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

Classic SNL Review: January 17, 1981: Karen Black / Cheap Trick, Stanley Clarke Trio (S06E07)

Sketches include "White House Strip", "The Legendary Composers", "Foundation for the Tragically Hip", "The Livelys", "Sinatra & Reagan", "The Rocket Report: Daredevils", "Mona Lisa", "60 Minutes", "Hospital Bed", "Saturday Night Sports: Fair Dinkum", "Neighbor", "Turnpike Diner", "Saturday Night Live Action Dolls", "What's It All About" and "National Handgun Association".Cheap Trick performs "Baby Loves To Rock" and "Can't Stop It But I'm Gonna Try".Stanley Clarke Trio performs "Wild Dog".

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

Classic SNL Review: December 20, 1980: David Carradine / The cast of "The Pirates of Penzance" (S06E05)

Sketches include "Pardo Impression", "Gun City", "Kung Fu Menswear", "Cedar Mall", "The Rocket Report", "Dylan & Guthrie", "The Home Version of Dallas", "Mr. Bill's Christmas Special", "Kung Fu Christmas", "Heroin In Harlem", "Virgin Search", "Dopenhagen & Happy Daze", "Mourning The Colonel", "The Dancing Man" and "Welfare Counseling". Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith, George Rose and the cast of The Pirates of Penzance perform medleys of selections from the musical and Christmas carols.

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

Classic SNL Review: December 6, 1980: Ellen Burstyn / Aretha Franklin, Keith Sykes (S06E03)

Sketches include “Going Co-op”, “The Ed McMahon School of Laughing”, “What’s It All About”, “The Rocket Report”, “Video Date”, “Our Front Door”, “Pepe Gonzales”, “Planned Parenthood”, “Lesson”, “The Toni Tenille Show”, “Fish Heads”, “Blame The Kids” and “Lonely Old Lady”. Aretha Franklin performs “United Together” and “Can’t Turn You Loose”. Keith Sykes performs “B.I.G.T.I.M.E.”

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Classic SNL Review: November 22, 1980: Malcolm McDowell / Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band (S06E02)

Sketches include "Execution", "Mutually Omaha's Wild Kingdom", "Tobacco Grower's Association", "Serf City", "Adopted Amy Carter", "American Milk Association", "Showdown", "Gothic Romance Novel Shop", "The 100 Years War", "Leather Weather Report", "Commie Hunting Season", "The Rocket Report", "Jack The Stripper", "Someone Is Hiding In My Apartment" and "The Wine Cellar",Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band perform "Hot Head" and "Ashtray Heart".

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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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Rewatch, Television Bronwyn Douwsma Rewatch, Television Bronwyn Douwsma

DVD Rewatch Thoughts: The Simpsons: The Complete First Season

I decided that I needed to go through a DVD box set that had been collecting dust upon my shelf for the last few years, and decided to start watching a few long-running shows in order from the beginning, posting my thoughts on them once I finish the season set.I decided to watch The Simpsons, because it had been years since I watched the episodes without commentary.

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SNL Reviews, Sketch comedy, Television Bronwyn Douwsma SNL Reviews, Sketch comedy, Television Bronwyn Douwsma

Classic SNL Review: November 14, 1981: Bernadette Peters / The Go-Gos, Billy Joel (S07E06)

Sketches include "Texxon", "Johnny Keep Your Gun Clean", "Escape From Escape From New York", "I Married A Monkey", "A Message From Eddie Murphy", "Hidden Photo", "Bedtime Story", "Man Ray And Mic", "Sketch In The Dark", "42nd Street", "Nick The Knock", and "Rock 'N Roll Heaven, Incorporated". The Go-Gos perform "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got The Beat". Billy Joel performs "Miami 2017" and "She's Got A Way". Bernadette Peters performs "Making Love Alone".

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