Classic SNL Review: December 17, 1988: Melanie Griffith / Little Feat (S14E09)
RATINGS SYSTEM:
***** - Classic
**** - Great
*** - Good/Average
** - Meh
* - Awful
OPENING: CHURCH LADY
The Church Lady (Dana Carvey) gets a visit and a gift from Mephistopheles (Jon Lovitz) before bed.
We haven’t seen the Church Lady outside of Church Chat in over two years, and Mephistopheles for almost as long (his last appearance was escorting Robin Leach to Hell in February 1987), so this was a nice change of pace as well as a good premise.
Church Lady’s exercise routine is hilarious, particularly the “rest” pose. I also appreciated the nod to her previously-established eagerness to receive presents.
Written by Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, and Dana Carvey.
Rerun alterations: There is an immediate cut to the camera switch after Church Lady begins reading “I am Joe’s Liver”; the audio of Mephistopheles laughing is shifted so it begins before the edit. Small edit before the montage begins.
*** 1/2
MONTAGE
Rerun alterations: Don Pardo’s microphone turns on late in the live show (“…Saturday Night Live!”). This is fixed for the rerun.
MONOLOGUE
An on-screen disclaimer states that Melanie Griffith’s thoughts on the meaning of Christmas do not reflect the views of the show or network.
Not really a whole lot to it, but it was kept short enough to work. I did laugh at the “I guess we have to go back to being mean” afterward.
Rerun alterations: Fade from blue tint removed in rerun.
***
COMMERCIAL: FIRST GUARDIAN METROCARD
Testimony from a customer (Melanie Griffith) and employee (Kevin Nealon) illustrates how First Guardian looks after their customers’ credit card activity.
A pretty funny lesser-known commercial, with Griffith and Nealon calmly recalling an interaction that slowly devolved into something like a father-daughter argument about her spending habits.
Written by Bonnie and Terry Turner.
Rerun alterations: A long pause of dead air before the graphic appears at the beginning is removed.
*** 1/2
SHOW: MISS SELF-ESTEEM USA PAGEANT
Michael Gross (Kevin Nealon) emcees as Miss Wyoming (Victoria Jackson), Miss Georgia (Jan Hooks) and Miss New York (Melanie Griffith) compete for the title.
A little overlong (12 and a half minutes), and could have done without some of the sketchsplaining from Nealon after Griffith’s scenes, but the performances carry this well, and there are plenty of good lines. Jan Hooks steals the whole thing as the desperate Miss Georgia, but Griffith and Victoria Jackson (as a particularly unconfident finalist) also get laughs with their performances.
I also enjoyed the introduction of the judges: three self-help book authors…and Jamie Farr (Jon Lovitz).
Written by Al Franken, Tom Davis, and Christine Zander.
Rerun alterations: Small cut before the judges are introduced and before Griffith’s talent spot. Hooks’ talent spot and Griffiths’ interview are from dress rehearsal (Griffith is wearing different earrings). A blooper where Nealon says the wrong line before correcting himself is removed.
***
SKETCH: OFFICE PARTY
CIA operatives’ covert duties affect their ability to conduct small talk at their annual holiday mixer.
A bit thin in terms of the premise, but it’s kept zippy enough, the different ways the agents evade directly answering each others’ questions had some good jokes, and the way they just shrugged off the drunken whistleblower (Jon Lovitz) getting shot (“Happens every year”) was funny.
Written by Bob Odenkirk, A. Whitney Brown, and Robert Smigel.
Rerun alterations: Band shot moved to after Chapstick and replaced with bumper photo of Little Feat.
***
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE: “LET IT ROLL”
Little Feat perform the title track from their comeback album; a tight, energetic performance featuring solos from guitarists Fred Tackett and Paul Barrere, and keyboard player Bill Payne.
Tackett previously appeared on the show in 1979 as part of Bob Dylan’s band, while Payne was one of the many all-stars backing up Stevie Nicks in 1983.
Rerun alterations: Audio remixed.
WEEKEND UPDATE
Opening music: “White Wedding” by Billy Idol; closing music: “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” by John Lennon.
Best jokes: Yasser Arafat/Norman Fell, Bucket Man Lives!
A fairly breezy Update; the strongest parts were the commentaries. As well, there were a few sillier than usual jokes like “Bucket Man Lives!”, “Boat Derrick”, and “Kiddie Caps baby dentures”.
Victoria Jackson does a handstand to read her poem “The Life of a Christmas Tree”, while Dennis Miller puts presents around her and a star on her “top”. This is pretty charming thanks to the interplay between Miller and Jackson, and at one point Jackson loses her balance, which leads to a few fun ad-libs.
Dennis Miller recites “The Night Before Christmas” alongside Dennis Miller (Dana Carvey), who makes his customary arcane references, witticisms and references to his hair. Like the Jackson commentary, this one has a fun, loose feeling to it thanks to Carvey’s caricature causing Miller to break (“You OK, babe?”).
Rerun alterations: A small chuckle during the opening is audible in the rerun but not during the live show.
*** 1/2
SKETCH: SWEENEY SISTERS
After being mistaken for prostitutes, Liz (Nora Dunn) and Candy (Jan Hooks) treat their short-term cellmates to a medley.
Not quite prime Sweeneys, but it does get them into a different setting, and there’s a sweetness to this particular sketch that works well on a Christmas show. I also liked the touch of the sisters looking at Skip (Marc Shaiman), who then wordlessly hands over their microphones before they go back into the cell.
Jan Hooks has some pretty great moments here, particularly her freakout at the beginning and her belting on “Think”.
This is the third (and last) Christmas show in a row with a Sweeney Sisters medley; as well, the last time we saw them on SNL was on the 1987-88 Christmas show (Dunn and Hooks did a Sweeneys routine on that year’s Lorne Michaels-produced Emmy Awards in August).
Written by Nora Dunn, Jan Hooks, Christine Zander, and Marc Shaiman.
Rerun alterations: None
*** 1/2
FILM: “LOVE IS A DREAM” - TOM SCHILLER
An old woman (Jan Hooks) unlocks her safe deposit box, and with it, memories of a lost love (Phil Hartman).
Schiller’s first contribution to the show since 1981’s L’Art Est Ficial is also one of his best. This has gained an added poignance over the years thanks to the early deaths of both Hooks and Hartman, but even without the tragic subtext, this is just a beautiful and bittersweet homage to the Bing Crosby movie The Emperor Waltz, with the actors playing it perfectly, and Schiller’s skill at recreating various styles of filmmaking.
Written by Tom Schiller.
Rerun alterations: Audience noise mixed out; you can hear some chuckles from the audience during the first verse in the live show.
*****
SKETCH: LIP BALM
Dave (Dana Carvey) watches his tube of Chapstick come across increasingly unsanitary borrowers, who all insist on returning it to him.
A very simple premise, but the escalation was nicely done; once again Jan Hooks steals the sketch as the prostitute who uses it on her sore-covered lips, ears, and her dog’s mouth.
Jon Lovitz does his “ACH-mm” cough in this sketch, a bit he would later use on The Critic.
The music that plays during the big-lipped alien scene is the opening of “Julie With” by Brian Eno (you can hear it start to go into the keyboard melody as the sketch fades out).
Written by Robert Smigel, Conan O’Brien, and Greg Daniels.
Rerun alterations: Hooks dropping the Chapstick up to A. Whitney Brown saying “We’ll get it out” is replaced with dress rehearsal, as in the live show the Chapstick doesn’t go into the grate and Brown has to roll it in manually; there is also a slight reframing after the switch back to live to disguise this. The band shot originally after from Office Party runs after this sketch in the rerun; the logo is yellow in live and blue in the rerun, with the clip extended to allow for the “Next Week” promo bumper.
****
SKETCH: UNREQUITED BUSINESSMAN
Jack (Kevin Nealon) thinks co-worker Liz (Melanie Griffith) is coming on to him with her business talk.
This was rough. Even though “Kevin Nealon repeatedly makes the same mistake” is usually a winning sketch premise, but the whole sexual assault angle just made this uncomfortable to watch, and the ending where he thinks the security guard’s (Jon Lovitz) request to accompany him was a line he used on the “pretty boys at the surf bar” was a little too predictable.
The only laugh I got was the part where they look up “recapitalize” in the dictionary after Nealon insists that it was an invitation to throw himself at her (“I guess I’ve been misusing that word”).
Written by John Bowman, Shannon Gaughan, Kevin Nealon, and Jack Handey.
Rerun alterations: None.
* 1/2
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE: “HATE TO LOSE YOUR LOVIN’”
New member Craig Fuller shares lead vocals with Paul Barrere on this strong performance of the first single from Let It Roll, with a lot of soloing from Barrere and Bill Payne.
Rerun alterations: Audio remixed.
MISCELLANEOUS: SEASONS GREETINGS
Tarzan (Kevin Nealon), Tonto (Jon Lovitz) and Frankenstein (Phil Hartman) sing a simplified version of “Deck Halls”.
Pretty much a run-out-the-clock moment, but while this isn’t quite as good as last year’s “Away In Manger”, it’s still funny. Not sure what to make of Frankenstein looking at the other two and growling angrily after “Don now gay apparel”, but Hartman’s performance as the character always makes me laugh.
Written by Jack Handey and Jim Downey.
Rerun alterations: None.
***
GOODNIGHTS:
Melanie Griffith expresses her love for the cast and boyfriend Don Johnson; in their daughter Dakota Johnson’s SNL monologue in 2015, she mentions that Johnson proposed to Griffith after the show.
A combination of physical fake snow and a graphic overlay of snow appears over the goodnights as the cast (including Hartman still in character as Frankenstein) and the control room crew wave goodnight for the holidays.
Don Pardo mentions the show will return live on January 21 with host John Malkovich.
Rerun alterations: Don Pardo voiceover removed.
Final thoughts: A pleasant (for the most part) Christmas show. It’s not quite as strong as the last two seasons’ Christmas shows; maybe it’s because Melanie Griffith was one of the more limited hosts the show had this season, but there were a few more average sketches than usual tonight, plus one very off-putting one (Unrequited Businessman). The trend of strong musical guests continues with Little Feat, though, and Love Is A Dream is one of the best short films that the show has ever run.
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:
Love Is A Dream
Lip Balm
Weekend Update
First Guardian Metrocard
Sweeney Sisters
Church Lady
SHOW LOWLIGHTS:
Unrequited Businessman
MVP:
Jan Hooks
CAST & GUEST BREAKDOWN:
cast
Dana Carvey: 3 appearances [Church Lady, Weekend Update, Lip Balm]
Nora Dunn: 3 appearances [Office Party, Sweeney Sisters, Lip Balm]
Phil Hartman: 5 appearances [Office Party, Sweeney Sisters, Love Is A Dream, Lip Balm, Seasons Greetings]; 1 voiceover [First Guardian Metrocard]
Jan Hooks: 5 appearances [Miss Self-Esteem USA Pageant, Office Party, Sweeney Sisters, Love Is A Dream, Lip Balm]
Victoria Jackson: 2 appearances [Miss Self-Esteem USA Pageant, Weekend Update]
Jon Lovitz: 6 appearances [Church Lady, Miss Self-Esteem USA Pageant, Office Party, Lip Balm, Unrequited Businessman, Seasons Greetings]
Dennis Miller: 1 appearance [Weekend Update]
Kevin Nealon: 6 appearances [First Guardian Metrocard, Miss Self-Esteem USA Pageant, Office Party, Lip Balm, Unrequited Businessman, Seasons Greetings]
featured players
A. Whitney Brown: 1 appearance (uncredited) [Lip Balm]
crew, bit players, and extras
Diana Berry: 1 appearance [Miss Self-Esteem USA Pageant]
Tom Davis: 1 appearance [Lip Balm]
Cynthia Elane: 1 appearance [Miss Self-Esteem USA Pageant]
Andy Murphy: 1 appearance [Sweeney Sisters]
Conan O’Brien: 1 voiceover [Lip Balm]
Don Pardo: 1 voiceover [Miss Self-Esteem USA Pageant]
Marc Shaiman: 1 appearance [Sweeney Sisters]
Christine Zander: 1 voiceover [Unrequited Businessman]
guests
Melanie Griffith: 5 appearances [Monologue, First Guardian Metrocard, Miss Self-Esteem USA Pageant, Sweeney Sisters, Unrequited Businessman]
Little Feat: 2 appearances [“Let It Roll”, “Hate To Lose Your Lovin’”]
Don Johnson: 1 appearance [Goodnights]
REBROADCAST HISTORY:
April 8, 1989
September 16, 1989
Rerun alterations:
Edits: Christmas Eve, Miss Self-Esteem USA Pageant, Chapstick
Dress substitutions: Miss Self-Esteem USA Pageant (part), Chapstick (part)
Audio remixing: “Let It Roll”, Weekend Update, Love Is A Dream, “Hate To Lose Your Loving”.
Additional screen captures for this episode are available here.