Classic SNL Review: March 21, 1987: Bill Murray / Percy Sledge (S12E14)

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

OPENING: CONTRACT

  • Bill Murray, Lorne Michaels, and their lawyers haggle over fulfilling a missed show in the former’s contract.

  • I enjoy backstage cold openings, and this was no exception; it set up tonight’s show well, and had its share of funny moments (including Murray making Michaels start laughing at one point).

  • The NBC lawyer is played by Brian McConnachie, who wrote for SNL during the 1978-79 season, and is a guest writer tonight; Murray’s lawyers are Paul Raley (another guest writer) and Robert Smigel.

  • Nice touch mentioning the Hercules sketch, which actually does appear tonight (and, as Murray indicates, was a topic they already parodied).

  • It’s funny hearing a “ten year option” being floated about as a possibility, something that doesn’t seem quite as long these days, where several of the current regulars are in their tenth (or higher) season. It’s also interesting to think that Murray was only a cast member for three and a half seasons.

  • This was removed from the repeat version and replaced with the dress rehearsal of the Liberace in Heaven cold opening from the Bronson Pinchot episode; it could have been for timing, or just to salvage a piece from a show that wasn’t repeated, but maybe this was a little too inside baseball for the average viewer?

*** 1/2

MONOLOGUE

  • Bill Murray says the success of Crocodile Dundee is a sign that America is losing its comic edge.

  • Energetic entrance by Murray; it’s not quite as manic as his March 1981 entrance (and thankfully no near dropping audience members on their head), but it’s still pretty fun.

  • Good concept for a monologue, and Murray’s the person to sell it, particularly the lines about how France used to be funny and how England “squandered” Benny Hill.

  • Murray mentions that this is the 500th broadcast of SNL; back when NBC used to run the older episodes in the NBC All Night slot, the listings on NBC Media Village would include the show numbers, which helped a few fans (including myself) work out the repeat airdates.

  • Once again, Tony Garnier is filling in for T-Bone Wolk.

  • Rerun alterations: None.

*** 1/2

COMMERCIAL: NEW YORK TELEPHONE

  • A call to his bookie (Phil Hartman) for an extension has a pleasant surprise for a gambling addict (Jon Lovitz).

  • This is a parody of a series of real New York Telephone commercials that ran at the time (one example here); there’s enough here that this sort of works on its own (like the punchline about it being a “business call”), but the parody is so specific and so local that the full effect is pretty much lost without that frame of reference. That could explain why it wasn’t in the repeats.

  • Directed by Matthew Meshekoff.

***

SKETCH: ONE-NIGHT STAND

  • To Audrey’s (Jan Hooks) horror, drunken fling Bart (Bill Murray) has made himself at home in her apartment.

  • A very good slice-of-life sketch. Bill Murray plays Bart with the right mixture of entitlement and cluelessness, but what really makes this for me is Jan Hooks’s ability to sell Audrey’s growing frustration and anger (my favourite touch is her repeatedly pulling her arm away as he tries to hold her hand).

  • Written by Christine Zander.

  • Rerun alterations: Applause mixed out of opening shot.

****

SHOW: DONAHUE

  • Phil Donahue’s (Phil Hartman) topic for today is “The New Celibacy”, but he has a lot more to talk about.

  • A worthy follow-up to the last Donahue sketch, with Phil Hartman one-upping himself this time with a lengthy tangent that takes him out of the studio, to the craft services table, and back to home base. The others have some good parts here too, particularly Jon Lovitz as the guy who just couldn’t get anyone to sleep with him (“Have you tried prostitutes?” “I tried that, Phil, they wouldn’t go for it!”.

  • Mean-spirited (but funny) dig at a former SNLer here, with Nora Dunn’s one traumatic sexual experience being with Joe Piscopo (at the time starring in Miller Lite ads that often ran during SNL).

  • Written by Al Franken, Tom Davis and Jim Downey.

  • Rerun alterations: Most of this sketch is replaced with the dress rehearsal version: Phil Hartman’s tie and Victoria Jackson’s hair are a little different, the traumatic sexual experience was with Gallagher, the part with Jackson has more dialogue (including a part with the audience going back and forth with their sympathy), and the name of Jan Hooks’s character’s softcore films are different. As well, the rant portion from dress has the camera follow him throughout his exit from the studio, and Hartman takes the snack with him instead of putting it back on the table).

****

SKETCH: NICK SLAMMER

  • Lounge singer Nick (Bill Murray) and pianist Marc Shaiman do a show for inmates in a minimum security prison.

  • A returning favourite, and a solid installment this time. A lot of the 80s songs that Murray sings here (“Everybody Have Fun Tonight”, “Every Breath You Take”, “1999” and “C’est La Vie”) are just perfect for the character.

  • The bit with Ivan Boesky (Jon Lovitz) being an audience member’s (Kevin Nealon) bitch was crude, but funny.

  • I’d love to know who the two black actors they hired for this sketch are.

  • Rerun alterations: Audience noise is much quieter in the rerun. The word “bitch” is also bleeped out.

****

WEEKEND UPDATE

  • Best jokes: Bakker scandal, Reagan’s mental powers, Oral Roberts.

  • Opening music: “Good Golly Miss Molly” by Little Richard.

  • Good outing this week. The whole Jim Bakker/Jessica Hahn scandal ends up being another goldmine for Miller, and this week’s show begins with a strong run of jokes about it (ending with God saying “I never met these cretins”).

  • Bill Murray takes a look at this year’s Oscar nominations, again bringing back a familiar bit from his days in the cast. This year he predicts wins for Marlee Matlin (sign language gives her an “international flavour”), Paul Newman (for his marinara sauce), Steven Spielberg (getting the Thalberg award so they never have to give him one for directing), and either Hannah & Her Sisters or Platoon (pretty much the same movie). A solid return appearance, and I love that he still does the “nobody cares” bit for supporting actor and actress.

  • Rerun alterations: None.

****

SKETCH: IT’S A GIRL

  • People magazine reporter (Nora Dunn) learns the horrifying truth behind kindly Dr. Hoffritz’s (Phil Hartman) claim to have delivered 4,000 babies - all girls.

  • An overlooked and disturbing masterpiece, particularly worth watching for Phil Hartman’s performance as the doctor (his deranged “boys are bad” soliloquy at the the end is a highlight of his tenure).

  • Victoria Jackson’s wearing the maternity dress that has been used a few times before on the show, most notably on Christine Ebersole’s Princess Diana.

  • Written by Andy Breckman.

  • Rerun alterations: None.

**** 1/2

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE: “WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN”

  • Percy Sledge sings his biggest hit, which had a resurgence in popularity around that time due to its use in a Levi’s commercial and the Platoon soundtrack. G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band provide sympathetic accompaniment.

  • A rare instance (at this point in the show’s history) of a musical guest appearing later in the show.

  • Rerun alterations: None.

SKETCH: IL RETURNO DE HERCULES

  • In a badly-dubbed Italian movie, a now flabby and out of shape Hercules (Bill Murray) tries to rescue Helena (Nora Dunn) from King Laetese (Dana Carvey).

  • A funny take on Hercules, with some good laughs provided by the premise as well as the incongruous dubbing (particularly Downey’s low key voice for Hercules).

  • I love the visual of Murray’s flab, as well as his gut going up and down as he lays down on the floor after straining his back.

  • Written by Tom Davis and Jim Downey; this was a trunk piece of theirs that Lorne Michaels convinced them to use this week.

  • Rerun alterations: Applause from The Grenada Experience mixed over beginning. Phil Hartman’s narration is replaced with one by Al Franken. Tearing noises are added when Hercules tries to lift the boulder. Some small bits of dialogue added to the dubbing.

****

SKETCH: TOUGH PARENTS

  • Mike (Dana Carvey) has had enough of his parents’ (Bill Murray and Nora Dunn) constant riding and ridiculing.

  • If you thought “It’s A Girl” was dark, this one is even more disturbing, largely due to the realistic depictions of emotional and physical abuse, and the ending with Carvey shooting his parents (which gives a blackly comic resolution to the whole scene).

  • The SNL Band bumper outro to this sketch has some very bouncy and jaunty music, almost as a palate cleanser to such a dark sketch.

  • Rerun alterations: None.

*** 1/2

SKETCH: TAXI

  • Cab driver Honker (Bill Murray) shares the ups and downs of his rollercoaster life with his fare (Dana Carvey).

  • A low-key slice-of-life scene to end the show'; not much in the way of hard laughs, but it’s a good use of Murray’s Honker character, and Carvey does well playing the involuntary audience to his stories.

  • Interesting mention of gentrification here.

  • Written by Robert Smigel.

  • Rerun alterations: None.

***

GOODNIGHTS

  • With a minute to kill, Bill Murray wonders whether his zipper’s down, makes an appeal to his old friends to come back and host because “they just kiss your butt the whole week” (love Nora Dunn playfully bowing down), and says tonight was great because he’s never not been fired from a job before.

  • Don Pardo announces next week’s guests and says “Wasn’t it great to see Billy tonight? I’m so glad he remembered me!”)

  • Bonnie and Terry Turner are now listed as regular staff writers, while Brian McConnachie and Paul Raley get an additional sketches credit.

  • Rerun alterations: Audience laughter before Murray speaks removed. Audience noise and Pardo voiceover removed from closing theme.

Final thoughts: A very solid show, and Bill Murray’s best hosting appearance at that point. As much as this show was a chance to see Murray do some of his more familiar characters again, he also meshes very well with the new cast, though part of it may be because a number of writers from the old days were still around. As well, the writers manage to get some surprisingly dark material in tonight’s show (It’s A Girl, Tough Parents). Percy Sledge’s performance also helps this one have a bit of a timeless feel to it.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

  • It’s A Girl

  • Nick Slammer

  • Il Returno De Hercules

  • Donahue

  • One Night Stand

  • Weekend Update

  • Monologue

  • Tough Parents

  • Contract

SHOW LOWLIGHTS:

  • (none)

MVP:

  • Bill Murray

CAST & GUEST BREAKDOWN:

cast

  • Dana Carvey: 4 appearances [Nick Slammer, Il Returno De Hercules, Tough Parents, Taxi]

  • Nora Dunn: 4 appearances [Donahue, It’s A Girl, Il Returno De Hercules, Tough Parents]; 2 voiceovers [One Night Stand, Donahue]

  • Phil Hartman: 3 appearances [Donahue, Nick Slammer, It’s A Girl]; 3 voiceovers [New York Telephone, Donahue, Il Returno De Hercules (live only)]

  • Jan Hooks: 2 appearances [One Night Stand, Donahue]; 1 voiceover [Il Returno De Hercules]

  • Victoria Jackson: 3 appearances [Donahue, It’s A Girl, Tough Parents]

  • Jon Lovitz: 4 appearances [The Lucky Call, Donahue, Nick Slammer, It’s A Girl]

  • Dennis Miller: 2 appearances [One Night Stand, Weekend Update]

featured players

  • Kevin Nealon: 2 appearances [One Night Stand, Nick Slammer]

unbilled crew, extras, and bit players

  • Tom Davis: 1 voiceover [Il Returno De Hercules]

  • Jim Downey: 1 voiceover [Il Returno De Hercules]

  • Al Franken: 1 voiceover [Il Returno De Hercules (rerun only)]

  • John Henry Kurtz: 2 voiceovers [The Lucky Call, It’s A Girl]

  • Brian McConnachie: 1 appearance [Contract]

  • Lorne Michaels: 1 appearance [Contract]

  • Don Pardo: 1 voiceover [Weekend Update]

  • Paul Raley: 1 appearance [Contract]

  • Marc Shaiman: 1 appearance [Nick Slammer]

  • Robert Smigel: 1 appearance [Contract]

  • Christine Zander: 1 voiceover [Donahue]

G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band

  • G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band: 1 appearance [“When A Man Loves A Woman”]

guests

  • Bill Murray: 9 appearances [Contract, Monologue, One Night Stand, Nick Slammer, Weekend Update, It’s A Girl, Il Returno De Hercules, Tough Parents, Taxi]

  • Percy Sledge: 1 appearance [“When A Man Loves A Woman”]

REBROADCAST HISTORY:

  • July 11, 1987

  • December 26, 1987

Known alterations:

  • Contract and New York Telephone removed

  • Heaven (02/14/87 dress) and The Grenada Experience (01/31/87) added.

  • Edits: Nick Slammer and Il Returno De Hercules

  • Dress substitutions: Donahue (most of sketch).

  • Audio remixing: Nick Slammer.

Additional screen captures from this episode are available here.