Classic SNL Review: December 20, 1986: William Shatner / Lone Justice (S12E08)

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Classic SNL Review: December 20, 1986: William Shatner / Lone Justice (S12E08)

Sketches include “Ballad of the Mute Marine”, “Trekkies”, “Christmas Party”, “T.J. Hooker”, “Star Trek V: The Restaurant Enterprise”, “Look At That!”, “Christmas Memories”, “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “The True Life Story of Frankie Toussaint”. Lone Justice performs “Shelter” and “I Got Love”. G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band with Buster Poindexter performs “Zat You, Santa Claus?” Kevin Meaney also appears.

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Classic SNL Review: December 13, 1986: Steve Guttenberg / The Pretenders (S12E07)

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Classic SNL Review: December 13, 1986: Steve Guttenberg / The Pretenders (S12E07)

Sketches include “Iranian National Assembly”, “McSooshi”, “Derek Stevens”, “Two Guys”, “Sideshow of the Stars”, “Movie Talk”, “The Back Page”, “Marge and Steve”, “Casting Director”, “Bob Roberts”, and “Christmas Tree”. The Pretenders perform “Don’t Get Me Wrong” and “How Much Did You Get For Your Soul?”. G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live Band with Buster Poindexter performs “A Rockin’ Good Way (To Mess Around And Fall In Love)” with Chrissie Hynde. Penn & Teller also appear.

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Classic SNL Review: December 6, 1986: Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Martin Short / Randy Newman (S12E06)

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Classic SNL Review: December 6, 1986: Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Martin Short / Randy Newman (S12E06)

Sketches include “Stumblebums Anonymous”, “Couch Cushions”, “The Devil & Ed Grimley”, “A Christmas Wish”, “Mastermind”, “The Eggshell Family”, “The Pat Stevens Show”, “Church Potluck Luncheon”, and “Halsey & Roarke: British Customs”. Randy Newman performs “Longest Night” and “Roll With The Punches”.

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Classic SNL Review: November 22, 1986: Robin Williams / Paul Simon with Ladysmith Black Mambazo (S12E05)

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Classic SNL Review: November 22, 1986: Robin Williams / Paul Simon with Ladysmith Black Mambazo (S12E05)

Sketches include “Earpiece”, “Ticket Line”, “Hamlet”, “New York Word Exchange”, “Baycrest Jewish Retirement Home”, “And So Adieu”, “Translator” and “Automobile Club of America”. Paul Simon performs “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes” (with Ladysmith Black Mambazo), “The Boy In The Bubble”, and “The Late Great Johnny Ace”.

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Classic SNL Review: November 15, 1986: Sam Kinison / Lou Reed (S12E04)

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Classic SNL Review: November 15, 1986: Sam Kinison / Lou Reed (S12E04)

Sketches include: “Church Chat”, “Adobe”, “Parent-Teacher Conference”, “The Jungle Room”, “These Things”, “Pet Chicken Shop”, “Love Connection”, “Leaping Lord”, and “Krypton Survives”. Lou Reed performs “I Love You, Suzanne” and “The Original Wrapper”.

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Classic SNL Review: November 8, 1986: Rosanna Arquette / Ric Ocasek (S12E03)

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Classic SNL Review: November 8, 1986: Rosanna Arquette / Ric Ocasek (S12E03)

Sketches include “Preemption Newsreel”, “Dressing Room”, “The People’s Court”, “Church Chat”, “Helmsley Spook House”, “Pork (two parts)”, “A Couple of Sammies”, “Dog Baseball”, “Make Joan Baez Laugh”, “Miss Connie’s Fable Nook”, “I Saw God”, and “Pango, Giant Dog of Tokyo!”. Ric Ocasek performs “Emotion In Motion” and “Keep On Laughin’”.

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

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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

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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)

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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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It's been a while (on this blog, anyway)

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I was originally hoping to get the first season of SCTV reviews finished early in 2020 and lead into the 1986-87 season of SNL. Of course, that’s not what happened, for a variety of reasons (motivation, working at home during lockdown, and oh yeah, transitioning), but I needed the break anyway.

The way my brain works, I either am fully immersed in a project or can’t even get started; no middle ground. I haven’t given up on writing reviews, but my plan is to make sure I have a backlog to be able to keep a regular posting schedule whenever my motivation ebbs. I also want to go back through the old reviews and upgrade some of the screen captures for the earliest posts, as well as move the complete episode captures off Photobucket.

I’m not going to make any definite plans for scheduling or anything right now, but I will have new content here in 2021.

I expect that most of my regular readers look like this now.

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

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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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