Looking back at my writing about SNL from years ago, I now feel like I was a bit harsh on the show at times. Maybe it was just disappointment about talented performers being used for the most irritating sketches possible at the expense of their range. It was also partially untreated depression and burnout.
Read MoreIf there was one word to describe the 13th season of SNL, it would be “consistent”. No longer on the bubble thanks to the previous year’s success, SNL in 1987-88 continued pretty much in the same direction as the last season with a little more confidence and a little less to prove.
Read MoreSketches include “Pumping Up With Hans & Franz”, “Wilson Trap Doors”, “Church Chat”, “Airline”, “Jorge Garcia, Nice Guy Dictator”, “The Cop & The Prostitute”, “When Great Minds Meet” and “Pirates”. 10,000 Maniacs performs “Like The Weather” and “What’s The Matter Here”.
Read MoreSketches include “Calgary 1988”, “Giant Businessman”, “The Bean Cafe”, “The Pat Stevens Show”, “Girl Watchers”, “Computer Panic”, “Casey Kasem Sings The Beatles”, “Delivery Room”, “Stand-Ups III”, and “The Pawn Shop”. Randy Travis performs “Forever And Ever, Amen” and “What’ll You Do About Me”.
Read MoreSketches include “Republican Debate 88”, “Family Ties”, “Learning To Feel”, “Derek’s Comeback”, “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre”, “What Do Your Friends Think”, and “Friday Night Videos”. Terence Trent D’Arby performs “Wishing Well” and “Under My Thumb”.
Read MoreSketches include “BushWhacked!”, “The NFL Today”, “Democratic Debate 88”, “Mother-In-Law II”, “Not An Actress”, “Master Thespian”, and “The Garden”. Robbie Robertson performs “Testimony” and “Somewhere Down The Crazy River” with Maria McKee and the BoDeans.
Read MoreSketches include “Pumping Up With Hans & Franz”, “Proud Dad”, “Learning To Feel”, “Robin Jr.”, “The 8th Annual ACE Awards”, “Discover” and “I Wuv You”. James Taylor performs “Never Die Young”, “Sweet Potato Pie”, and “That Lonesome Road”.
Read MoreSketches include “30th Birthday Party”, “Castaways”, “Master Thespian”, “Still Sweeneys”, “Subway”, “Pumping Up With Hans & Franz”, “Succinctly Speaking”, “Season’s Greetings”, “Texas Diner”, and “Speech To The Future”. Linda Ronstadt performs “Los Laureles” and “La Cigarra” with The Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, and “Under African Skies” with Paul Simon.
Read MoreSketches include “Translator”, “Stewardess”, “Donahue”, “Wedgie Fever!”, “Christmas Party”, “Police Women”, “The Assimilated Jew’s Hanukkah” and “Drunk Man”. Buster Poindexter performs “Hot Hot Hot” with The Banshees of Blue and the Uptown Horns. David Gilmour performs “Song For My Sara” with the SNL Band.
Read MoreSketches include “Gorbachev/Reagan”, “Handi-Off”, “At The Movies”, “Church Chat”, “Jungle Room”, “Mona Lisa”, “Ann Landers Playhouse” and “Doorman”. Bryan Ferry performs “The Right Stuff” and “Kiss And Tell” with Johnny Marr.
Read MoreSketches include “A Message From The Vice-President”, “Pumping Up With Hans & Franz”, “Anne Boleyn”, “Manufacturers of Machine Part Components United To Save Our Courts”, “Ching Change”, “Mayflower Madam”, “Country Through And Through”, “Thought Bubbles”, and “Peeping Tom”. Cher performs “We All Sleep Alone” and “I Found Someone” with Paul Shaffer & The World’s Most Dangerous Band.
Read MoreSketches include “The Rolling Paper Chase”, “Compulsion”, “Death Be Not Deadly”, “The Mountain Man”, “Sweeney’s Comeback”, “Out Of Gas”, “Andre & Rex: Macho Hairstylists”, “BeautyBath”, and “Mysterious Old Man”. Simply Red performs “The Right Thing” and “Suffer”.
Read MoreSketches include “Lifestyles of the Rich, Famous and Scary”, “Fiber”, “The Winning Spirit”, “Don’t Go Down To The Basement”, “Scoutmaster”, “Marriage Counselor”, “Count Dracula, Self-Taught Auto Mechanic”, “The Pat Stevens Show”, “Mascots”, and “Stockbroker”. The Cars perform “Strap Me In” and “Double Trouble”. Special guest appearance by Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (Cassandra Peterson).
Read MoreSketches include “Fatal Attraction II”, “Wall Street Week”, “Church Chat”, “Pitman And Bullock”, “Teeny Cafe”, “After The Date”, “Discover”, “Joey Comes Home”, and “Cat Dentist”. LL Cool J performs “Go Cut Creator Go”. The Pull performs “This & That”.
Read MoreSketches include “White House Dinner”, “Gary Hart”, “Common Knowledge”, “The NFL Today”, “Slide Whistles”, “Bullets Aren’t Cheap”, “Free Speaking”, “Adventures In The Lost Realm”, and “Pumping Up with Hans & Franz”. Sting performs “We’ll Be Together” and “Little Wing”.
Read MoreBy the summer of 1987, Saturday Night Live had survived leadership changes, cast and writer turnover, and the threat of cancellation several times over; for the first time in years, the show was in a period of stability. New performers such as Dana Carvey, Jan Hooks and Phil Hartman quickly made their mark with characters such as the Church Lady and the Sweeney Sisters, and the writing had noticeably improved, with a renewed emphasis on political satire. It would make sense that the new season would look very similar to the last.
Read MoreAfter barely getting renewed following the 1985-86 season, the next year was a make-or-break year for Saturday Night Live. Fortunately for Lorne Michaels, the show, and NBC, this reprieve paid off with the strongest season since the original cast’s heyday in the late 70’s.
Read MoreSketches include “Easy Rider”, “Church Chat”, “Frank Booth’s ‘What’s That Smell?’”, “Problem Drinkers From Outer Space”, “This Week with David Brinkley”, “Cannibalism Interview”, “Last Chance”, and “Sweeney Sisters”. Roy Orbison performs “Crying”, “Oh, Pretty Woman”, and “In Dreams”.
Read MoreSketches include “Iran-Contra Hearings”, “Returning A Sweater”, “The Puppy”, “Support Group”, “Teeny Cafe”, “Redneck Airline”, “Hollywood Mom”, and “Happy Couple”. Los Lobos performs “Is This All There Is?” and “One Time, One Night”.
Read MoreSketches include “The New Charlie’s Angels”, “The Sexiest Man Alive 1986”, “Very Smart Theater”, “Iran-Contra Hearings”, “Einstein Express”, “Salmon Spawning”, “Dave’s Party”, “He’s The One”, “Pet Chicken Shop”, “Myowling Bible”, and “Portrait Artist”. Suzanne Vega performs “Luka” and “Marlene On The Wall”.
Read MorePersonal website of photographer and writer Bronwyn Douwsma.
I’m on the bus. It’s too early to be human and I haven’t had my coffee yet so I don’t really want to do much; maybe read or listen to music, things that help tune out the other people or the monotony of the commute. When I leave the suburbs, it's usually dark. I sometimes look out the windows, but more to see how far I’ve traveled than at anything interesting. By the time I arrive downtown, I can see the sun coming up over the harbour.
The year is winding down. I’m preparing to go to New Brunswick for my regular Christmas visit with the family; my travel arrangements up there have all been taken care of. I haven’t bothered with Christmas shopping yet; my cash flow was a little tight until my last paycheque came in, and my tolerance for the malls has dropped over the years. Everything costs too much money now.
“Midnight Express Special” sketches include “Sunrise Semester: Basic Photography”, “Mamorex Video Tape”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Promo: Tomorrow, Today, Tonight”, “Bill Needle’s Mailbag”, “Message From Guy: Midnight Express Special”, and “Midnight Express Special”.
“Cookery Crock” sketches include “Sunrise Semester: Disasters In The Home”, “Nasex Nasal Deodorant”, “Bill Needle’s Mailbag”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Promo: The Freddie De Cordova Show”, “Cookery Crock” and “Quincy: Cartoon Coroner”.
“Two-Way TV” sketches include “Sunrise Semester: Astrology”, “Promo: Monster Chiller Horror Theatre”, “Kanadian Korner”, “SCTV News”, “Comment with David Brinkley”, “Promo: Cruisin’ Gourmet”, “Two-Way TV”, “Bill Needle’s Mailbag”, “Promo: Crazy Crafts”, and “Sermonette: Rabbi Karlov”.
“Alpha Channel” sketches include “Gordon Lightfoot Sings Every Song Ever Written”, “Cooking With Marcello”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Crazy Crafts”, “Message From Guy: Alpha Channel”, “Promo: Alpha Channel”, “Bill Needle’s Mailbag”, and “Dialing For Dollars”.
“The Irwin Allen Show” sketches include “Men On Women”, “Message From Guy: Men On Women”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Cooking With Marcello”, “Promo: Taxi Driver”, “Bill Needle’s Mailbag”, “Message From Guy: The Irwin Allen Show”, and “The Irwin Allen Show”.
“Big Brother” sketches include “Got A Minute?”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Promo: Taxi Driver”, “Message From Guy: The New Year”, “Message From Prickley: The New Year”, “SCTV New Year’s Eve Party 1983”, “Komrade Kangaroo”, “Comrade Allen”, “Promo: Doublethink”, and “The Praise Big Brother Show”.
“Star Wars” sketches include “Sunrise Semester: Do-It-Yourself Advertising”, “Promo: Chick Monk: Roadie For The Defense”, “Kanadian Korner”, “SCTV News”, “Joni Mitchell’s For Dogs Only”, “Bill Needle’s Mailbag”, “SCTV Premiere: Star Wars”, and “Dialing For Dollars”.
“Hollywood Salutes Its Extras” sketches include “Message From Prickley: Extras”, “Mamorex Cassette Tape”, “Bill Needle’s Mailbag”, “Promo: Taxi Driver”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Howard’s Bristol Cream”, “Sneak Previews”, “Promo: Hawaii Five-Ho”, “Hollywood Salutes Its Extras”, and “Promo: White Man, Black Girl”.
There’s a podcast called The Loudest Girl In The World, hosted by Lauren Ober. The show concerns Ober’s autism diagnosis at 42, as well as her experience dealing with this information and opening up to others about it. When I listened to it last summer, I related pretty heavily to what she was talking about. I’ve also started to make peace with how my own brain works in the last few years. It’s been a rough road, though.