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SNL Reviews, Television Bronwyn Douwsma SNL Reviews, Television Bronwyn Douwsma

Classic SNL Review: November 15, 1980 - Elliott Gould / Kid Creole & The Coconuts

Sketches include "Glory Days", "Highway Education", "White House", "Billy-Gram", "American Cancer Society", "What's It All About", "Foot Fetish", "At One With", "Heart To Heart", "SNL Sports", "The Date", "The Accordian Killer", "Gidgette Goes To Hell" and "Speed Listening". Kid Creole & The Coconuts perform "Mister Softee" and "There But For The Grace Of God Go I".

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SNL Reviews, Television Bronwyn Douwsma SNL Reviews, Television Bronwyn Douwsma

SNL Up Close: 1980-81

The ill-fated 1980-81 season is one shrouded in mystery and a negative reputation that grew bigger the less frequently reruns from that season appeared in syndication.Like with 1981-82, I will be doing sketch-by-sketch reviews of the episodes this season.If anyone has information to contribute about the episodes, such as who wrote what, writer cameos, etc., I welcome it and will acknowledge my source in the sketch review.

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SNL Reviews, Television Bronwyn Douwsma SNL Reviews, Television Bronwyn Douwsma

SNL Season 36: Still ill.

I wrote last year about how SNL was showing signs of severe creative fatigue, with an over-reliance on recurring material, and a higher number of disappointing shows than in seasons past.I mentioned that unless the show took steps to fix some of these very noticeable signs of wear, the show is only going to get worse. SNL is still sick.I would argue it's a bit worse than last season, ever so subtly.There weren't any violently obvious symptoms like with last season, but the times when it appears to be firing on all cylinders are fewer and further between.

The staleness has been lingering for years now and the stench is starting to get pungent.At least when the show was at its worst they took quick emergency measures to fix the show.I do hope for next year that the creative powers-that-be realize they need to operate, or we're going to watch the show suffer and decay even further.

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SNL Reviews Bronwyn Douwsma SNL Reviews Bronwyn Douwsma

Classic SNL Review: March 27, 1982: Blythe Danner / Rickie Lee Jones (S07E15)

Sketches include "Lorne Greene: The Meat Dogs Love", "Come On Out America", "The New Celibacy", "20/20", "The Khaddaffi Look", "Poets", "Fab Fifties", "The Uncle Tom Show", "Meet The People" and "Blythe's Plea". Rickie Lee Jones performs "Pirates (So Long Lonely Avenue)", "Lush Life", and "Woody & Dutch On The Slow Train To Peking". Juggler Michael Davis also appears.

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SNL Reviews Bronwyn Douwsma SNL Reviews Bronwyn Douwsma

Classic SNL Review: March 20, 1982: Robert Urich / Mink DeVille, Buh-Weet And De Dupreems (S07E14)

Sketches include "Backstage", "Buh-Weet and De Dupreems", "Reach Out and Touch Someone", "Paul Harvey News & Comment", "Focus On Film", "Buy A Bullet For A Hungry Kid", "Hail To The Chief", "Fur: You Deserve It!", "Golden Age School of Obedience", "The Embryo", "Headline Challenge", "Low Class Italian Theatre" and "The Thing That Destroyed Tokyo". Mink DeVille performs "Maybe Tomorrow" and "Love & Emotion". Brian Doyle-Murray pays tribute to John Belushi.

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SNL Reviews Bronwyn Douwsma SNL Reviews Bronwyn Douwsma

Classic SNL Review: February 27, 1982: Elizabeth Ashley / Daryl Hall & John Oates (S07E13)

Sketches include: "CBS Evening News with Dan Rather", "Big Damn Plastic Bubble", "Speaking As A Woman", "The Party", "Hostage Audition", "Papal Tour" and "Lowembrau". Daryl Hall & John Oates perform "You Make My Dreams", "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)", and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". Comedian Harry Anderson appears, Joseph Papp also cameos.

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SNL Reviews Bronwyn Douwsma SNL Reviews Bronwyn Douwsma

Classic SNL Review: February 6, 1982: James Coburn / Lindsey Buckingham & The Cholos (S07E11)

Sketches include: "The President's 71st Birthday", "Reach Out and Touch Someone", "I Married A Monkey", "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood", "Jesus In Blue Jeans", "Crazy Mary, Gay Jim", "Victims", "Magnificent Analyst", "The Khaddaffi Look", "Unique Perspectives" and "Those Crazy Taboosters". Lindsey Buckingham and The Cholos (an early version of Mick Fleetwood's Zoo) perform "Bwana" and "Trouble". Christine Ebersole performs "Don't Let It Show". Marc Weiner also appears.

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SNL Reviews Bronwyn Douwsma SNL Reviews Bronwyn Douwsma

Classic SNL Review: January 30, 1982: John Madden / Jennifer Holliday (S07E10)

Sketches include: "Loser's Locker Room", "The Johnny Carson School of Acting", "Jogger Motel", "Betty Beer", "Poetry Corner", "The Lou Grant Show", "Next Week", "SNL Newsbreak", "The Uncle Tom Show", "Madden Story", "Mafia Name Giver", "From Super Bowl to Saturday Night Live", "Old Friends". Jennifer Holliday performs "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and "One Night Only". Comedian Andy Kaufman also appears.

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