
Existentialist Weightlifting
Classic SNL Review: November 12, 1983: Teri Garr / Mick Fleetwood's Zoo (S09E05)
Sketches include: "Cheer Squad", "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood", "Thirsty Guy", "History: The Real Story", "Dion's", "Coronet Man", "Dopeball", "Caffeine Achievers", "Kennedy: The Man Behind The Woman!", "Sarcastic Mother Superior", "Help Me - She's A Witch", and "Man On The Street". Mick Fleetwood's Zoo performs "Tonight" and "Way Down". Joel Hodgson also appears.
Classic SNL Review: November 5, 1983: Betty Thomas / Stray Cats (S09E04)
Sketches include: "Astronaut", "Memorex", "James Brown's Celebrity Hot Tub Party", "Curly Audition", "Special Report", "Unanswered Questions", "You Win A Dollar", "Perfectly Frank", "Swan Break", "Jane Fonda", "The Gumby Story", "Crisis '83 Update" and "Misfits". Stray Cats perform "(She's) Sexy + 17" and "I Won't Stand In Your Way".
Classic SNL Review: October 22, 1983: John Candy / Men At Work (S09E03)
Sketches include: "Backstage", "Old Country Ski Lodge", "Village Of The Damned Little Rascals", "Eddie in New Jersey", "Phone Booth Confession", "Movie Contract", "Backstage with Ronald McDonald", "Poly-Rock", "Brothel Sprouts", and "Men Behind Bars". Men At Work performs "Doctor Heckyll and Mister Jive" and "It's A Mistake".
Classic SNL Review: October 15, 1983: Danny DeVito & Rhea Perlman / Eddy Grant (S09E02)
Sketches include "Calvin Klein Cream Pies", "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood", "Crazy Edelman", "What Would Frank Do?", "Small World", "Mom Was Right", "Spanish Class", "Autograph Hounds", "Book Beat", "The Amos 'N Andy Show", "Masterpiece Humor", and "Body Guard". Eddy Grant performs "I Don't Wanna Dance", "Electric Avenue" and "Living On The Frontline".
Classic SNL Review: October 8, 1983: Brandon Tartikoff / John Cougar (S09E01)
Sketches include "Brandon's Office", "Calvin Klein Cream Pies", "James Watt", "Jazz Riffs", "Feln's Discount Food & Clothing Warehouse", "Show Ideas", "Gumby & Pokey", "Man On The Street", "Larry's Corner", "Rent-A-Gun", "NBC: Be There", and "Terrible Day". John Cougar performs "Pink Houses" and "Crumblin' Down". Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review tonight's show in progress.
SNL Season 40: A post-mortem
After Brooks Wheelan, Noel Wells and John Milhiser were fired from Saturday Night Live last July, I wrote a particularly visceral piece blasting Lorne Michaels and company for only making cosmetic changes to the show's makeup instead of trying to fix SNL's deep-seated problems in the writing department. The 2013-2014 season was not very good; and was the first year where I was deliberately skipping episodes. Of course, my curiosity got the better of me after checking out the fan reaction on the SNL message boards (which, admittedly, are not the kindest to the cast and writers either), but there were very few shows that felt worth the time investment of watching live. Despite talk from producers that this year would reflect some lessons learned, the big issues with last year weren't resolved at all: the show's problems only seemed to entrench themselves further.
SNL 1982-83: Final thoughts
This has always been an "in-the-middle" season for me; it has some good shows, some weaker shows, but none of the peaks or valleys of 1981-82, nor does it have that oddball feel the previous season had.
Classic SNL Review: May 14, 1983: Mayor Ed Koch / Kevin Rowland & Dexy's Midnight Runners (S08E20)
Sketches include "What's The Most Disgusting Thing You've Seen In New York", "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood", "Ledge", "Bald No More", "Vietnam Whiner", "Late Night with David Letterman" and "Birthday A Go-Go". Kevin Rowland & Dexy's Midnight Runners perform "Come On Eileen" and "The Celtic Soul Brothers". Harry Anderson also appears.
Classic SNL Review: May 7, 1983: Stevie Wonder (S08E19)
Sketches include "V.D.", "Kannon AE-1", "Stevie Experience", "Hitler: The Secret Diaries", "The Story of Stevie", "Dion's", "Cotton Land" and "Busboy". Stevie Wonder performs "Fingertips", "Overjoyed" and "Go Home". Michael Davis also appears.
Classic SNL Review: April 16, 1983: Susan Saint James / Michael McDonald (S08E18)
Sketches include "Taking Care Of Business", "Sit On It!", "The Ladies Room", "The Exercises Of Love", "Our Generation", "Tootsie Cosmetics", "Magic Fish" and "Dung In The Oval Office". Michael McDonald performs "If That's What It Takes" (with Edgar Winter) and "I Can Let Go Now". Steven Wright also appears.
Classic SNL Review: April 9, 1983: Joan Rivers / Musical Youth (S08E17)
Sketches include "The Whiners", "The David Susskind Show", "The Enquirer", "Joan vs. Joan", "Oscars", "Calvin Klein Jeans", "Old Age Home", "Club Doolittle", and "Caribbean Gyno". Musical Youth perform "Pass The Dutchie" and "Never Gonna Give You Up".
Classic SNL Review: March 19, 1983: Robert Guillaume / Duran Duran (S08E16)
Sketches include: "Buckwheat Dead", "Motown Upon The Swanee River", "Heil Hits", "The Mrs. T. Birthday Special", "I Married A Monkey", "Oil Is Us", "Pudge and Solomon", and "Wrong Number". Duran Duran performs "Hungry Like The Wolf" and "Girls On Film".
Classic SNL Review: March 12, 1983: Bruce Dern / Leon Redbone (S08E15)
Sketches include "Backstage", "Buckwheat Jeans", "Donny & Marie St. Patrick's Day Special", "Buckwheat Buys the Farm", "The Home For Disgusting Practices", "The Buckwheat Story", "Jerry Lewis School", "Gumbys", "Old Jew Beer", "Old Negro Beer", "Songwriters", "Old Chinaman Beer", and "Veggie Burgers". Leon Redbone performs "Sweet Sue, Just You", "When You Wish Upon A Star" and "I Ain't Got Nobody".
Classic SNL Review: February 26, 1983: Beau & Jeff Bridges / Randy Newman (S08E14)
Sketches include: "Childhood Stories", "Texxon", "Pimple", "Rick's Cafe", "Cheap Hunt", "Battered Husband", "Saundra's House of Massage", and "Guy Crazy". Randy Newman performs "I Love L.A." and "Real Emotional Girl".
Classic SNL Review: February 19, 1983: Howard Hesseman / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (S08E13)
Sketches include "Dressing Room", "Sleepy Boy 2000", "Gas Station", "Mad Magazine Theatre", "The A-Team", "Holiday Inn", "My Date with Dion" and "The Laughing Buddha". Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers perform "Change of Heart" and "The Waiting". Tonight also features a personal tribute to John Belushi by his wife Judith Jacklin Belushi, featuring an original song by Rhonda Coullet.