I remember Pat Paulsen fondly. He was one of the better parts of the Tommy and Dickie show. His popularity was at least as great as the Smothers Brothers during the run of their show. That however is not high praise. They were wildly popular for 15 minutes and then shunned by the public from that point forward. None of them were ever stars again.
Following the demise of the Smothers Brothers Show, Paulsen had his own short, failed TV series (which I loved) and a never-ending string of low-budget bombs. At all times, he played the same character. Most of the time, his credits were way down towards the bottom, below such powerhouses as unknown child actors and Playboy Bunnies.
As it turns out, speaking in a monotone voice is neither a skill nor an attraction. Much like Foster Brooks, if Paulsen was on the screen for a short time, he was hilarious; but if he was a major character, his delivery became grating.
If you want a complete understanding of Paulsen, just watch any of his work. His performance is always the same. The only reason to point out specific roles would be for the jokes, not the performance.
Paulsen's strength was his writing. His delivery, in my opinion, was a mistake. Despite great material and a very unusual delivery very few remember him. With a more normal delivery, he could easily have been the Seinfeld of his time.
