SCTV Review: The Man Who Would Be King of the Popes (1-25) / Lust For Paint (1-26) / US-only sketches

SCTV Review: The Man Who Would Be King of the Popes (1-25) / Lust For Paint (1-26) / US-only sketches

“The Man Who Would Be King of the Popes” sketches include “Tiny Tops”, “Morning Facial with Princess Carlotta”, “Promo: Check Please”, “The Man Who Would Be King of the Popes”, “Mr. Coffee Table Book from Venerable Electric”, “The Uncle Earl Show”. “Harry Filth”, “Insights”, “Get Tough”, “Grumbles on Route 41”, and “Enough About Me”.

“Lust For Paint” features a show-length parody of Moulin Rouge hosted by Moe Green (Harold Ramis). Also includes promos for “Celebrity Tattletales” and “The Babe Ruth Story”.

As well, reviews of five sketches which only appeared in the original Rhodes syndication package for the United States: “Sunrise Semester: Beekeeping with Lin Ye Tang”, “Dining With LaRue: Jimmy’s Parthenon”, “Sports World”, “Consultation with Dr. Jake Sloan” and “Challenge My Sermonette”.

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Classic SNL Review: October 18, 1986: Malcolm-Jamal Warner / Run-DMC (S12E02)

Classic SNL Review: October 18, 1986: Malcolm-Jamal Warner / Run-DMC (S12E02)

Sketches include “Bartles & Jaymes”, “Team Xynex”, “Donahue”, “The Crosby Show”, “Instant Coffee with Bill Smith”, “Parent-Teen Contract”, “Old Hollywood” and “Dover Chalk Works”. Run-DMC performs “Walk This Way” and “Hit It Run”. G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band with Buster Poindexter performs “Hit The Road, Jack”. Spike Lee and Sam Kinison also appear.

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SCTV Review: The Grapes of Mud (1-23) / Officer Friendly (1-24)

SCTV Review: The Grapes of Mud (1-23) / Officer Friendly (1-24)

“The Grapes of Mud” sketches include “Muley’s Roundhouse”, “The Three Dummies: Of Mice And Dummies”, “SCTV AM News Today”, “The Grapes of Mud” and “Disco Farming”.

“Officer Friendly” sketches include “Message From Moe”, “A.M. Little America”, “Promo: Dan Money” “SCTV AM News Today”, “Civil Engineering”, “Officer Friendly”, “Promo: The Undersea World of Marcel Cousteau”, “Promo: Masterpiece Theatre: All The Long-Leggedy Beasties”, and “Dream Interpretation.

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Classic SNL Review: October 11, 1986: Sigourney Weaver / (no musical guest) (S12E01)

Classic SNL Review: October 11, 1986: Sigourney Weaver / (no musical guest) (S12E01)

Sketches include “It Was All A Dream”, “General Dynamics”, “Girlfriends”, “Quiz Masters”, “The Amazing Alexander”, “Hef-Tea Teabags”, “Church Chat”, “Mr. Subliminal”, “Alienses”, “Ten Weeks In Jail”, “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, “Comeback”, and “Brecht-Rogers Medley”. G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band with Buster Poindexter perform “Smack Dab In The Middle” and “Oh Me Oh My (I’m A Fool For You”). Playwright Christopher Durang also appears.

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SCTV Review: The Sammy Maudlin Show (1-21) / World at War (1-22)

SCTV Review: The Sammy Maudlin Show (1-21) / World at War (1-22)

“The Sammy Maudlin Show” sketches include “Counterattack”, “Paul’s Workshop with Paul Fistinyerface”, “Promo: Baretta’s Bird”, “SCTV AM News Today”, “Promo: James Whitmore Tonight”, “The Sammy Maudlin Show”, and “Dialing For Dollars”.

“World At War” sketches include “Head and Chest”, “Passport To Adventure”, “Promo: Klagg”, “The World of Mystery: Sandwich On The Orient Express”, “Sleepfast”, “World At War”, “Staywhite Toothpaste”, and “Lowell Thompson Remembers”.

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SNL Up Close: 1986-87

SNL Up Close: 1986-87

Lorne Michaels’s first year back at Saturday Night Live after a five-year hiatus wasn’t what you would call a success. While the writing staff included a mix of SNL veterans and unknowns that would soon establish themselves on the show, the new cast (which included movie stars Anthony Michael Hall and Randy Quaid) never quite clicked, and the ratings and reviews were less than favorable. The show was on the brink of cancellation that spring, but NBC president Brandon Tartikoff decided to give Michaels and SNL another chance.

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SCTV Review: The $129,000 Question (1-19) / SCTV Boogie (1-20)

SCTV Review: The $129,000 Question (1-19) / SCTV Boogie (1-20)

“The $129,000 Question” sketches include “Dr. Benson, The Credit Psychiatrist”, “Wake Up with Alki Stereopolis”, “Fluffy Puff Toilet Paper”, “SCTV AM News Today”, “PSA: Tags”, “Promo: Fat Masterson: Private Eye”, “The $129,000 Question”, “The Point from Schickette”, “Elvira Mad Again Part II”, “Don Perignon” and “Words to Live By: Father Chick Murphy”.

“SCTV Boogie” sketches include “Attention Span Booklet”, “Sunrise Semester: Meteorology 101”, “Promo: Mick Mason: Police Photographer”, “It Was That Way with Keith Hampshire”, “Join the Shelley People”, “Pocket Belt, Pocket Hat, and Spare Sock Caddy”, “I Cry Each Day I Die”, “Promo: Monster Chiller Horror Theatre - Dr. Tongue’s Evil House of Wax”, and “SCTV Boogie”.

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SCTV Review: Galaxy 66 (1-17) / Madame Blitzman (1-18)

SCTV Review: Galaxy 66 (1-17) / Madame Blitzman (1-18)

“Galaxy 66” sketches include “Diving For Dollars”, “Sunrise Semester: Elevator Conversation”, “Serfs”, “Sci-Fi Theatre with Bradley Omar”, “Promo: To Tell The Truth”, “Mrs. Prickley’s Jams, Jellies and Preserves”, “Promo: Swish Buckler”, “Pyramid Power”, “Beside The Point”, “Bald & Brassy” and “Words To Live By: Dr. Bradley Omar”.

“Madame Blitzman” sketches include “PSA: Recriminalize Marijuana”, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, “Dante’s Inferno”, “Filips Milk of Amnesia”, “SCTV AM News Today”, “Promo: Meatball Heroes”, “Monster Chiller Horror Theatre: Madame Blitzman”, “Venerable Electric” and “SCTV News Bulletin: Tornado Warning”

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SCTV Review: Leave It To Beaver (1-15) / Good-Bye America (1-16)

SCTV Review: Leave It To Beaver (1-15) / Good-Bye America (1-16)

“Leave It To Beaver” sketches include “Promo: Library Police”, “Exorcising with Reagan Blair”, “SCTV AM News Today”, “Chickadee Chickette Chicken-Style Loaf”, “Leave It To Beaver 25th Anniversary Party”, “Quick-Wash Dish Laundry”, “PSA: Children on Booze”, “Blind Fists of the Furious Dragon”, “Dr. Tongue and his Animal Friends”, “Family Detective” and “Dialing For Dollars: Three Jerks and a Gal”.

“Good-Bye America” sketches include “Nothing”, “Winning Chess with Boris Morris”, “SCTV AM News Today”, “20 Depressing Hits by Connie Franklin”, “PSA: Warning Signs”, “Good-Bye America” and “Sex”.

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SCTV Review: Ben-Hur (1-13) / The Hefty Neil Story (1-14)

SCTV Review: Ben-Hur (1-13) / The Hefty Neil Story (1-14)

“Ben-Hur” features a show-length parody of the 1959 epic hosted by Moe Green (Harold Ramis). Also includes commercials for “Bill and Mike Dolls”, “Masquerade Funeral”, “Top Secret” and “Tobacco Paste”

“The Hefty Neil Story” features the titular parody of Rocky as part of SCTV Sports Central’s coverage of the heavyweight championship. Also includes commercials for “Those Funny Guys”, “SCTV News”, “50 Psalms” and back-to-back drama series “Emergency Orderly” and “Court Clerk”.

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SCTV Review: Broads Behind Bars (1-11) / The Taxidermist (1-12)

SCTV Review: Broads Behind Bars (1-11) / The Taxidermist (1-12)

“Broads Behind Bars” sketches include “Three Mariners”, “Sunrise Semester: Do-It-Yourself Home Dentistry”, “SCTV News: Helsinki Trip”, “Dining with LaRue: The Scorched Earth”, “Broads Behind Bars” and “Promo: An Evening with Col. Sanders”. Tabby Johnson and Judith Dagley also appear.

“The Taxidermist” sketches include “Nuclear Sized Baggys”, “Farm Report”, “Welcome Back President Kotter”, “Promo: The Glass Menagerie”, “Alistair Cook’s Armenia”, “SCTV Mystery Movie of the Week: The Taxidermist”, “20 Depressing Hits by Connie Franklin”, and “SCTV News: Earl’s Coughing Fit”.

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SCTV Review: Philosophy Street (1-9) / Therese et Joe (1-10)

SCTV Review: Philosophy Street (1-9) / Therese et Joe (1-10)

“Philosophy Street” sketches include “Good-Bye America”, “Sunrise Semester: Self Defense for Women”, “Promo: Bath Talk”, “SCTV AM News Today: Taped Music”, “Philosophy Street”, “S&M Airlines”, “Total Woman with Cassie Mackerel”, “SCTV Movie of the Week: A Fistful of Ugly”, “Longjeans G-11 Watch”, and “Feedback with Moe Green”.

“Therese et Joe” sketches include “SCTV News: New Deli”, “Sunrise Semester: Political Sciences 101”, “Robco Up-Your-Nose Pollution Filter”, “SCTV News: Action Line / Nutrition Report”, “Dining with LaRue: Tang Gardens”, “Silver Bullet Suppositories”, “Northern Ireland Perspective ‘77 with Lou Jaffe”, “Painfree and Staybrite”, “SCTV Foreign Film of the Week: Therese et Joe”, and “SCTV PM News: Terrorism Commentary”

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SCTV Review: Dialing For Dollars (1-7) / Shock Theatre (1-8)

SCTV Review: Dialing For Dollars (1-7) / Shock Theatre (1-8)

“Dialing For Dollars” sketches include: “Homelier You”, “An SCTV Before School Special: Beauty and the Beets”, “SCTV AM News Today”, “The Laser-Matic”, “Firing Squad”, “Famous Philosophers’ School”, “Alice, The Wonder Dog”, “Dialing For Dollars: Changing Partners”, “Evelyn Woods Speed Talking School” and “Promo: 15 Minutes”. Chris Boddie also appears.

“Shock Theatre” sketches include “Discretion Warning”, “Promo: Extreme Close-Up”, “Dining With LaRue: Rico’s Trattoria”, “50 Practical Jokes”, “The Wacky World of Poverty”, “Alpro Dog Food”, “Eye on Science”, “Promo: A Fistful of Ugly”, “Shock Theatre”, and “Promo: Margot Fontaine at the Russian National Circus". Donald Cowper also appears

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SCTV Review: Match Unto My Feet (1-5) / Memoirs of Anton Chekhov (1-6)

SCTV Review: Match Unto My Feet (1-5) / Memoirs of Anton Chekhov (1-6)

“Match Unto My Feet” sketches include: “Promo: Baa, Baa, Black and White Sheep”, “Sunrise Semester: Faking Orgasms with Dr. Cheryl Kinsey”, “Promo: It’s An Unusual World, Isn’t It?”, “Witness to Yesterday”, “SCTV AM News Today: Earl In San Francisco”, “Amanda II Microwave Oven”, “PSA: Warning Signs”, “Match Unto My Feet”, “Promo: AC/DC” and “Words to Live By: Father John Duffy”. Brenda Donohue also appears.

“Memoirs of Anton Chekhov” includes “Labrador Slugger”, “SCTV AM News Today: Earl Asleep”, “Heavenly Bodies”, “Mr. Science”, “The House of Beauty”, “SCTV News Today: Alternative Perspectives”, “Cornabix”, “Masterpiece Theatre: Three Plays”, “Hooker Handbook”, “The Memoirs of Anton Chekhov”, “Plainclothes Mountie” and “SCTV PM News Today: Floyd breaks up”. Donald Cowper, Jayne Eastwood and Monica Parker also appear.

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SCTV Review: Ethnic Humor (1-3) / Crosswords (1-4)

SCTV Review: Ethnic Humor (1-3) / Crosswords (1-4)

“Ethnic Humor” sketches include “Disclaimer”, “Sunrise Semester: Humanities 196 with Dr. Ernest Bruter”, “The Leutonian Hour”, “Promo: Plainclothes Mountie”, “Out-Patient”, “Hints for Homemakers”, “North American Stethoscopy Institute”, “Theatre North American”, “Golden Hits of the 11th Century” and “Words to Live By: Dr. Ernest Bruter”.

“Crosswords” sketches include “The Sammy Maudlin Show”, “Sunrise Semester: Classical Greek with Alki Stereopoulos”, “Spray-On Socks”, “The $211,000 Triangle”, “Cooking with LaRue”, “Backstage”, “Masterpiece Theatre: Crosswords”, “Promo: The Exorcist of Oz”, “Shakespeare’s Greatest Jokes”, and “Words to Live By: Father Michael Meyer”

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SCTV Review: Backstage (1-1) / Murder at SCTV (1-2)

SCTV Review: Backstage (1-1) / Murder at SCTV (1-2)

“Backstage” sketches include: “The Laser-Matic”, “Sunrise Semester: Bookkeeping with Moe Green”, “Promo: Unnecessary Surgeon & Malpractice Lawyer”, “The Johnny LaRue Show”, “SCTV AM News Today: Big News/Little News”, “The Evelyn Woods Speed Talking School”, “Backstage”, “Stop Those Depressing Ads”, “Masterpiece Theatre: The Girls of Vienna”, “SCTV PM News”, and “Words To Live By: Joni Newton Buffy”

“Murder at SCTV” sketches include “Swami Bananananda”, “Captain Combat”, “Fat Chance for the Sub-Sahara”, “English For Beginners”, “SCTV AM News Today”, “Stan Musial’s Greatest Hits”, “Sale of the Century”, “Gus Gusstofferson: Security Guard”, “SCTV Movie of the Week: Wara, Wara, Wara” and “SCTV PM News”

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Sketch comedy liner notes

Sketch comedy liner notes

One thing I love about reissues of old albums is when they have information regarding the recording sessions for the individual tracks. This is more a thing that happens with jazz albums, where many were cobbled together from different sessions and lineups, but I’ve also seen rock reissues that provide background information about the sessions, as well as details about single releases, chart positions, and so forth.

I would love something similar to exist for TV shows that are made of short segments, particularly sketch comedy shows like SCTVKids in the Hall, and SNL.

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Classic SNL Review: January 12, 1985: Kathleen Turner / John Waite (S10E10)

Classic SNL Review: January 12, 1985: Kathleen Turner / John Waite (S10E10)

Sketches include “Green Room”, “MacDouglass-Drummond”, “Do You Know What I Hate (IV)”, “Nose Hair Trimmer”, “Safeco”, “Fire Dance”, “Predictions”, “The Joe Franklin Show”, “Boxer”, “Scary Lady” and “Strictly From Blackwell”. John Waite performs “Saturday Night”.

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Classic SNL Review: November 20, 1982: Drew Barrymore / Squeeze (S08E07)

Classic SNL Review: November 20, 1982: Drew Barrymore / Squeeze (S08E07)

Sketches include "Dressing Room", "E.T.", "The Adoption", "Brain Surgery", "Oklahoma", "Dress-Up", "My Friend Zeus" and "Single".Squeeze performs "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Pulling Mussels From The Shell".A phone-in poll is held to determine whether Andy Kaufman ever appears on Saturday Night Live again.

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SNL Season 6: Final cast and episode summary

The cast:

Denny Dillon and Gilbert Gottfried

Denny Dillon and Gilbert Gottfried

Denny Dillon: Dillon made a strong impression fairly early by carrying a lot of the sketches in the first two shows of the season, having the first recurring character of the new cast, and bringing needed energy to weaker sketches.  There was a little bit of a sameness to her performances that became more evident over the season, but she was a consistent, dependable performer.  She gave a lot of her castmates a boost whenever she shared sketches with them (Gail Matthius' Vickie was better once she had Dillon's Debbie to play off), and just seemed to exhibit a willingness and commitment in whatever she appeared in.  [MVP: Gould, McDowell]

Gilbert Gottfried: It's a little disarming to see Gofffried in these shows, especially since he was so young, with his eyes wide open and not speaking in that famous stilted squawk.  Where Dillon jumped in, Gottfried had a tendency to hold back: the legend goes that he didn't want to use his A-material on the show because he was concerned the network would claim ownership.  Gottfried's performances would end up being the clearest barometer of the Jean Doumanian era: early on, he's more lively and animated, if a little green, but toward the end of the season, he is a little more sullen and withdrawn.  His decrease in spark could have been because he got some of the most thankless jobs on the show that didn't go to featured players (having to wear the Master Po makeup all night in Carradine, playing a vegetable along the featureds in Dazola, and his nadir: being the corpse in a funeral sketch).  Like most of the cast, though, he was not without his moments: he worked well with Dillon as the Waxmans, and I thought his collaborations with writer Ferris Butler were particularly fruitful.  [MVP: Kellerman]

Gail Matthius

Gail Matthius

Gail Matthius: Matthius definitely had potential to be a great cast member, and hit the highest highs out of all three female leads, but she also had a few really frustrating moments on the show.  Impressions were her weakest point, and despite her efforts, she didn't really have the ability to rise above some of the material she was given.  She had a rough time on Weekend Update as well; fumbling a bit in her early shows at the desk and getting saddled with some of the worst jokes ever written.  These missteps seem even more disappointing because when she was actually given good material, she did quite well: I especially liked Francis Lively and the little girl character she played in "Lonely Old Lady", and thought she ended up going out on a strong note with "Same".  I can only wonder how she would have fared on a different incarnation of the show.  [MVP: Carradine, Harry]

Joe Piscopo

Joe Piscopo

Joe Piscopo: Piscopo ended up being one of the two castmembers that stole Charles Rocket's thunder by demonstrating he was a better fit for the characters and celebrity impressions that the show built its name on in the first five seasons.  Piscopo was consistent, well-rounded, and seemed to feel more natural in the prominent roles that Rocket was being schooled for.  I'd draw the line at calling Piscopo an MVP of the season: I believe the key to his relative success this year were clear and repeated hooks in his signature bits (SNL Sports and Paulie Herman; Sinatra developed more fully after Ebersol took over), but he was always more of a "safe" performer and didn't have the kind of charisma that demanded attention like what Eddie Murphy provided, a quality that was desperately needed this season. [MVP: Gould]

Charles Rocket and Ann Risley

Charles Rocket and Ann Risley

Ann Risley: I actually thought Risley handled the straighter roles fairly well.  Risley never managed to have a recurring character, and there were a few performances of hers that were pretty dodgy (mainly as the hosts of "Dying To Be Heard" and "Was I Ever Red"), but I wonder how much of it was actually her acting style (she's more of a straight actress) and how much of it was the writers not finding a breakout role for her (she did come close with the Toni Tenille sketch).  Some say that she was a poor fit for SNL, but I saw a few small glimpses of a potential Kristen Wiig-style performer whose true gift was understatement, although Wiig had the added benefit of being able to write for herself.  A key part of success on the show is either writing for yourself or finding the right writer to collaborate with; I don't know whether Risley had that support for herself.

Charles Rocket: Doumanian was banking too much on Rocket to be the breakout star: usually when something is pushed so heavily, it only helps build a backlash toward the performer.  Rocket was no exception, and he had a few liabilities that probably hurt him on the show: his impressions were weak, and whenever he tried to play big (like his February Updates or even in Billy-Gram), he chewed so much scenery it was distracting.  When he dialed it back, though, he was a decent utility player, and his strengths in those roles presage his respectable career as a character actor.  Rocket's true strength on the show, though, was catching people off-guard during The Rocket Report, where a different type of charm emerged than when he was doing sketches.  Unfortunately, Rocket became the public face for Jean Doumanian's mistakes on the show, and that one moment during the Charlene Tilton goodnights overshadowed pretty much everything he did since, even after he took his own life.  [MVP: Black]

Yvonne Hudson and Charles Rocket

Yvonne Hudson and Charles Rocket

Yvonne Hudson: SNL's first black female featured player was essentially doing the same types of roles she had been doing uncredited for the previous few seasons; aside from some increased prominence in sketches for a few episodes, she was still essentially an extra on the show.  There is actually one episode where she has less lines that SNL's resident "old man" extra, Andy Murphy.  Despite no longer being in the opening credits, she was kept around as an extra the next few seasons.

Matthew Laurance and Eddie Murphy

Matthew Laurance and Eddie Murphy

Matthew Laurance: Aside from Eddie Murphy, Laurance was the most prominent of the featured players.  I thought he was decent as a utility man, and served as a good counterpoint to the more exaggerated performances of Rocket and Piscopo, even if he didn't make a strong impression on his own.  I wonder how he would have done with one of Rocket or Piscopo's pitchman roles.

 

Eddie Murphy: From his first speaking role, Murphy demonstrated why he was full cast material.  There were a few appearances that betrayed his inexperience (particularly Newsbreak in Harry), but he had a confidence that the others in the cast seemed to lack, and made stronger impressions in less airtime than most of the cast did in more.   [MVP: Burstyn, Sharkey, Hays, Tilton]

Patrick Weathers

Patrick Weathers

Patrick Weathers: His Bob Dylan sketch in Carradine was the main thing that distinguished him; he might have made a bigger impact if he was given more to do.  I won't hold Ravi Sings against him.





Robin Duke

Robin Duke

Robin Duke: Out of Dick Ebersol's three full-cast hires, Duke made a smallest impression of the three, getting a band intro, a leftover Jane Curtin role, a decent part in a five-man sketch and a last-minute voice-over in the bag lady film.  None of these roles really showed what she was known for on SCTV, and viewers would get a better glimpse of her capabilities the next season.  Part of this can be attributed to the fact that Duke was a last-minute addition: Catherine O'Hara was originally slated to be on the show in her place (and was listed in news articles as late as five days before airtime), but O'Donoghue's first staff meeting seemed to justify her reticence towards joining the SNL cast.  O'Hara recommended old friend Duke for the show, and a month later, O'Hara was on the same network with the resurrected SCTV.  If the strike hadn't happened, Duke could have made an impact as soon as the next show.

Tim Kazurinksy and Tony Rosato

Tim Kazurinksy and Tony Rosato

Tim Kazurinsky: Kazurinsky seemed to fit SNL immediately, and ended up dominating the first Ebersol-produced show.  Part of Kazurisnky's strong first outing comes from his prominence in two of the longer pieces, but being a combination writer/performer, and coming from an improv background certainly helped him hit the ground running.  It was John Belushi's recommendation that got Kazurinsky hired on the show, and Belushi's instincts turned out to be correct.  [MVP: Finale]

Tony Rosato: Like Duke, Rosato came from SCTV, and like Kazurinsky, he was hired as a writer/performer and made a fairly strong impression in his first show.  He and Kazurinsky worked well together in their two main sketches, but he would find a stronger footing the following season.

Laurie Metcalf

Laurie Metcalf

Laurie Metcalf: One of the most successful people to have an incredibly brief SNL tenure, Metcalf's sole appearance on the show was a pre-filmed "man on the street" piece.   I can't assess how she would have fared if Ebersol kept her on based on that one segment.




Emily Prager

Emily Prager

Emily Prager: Prager didn't even appear on-camera during her only live show.  She has, however, appeared on the show before and after her tenure as a featured player: she was a girlfriend of Tom Davis' and appeared occasionally as an extra around 1977-78; she and Davis also appear in the Button film next season.

 

 

Strongest shows:

  1.  Karen Black / Cheap Trick, Stanley Clarke: (Average rating: 3.18/5) The show where everything seemed to go right.  It's not flawless (SNL rarely is) but the combination of an energetic host, more determined writing and a receptive audience worked wonders.  As much as Black and the audience kept things lively, the victory belongs to the cast and writers.
  2. Bill Murray / Delbert McClinton: (Average rating: 3.11/5) This is the textbook example of the host bringing a boost to the show.  The previous four shows were dispirited affairs, and the prior show in particular contained the moment that overshadowed the rest of the Doumanian-era.  Murray shows up and infuses what would be the final Doumanian-produced SNL with energy and the sense of fun that had all but vanished in the second half of the season.
  3. No Host / Jr. Walker & The All-Stars: (Average rating: 2.88/5) Ebersol takes over, cleans house (as much as the budget would allow), and makes an appeal to nostalgia with his first show.  It's weighed down by Chevy Chase's disappointing Weekend Update return engagement, but this one remains consistently watchable if not an all-out return to form.

Weakest shows:

  1. Robert Hays / Joe "King" Carrasco & The Crown, 14 Karat Soul: (Average rating: 2/5) The string of mediocre-to-bad sketches that come after Weekend Update is the air seeping out of the SNL '80 tire that they finally were able to inflate the week before.
  2. Jamie Lee Curtis / James Brown: (Average rating: 2.22/5) The first three shows of the season had enough highlights to counteract the weaker material.  Here is where the good to bad ratio finally tips to to the other side; while nothing in this show is as bad as "Commie Hunting Season", a significant number of sketches were underdeveloped and uninspired. 
  3. Charlene Tilton / Todd Rundgren, Prince: (Average rating: 2.26/5) A fair amount of OK material here, but the backstage runner that culminates in "Who Shot C.R." is underwhelming, and the highs don't really offset the lows enough.

Best sketches:

  1. The Writer (03/07/81) Bill Murray is in front but playing it straight, while the new cast gets the fun of acting out the revisions he makes to his story.  Just a good sketch done well.
  2. Hospital Bed (01/17/81) Probably one of the saddest sketches the show has ever done, with Gilbert Gottfried's disembodied voice communicating the thoughts of a stroke victim.  It's punctuated enough with humor to avoid mawkishness, but the writers wisely put the emotion of the scene first.
  3. Mister Robinson's Neighborhood (02/21/81) The debut of one of Eddie Murphy's signature sketches, pretty much fully-formed.  The audience is on board by the end of the theme song.

Honorable mention: The Rocket Report - Fifth Avenue Charles Rocket's signature piece remains the place where his talents were best put to use.

Worst sketches:

  1. Commie Hunting Season (11/22/80) SNL tries to make a pointed statement about the Greensboro Massacre acquittals; it's uncomfortable and alienating, but without the humor to redeem it.
  2. Ravi Sings (01/24/81) The only joke in the sketch: a cartoonish portrayal of an Indian musician singing American love songs.
  3. Badgers (12/13/80) A grating, amateurish sketch that hinges on a pun.

Best musical guests:

  1. James Brown His sweat-drenched eight-minute medley of classics is a high point of both the season and the series, especially when taking into consideration that the band exceeded their allotted time.
  2. 14 Karat Soul Five young singers with no instrumental accompaniment get one of the biggest reactions from the audience this season.
  3. Stanley Clarke Trio Instrumental jazz-fusion that rocks as hard as any other musical guest this year.

Worst musical guests:

To be honest, I couldn't really say that there were any truly bad musical guests.  Joe "King" Carrasco may have had a rough and raw sound but it was clear the band was going for energy over technique, and the worst I could really say about Ellen Shipley is that she was decent but a little generic-sounding.  The other musical guests only really pale in comparison to the stellar choices Doumanian (and whoever else was involved in snagging musical guests) made this year.  I wonder how much of the booking strategy was intentional and how much of it was necessity, but this was where the Jean Doumanian show had some of their biggest victories.

Writer tally and turnover:

(*) indicates the writer returned the next season, (~) indicates a previous writer returning to SNL.

Aside from Ferris Butler's contributions (special thanks goes to Butler for providing a lot of insightful information about the season, by the way), knowledge of Blaustein & Sheffield's partnership with Eddie Murphy and a handful of other sketches whose writers have been identified, I don't really know what each specific writers' voices are in the show and whether any shifts in quality were from writers joining or leaving, or being favored or disfavored.  If anyone has more information regarding who was responsible for any sketches, please feel free to drop me a line.

Full season:

  • Barry W. Blaustein*
  • Billy Brown & Mel Green
  • Patricia Marx
  • Douglas McGrath
  • Pamela Norris*
  • David Sheffield*
  • Terrence Sweeney

Full Doumanian run:

  • Larry Arnstein & David Hurwitz
  • Ferris Butler
  • John DeBellis
  • Jean Doumanian
  • Brian Doyle-Murray*~
  • Leslie Fuller

Shorter tenure:

  • Mason Williams (head writer, Gould through Carradine)
  • Jeremy Stevens & Tom Moore (head writers, Sharkey through finale)
  • Nancy Dowd (Gould and McDowell only)
  • Sean Kelly (Gould and McDowell only)
  • Mitchell Kreigman (Gould through Carradine)
  • Mark Reisman (Harry through finale)

Post-hiatus hires:

  • Mitchell Glazer
  • Judy Jacklin
  • Tim Kazurinsky*
  • Matt Neuman~
  • Michael O'Donoghue*~
  • Tony Rosato*
  • Dirk Wittenborn

An essay regarding the season as a whole will follow in a subsequent post.