record their new album would be on December 9, 2011 at the Asbury Park Convention Hall.  On February 22, 2012, the band's Twitter feed announced the forthcoming album would be titled Handwritten. The album was released on July 20, 2012, in Germany, July 23 in the UK, and July 24 in the US.  On September 21, 2012, in Pensacola, Florida, the Gaslight Anthem performed Pearl Jam's "State of Love and Trust" live at DeLuna Fest with Eddie Vedder on vocals. On November 30, 2012, the last of three nights in a row at New York City's Terminal 5 venue, Fallon announced that they would be releasing a live DVD of the previous night's show.

did they have any hit singles?

OUT:
Biloxi Parish