Classic SNL Review: November 22, 1986: Robin Williams / Paul Simon with Ladysmith Black Mambazo (S12E05)

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RATINGS SYSTEM:
***** - Classic
**** - Great
*** - Good/Average
** - Meh
* - Awful

OPENING: EARPIECE

  • Ronald Reagan (Robin Williams) uses an earpiece to assist him during a press conference about the sale of arms to Iran, but it starts to pick up stray signals.

  • Robin Williams takes over the Reagan impression for this sketch, which makes as much use of his own comic skills as it does the topical material. There’s also a nice build to the sketch which culminates with Williams doing rapid-fire imitations of different radio stations while still doing the Reagan impression.

  • Williams’ impression also gives Reagan a little bit of sharpness (“You say Iran, I say Iraq, let’s call the whole thing a deal!” and the covers for the first bits of interference were also quite funny.

  • Written by Williams and Al Franken.

  • Rerun alterations: Small cut after Williams says “I’m ready for your questions” to remove hands going up in same shot.

*** 1/2

MONOLOGUE

  • Robin Williams does stand-up about Reagan's press conference, his administration, and televangelists.

  • Solid. Williams' energy powers this through, but there are so many strong jokes throughout that it’s hard to single them out.

  • The home base stage has the divider they normally use for musical guests, while the SNL Band plays in the alley beside the stage.

  • One of the televangelists Williams makes fun of is Dr. Gene Scott, who he would impersonate the next time he hosts the show.

  • Rerun alterations: The word “goddamn” is muted during Williams’ “You’ve got a goddamn animal on your head” line.

**** 1/2

SKETCH: TICKET LINE

  • Paul SImon astounds his date (Jan Hooks) with his ability to remember people he encountered over the years.

  • A good sketch; nice escalation of the absurdly minor encounters Simon had with people, and a great punchline at the end with Art Garfunkel’s cameo.

  • There’s a Three Amigos poster in the background; gotta have a little synergy there. It’s also worth noting given who hosts the next show.

  • For some reason, the review calling the film “the most recent movie of the year” has stuck in my head. I always think of that whenever I see an ad for a movie that’s stretching to make it sound appealing.

  • Who’s playing the theatre usher at the beginning of the sketch?

  • Written by Andy Breckman.

  • Rerun alterations: Minimal audience sweetening. A second trimmed at the beginning to remove the usher’s false start on his line.

*** 1/2

SKETCH: HAMLET

  • William Shakespeare (Jon Lovitz) doesn’t think improvisational comedian Sir Robin of Wiltshire (Williams) is suited to the role of Hamlet.

  • Not a whole lot to the premise other than “Robin Williams does his thing in the guise of a Shakespearian actor”, and it does stretch out a little too long, but it works; Williams brings a lot of life to the sketch, there are some smart references in there, and Lovitz is good in the straight man role.

  • Paul Simon makes another appearance in a sketch here, as a critic watching the opening night of Hamlet.

  • Written by Robert Smigel and Al Franken.

  • Rerun alterations: Mild audience sweetening. A bit of the “Next Day” scene transition cut as well as a bit of the audience filing in. A. Whitney Brown’s first line trimmed to remove wide shot.

*** 1/2

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE: “DIAMONDS ON THE SOLES OF HER SHOES”

  • Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo perform a song that was recorded a few days after their previous SNL appearance; SNL Band members Lenny Pickett, Earl Gardner and Alex Foster also joined them in the studio. As with the other Graceland tracks performed on the show, it’s just Simon singing and playing live as the band and Ladysmith Black Mambazo mime their parts, but the visual component of the performance is what makes this memorable.

  • That said, I do question its inclusion on one of the CD compilations of musical performances they released for the show’s 25th anniversary.

  • Williams introduces the group as “Ladysmith and Black Mambazo”.

  • Rerun alterations: None.

COMMERCIAL: NEW YORK WORD EXCHANGE

  • Don Bingham (Phil Hartman) gives tips on how the small investor can get rich in the word market.

  • This is a fairly quick bit but Hartman’s performance sells this perfectly. Quite a few great lines here, including the rising popularity of the word “da” as a synonym for “the” being a sure bet “as long as Sylvester Stallone keeps making movies”. I also liked the joke about Dick Cavett collecting antiquated words.

  • Written by George Meyer.

  • Rerun alterations: Minimal audience sweetening.

****

WEEKEND UPDATE

  • Best jokes: Ivan Boesky, Sarah Ferguson.

  • I can’t identify the music at the beginning of this week’s edition; possibly some movie score?

  • Dennis Miller continues to get mileage from the burgeoning Iran-Contra scandal, including a bit that presents actual footage of Reagan’s press conference as a screen test for Isuzu, whose advertising at the time featured pathological liar Joe Isuzu (David Leisure). There’s also a run of several jokes delivered in quick succession, after which Miller himself comments that he has to slow down; I’m wondering whether Robin Williams pushed the show a bit behind schedule.

  • Also notable is the mention of SNL musical director Cheryl Hardwick’s recent wedding to former head writer Michael O’Donoghue (“Should you wish to send the couple a gift, their pattern is registered at Black & Decker”).

  • A. Whitney Brown responds to last week’s show being edited by network censors with an address to the show’s sponsors. This isn’t presented as a “Big Picture” commentary, but it can be seen as a companion piece to his last one in the Rosanna Arquette episode; here, he argues that the easily offended have learned not to watch SNL, and the bigger threat to the show’s advertising pull is pay TV and cable (“The enemy is not the Moral Majority; the enemy is Phoebe Cates’ breasts!”)

  • Rerun alterations: Mild audience sweetening.

*** 1/2

SKETCH: BAYCREST JEWISH RETIREMENT HOME

  • The Sweeney Sisters (Jan Hooks and Nora Dunn) fill in for the entertainment at a Jewish retirement home.

  • The second appearance of the Sweeneys has the characters’ normal names (Candy and Liz), though this time an unnamed resident of the home (Cheryl Hardwick) accompanies them instead of Skip St. Thomas (Marc Shaiman).

  • Another sketch appearance by Paul Simon, who seems to be the show’s de facto co-host tonight; he and Robin Williams do a duet of “Alone Again, Naturally” in character that’s charming if not a little superfluous.

  • Written by Hooks, Dunn and Shaiman.

  • Rerun alterations: Mild audience sweetening.

*** 1/2

SKETCH: AND SO ADIEU

  • In 1937, Master Thespian (Jon Lovitz) frustrates a director’s (Robin Williams) attempt to shoot the final scene of his film.

  • This is another very simple premise, but Master Thespian is used perfectly here (in a sketch that doesn’t even use his catchphrase), and provides a good obtuse foil for the growingly exasperated Williams. Again, this has a nice build to it.

  • Rerun alterations: Mild audience sweetening. A quick bad camera switch removed.

****

MISCELLANEOUS: TRANSLATOR

  • Robin Williams translates Whoopi Goldberg’s introduction into foreign-sounding gibberish.

  • Not rateable, but the cameo is fun (and one of Goldberg’s only two appearances on SNL, the other in Justin Bieber’s monologue in 2013).

  • Rerun alterations: None.

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE: “THE BOY IN THE BUBBLE”

  • Another single from Graceland, Simon sings this song (co-written with accordionist Forere Motloheloa) live as the band mimes. This is an underrated track from the album, but the use of a recorded backing track is even more apparent here, particularly with the synthesizer parts and fade out.

  • Rerun alterations: None.

COMMERCIAL: AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF AMERICA

  • Kevin Nealon stresses the importance of knowing how to use a map, but demonstrates he doesn’t.

  • This is one of those solo Nealon bits I’ve always enjoyed, and is a great demonstration of his knack for playing a mix of overconfidence and ineptitude. Lots of great bits in here, including Nealon talking about driving up the “coast” of Idaho and folding or tearing the map to represent different states, and there’s a good callback to the beginning during his discussion of his tour guide’s varicose veins.

  • This sketch was used as a linking segment for Kenneth Bowser’s SNL In The 80s: Lost and Found documentary.

  • Rerun alterations: Mild audience sweetening.

****

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE: “THE LATE GREAT JOHNNY ACE”

  • Simon performs a solo acoustic version of the closing track from his previous album, 1983’s Hearts and Bones. It’s a somber close to tonight’s show, but it’s a good song, and I like the contrast it provides to the more processed Graceland tracks.

  • As Simon begins the song, a still photo of John F. Kennedy is shown onscreen as this show aired on the 23rd anniversary of his assassination.

  • Rerun alterations: None

GOODNIGHTS

  • Robin Williams bellows “We just want to THANK YEW!” and thanks “Mr. Simon, Mr. G, Ms. Whoopi, and Ms. Jane”.

  • My copy of the original airing cuts out before the credits start to roll, so I’m not sure whether there was a Pardo voiceover at the end.

Final thoughts: A consistently very good show, though at times, it does feel more like a Robin Williams and Paul Simon special. That’s not to say the cast doesn’t have a good week (in fact, Hartman and Nealon’s solo pieces are highlights), but Williams does a lot of the heavy lifting tonight, and Simon has several sketch roles in addition to his three songs.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Monologue

  • And So Adieu

  • New York Word Exchange

  • Automobile Club of America

  • Earpiece

  • Ticket Line

  • Baycrest Jewish Retirement Home

  • Weekend Update

SHOW LOWLIGHTS:

  • none

MVP:

  • Robin Williams

CAST & GUEST BREAKDOWN:

cast

  • Dana Carvey: 3 appearances [Earpiece, Hamlet, And So Adieu]

  • Nora Dunn: 2 appearances [Ticket Line, Baycrest Jewish Retirement Home]

  • Phil Hartman: 5 appearances [Earpiece, Ticket Line, Hamlet, New York Word Exchange, And So Adieu]

  • Jan Hooks: 3 appearances [Earpiece, Ticket Line, Baycrest Jewish Retirement Home]

  • Victoria Jackson: 2 appearances [Earpiece, Ticket Line]

  • Jon Lovitz: 4 appearance [Ticket Line, Hamlet, Baycrest Jewish Retirement Home, And So Adieu]

  • Dennis Miller: 3 appearances [Hamlet, Weekend Update, And So Adieu]

featured players

  • A. Whitney Brown: 3 appearances [Hamlet, Weekend Update, And So Adieu]; 1 voiceover [Earpiece]

  • Kevin Nealon: 5 appearances [Earpiece, Ticket Line, Hamlet, And So Adieu, Automobile Club of America]

unbilled crew, extras, and bit players

  • Don Pardo: 1 voiceover [Automobile Club of America]

G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band

  • Alex Foster: 1 appearance [“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”]

  • Earl Gardner: 2 appearances [Hamlet, “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”]

  • Cheryl Hardwick: 1 appearance [Baycrest Jewish Retirement Home]

  • Lenny Pickett: 1 appearance [“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”]

  • Steve Turre: 1 appearance [Hamlet]

guests

  • Robin Williams: 6 appearances [Earpiece, Monologue, Hamlet, Baycrest Jewish Retirement Home, And So Adieu, Translator]

  • Paul Simon: 6 appearances [Ticket Line, Hamlet, “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”, Baycrest Jewish Retirement Home, “The Boy in the Bubble”, “The Late Great Johnny Ace”]

  • Ladysmith Black Mambazo: 1 appearance [“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”]

  • Art Garfunkel: 1 appearance [Ticket Line]

  • Whoopi Goldberg: 1 appearance [Translator]

REBROADCAST HISTORY:

  • March 7, 1987

  • July 25, 1987

Known alterations:

  • Audience sweetening:

    • Minimal to mild: Ticket Line, Hamlet, New York Word Exchange, Weekend Update, Baycrest Jewish Retirement Home, And So Adieu, Automobile Club of America.

  • Edits: Earpiece, Monologue, Hamlet, And So Adieu.

Additional screen captures from this episode are available here.