
Existentialist Weightlifting
Classic SNL Review: December 13, 1980: Jamie Lee Curtis / James Brown, Ellen Shipley (S06E04)
Sketches include "The Mean Majority", "Clovin Hind Jeans", "Attack of the Terrible Snapping Creatures", "Three Card Monty", "Who Is Gilbert Gottfried?", "Dying To Be Heard", "Poker and Drugs", "Badgers", "Tortu-Matic", "Hairstylist", and "News In Akron". James Brown performs "Rapp Payback" and a medley of his hits. Ellen Shipley performs "Fotogenic". Excerpts from Martin Brest's "Hot Dogs For Gauguin" are also shown.
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.”
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".
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".
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.
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.
Classic SNL Review: May 22, 1982: Olivia Newton-John / The SNL Band (S07E20)
Sketches include "The Pig Meets Olivia", "Ebony & Ivory", "I Married A Monkey IV", "Pearly Gates", "Not A Record Ad", "Buzz Words", "Sandy's Curse" and "Sports Organ Classics".Olivia Newton-John and the SNL Band perform "Physical", "Make A Move On Me", and "Landslide".Michael Davis also appears.
Classic SNL Review: May 15, 1982: Danny DeVito / Sparks (S07E19)
Sketches include "Taxi", "Whiners", "Stress Out", "Old Friends", "Enzo", "Table Talk", and "Looks At Books". Sparks perform "Mickey Mouse" and "I Predict". Andy Kaufman appears with footage of his wrestling match with Jerry Lawler.
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.
Classic SNL Review: April 24, 1982: Robert Culp / The Charlie Daniels Band (S07E18)
Sketches include: "Tennis Club", "Middle Age of Aquarius", "Egg & Sperm", "Party Girl", "James Brown Is Annie", "Babies In Make-Up", "Happy's Mayonnaise Palace", and "Sunken Submarine". The Charlie Daniels Band performs "Still In Saigon" and "The Devil Went Down To Georgia".
The SNL Archives
Sorry I haven't been posting my SNL reviews, but I just wanted to make sure I put in a plug for my favorite SNL resource, The SNL Archives.
Bill Nye The Science Guy: The Early Years
I brought up the show Almost Live! in an earlier post; that was mainly a way to promote the launch of the fansite, but I'm impressed how solid a show it was, especially considering it was a local production by Seattle's NBC affiliate KING-TV and that so much of the humor was based on the western Washington/Seattle stereotypes.The show was also notable for launching the careers of Joel McHale and Bill Nye; I thought I'd post links to some of Nye's earlier "Science Guy" bits as well as some of his more notable sketch work.Mandatory safety goggles on!
Classic SNL Review: April 17, 1982: Johnny Cash / Elton John (S07E17)
Sketches include The Honeyrooneys, Last Request, Hail To The Chief, Jay Clay Gets Depressed, Tegrim, Train Poet and Black Talk. Johnny Cash performs "Man In Black", "I Walk The Line", "Folsom Prison Blues", "Ring of Fire", and "Sunday Morning Coming Down". Elton John performs "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" and "Ball and Chain".
Classic SNL Review: April 10, 1982: Daniel J. Travanti / John Cougar (S07E16)
Sketches include: "Ridealong", "Whiners", "The Merman Zone", "Hill Street Blues", "Bavarian Butterfly", "Career Corner" and "Reagan Brand Economics". A 1-900 number phone-in vote is held to determine the fate of Larry The Lobster. John Cougar performs "Hurt So Good" and "Ain't Even Done With The Night". Bruce Weitz also appears.