I'm surprised I didn't comment last post on the unexpected host for this week: Desi Arnaz. One of the oddest host choices for the first season. I remember watching the rerun of this one as a kid, at a time when I Love Lucy was still aired every day on local stations, and being thrown by just how old Arnaz looked.
THE HOST
It's a strange choice, and the main reason Arnaz is hosting is to promote his autobiography. Has anyone else hosted SNL to promote a book? I can't think of anyone.
Anyway, Arnaz actually does a fine job. He opens with a marijuana joke. I'm guessing as a bandleader in the 1940s, Arnaz had already had plenty of experience with pot, but his feigned ignorance over the special "cigars" the cast gave him is still funny, and immediately indicates he'll be up for anything. He's in plenty of skits, and he's the musical guest. Not bad for a guy pushing sixty, but who looks like he's already in his seventies.
THE GOOD
The highlights, naturally, are the I Love Lucy Parodies. The parade of failed I Love Lucy Pilots is a classic skit, one of the great early TV parodies done by the show. It's easy to forget, that for this cast, I Love Lucy was still an integral part of their lives. Not only had they grown up with it, but it was still aired every day. Up through the eighties, it was almost impossible to not find one local station showing reruns, unlike today. For many viewers, this was a long overdue parody, and it pays off great. Gilda does a great Lucy, and Desi Arnaz, Jr. guests as a young version of his father
Many people might not realize that Arnaz's production company was responsible for The Untouchables television show. Arnaz plays the villain, along with Radner reprising her Lucy, while Aykroyd nails Robert Stack's Eliot Ness. I've never seen an episode of The Untouchables, but the amount of detail that went into this skit tells me the SNL writers have. It's also a little odd seeing Arnaz Sr. and Jr. take part in a skit that involves Lucy being shot and killed at the end.
THE BAD
Only two things, and one is only here because I'm sick of seeing it. Enough with the diet pill commercial.
We've also entered the period where Gary Weis overstays his welcome. A film about Taylor Mead, a writer/actor/etc associated with Andy Warhol, and his cat, is fine, but why is it on this show?
THE MEH
Sadly, the rest of the episode doesn't fare as well as the two television parodies.
Gilda reprises her Lucy for one more skit and a commercial for Arnaz's book, and the gimmick wears thin from overuse.
Chevy gets a lot to do in this episode. He plays a white version of Barry White; a husband hoping to have sex on his 40th birthday but instead finding himself in the middle of a surprise party; and a man using nonsense phrases to frustrate his girlfriend and break up with her. All three skits are just okay, as is his Weekend Update.
Arnaz has two more showcases: His reading of the Jabberwocky, foiled by his Cuban accent, is entertaining. His performance as a Cuban acupuncturist treating John Belushi.... well, I can't remember a thing about it, so it didn't make much of an impact.
Garrett Morris gets a quick bit as Rubin Carter shilling for American Express, and Laraine Newman does an advertisement for cosmetics. It's another one of Newman's characters that doesn't really stick with you, and this is the second time in two weeks that Morris has played Carter. I guess this is the point when he was in the news a lot.
THE MUSIC
How awesome is Desi Arnaz? Seriously, I never paid attention to his music on I Love Lucy, but he's terrific here. He plays Cuban Pete, his biggest, pre-TV career hit, and he dances everyone out at the end to Babalu. He was good enough to make me seek out more of his music.
GRADE: A
Nothing too bad, the weaker skits are fine, and we've got two lengthy, classic skits. Weis's film is brief enough to be painless, and the music is great. Surprisingly, this is one of my favorite first season episodes.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
I was shocked to learn that Arnaz was about 59 at this point. He looks much, much older. And his teeth look dreadful, especially watching this on a big screen, digitally streamed. Hard living, I guess? I'd assumed he was in his 70s, he could even pass for 80s.
Radner does a great Lucy. It's a shame they beat it into the ground by using it four times in one show.
NEXT
Jilly Clayburgh with Leon Redbone. I have no feelings either way about that. Maybe she'll be funny, who knows.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
S1E13 Peter Boyle w. Al Jarreau
So here's a case of a host at one peak of his career, but likely better known today for a later peak. Best known today as the father in Everybody Loves Raymond, at the time he hosted, Peter Boyle was best known for his work in Young Frankenstein. This his only stint hosting SNL.
THE HOST
Boyle does fine, though it would have been nice to see him, and the cast as well, do more. This episode has an above average amount of musical performances, film shorts, and reruns from past episodes. You'd think coming back from a two week break would have rejuvenated the writers and cast, but it doesn't seem to be the case. The highlight of the night feels less like a written skit and more like something Belushi and Boyle were riffing on backstage that made it's way in front of the camera.
THE GOOD
The aforementioned Dueling Brandos, featuring the Brando impersonations of both Belushi and Boyle. It's great, and yet another strong showcase for Belushi.
We're introduced to two stoners played by Aykroyd and Newman, when Boyle visits them as their clueless neighbor. It's all very '70s drug humor, but it worked for me. Apparently these are recurring characters, but I don't recall them. Maybe these skits were edited out of the shortened reruns aired in the '80s, either for time or content.
A wrestling match between Bees and WASPS beats an old joke into the ground, but it's funny at least the first time you see it.
And, Gilda Radner has another cute segment just being herself, this time being harassed by Garrett Morris reading aloud a filthy valentine he's written for her.
THE BAD
I usually put them in the Meh category, but the reruns of commercial parodies really grate this episode, since there's so many and they're far from the best ones. Ambassador Training Institute? New Dad? The do-it-yourself price gun? Diet pills? Why are we still seeing these?
And while I don't want to be too critical of three preteen girls, what the heck is the deal with the Shapiro Sisters? They lip sync This Will Be by Natalie Cole. The audience seems to love it, but what's it doing on this show?
Gary Weis is starting to annoy, as well. His film on the Pledge of Allegiance, complete with a closing shot of Garrett Morris as Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, is heavy-handed and pretentious.
Did the audience really request a repeat of Weis' Homeward Bound film? Because I sure didn't.
THE MEH
The opener, with Chase playing a valet shot during the St Valentine's Day Massacre, is an odd choice.
Samurai Divorce Court shows that minus Buck Henry, the Samurai skits aren't nearly as good.
The one decent commercial of the night is Aykroyd as Ricardo Montalban in a parody of his infamous car commercial.
Weekend Update chugs along with more Emily Litella.
Aykroyd does what I think is his first Nixon impression on an interview show with Jane Curtin. He'll get bettter.
Boyle coming home to find his wife with a house full of men pretending to be human appliances is only so-so.
This week's home movie is literally a static shot of a home.
THE MUSIC
It's Al Jarreau. I don't think he does any of his better known hits here, but I'm not a fan, so who knows. Not my thing, so I find myself pretty ambivalent about him.
GRADE: C
I feel like I should rate it higher, because it's not terrible, but this episode is so pedestrian. About half of it feels like repeats or non-cast related stuff, so it inevitably feels like they're coasting.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Apparently Boyle actually married, and remained married, to the woman he sings to in his monologue.
I'm finding myself already wanting change. Chase's Weekend Updates never blow me away like I'd expect, so I'm already eager to see how things shift when he's removed from the equation next season. The other cast members still don't get the spotlight enough, and we all know they can handle it.
THE HOST
Boyle does fine, though it would have been nice to see him, and the cast as well, do more. This episode has an above average amount of musical performances, film shorts, and reruns from past episodes. You'd think coming back from a two week break would have rejuvenated the writers and cast, but it doesn't seem to be the case. The highlight of the night feels less like a written skit and more like something Belushi and Boyle were riffing on backstage that made it's way in front of the camera.
THE GOOD
The aforementioned Dueling Brandos, featuring the Brando impersonations of both Belushi and Boyle. It's great, and yet another strong showcase for Belushi.
We're introduced to two stoners played by Aykroyd and Newman, when Boyle visits them as their clueless neighbor. It's all very '70s drug humor, but it worked for me. Apparently these are recurring characters, but I don't recall them. Maybe these skits were edited out of the shortened reruns aired in the '80s, either for time or content.
A wrestling match between Bees and WASPS beats an old joke into the ground, but it's funny at least the first time you see it.
And, Gilda Radner has another cute segment just being herself, this time being harassed by Garrett Morris reading aloud a filthy valentine he's written for her.
THE BAD
I usually put them in the Meh category, but the reruns of commercial parodies really grate this episode, since there's so many and they're far from the best ones. Ambassador Training Institute? New Dad? The do-it-yourself price gun? Diet pills? Why are we still seeing these?
And while I don't want to be too critical of three preteen girls, what the heck is the deal with the Shapiro Sisters? They lip sync This Will Be by Natalie Cole. The audience seems to love it, but what's it doing on this show?
Gary Weis is starting to annoy, as well. His film on the Pledge of Allegiance, complete with a closing shot of Garrett Morris as Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, is heavy-handed and pretentious.
Did the audience really request a repeat of Weis' Homeward Bound film? Because I sure didn't.
THE MEH
The opener, with Chase playing a valet shot during the St Valentine's Day Massacre, is an odd choice.
Samurai Divorce Court shows that minus Buck Henry, the Samurai skits aren't nearly as good.
The one decent commercial of the night is Aykroyd as Ricardo Montalban in a parody of his infamous car commercial.
Weekend Update chugs along with more Emily Litella.
Aykroyd does what I think is his first Nixon impression on an interview show with Jane Curtin. He'll get bettter.
Boyle coming home to find his wife with a house full of men pretending to be human appliances is only so-so.
This week's home movie is literally a static shot of a home.
THE MUSIC
It's Al Jarreau. I don't think he does any of his better known hits here, but I'm not a fan, so who knows. Not my thing, so I find myself pretty ambivalent about him.
GRADE: C
I feel like I should rate it higher, because it's not terrible, but this episode is so pedestrian. About half of it feels like repeats or non-cast related stuff, so it inevitably feels like they're coasting.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Apparently Boyle actually married, and remained married, to the woman he sings to in his monologue.
I'm finding myself already wanting change. Chase's Weekend Updates never blow me away like I'd expect, so I'm already eager to see how things shift when he's removed from the equation next season. The other cast members still don't get the spotlight enough, and we all know they can handle it.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
S1E12 Dick Cavett w/ Jimmy Cliff
Well, it was a good run while it lasted. After one classic episode after another, we find ourselves with Dick Cavett. At least Jimmy Cliff is around to energize things.
THE HOST
Nothing against Dick Cavett, but he doesn't mesh well with the cast at all. Most of his skits are solo affairs. He seems to be over-thinking the whole thing, as if he was taking part in an interesting experiment and not there to entertain.
THE GOOD
We get another opening touching on Chase's burgeoning popularity. Garrett Morris playing with a voodoo doll, and clearly enjoying it, takes us into more mean-spirited territory. It'll get worse.
Aside from John Belushi's commercial parodies of H&R Block, the rest of the episode is a wash to me. And even those are funny entirely because of Belushi's performance.
THE BAD
At least there's not much that's terrible, but the one thing that is is a doozy. A construction worker delivers a monologue about being true to himself, strips to a bra and panties, and sings "I Gotta Be Me". It's the type of time filler we saw in the first few episodes, and it feels very out of place at this point.
THE MEH
Pretty much everything else. Cavett does some commercials for various vocational schools for unlikely vocations. He delivers a monologue parodying Our Town that's okay, but weighed down under the strain of striving too hard to be cerebral. Chevy Chase interviews him about a book detailing his time as a Nebraska pimp, which makes no attempt to go further than "Dick Cavett as a pimp, isn't that funny?" We get a Dick Cavett look-alike contest, featuring a winner who looks nothing like him and takes up far more screen time than he should. They just don't seem to know what to do with their host, and it shows.
A skit involving Chevy Chase as an accident prone hunter never rises above mere silliness, and Jane Curtin playing Betty Ford as she delivers a speech through interpretative dance is just odd.
We also get a standard Weekend Update (again with Emily Litella), as well as a rerun of another tired commercial (cat food versus tuna). And Gary Weis' film isn't too bad this week.
THE MUSIC
Thank goodness something salvages this episode. Another great musical guest from season one - the legendary Jimmy Cliff, riding high from his movie The Harder They Come. He does two classics (the film's title track and Many Rivers To Cross) as well as a song I'm unfamiliar with. He's amazing, and the performances haven't dated at all.
GRADE: C-
There's not much that's dreadful (and what is doesn't involve the regular cast or host), but there's little to recommend from this episode, either. The cast takes a two week vacation after this, and it looks like they need it.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
I could have sworn I'd heard somewhere that Cavett wasn't the first choice to host this week, but I may be confusing him with Buck Henry. There's little attempt to integrate him with the cast, so it's possible he was shoe-horned in late in the game.
Is this the first time a musical guest has been allowed to perform three numbers? I'm used to big names like McCartney and U2 being given the opportunity, but Jimmy Cliff more than validates the choice.
THE HOST
Nothing against Dick Cavett, but he doesn't mesh well with the cast at all. Most of his skits are solo affairs. He seems to be over-thinking the whole thing, as if he was taking part in an interesting experiment and not there to entertain.
THE GOOD
We get another opening touching on Chase's burgeoning popularity. Garrett Morris playing with a voodoo doll, and clearly enjoying it, takes us into more mean-spirited territory. It'll get worse.
Aside from John Belushi's commercial parodies of H&R Block, the rest of the episode is a wash to me. And even those are funny entirely because of Belushi's performance.
THE BAD
At least there's not much that's terrible, but the one thing that is is a doozy. A construction worker delivers a monologue about being true to himself, strips to a bra and panties, and sings "I Gotta Be Me". It's the type of time filler we saw in the first few episodes, and it feels very out of place at this point.
THE MEH
Pretty much everything else. Cavett does some commercials for various vocational schools for unlikely vocations. He delivers a monologue parodying Our Town that's okay, but weighed down under the strain of striving too hard to be cerebral. Chevy Chase interviews him about a book detailing his time as a Nebraska pimp, which makes no attempt to go further than "Dick Cavett as a pimp, isn't that funny?" We get a Dick Cavett look-alike contest, featuring a winner who looks nothing like him and takes up far more screen time than he should. They just don't seem to know what to do with their host, and it shows.
A skit involving Chevy Chase as an accident prone hunter never rises above mere silliness, and Jane Curtin playing Betty Ford as she delivers a speech through interpretative dance is just odd.
We also get a standard Weekend Update (again with Emily Litella), as well as a rerun of another tired commercial (cat food versus tuna). And Gary Weis' film isn't too bad this week.
THE MUSIC
Thank goodness something salvages this episode. Another great musical guest from season one - the legendary Jimmy Cliff, riding high from his movie The Harder They Come. He does two classics (the film's title track and Many Rivers To Cross) as well as a song I'm unfamiliar with. He's amazing, and the performances haven't dated at all.
GRADE: C-
There's not much that's dreadful (and what is doesn't involve the regular cast or host), but there's little to recommend from this episode, either. The cast takes a two week vacation after this, and it looks like they need it.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
I could have sworn I'd heard somewhere that Cavett wasn't the first choice to host this week, but I may be confusing him with Buck Henry. There's little attempt to integrate him with the cast, so it's possible he was shoe-horned in late in the game.
Is this the first time a musical guest has been allowed to perform three numbers? I'm used to big names like McCartney and U2 being given the opportunity, but Jimmy Cliff more than validates the choice.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
S1E11 Peter Cook & Dudley Moore w/ Neil Sedaka
Here's a first - an SNL hosted by legendary British comedians. But it's not anyone from Monty Python. Before watching this, I hadn't realized that Peter Cook & Dudley Moore had ever hosted the show. These days, it's Moore who's most likely to be remembered (and even then, I think his fame has waned substantially since his death), but for a time in the late '60s, at least in England, it was the duo that commanded attention. I feel like their popularity was probably fading at this point in their careers. I honestly didn't even know they were still working together in 1976. SNL was probably an opportunity for them to make some extra cash and maybe get some new gigs, but in hindsight it feels more like the end, with Moore about to surprise everyone by launching a massively successful solo career.
THE HOSTS
They're both seasoned comedy professionals, so they know what they're doing, and they do it well. The infamous tension between Cook and Moore is absent, so overall the episode runs smoothly and entertains throughout. Cook and Moore both take part some skits with the cast, but most of their screen time is devoted to routines that I suspect were part of their regular stage show. Their opening monologue, a famous skit involving a one-legged Moore auditioning for the role of Tarzan, definitely is.
THE GOOD
The opening skit, featuring Chevy Chase defusing a bomb, but instead ending up with a pie in the face, features a pretty big mistake when the pie misses most of Chase's face. It's reprisal at the end, though, makes for a nice reminder that the show really is live.
The real highlight is a skit featuring prisoners auditioning for a production of "Gigi". The big moment is Garrett Morris' performance of the song "I'm Gonna Get Me A Shotgun And Kill All The Whities I See". If you've seen anything from this episode, it's this. The entire skit is great, though, and holds up as well as the best of this era.
All of Cook & Moore's skits are strong. In addition to the monologue, they do some very British routines involving a restaurant called The Frog & Peach, one involving shepherds meeting the baby Jesus, and they even play Scottish Sonny and Cher. It's a different style than we usually see on SNL, and at times it feels like they've hijacked the show, but if you're a fan of British comedy, it's consistently entertaining.
As for the regular cast, the standout is John Belushi as a male impersonator in another one of Jane Curtin's interview segments, skits that are often hit or miss for me, depending completely on who she's partnered with and what they're doing.
THE BAD
Honestly, nothing. Like other recent episodes, part of this episodess success is due to a lack of bad skits as much as to a preponderance of good skits.
THE MEH
The commercials - one new, two reruns - are just adequate, as usual these days.
Weekend Update is about what you'd expect, though Emily Litella makes an appearance.
Moore's skit with the cast, involving doctor's harvesting the organs of a man who's clearly still alive, is less successful than Cook's prison skit.
So why aren't Gary Weis or the Muppets in the bad category? Weis' film about a New York novelty store isn't too bad, and the Muppets aren't on, aside from Scred being told by Gilda that they won't be on this week. It's the beginning of the end for the Muppets. Our long national nightmare will soon be over.
THE MUSIC
It's Neil Sedaka, at a time when he was experiencing a resurgence. He's okay, though a gimmick of him listening to one of his old songs on a transistor radio before playing the modern version of it fails when the radio is too faint to hear.
GRADE: A-
It's another strong episode, with little to drag it down.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Between the pie and Sedaka's radio, this is a gaffe prone episode, at least in a way that stands out more than usual.
I get the sense that the cast is getting a little burnt out. They leave most of the heavy lifting to Cook & Moore, so it's less noticeable, but we're halfway through the season, they're on their third week in a row with one more to go. They just feel a little AWOL from their own show.
THE HOSTS
They're both seasoned comedy professionals, so they know what they're doing, and they do it well. The infamous tension between Cook and Moore is absent, so overall the episode runs smoothly and entertains throughout. Cook and Moore both take part some skits with the cast, but most of their screen time is devoted to routines that I suspect were part of their regular stage show. Their opening monologue, a famous skit involving a one-legged Moore auditioning for the role of Tarzan, definitely is.
THE GOOD
The opening skit, featuring Chevy Chase defusing a bomb, but instead ending up with a pie in the face, features a pretty big mistake when the pie misses most of Chase's face. It's reprisal at the end, though, makes for a nice reminder that the show really is live.
The real highlight is a skit featuring prisoners auditioning for a production of "Gigi". The big moment is Garrett Morris' performance of the song "I'm Gonna Get Me A Shotgun And Kill All The Whities I See". If you've seen anything from this episode, it's this. The entire skit is great, though, and holds up as well as the best of this era.
All of Cook & Moore's skits are strong. In addition to the monologue, they do some very British routines involving a restaurant called The Frog & Peach, one involving shepherds meeting the baby Jesus, and they even play Scottish Sonny and Cher. It's a different style than we usually see on SNL, and at times it feels like they've hijacked the show, but if you're a fan of British comedy, it's consistently entertaining.
As for the regular cast, the standout is John Belushi as a male impersonator in another one of Jane Curtin's interview segments, skits that are often hit or miss for me, depending completely on who she's partnered with and what they're doing.
THE BAD
Honestly, nothing. Like other recent episodes, part of this episodess success is due to a lack of bad skits as much as to a preponderance of good skits.
THE MEH
The commercials - one new, two reruns - are just adequate, as usual these days.
Weekend Update is about what you'd expect, though Emily Litella makes an appearance.
Moore's skit with the cast, involving doctor's harvesting the organs of a man who's clearly still alive, is less successful than Cook's prison skit.
So why aren't Gary Weis or the Muppets in the bad category? Weis' film about a New York novelty store isn't too bad, and the Muppets aren't on, aside from Scred being told by Gilda that they won't be on this week. It's the beginning of the end for the Muppets. Our long national nightmare will soon be over.
THE MUSIC
It's Neil Sedaka, at a time when he was experiencing a resurgence. He's okay, though a gimmick of him listening to one of his old songs on a transistor radio before playing the modern version of it fails when the radio is too faint to hear.
GRADE: A-
It's another strong episode, with little to drag it down.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Between the pie and Sedaka's radio, this is a gaffe prone episode, at least in a way that stands out more than usual.
I get the sense that the cast is getting a little burnt out. They leave most of the heavy lifting to Cook & Moore, so it's less noticeable, but we're halfway through the season, they're on their third week in a row with one more to go. They just feel a little AWOL from their own show.
Monday, September 24, 2012
S1E10 Buck Henry w/ Bill Withers, Toni Basil, The Blues Brothers
That's three weeks in a row that we've been introduced to popular recurring hosts. Actually, in terms of hosts, the show's been on a roll since the Lily Tomlin episode. This week, we get Buck Henry. While not a household name (even then, more so now), he would go onto host numerous times with the original cast. I know it's unlikely, but I'd love to see him come back and host today. So, let's see how he does on his first hosting attempt.
THE HOST
After a good monologue in which he acknowledges how unlikely he is to be hosting the show, Henry settles in well with the cast, appearing in most of the skits, and even turning up during Weekend Update. He also finds a permanent role as the straight man to Belushi's samurai, providing the final element this concept needed. He's a perfect example of comedic chops trumping celebrity to turn out a decent episode of SNL.
THE GOOD
Samurai delicatessen is the obvious highlight here. If you watched reruns of SNL in the '80s and '90s, you no doubt saw this skit numerous times. It sets the template for all future samurai skits.
There's a Citizen Kane II skit that pretty much nails the style of that film, down to mimicking the end credits.
Michael O'Donoghue does an impression of Mike Douglas being stabbed in the eyes with needles, that's so weird for its time that I have to admire it.
THE BAD
The Muppets, as usual.
Most of the commercials feel tired, also. We get a rerun of the Wrigley's commercial, and of the triple blade razor commercial.
THE MEH
Like the Lily Tomlin episode of a few weeks ago, this episode fares well not so much because it has so many great skits, but because it has so few clunkers.
On the political front, there's an interview with a woman claiming to have had an affair with President Kennedy, and one involving secret service agents stumbling and falling along with President Ford in order to make him seem less clumsy.
Three new commercial parodies involving the cast fare better than the reruns: one for a school that promises you to learn speed reading, but not necessarily the ability to read well; one about a giant-sized deodorizer for a room; and an anti-drug ad featuring Chevy Chase being too stupid to properly roll a joint.
An auto mechanic telling bedtime stories revolving around car repair and one involving around a series of jokes about Buck Henry's character suffering from constipation round out the skits.
Gary Weis' films haven't quite reached the point where they become too annoying yet, so even that isn't too bad this week.
THE MUSIC
Obviously, the big news here is the unveiling of the Blues Brothers. though this week they're used more to drag out the killer bee gag.
Bill Withers sings "Ain't No Sunshine", and does as well as you'd expect him to.
Toni Basil does a song that I'm pretty sure was never a hit. Why is she here, exactly? They couldn't just have Bill Withers do two songs?
GRADE: B
It's a solid, if not spectacular, episode, but the show seems to finding a steady groove, with each week delivering a solid chunk of entertainment.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
I'm a little curious as to how Buck Henry actually did end up hosting. Anyone out there know? As a kid, I'd always assumed he was someone famous before my time, only to learn later that he was almost always a behind the scenes figure.
I'm amazed at just how much effort they put into that Citizen Kane skit. It's weird to think that for that generation, Citizen Kane was probably something that ran on television often enough that doing something as simple as replicating the closing credits would get a laugh.
NEXT: Peter Cook & Dudley Moore - one of them's on his way to becoming famous... the other, not so much. Neil Sedaka will be around, as well.
THE HOST
After a good monologue in which he acknowledges how unlikely he is to be hosting the show, Henry settles in well with the cast, appearing in most of the skits, and even turning up during Weekend Update. He also finds a permanent role as the straight man to Belushi's samurai, providing the final element this concept needed. He's a perfect example of comedic chops trumping celebrity to turn out a decent episode of SNL.
THE GOOD
Samurai delicatessen is the obvious highlight here. If you watched reruns of SNL in the '80s and '90s, you no doubt saw this skit numerous times. It sets the template for all future samurai skits.
There's a Citizen Kane II skit that pretty much nails the style of that film, down to mimicking the end credits.
Michael O'Donoghue does an impression of Mike Douglas being stabbed in the eyes with needles, that's so weird for its time that I have to admire it.
THE BAD
The Muppets, as usual.
Most of the commercials feel tired, also. We get a rerun of the Wrigley's commercial, and of the triple blade razor commercial.
THE MEH
Like the Lily Tomlin episode of a few weeks ago, this episode fares well not so much because it has so many great skits, but because it has so few clunkers.
On the political front, there's an interview with a woman claiming to have had an affair with President Kennedy, and one involving secret service agents stumbling and falling along with President Ford in order to make him seem less clumsy.
Three new commercial parodies involving the cast fare better than the reruns: one for a school that promises you to learn speed reading, but not necessarily the ability to read well; one about a giant-sized deodorizer for a room; and an anti-drug ad featuring Chevy Chase being too stupid to properly roll a joint.
An auto mechanic telling bedtime stories revolving around car repair and one involving around a series of jokes about Buck Henry's character suffering from constipation round out the skits.
Gary Weis' films haven't quite reached the point where they become too annoying yet, so even that isn't too bad this week.
THE MUSIC
Obviously, the big news here is the unveiling of the Blues Brothers. though this week they're used more to drag out the killer bee gag.
Bill Withers sings "Ain't No Sunshine", and does as well as you'd expect him to.
Toni Basil does a song that I'm pretty sure was never a hit. Why is she here, exactly? They couldn't just have Bill Withers do two songs?
GRADE: B
It's a solid, if not spectacular, episode, but the show seems to finding a steady groove, with each week delivering a solid chunk of entertainment.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
I'm a little curious as to how Buck Henry actually did end up hosting. Anyone out there know? As a kid, I'd always assumed he was someone famous before my time, only to learn later that he was almost always a behind the scenes figure.
I'm amazed at just how much effort they put into that Citizen Kane skit. It's weird to think that for that generation, Citizen Kane was probably something that ran on television often enough that doing something as simple as replicating the closing credits would get a laugh.
NEXT: Peter Cook & Dudley Moore - one of them's on his way to becoming famous... the other, not so much. Neil Sedaka will be around, as well.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
S1E9 Elliott Gould w/ Anne Murray
At a glance, this may seem like an uncool episode of SNL. Today, Elliot Gould is probably best known as Ross and Rachel's father on "Friends", or as one of the less interesting criminals in the Ocean's 11 films. But during the '70s, he epitomized the quirky male leading man so popular in that era. For every Robert Redford or Burt Reynolds, there was also a Donald Sutherland or Dustin Hoffman. Not as cool as Deniro or Pacino, but still somewhere above old school Hollywood.
Anne Murray, however, was never cool.
THE HOST
Gould was popular, and would go on to host every year until being saddled with hosting duties on the first episode featuring the all new 1980 cast. He never returned. A connection? Who knows.
He's fine in this episode, solid in the skits, though most of his appearance centers on him having spent the night before with Gilda Radner, culminating in an on-air marriage during the ending credits. It's an early example of a recurring plot thread that runs through the episode, something fairly rare these days.
His monologue consists of him singing old standards. It's odd, and seeing him enter to thunderous applause feels strange even though I know he was huge back then. I guess I just didn't realize how popular he was.
He's solid, seems game for anything (he even seems a little high), so it's easy to see why they invited back so often.
THE GOOD
Finally, a strong Killer Bees skit. Portraying them as violent terrorists is a logical place to go with the joke, and Gould does a good job as the leader. The skit cops out on a punchline by intentionally falling apart, but it does result in the first on-air appearance of Lorne Michaels.
The Godfather therapy session is an early favorite of mine. Laraine Newman gets to show off her Valley Girl character (which feels pretty dated and less funny now), but more importantly, Belushi takes the spotlight with a great Brando impersonation. I think sometimes I sound a little biased toward Belushi in these reviews. I'm actually not a huge fan of his, it's just that in these early episodes, in which Chase is the breakout star, it surprises me to see Belushi give so many stand-out performances and yet not quite break out yet. Chase is excellent in his short stint on the show, but he's hardly the only strong performer in the first season.
Weekend Update makes good use of the Chevy Chase/Michael O'Donoghue Jamitol commercial that's been shown before, having O'Donoghue turn up on set as Chase's "wife".
We get a new commercial, Shimmer, the floor wax that's also a whipped topping. In my memory, Aykroyd was the pitchman for this. I was surprised to see it was actually Chase, with Aykroyd in the less showy role of the dad. Still a classic early commercial parody.
Albert Brooks delivers one of my favorites of his films, in which he test markets himself to see if he's funny or not.
I even like the Gary Weis film a lot, a montage of different people singing "Misty". It's arty but entertaining in a way that sadly many of his later contributions aren't. This was rerun a lot in syndication, also, so it's always stuck with me.
THE BAD
The Muppets. And, I guess that's it, so all in all, a strong episode.
THE MEH
The Gilda/Gould marriage skits are okay, but nothing hilarious. It's a cute thread, but I'm not sure it does much beyond fill time.
The opener, featuring a dead string quartet keeling over and, as a result, playing notes, is just okay. I guess they wanted to try something different. It feels like something out of the Ernie Kovacs Show.
It probably has its fans, but Interior Demolitionists is just average for me, as is the skit involving obstetricians.
Franken and Davis are a little more successful doing a comedy act than they are with their Pong skits.
And we get a rerun of the pacemaker battery commercial. The farther we get along, the more out of place these early commercials, featuring none of the cast, seem.
THE MUSIC
It's Anne Murray. Doing two songs I'm not familiar with. She feels out of place, as if she was supposed to be on a prime time variety show and walked through the wrong door.
GRADE:B+
Higher than I expected to give when I started this post, but it really is a strong episode.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Between Gould and Murray, and the "Misty" film, this episode feels even more '70s than usual.
Gould seems so cocky when he takes the stage. It's like he instantly thinks he's the coolest guy in the room.
NEXT: Another first, Buck Henry, joined by Bill Withers, Toni Basil, and some act called The Blues Brothers.
Anne Murray, however, was never cool.
THE HOST
Gould was popular, and would go on to host every year until being saddled with hosting duties on the first episode featuring the all new 1980 cast. He never returned. A connection? Who knows.
He's fine in this episode, solid in the skits, though most of his appearance centers on him having spent the night before with Gilda Radner, culminating in an on-air marriage during the ending credits. It's an early example of a recurring plot thread that runs through the episode, something fairly rare these days.
His monologue consists of him singing old standards. It's odd, and seeing him enter to thunderous applause feels strange even though I know he was huge back then. I guess I just didn't realize how popular he was.
He's solid, seems game for anything (he even seems a little high), so it's easy to see why they invited back so often.
THE GOOD
Finally, a strong Killer Bees skit. Portraying them as violent terrorists is a logical place to go with the joke, and Gould does a good job as the leader. The skit cops out on a punchline by intentionally falling apart, but it does result in the first on-air appearance of Lorne Michaels.
The Godfather therapy session is an early favorite of mine. Laraine Newman gets to show off her Valley Girl character (which feels pretty dated and less funny now), but more importantly, Belushi takes the spotlight with a great Brando impersonation. I think sometimes I sound a little biased toward Belushi in these reviews. I'm actually not a huge fan of his, it's just that in these early episodes, in which Chase is the breakout star, it surprises me to see Belushi give so many stand-out performances and yet not quite break out yet. Chase is excellent in his short stint on the show, but he's hardly the only strong performer in the first season.
Weekend Update makes good use of the Chevy Chase/Michael O'Donoghue Jamitol commercial that's been shown before, having O'Donoghue turn up on set as Chase's "wife".
We get a new commercial, Shimmer, the floor wax that's also a whipped topping. In my memory, Aykroyd was the pitchman for this. I was surprised to see it was actually Chase, with Aykroyd in the less showy role of the dad. Still a classic early commercial parody.
Albert Brooks delivers one of my favorites of his films, in which he test markets himself to see if he's funny or not.
I even like the Gary Weis film a lot, a montage of different people singing "Misty". It's arty but entertaining in a way that sadly many of his later contributions aren't. This was rerun a lot in syndication, also, so it's always stuck with me.
THE BAD
The Muppets. And, I guess that's it, so all in all, a strong episode.
THE MEH
The Gilda/Gould marriage skits are okay, but nothing hilarious. It's a cute thread, but I'm not sure it does much beyond fill time.
The opener, featuring a dead string quartet keeling over and, as a result, playing notes, is just okay. I guess they wanted to try something different. It feels like something out of the Ernie Kovacs Show.
It probably has its fans, but Interior Demolitionists is just average for me, as is the skit involving obstetricians.
Franken and Davis are a little more successful doing a comedy act than they are with their Pong skits.
And we get a rerun of the pacemaker battery commercial. The farther we get along, the more out of place these early commercials, featuring none of the cast, seem.
THE MUSIC
It's Anne Murray. Doing two songs I'm not familiar with. She feels out of place, as if she was supposed to be on a prime time variety show and walked through the wrong door.
GRADE:B+
Higher than I expected to give when I started this post, but it really is a strong episode.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Between Gould and Murray, and the "Misty" film, this episode feels even more '70s than usual.
Gould seems so cocky when he takes the stage. It's like he instantly thinks he's the coolest guy in the room.
NEXT: Another first, Buck Henry, joined by Bill Withers, Toni Basil, and some act called The Blues Brothers.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
S1E8 Candce Bergen w/ Martha Reeves/The Stylistics
Candice Bergen, again, already? These days, with every season planned out for maximum opportunities for celebrities to promote their projects, it's odd to see hosts turn up several times a season, for no reason other than that the producers and/or cast liked them. Come to think of it, most of the hosts haven't specifically plugged much this season.
I enjoyed Bergen's previous episode, but was surprised at how few stand-out moments it contained. Perhaps this episode will better showcase her.
THE HOST
It's Candice Bergen, and, yes, she's a little stiff and comes across as a little too serious, like she usually does, but she appears to genuinely love being on SNL, and it shows. Her monologue - it's nothing but a brief bit in which she describes hosting as a Christmas gift to herself.
THE GOOD
There are a few standouts in this generally solid episode.
Mel's Char Palace, a recurring skit in the form of an ad promoting a restaurant where you select, stun, and butcher your own cow, is the real highlight. It's pure Aykroyd, right up there with similar skits, like the Bass-O-Matic.
Chevy Chase as a son calling his parents to let them know he's been arrested for murdering 26 boys is dark enough that it feels like it was written by Michael O'Donoghue.
Chevy Chase coming out as an elf to his sister, played by Bergen, is an obvious metaphor for homosexuality, but it works, largely in part to the great chemistry between him and Bergen.
Also, Chase once again opens as Gerald Ford, this time having a mishap with a Christmas tree.
THE BAD
Pong is back again.
For some reason, Bergen devotes a few minutes to introducing Margaret Kuhn of the Gray Panthers to talk about growing old. I'm sure she was an important woman, but it still feels out of place.
THE MEH
It's always a good sign when even the Muppets don't fall in the bad category. I never enjoy them, but when they break with the regular format, in this case singing a Christmas song with Bergen, they at least become tolerable.
There's a cute film featuring the Bees ice skating in Rockefeller Plaza.
More ads, that are fine, but pale next to Mel's Char Palace: we get Bergen as Princess Grace selling tarnish remover, the personal price gun to set your own prices at the grocery store (a concept that must seem alien to many people today), a selection of gifts offered by Don Pardo.
Belushi and Radner have a nice silent skit involving a laundromat. Radner also does a monologue detailing what she ate.
Laraine Newman gets her own skit playing a German? Swedish? cook messing up her ingredients.
Even Minute Mystery with Mike Mendoza is palatable this week, thanks to Bergen being involved.
We also get the first film by Gary Weis, a montage of people greeting one another at an airport set to the song "Homeward Bound". It's okay, suitable for the season, if a little sappy. Weis will be back to bore us later this season and all through the second. We'll also be seeing more home movies, as Chase and Bergen ask viewers at home to mail theirs in. I guess they needed something to fill up that airtime.
THE MUSIC
We get Martha Reeves (well into the twilight of her career) and The Stylistics (at the beginning of their twilight). Both are fine.
We also get the cast singing Christmas songs. It's more earnest and cheesier than we'd see today, but I guess it fits the times.
GRADE: B
Bergen's fun is infectious, even though so far her episodes haven't matched her enthusiasm. Still, this feels like a moment when the cast is beginning to realize they're turning into a big deal. They seem happy, relaxed, and it feels like they're all still getting along for the most part.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Boy, can Candice Bergen take things seriously for being on a comedy show. There's the Margaret Kuhn moment, but her "Merry Christmas" at the end of the "Homeward Bound" short feels heavy for a variety show.
I'm a little surprised they're still booking less prominent musical acts at this point. Nothing against Martha Reeves - I love her work with the Vandellas - but what was she doing in 1975 to warrant national TV exposure? Unless Bergen requested her, which is possible.
NEXT: Another popular host, Elliott Gould.
I enjoyed Bergen's previous episode, but was surprised at how few stand-out moments it contained. Perhaps this episode will better showcase her.
THE HOST
It's Candice Bergen, and, yes, she's a little stiff and comes across as a little too serious, like she usually does, but she appears to genuinely love being on SNL, and it shows. Her monologue - it's nothing but a brief bit in which she describes hosting as a Christmas gift to herself.
THE GOOD
There are a few standouts in this generally solid episode.
Mel's Char Palace, a recurring skit in the form of an ad promoting a restaurant where you select, stun, and butcher your own cow, is the real highlight. It's pure Aykroyd, right up there with similar skits, like the Bass-O-Matic.
Chevy Chase as a son calling his parents to let them know he's been arrested for murdering 26 boys is dark enough that it feels like it was written by Michael O'Donoghue.
Chevy Chase coming out as an elf to his sister, played by Bergen, is an obvious metaphor for homosexuality, but it works, largely in part to the great chemistry between him and Bergen.
Also, Chase once again opens as Gerald Ford, this time having a mishap with a Christmas tree.
THE BAD
Pong is back again.
For some reason, Bergen devotes a few minutes to introducing Margaret Kuhn of the Gray Panthers to talk about growing old. I'm sure she was an important woman, but it still feels out of place.
THE MEH
It's always a good sign when even the Muppets don't fall in the bad category. I never enjoy them, but when they break with the regular format, in this case singing a Christmas song with Bergen, they at least become tolerable.
There's a cute film featuring the Bees ice skating in Rockefeller Plaza.
More ads, that are fine, but pale next to Mel's Char Palace: we get Bergen as Princess Grace selling tarnish remover, the personal price gun to set your own prices at the grocery store (a concept that must seem alien to many people today), a selection of gifts offered by Don Pardo.
Belushi and Radner have a nice silent skit involving a laundromat. Radner also does a monologue detailing what she ate.
Laraine Newman gets her own skit playing a German? Swedish? cook messing up her ingredients.
Even Minute Mystery with Mike Mendoza is palatable this week, thanks to Bergen being involved.
We also get the first film by Gary Weis, a montage of people greeting one another at an airport set to the song "Homeward Bound". It's okay, suitable for the season, if a little sappy. Weis will be back to bore us later this season and all through the second. We'll also be seeing more home movies, as Chase and Bergen ask viewers at home to mail theirs in. I guess they needed something to fill up that airtime.
THE MUSIC
We get Martha Reeves (well into the twilight of her career) and The Stylistics (at the beginning of their twilight). Both are fine.
We also get the cast singing Christmas songs. It's more earnest and cheesier than we'd see today, but I guess it fits the times.
GRADE: B
Bergen's fun is infectious, even though so far her episodes haven't matched her enthusiasm. Still, this feels like a moment when the cast is beginning to realize they're turning into a big deal. They seem happy, relaxed, and it feels like they're all still getting along for the most part.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Boy, can Candice Bergen take things seriously for being on a comedy show. There's the Margaret Kuhn moment, but her "Merry Christmas" at the end of the "Homeward Bound" short feels heavy for a variety show.
I'm a little surprised they're still booking less prominent musical acts at this point. Nothing against Martha Reeves - I love her work with the Vandellas - but what was she doing in 1975 to warrant national TV exposure? Unless Bergen requested her, which is possible.
NEXT: Another popular host, Elliott Gould.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
S1E7 Richard Pryor w/ Gil Scott-Heron
Now we reach an episode I've been looking forward to writing up, my favorite episode of the first season, possibly my favorite of the entire first five seasons - the Richard Pryor episode.
I'm a little surprised to see that Pryor only hosted the one time. I'd always assumed he was a regular host, like Steve Martin. Perhaps he simply made too many demands - they had to agree to let Gil Scott-Heron, Pryor's ex-wife Shelley, and a blaxploitation actor by the name of Thalmus Rasalula perform before he would agree to do it. He even brought along a writer, Paul Mooney, now probably best known to viewers of The Chapelle Show for his guest spots.
It all leads to a little bit of a sense that the show has been hijacked, that things aren't operating like they normally would, but it all works. I can easily imagine someone like Lorne Michaels being uncomfortable relinquishing that much control, though, so it ends up being a one-time thing.
THE HOST
Pryor is great throughout the show. He's the first host to require a delay, for fear of what he might say, but I don't recall it ever being used. He puts his stamp all over the show, from the opening number on, and at times this almost feels like a test run for a special or series of his own.
Pryor's monologue is typical of his stand-up, which was at its peak around this time, so it's strong, funny, and memorable. It's laced with drug and alcohol references, but not so much that it wouldn't make it on air, and it all still feels pretty relevant today. Maybe not the dropping acid part so much, but it's still an easily accessible joke for audiences today.
THE GOOD
The opener establishes Pryor as the one in control, as Garrett Morris gets to do the pratfall, per Pryor's request, instead of Chevy.
The big debut for this episode if the first appearance of Belushi's samurai character (whose apparently named Futaba, something I didn't know before today). I always associate him with the Buck Henry episodes, so I was surprised to see this is the first samurai skit. The format's not set yet, so instead of getting Buck Henry or someone else dealing with Belushi, the focus is on Belushi and Pryor as a bickering samurai hotel clerk and bellhop, respectively. The skits get funnier in the future, but this is yet another great moment that makes me wonder why Belushi didn't garner more of the spotlight early on, instead of Chase.
The real highlight for me, though, is a skit involving word association between Chase and Pryor that becomes increasingly racist. It's probably one of the edgiest things they show did in the early years, and with Chase's no holds barred delivery of the "N" word, I doubt it would play today without being bleeped. It's funny, it says something, and it actually has a great punchline. It's one of the best skits they ever did, and it's actually written by Paul Mooney, not the regular staff. That's probably why we don't see anything else like this in future episodes.
The other great one is an Exorcist parody that I remember from having seen rerun countless times. It doesn't stand out for being ground-breaking, it's just a solid, funny movie parody, one of the best of their early years. It's one of Laraine Newman's best skits, and it's filled with quotable lines. I knew kids who said "Your momma eats kitty litter!" in the '80s, five years after this skit aired.
Less notable, but still strong, are a skit in which a white family gradually turns black around an oblivious father, and a series of brief bits involving police line-ups heavily aligned against Pryor as the sole black suspect.
THE BAD
Pong and the Muppets, as usual. It would be so great if these had been absent, or at the very least transformed by Pryor's presence, but they're the same thing we've been treated to every week.
Shelley Pryor's monologue. I'm not sure what the nature was of their relationship that Pryor insisted on his ex-wife (they'd been divorced since 1969) delivering a monologue, It's a poem about carousel horses, serving as a metaphor for race relations, and it's about as entertaining as that description just made it sound. She delivers it like a hippy chick who thinks she's on to something deep, or at least it seemed that way while she was stoned.
THE MEH
Pryor as an author who's written a book about pretending to be white touched on pretty predictable stereotypes about whites, and doesn't deliver anything more. The skit in which he plays a soldier who accidentally swallows a suicide pill is also not very memorable. He also has a second monologue which is good, but not as strong as his opener.
Weekend Update is brief this week, devoting much of its time to Emily Litella. It's funny, I remember liking the character when she turned up in reruns in the '80s, but I find her a little grating after seeing each appearance. This is her first appearance on Update so the joke is still fresh. It's certainly better than her previous appearance as a guest on Looks At Books.
Albert Brooks delivers an average film for him, centered around him being too sick to make an actual film.
We also get reruns of the New Dad and Spud Beer commercials.
THE MUSIC
This is the earliest episode that features a performance that made me look up the album to buy it. Heron is great, a real change of pace from previous musical guests, and his performances still feel vital. A lot of SNL musical performances haven't aged well, but this one still feels like a real treat.
GRADE: A
It's not perfect, but the highs are very high here.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
I feel like when people have memories of early SNL being perfect, and so much better than whatever they're currently doing, it's because of their memories of condensed reruns of episodes like this. If you take the three strongest skits, and assume each week was like that, it's easy to see why someone might think that the show was flawless in those days, which it certainly wasn't.
Anyone out there know why Pryor never came back? He seems like he'd be a natural to host every season.
NEXT: Candice Bergen is back (already?) for the first SNL Christmas episode.
I'm a little surprised to see that Pryor only hosted the one time. I'd always assumed he was a regular host, like Steve Martin. Perhaps he simply made too many demands - they had to agree to let Gil Scott-Heron, Pryor's ex-wife Shelley, and a blaxploitation actor by the name of Thalmus Rasalula perform before he would agree to do it. He even brought along a writer, Paul Mooney, now probably best known to viewers of The Chapelle Show for his guest spots.
It all leads to a little bit of a sense that the show has been hijacked, that things aren't operating like they normally would, but it all works. I can easily imagine someone like Lorne Michaels being uncomfortable relinquishing that much control, though, so it ends up being a one-time thing.
THE HOST
Pryor is great throughout the show. He's the first host to require a delay, for fear of what he might say, but I don't recall it ever being used. He puts his stamp all over the show, from the opening number on, and at times this almost feels like a test run for a special or series of his own.
Pryor's monologue is typical of his stand-up, which was at its peak around this time, so it's strong, funny, and memorable. It's laced with drug and alcohol references, but not so much that it wouldn't make it on air, and it all still feels pretty relevant today. Maybe not the dropping acid part so much, but it's still an easily accessible joke for audiences today.
THE GOOD
The opener establishes Pryor as the one in control, as Garrett Morris gets to do the pratfall, per Pryor's request, instead of Chevy.
The big debut for this episode if the first appearance of Belushi's samurai character (whose apparently named Futaba, something I didn't know before today). I always associate him with the Buck Henry episodes, so I was surprised to see this is the first samurai skit. The format's not set yet, so instead of getting Buck Henry or someone else dealing with Belushi, the focus is on Belushi and Pryor as a bickering samurai hotel clerk and bellhop, respectively. The skits get funnier in the future, but this is yet another great moment that makes me wonder why Belushi didn't garner more of the spotlight early on, instead of Chase.
The real highlight for me, though, is a skit involving word association between Chase and Pryor that becomes increasingly racist. It's probably one of the edgiest things they show did in the early years, and with Chase's no holds barred delivery of the "N" word, I doubt it would play today without being bleeped. It's funny, it says something, and it actually has a great punchline. It's one of the best skits they ever did, and it's actually written by Paul Mooney, not the regular staff. That's probably why we don't see anything else like this in future episodes.
The other great one is an Exorcist parody that I remember from having seen rerun countless times. It doesn't stand out for being ground-breaking, it's just a solid, funny movie parody, one of the best of their early years. It's one of Laraine Newman's best skits, and it's filled with quotable lines. I knew kids who said "Your momma eats kitty litter!" in the '80s, five years after this skit aired.
Less notable, but still strong, are a skit in which a white family gradually turns black around an oblivious father, and a series of brief bits involving police line-ups heavily aligned against Pryor as the sole black suspect.
THE BAD
Pong and the Muppets, as usual. It would be so great if these had been absent, or at the very least transformed by Pryor's presence, but they're the same thing we've been treated to every week.
Shelley Pryor's monologue. I'm not sure what the nature was of their relationship that Pryor insisted on his ex-wife (they'd been divorced since 1969) delivering a monologue, It's a poem about carousel horses, serving as a metaphor for race relations, and it's about as entertaining as that description just made it sound. She delivers it like a hippy chick who thinks she's on to something deep, or at least it seemed that way while she was stoned.
THE MEH
Pryor as an author who's written a book about pretending to be white touched on pretty predictable stereotypes about whites, and doesn't deliver anything more. The skit in which he plays a soldier who accidentally swallows a suicide pill is also not very memorable. He also has a second monologue which is good, but not as strong as his opener.
Weekend Update is brief this week, devoting much of its time to Emily Litella. It's funny, I remember liking the character when she turned up in reruns in the '80s, but I find her a little grating after seeing each appearance. This is her first appearance on Update so the joke is still fresh. It's certainly better than her previous appearance as a guest on Looks At Books.
Albert Brooks delivers an average film for him, centered around him being too sick to make an actual film.
We also get reruns of the New Dad and Spud Beer commercials.
THE MUSIC
This is the earliest episode that features a performance that made me look up the album to buy it. Heron is great, a real change of pace from previous musical guests, and his performances still feel vital. A lot of SNL musical performances haven't aged well, but this one still feels like a real treat.
GRADE: A
It's not perfect, but the highs are very high here.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
I feel like when people have memories of early SNL being perfect, and so much better than whatever they're currently doing, it's because of their memories of condensed reruns of episodes like this. If you take the three strongest skits, and assume each week was like that, it's easy to see why someone might think that the show was flawless in those days, which it certainly wasn't.
Anyone out there know why Pryor never came back? He seems like he'd be a natural to host every season.
NEXT: Candice Bergen is back (already?) for the first SNL Christmas episode.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
S1E6 Lily Tomlin
And I'm back, and with a much more memorable episode to write about than the previous one with Robert Klein. Lily Tomlin, another early regular (although, as I do a little research, she only hosted two more times - I could have sworn it was more than that) is hosting, and the result is an episode that, like the Candice Bergen one, goes a long way toward cementing the format. Will it be funnier than that episode, though?
THE HOST
The half hour syndicated reruns of SNL must have run the Lily Tomlin episodes a lot, because I could swear that when I was a kid, she turned up so often she almost felt like an honorary cast member. Like Bergen, she seems thrilled to be there. Her monologue is just okay, and her strongest contributions tend to not involve the cast, but her energy makes it work.
THE GOOD
Belushi's three short Beethoven skits are easily the most memorable of the episode. The concept doesn't wear out its welcome, as each one is funnier than the one before.
Spud Beer is one of my favorite early commercial parodies. A potato based beer, ideal for post-electro shock therapy drinking.
THE MEH
It may sound like faint praise to lump the rest of the episode in this category, but since there's nothing really bad about this week, this still makes for a stronger episode than usual.
We get Chase delivering another Ford opener, though a minor one this time.
We get another land shark parody, an early example of how good ideas can find themselves overused on the show.
There's a brief, but dated, skit about an interracial couple that looks more like it was done to make use of the sets that were already up for the shark skit.
Tomlin's two character monologues, one done as a letter to Patty Hearst and another as a teenager talking about a school dance, are enjoyable. Her Edith Ann film is fine, too, though I imagine that character isn't as well known today as it once was. I'm old enough to remember when she used to turn up on Sesame Street.
Dan Aykroyd's harassment at the hands of Tomlin and Curtin as female construction workers is good, and falls just short of being better than average.
Weelend Update is solid, still doing the Garrett Morris news for the deaf closer.
We get repeats of the Triopenin and Show Us Your Guns commercials. A diet pill commercial is new, but still feels like a leftover from the early beginnings of the series.
Albert Brooks film is a repeat from the first episode. I'm wondering if they ran out of filmed material around this time.
Even the Muppets are tolerable this week, doing a duet with Tomlin instead of another of their interminably long sketches.
THE BAD
Like I said, there's nothing bad about this episode. It may not reach great heights, but it doesn't stumble either.
THE MUSIC
No musical guest, just Tomlin singing St. James Infirmary with the house band in nurses uniforms. It's one of the more famous musical moments from the early days, probably due to it being rerun so much more. I'm guessing that the host doing a song that might even be public domain likely clears up a lot of broadcast rights issues.
GRADE: B+
I wish more of it was laugh out loud funny, but it's consistently enjoyable enough that it's always fun to watch.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
It's funny, in my memory this had more classic skits than it actually does. Perhaps I'm confusing it with Tomlin's next episode.
I'm still amazed that Belushi didn't break out faster. Here he is again with a standout performance, but the focus still seems to be on Chase, whose Weekend Update, while enjoyable, is generally not memorable enough for me to say much about it.
NEXT: A truly classic episode - Richard Pryor.
THE HOST
The half hour syndicated reruns of SNL must have run the Lily Tomlin episodes a lot, because I could swear that when I was a kid, she turned up so often she almost felt like an honorary cast member. Like Bergen, she seems thrilled to be there. Her monologue is just okay, and her strongest contributions tend to not involve the cast, but her energy makes it work.
THE GOOD
Belushi's three short Beethoven skits are easily the most memorable of the episode. The concept doesn't wear out its welcome, as each one is funnier than the one before.
Spud Beer is one of my favorite early commercial parodies. A potato based beer, ideal for post-electro shock therapy drinking.
THE MEH
It may sound like faint praise to lump the rest of the episode in this category, but since there's nothing really bad about this week, this still makes for a stronger episode than usual.
We get Chase delivering another Ford opener, though a minor one this time.
We get another land shark parody, an early example of how good ideas can find themselves overused on the show.
There's a brief, but dated, skit about an interracial couple that looks more like it was done to make use of the sets that were already up for the shark skit.
Tomlin's two character monologues, one done as a letter to Patty Hearst and another as a teenager talking about a school dance, are enjoyable. Her Edith Ann film is fine, too, though I imagine that character isn't as well known today as it once was. I'm old enough to remember when she used to turn up on Sesame Street.
Dan Aykroyd's harassment at the hands of Tomlin and Curtin as female construction workers is good, and falls just short of being better than average.
Weelend Update is solid, still doing the Garrett Morris news for the deaf closer.
We get repeats of the Triopenin and Show Us Your Guns commercials. A diet pill commercial is new, but still feels like a leftover from the early beginnings of the series.
Albert Brooks film is a repeat from the first episode. I'm wondering if they ran out of filmed material around this time.
Even the Muppets are tolerable this week, doing a duet with Tomlin instead of another of their interminably long sketches.
THE BAD
Like I said, there's nothing bad about this episode. It may not reach great heights, but it doesn't stumble either.
THE MUSIC
No musical guest, just Tomlin singing St. James Infirmary with the house band in nurses uniforms. It's one of the more famous musical moments from the early days, probably due to it being rerun so much more. I'm guessing that the host doing a song that might even be public domain likely clears up a lot of broadcast rights issues.
GRADE: B+
I wish more of it was laugh out loud funny, but it's consistently enjoyable enough that it's always fun to watch.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
It's funny, in my memory this had more classic skits than it actually does. Perhaps I'm confusing it with Tomlin's next episode.
I'm still amazed that Belushi didn't break out faster. Here he is again with a standout performance, but the focus still seems to be on Chase, whose Weekend Update, while enjoyable, is generally not memorable enough for me to say much about it.
NEXT: A truly classic episode - Richard Pryor.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
S1E5 Robert Klein w/ ABBA & Loudon Wainwright III
I'll be glad when these posts catch up to my current viewing. I'm late posting this due to computer trouble, but to be honest, I was dreading writing it because I'll be damned if I can remember much about it, even after checking out the SNL Transcripts site. I remember ABBA on a boat. That's it.
THE HOST
I'm just old enough to remember Robert Klein turning up on lots of things, like SNL, late night talk shows... he even used to turn up on a Chicago radio show I listened to. I remember finding him funny back then, but seeing him now... well, he's clearly an important, talented comic, but his baby boomer humor feels pretty tame to me now. His main contributions to the show are two monologues, but unlike George Carlin, he does take part in some skits. He just doesn't do anything memorable. His monologues are fine, but very '70s, and they simply haven't aged that well.
THE GOOD
Honestly? Nothing.
THE BAD
Minute Mystery is tedious, one of those sketches that only makes you aware that you're sitting and not laughing.
We get another Pong skit from Franken and Davis.
And, of course, the Muppets.
THE MEH
Pretty much the entire episode.
The Beauty Pageant opening isn't memorable. The three commercials are retreads, two of which look to have been done before the cast was even hired. There are some inconsequential short bits involving Gregg Allman and Garrett Morris as a bee. Gilda does a short, cute bit about being a firefighter. Even Update is pretty average this week.
Belushi is featured heavily in two skits, one about Sam Peckinpah abusing an actress, and another about an exterminator afraid to kill a cockroach. They're overly long, but harmless. Klein also gets a fair amount of screen time in these.
Emily Litella makes her first non Update appearance. She's a character who wears thin pretty quick, especially when you detach her from Update, but this isn't as bad as later appearances.
THE MUSIC
ABBA lip sync their way through two songs on board a Titanic set, along with some wacky comedy. It's jarringly silly for SNL, and looks like something that would be more at home on a prime time variety show. Loudon Wainwright III actually does sing, and he seems to do a good job here. Your enjoyment will probably depend on how much you like him to begin with, and I've always been ambivalent about him.
GRADE: D
Maybe I'm forgetting something hilarious from when I watched this months ago, but I don't think so. One of the dullest episodes of the season.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
So was Loudon Wainwright III brought on so they could have at least one truly live music act? Because the whole ABBA thing feels like it was dropped in from another show.
Minute Mystery - Seriously, just one of the most annoying skits of the first season. SNL Transcripts doesn't even have the script online. I think they even brought this back at least once.
With skits revolving around Sam Peckinpah and Gregg Allman breaking up with Cher, this is one of the more dated episodes so far. Sure Weekend Update ages badly, but these are two skits that reference things that grow increasingly less relevant in the public consciousness.
THE HOST
I'm just old enough to remember Robert Klein turning up on lots of things, like SNL, late night talk shows... he even used to turn up on a Chicago radio show I listened to. I remember finding him funny back then, but seeing him now... well, he's clearly an important, talented comic, but his baby boomer humor feels pretty tame to me now. His main contributions to the show are two monologues, but unlike George Carlin, he does take part in some skits. He just doesn't do anything memorable. His monologues are fine, but very '70s, and they simply haven't aged that well.
THE GOOD
Honestly? Nothing.
THE BAD
Minute Mystery is tedious, one of those sketches that only makes you aware that you're sitting and not laughing.
We get another Pong skit from Franken and Davis.
And, of course, the Muppets.
THE MEH
Pretty much the entire episode.
The Beauty Pageant opening isn't memorable. The three commercials are retreads, two of which look to have been done before the cast was even hired. There are some inconsequential short bits involving Gregg Allman and Garrett Morris as a bee. Gilda does a short, cute bit about being a firefighter. Even Update is pretty average this week.
Belushi is featured heavily in two skits, one about Sam Peckinpah abusing an actress, and another about an exterminator afraid to kill a cockroach. They're overly long, but harmless. Klein also gets a fair amount of screen time in these.
Emily Litella makes her first non Update appearance. She's a character who wears thin pretty quick, especially when you detach her from Update, but this isn't as bad as later appearances.
THE MUSIC
ABBA lip sync their way through two songs on board a Titanic set, along with some wacky comedy. It's jarringly silly for SNL, and looks like something that would be more at home on a prime time variety show. Loudon Wainwright III actually does sing, and he seems to do a good job here. Your enjoyment will probably depend on how much you like him to begin with, and I've always been ambivalent about him.
GRADE: D
Maybe I'm forgetting something hilarious from when I watched this months ago, but I don't think so. One of the dullest episodes of the season.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
So was Loudon Wainwright III brought on so they could have at least one truly live music act? Because the whole ABBA thing feels like it was dropped in from another show.
Minute Mystery - Seriously, just one of the most annoying skits of the first season. SNL Transcripts doesn't even have the script online. I think they even brought this back at least once.
With skits revolving around Sam Peckinpah and Gregg Allman breaking up with Cher, this is one of the more dated episodes so far. Sure Weekend Update ages badly, but these are two skits that reference things that grow increasingly less relevant in the public consciousness.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
S1E4 Candice Bergen w/ Esther Phillips
Something of a historic moment here, as Bergen turned out to be a popular host, and came back multiple times in the first two seasons (and a couple times more in the '80s). If you grew up, like I did, thinking of her as "Murphy Brown", you may wonder if she can be loose enough to handle the more free-spirited comedy of early SNL. So, how does she do?
THE HOST
Bergen does fine, as professional as you'd expect, and although a little stiff, for the most part, it gives the case something to bounce off of. I always felt she had strong chemistry with Chevy Chase, though that pops up more in her next appearance. She delivers an opening monologue that for once makes good use of the Bees, with Chase trying to swat Belushi in full bee costume as he stands behind Bergen.
THE GOOD
Chase unveils his Gerald Ford impersonation. It's one of the highlights of the first season, and yet another reason why he broke out from the rest of the cast as a stand-out.
There's a great Jaws parody, introducing the Land Shark. I think this is the first film parody we've seen so far.
Weekend Update features Garrett Morris once again, and Jane Curtin also turns up to be mocked by Chase as she recites an editorial.
Not sure why, but Candice Bergen's Chanel commercial is one of the earliest bits I remember. They must have rerun it a lot, and I still find it amusing.
Bergen and Radner have a cute segment in which Radner discusses her insecurities working alongside someone as beautiful as Bergen. It's a little uncomfortable to watch if you're aware that Radner was genuinely struggling with an eating disorder at the time, and Bergen gets a little overly serious and political (something she has a tendency to do more in later shows, as well) but it's a nice moment and a change of pace from many of the bland skits that clutter this episode.
Transamerican Airlines - I could just as easily put thin in Meh, or even Bad - Michael O'Donoghue, while a talented writer, sometimes gets more dark than clever for me, especially when he performs. But, it's brief and funny, so I'll place it here.
The highlight for me, though, is Albert Brooks' film, a fake promo reel for NBC's new season. They're all good, but "Black Vet" cracks me up every time, especially the randomness of that clip featuring the lead angrily warning a young boy to "Stay away from the sheep!"
THE BAD
The Muppets, as always.
We also get the first "Pong" skit from Franken and Davis. I never cared for these, and they've always felt like nothing more than time fillers to me.
THE MEH
Much of this episode left me cold. None of the skits were really terrible, but there are plenty - Aykroyd as a disorganized CIA agent looking for Garrett Morris' criminal record, several talk show skits, and one involving Bergen playing pranks on a world leader as she interviews him - that aren't very memorable. Then there are the commercial parodies - the ambassador training school one that will pop up multiple times throughout the first couple seasons, a long-distance ad that involves a son dressing in his mother's clothes, and an odd one featuring Chevy Chase and his girlfriend that defiantly announces that they were able to enjoy each other without any commercial products - so, basically, an un-commercial. They're okay, but not classics.
Andy Kaufman - he does impressions this time, and plays bongo drums. It's not his most memorable appearance on the show.
THE MUSIC
It's Esther Phillips, who's done some great work (I know her from her version of "Release Me"), but here she's performing her hit, disco version of "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" and another song I'm unfamiliar with. More a case of catching a strong artist after their peak than anything bad.
GRADE: B-
The Jaws skit and Bergen's obvious joy over being there elevate this, but if not for that, I could have easily given it a C.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Apparently, this is the first time the cast assembles on stage with the host to say goodnight.
I've always been curious about what viewers made of Michael O'Donoghue. He just gives off a creepy vibe, and it's easy to see why he was quickly relegated to mostly behind the scenes work. He's funny, but he really doesn't blend well with the rest of the cast.
There's just something overly earnest and serious about Candice Bergen. It's a lot more evident in the next two shows she hosts, but I often find her episodes both funny and cloying. I even agree with most of her politics, but she still find awkward ways to shoehorn them in. I think sometimes she forgets she's on a comedy show, but on the other hand, it's still up in the air at this point as to what SNL is.
THE HOST
Bergen does fine, as professional as you'd expect, and although a little stiff, for the most part, it gives the case something to bounce off of. I always felt she had strong chemistry with Chevy Chase, though that pops up more in her next appearance. She delivers an opening monologue that for once makes good use of the Bees, with Chase trying to swat Belushi in full bee costume as he stands behind Bergen.
THE GOOD
Chase unveils his Gerald Ford impersonation. It's one of the highlights of the first season, and yet another reason why he broke out from the rest of the cast as a stand-out.
There's a great Jaws parody, introducing the Land Shark. I think this is the first film parody we've seen so far.
Weekend Update features Garrett Morris once again, and Jane Curtin also turns up to be mocked by Chase as she recites an editorial.
Not sure why, but Candice Bergen's Chanel commercial is one of the earliest bits I remember. They must have rerun it a lot, and I still find it amusing.
Bergen and Radner have a cute segment in which Radner discusses her insecurities working alongside someone as beautiful as Bergen. It's a little uncomfortable to watch if you're aware that Radner was genuinely struggling with an eating disorder at the time, and Bergen gets a little overly serious and political (something she has a tendency to do more in later shows, as well) but it's a nice moment and a change of pace from many of the bland skits that clutter this episode.
Transamerican Airlines - I could just as easily put thin in Meh, or even Bad - Michael O'Donoghue, while a talented writer, sometimes gets more dark than clever for me, especially when he performs. But, it's brief and funny, so I'll place it here.
The highlight for me, though, is Albert Brooks' film, a fake promo reel for NBC's new season. They're all good, but "Black Vet" cracks me up every time, especially the randomness of that clip featuring the lead angrily warning a young boy to "Stay away from the sheep!"
THE BAD
The Muppets, as always.
We also get the first "Pong" skit from Franken and Davis. I never cared for these, and they've always felt like nothing more than time fillers to me.
THE MEH
Much of this episode left me cold. None of the skits were really terrible, but there are plenty - Aykroyd as a disorganized CIA agent looking for Garrett Morris' criminal record, several talk show skits, and one involving Bergen playing pranks on a world leader as she interviews him - that aren't very memorable. Then there are the commercial parodies - the ambassador training school one that will pop up multiple times throughout the first couple seasons, a long-distance ad that involves a son dressing in his mother's clothes, and an odd one featuring Chevy Chase and his girlfriend that defiantly announces that they were able to enjoy each other without any commercial products - so, basically, an un-commercial. They're okay, but not classics.
Andy Kaufman - he does impressions this time, and plays bongo drums. It's not his most memorable appearance on the show.
THE MUSIC
It's Esther Phillips, who's done some great work (I know her from her version of "Release Me"), but here she's performing her hit, disco version of "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" and another song I'm unfamiliar with. More a case of catching a strong artist after their peak than anything bad.
GRADE: B-
The Jaws skit and Bergen's obvious joy over being there elevate this, but if not for that, I could have easily given it a C.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Apparently, this is the first time the cast assembles on stage with the host to say goodnight.
I've always been curious about what viewers made of Michael O'Donoghue. He just gives off a creepy vibe, and it's easy to see why he was quickly relegated to mostly behind the scenes work. He's funny, but he really doesn't blend well with the rest of the cast.
There's just something overly earnest and serious about Candice Bergen. It's a lot more evident in the next two shows she hosts, but I often find her episodes both funny and cloying. I even agree with most of her politics, but she still find awkward ways to shoehorn them in. I think sometimes she forgets she's on a comedy show, but on the other hand, it's still up in the air at this point as to what SNL is.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
S1E3 Rob Reiner w/ The Lockers
Well, things feel a little more normal with this one, the first episode in which the host actually does more than tell jokes or sing. It's a little surprising to see things settle into some sort of formula so quickly after the experiments of the last two weeks.
THE HOST
Rob Reiner does a decent job. He feels like he's trying a little too hard during his opening monologue, in which he portrays a cliched night club lounge comic, and he's just okay in the skits he's in (which also include his then-wife Penny Marshall), but it's nice to see someone who actually appears happy to be on the show.
THE GOOD
Chase has more good moments: a decent opening skit featuring what would soon be his standard pratfall; a skit in which he plays a doctor emphasizing the importance of pancreas health; as a spokesperson for droolers; and his Weekend Update also stands out, due to the gimmicks of kidnappers using announcer Don Pardo to announce their demands and the debut of Garrett Morris repeating the top story for the hard of hearing by simply shouting it at the top of his lungs.
Andy Kaufman delivers another great lip sync performance, though I have to admit to experiencing diminishing returns each time he returns to this well.
Albert Brooks delivers a great film involving him performing open heart surgery.
Dan Aykroyd finally gets a good showcase as a crazed square dance caller. It's not a great skit, but it plays to his strengths, and may be the first time audiences have a reason to take notice of him.
The real star of the night, though, is John Belushi. He unveils his Joe Cocker impersonation, and you can sense a star being born, cliched as that statement may be. It's easy to see why he was frustrated at seeing someone like Chase get all the attention when Belushi was capable of producing something like this. I'm surprised he didn't take off bigger after this episode, but he still retreats to the background for chunks of the next season.
And it may not be laugh out loud funny, but Gilda reciting what she ate that day gives her a chance to show just how charming she can be, something that hasn't come through yet in the skits she's done.
THE BAD
The Muppets.
Future cast member Denny Dillon and some guy named Mark Hampton do a skit involving nuns hosting a school talent show. It's about as bad as most of these guest performances are in the first season.
Weak batch of commercials this time around. A moving company that moves people, not objects; and a Wrigley's gum commercial set at a funeral. The Wrigley's commercial is missing from the version on the DVD and Netflix streaming, but reading the transcript gives me the impression it's parodying a then commercial that I have no memory of.
THE MEH
Unfortunately, game as he seems to be, Reiner's skits are pretty forgettable. An overly long fashion show skit that feels flown in from another, more staid variety show. Both this and the final skit feature Penny Marshall. That last skit involves Reiner and Marshall attempting to do a dramatic scene only to be interrupted by the Killer Bees. It runs long, causing the show to abruptly fade to black.
George Coe gets a rare spotlight on a commercial for surgery through voodoo.
Laraine Newman plays a decent Squeaky Fromme on a talk show hosted by Jane Curtin. I wonder how relevant a Squeaky Fromme impression is these days? I know I had to explain it to my fiancee, who didn't have a clue as to who she was.
MUSIC
There really isn't a musical guest for this one, but The Lockers dance team comes close enough. For those of you who thought breakdancing was born in the '80s, it may be a surprise to see something like this in 1975. It's horribly dated, but the dancing's good, and it's an interesting cultural relic. Yes, that is Fred "Rerun" Berry. You can also see Toni Basil and Adolfo Quinones, future star of Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
GRADE: B-
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Nice to be able point out so many moments involving individual cast members. I didn't get to say much about Curtin and Morris, but even they make impressions in this episode. It's the first time the weekly cast feels necessary.
I was thinking this was a bit of a stepdown from George Carlin and Paul Simon, but I suppose in 1975 Rob Reiner was probably at the peak of his "All In The Family" fame. And he can actually do comedy, so this may be the first host that actually makes sense, even thought he end results are a little shaky.
Was the Wrigleys' name or logo actually used in the commercial? Is that why it's not included in available versions of the episode?
THE HOST
Rob Reiner does a decent job. He feels like he's trying a little too hard during his opening monologue, in which he portrays a cliched night club lounge comic, and he's just okay in the skits he's in (which also include his then-wife Penny Marshall), but it's nice to see someone who actually appears happy to be on the show.
THE GOOD
Chase has more good moments: a decent opening skit featuring what would soon be his standard pratfall; a skit in which he plays a doctor emphasizing the importance of pancreas health; as a spokesperson for droolers; and his Weekend Update also stands out, due to the gimmicks of kidnappers using announcer Don Pardo to announce their demands and the debut of Garrett Morris repeating the top story for the hard of hearing by simply shouting it at the top of his lungs.
Andy Kaufman delivers another great lip sync performance, though I have to admit to experiencing diminishing returns each time he returns to this well.
Albert Brooks delivers a great film involving him performing open heart surgery.
Dan Aykroyd finally gets a good showcase as a crazed square dance caller. It's not a great skit, but it plays to his strengths, and may be the first time audiences have a reason to take notice of him.
The real star of the night, though, is John Belushi. He unveils his Joe Cocker impersonation, and you can sense a star being born, cliched as that statement may be. It's easy to see why he was frustrated at seeing someone like Chase get all the attention when Belushi was capable of producing something like this. I'm surprised he didn't take off bigger after this episode, but he still retreats to the background for chunks of the next season.
And it may not be laugh out loud funny, but Gilda reciting what she ate that day gives her a chance to show just how charming she can be, something that hasn't come through yet in the skits she's done.
THE BAD
The Muppets.
Future cast member Denny Dillon and some guy named Mark Hampton do a skit involving nuns hosting a school talent show. It's about as bad as most of these guest performances are in the first season.
Weak batch of commercials this time around. A moving company that moves people, not objects; and a Wrigley's gum commercial set at a funeral. The Wrigley's commercial is missing from the version on the DVD and Netflix streaming, but reading the transcript gives me the impression it's parodying a then commercial that I have no memory of.
THE MEH
Unfortunately, game as he seems to be, Reiner's skits are pretty forgettable. An overly long fashion show skit that feels flown in from another, more staid variety show. Both this and the final skit feature Penny Marshall. That last skit involves Reiner and Marshall attempting to do a dramatic scene only to be interrupted by the Killer Bees. It runs long, causing the show to abruptly fade to black.
George Coe gets a rare spotlight on a commercial for surgery through voodoo.
Laraine Newman plays a decent Squeaky Fromme on a talk show hosted by Jane Curtin. I wonder how relevant a Squeaky Fromme impression is these days? I know I had to explain it to my fiancee, who didn't have a clue as to who she was.
MUSIC
There really isn't a musical guest for this one, but The Lockers dance team comes close enough. For those of you who thought breakdancing was born in the '80s, it may be a surprise to see something like this in 1975. It's horribly dated, but the dancing's good, and it's an interesting cultural relic. Yes, that is Fred "Rerun" Berry. You can also see Toni Basil and Adolfo Quinones, future star of Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
GRADE: B-
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Nice to be able point out so many moments involving individual cast members. I didn't get to say much about Curtin and Morris, but even they make impressions in this episode. It's the first time the weekly cast feels necessary.
I was thinking this was a bit of a stepdown from George Carlin and Paul Simon, but I suppose in 1975 Rob Reiner was probably at the peak of his "All In The Family" fame. And he can actually do comedy, so this may be the first host that actually makes sense, even thought he end results are a little shaky.
Was the Wrigleys' name or logo actually used in the commercial? Is that why it's not included in available versions of the episode?
Refinements
Some of you may have noticed I've been making small changes to previous posts as I go along. I decided to add more categories to help organize the review better, specifically ones focusing on the host and the music. I'm also adding a random thoughts category at the end, a catch-all for those things I couldn't fit well into the body of the post, and also possible comment starters.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
S1E2 Paul Simon w/ Randy Newman & Phoebe Snow
I'm finally back, thanks to discovering the SNL Transcripts site, which has proved to be a great resource for revisiting these episodes I watched months ago before actively starting this blog. I didn't want to write anymore reviews in which I half-remembered a skit, and I certainly wasn't going to start over watching them again.
So, armed with something to jog my memory, I'm hoping to post every day or so and catch up to where I'm at now, which is the tail end of season two.
Now the oddest of the first season episodes. If you thought George Carlin dominated the first episode without really interacting with the rest of the cast, wait till you check out this, which is essentially an hour long Paul Simon variety show.
THE HOST
Sort of the musical equivalent of what George Carlin did the previous week. He's nothing more than the host, performing and introducing musical acts, with no interaction with the cast. If you're looking for a small-scale Paul Simon concert, this is for you.
THE GOOD
Albert Brooks delivers his first (in my opinion) successful film, a collection of home movies that center on moments that scarred his life. Particularly memorable are the moments with his father trying to film his first kiss and his first attempt to lose his virginity.
THE BAD
I guess it goes without saying - "The Muppets".
THE MEH
The Tri-Hard pacemaker battery commercial is not exactly a classic commercial parody. Did they ever even rerun this one? I recall seeing it at least once more.
THE MUSIC
It's pretty much an all music episode. We get Simon, with and without Garfunkel; Garfunkel, with and without Simon; Randy Newman; Phoebe Snow; The Jesse Dixon Singers. They're all fine, not all my taste in music, but I'd imagine that in 1975 this would be an impressive line-up for a show only on its second episode.
GRADE: C - Nothing against the music, but I have a hard time rating an episode of SNL almost devoid of comedy anything higher than that.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
Boy, they really didn't know what they wanted to do at this point yet, did they? Viewers carrying over from the previous week must have been a little confused. At this point, it's difficult to see why they even need so many regular cast members.
So, armed with something to jog my memory, I'm hoping to post every day or so and catch up to where I'm at now, which is the tail end of season two.
Now the oddest of the first season episodes. If you thought George Carlin dominated the first episode without really interacting with the rest of the cast, wait till you check out this, which is essentially an hour long Paul Simon variety show.
THE HOST
Sort of the musical equivalent of what George Carlin did the previous week. He's nothing more than the host, performing and introducing musical acts, with no interaction with the cast. If you're looking for a small-scale Paul Simon concert, this is for you.
THE GOOD
Albert Brooks delivers his first (in my opinion) successful film, a collection of home movies that center on moments that scarred his life. Particularly memorable are the moments with his father trying to film his first kiss and his first attempt to lose his virginity.
THE BAD
I guess it goes without saying - "The Muppets".
THE MEH
The Tri-Hard pacemaker battery commercial is not exactly a classic commercial parody. Did they ever even rerun this one? I recall seeing it at least once more.
THE MUSIC
It's pretty much an all music episode. We get Simon, with and without Garfunkel; Garfunkel, with and without Simon; Randy Newman; Phoebe Snow; The Jesse Dixon Singers. They're all fine, not all my taste in music, but I'd imagine that in 1975 this would be an impressive line-up for a show only on its second episode.
GRADE: C - Nothing against the music, but I have a hard time rating an episode of SNL almost devoid of comedy anything higher than that.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
Boy, they really didn't know what they wanted to do at this point yet, did they? Viewers carrying over from the previous week must have been a little confused. At this point, it's difficult to see why they even need so many regular cast members.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
S1E1 George Carlin w/ Janis Ian, Billy Preston
For a variety show produced in 1975, this is actually pretty decent. I can't imagine I'd enjoy watching other variety shows from that period, but I've seen this several times now, and enjoyed it each time.
That said, it's a while before the shows develops into the SNL we know today. This is, like I said, a variety show, not a comedy show, and while there are some good skits, the emphasis is on guest performers and musical acts.
THE HOST
He literally is nothing more than a host, as all he does is perform three monologues. Did he even introduce the musical acts? I'm assuming he did, but I honestly don't remember him doing so. His monologues are fine, but I don't think he does anything more than his usual routines. Fine for what it is, but you'd probably get more by simply watching a concert performance by him rather than getting it piecemeal here.
THE GOOD
The opening skit, featuring Belushi as an immigrant learning English, is a surprisingly weird opening to a brand new show. It's odd today, it must have seemed downright surreal to US audiences back in 1975.
Commercial Parodies - In the early episodes, these showcased some of the strongest comedy bits. New Dad and Jamitol are particularly good, while Triple Trac, Academy of Better Careers and Triopenin are just okay, although it's funny to think that back in 1975, a razor having three blades was thought of as something ridiculous.
Andy Kaufman - Another hallmark of the early days was frequent appearances by guest performers, usually stand-up comics. Kaufman's performances are legendary, and he's definitely the strongest of the two guest performers on this episode.
Weekend Update - The immediate standout from the show, and it's easy to see why Chevy Chase got the most attention in the early days. For the first chunk of the first season, he's the only performer allowed to develop a personality.
THE BAD
The Muppets - Get used to seeing this here, because the Muppets are easily the worst parts of the first season. By the time they go away in season two, that title will be held by whatever Gary Weis film is airing that week.
Valri Bromfield - And here's the guest performer that doesn't work. She does a weak monologue playing the part of a teacher, and it feels like something you'd see at a college improv night.
THE MEH
Trial, Shark Bite Victim - They're so under utilized in these early episodes, that it's nice just to see Belushi, Radner and Curtin do anything, but these are mediocre skits. Trial feels like something from Laugh-In. I can almost imagine Ruth Buzzi and Arte Johnson doing it.
The Impossible Truth by Albert Brooks - I like most of Brooks' films, but this one is not a standout.
Bee Hospital - Yeah, it's the first appearance of the Bees, but it feels like another leftover from a traditional variety show.
Show Us Your Guns - Weak, but way better than some of the films we'll get later in this season and next.
Home Securities - I barely remember this skit. It gives Aykroyd his first chance to stand out, but otherwise, not very memorable.
MUSICAL GUESTS
Janis Ian and Billy Preston, who are fine. Preston is entertaining, Ian is fairly downbeat in that '70s confessional singer sort of way.
GRADE: B (I'm sure I'm a little biased, since it is the first episode, but there honestly isn't much here that's so bad as to stand out.)
RANDOM THOUGHTS
That really is an odd skit to open on. It may be one of the lest mainstream things they do all season (not counting Andy Kaufman), and it's the first thing viewers see.
Chase is definitely the stand-out here. Obviously, Weekend Update helps, but he also already has a charisma that the others don't quite have yet. Future stars like Aykroyd and Radner don't register much, and even Belushi seems like he could go either way at this point.
That said, it's a while before the shows develops into the SNL we know today. This is, like I said, a variety show, not a comedy show, and while there are some good skits, the emphasis is on guest performers and musical acts.
THE HOST
He literally is nothing more than a host, as all he does is perform three monologues. Did he even introduce the musical acts? I'm assuming he did, but I honestly don't remember him doing so. His monologues are fine, but I don't think he does anything more than his usual routines. Fine for what it is, but you'd probably get more by simply watching a concert performance by him rather than getting it piecemeal here.
THE GOOD
The opening skit, featuring Belushi as an immigrant learning English, is a surprisingly weird opening to a brand new show. It's odd today, it must have seemed downright surreal to US audiences back in 1975.
Commercial Parodies - In the early episodes, these showcased some of the strongest comedy bits. New Dad and Jamitol are particularly good, while Triple Trac, Academy of Better Careers and Triopenin are just okay, although it's funny to think that back in 1975, a razor having three blades was thought of as something ridiculous.
Andy Kaufman - Another hallmark of the early days was frequent appearances by guest performers, usually stand-up comics. Kaufman's performances are legendary, and he's definitely the strongest of the two guest performers on this episode.
Weekend Update - The immediate standout from the show, and it's easy to see why Chevy Chase got the most attention in the early days. For the first chunk of the first season, he's the only performer allowed to develop a personality.
THE BAD
The Muppets - Get used to seeing this here, because the Muppets are easily the worst parts of the first season. By the time they go away in season two, that title will be held by whatever Gary Weis film is airing that week.
Valri Bromfield - And here's the guest performer that doesn't work. She does a weak monologue playing the part of a teacher, and it feels like something you'd see at a college improv night.
THE MEH
Trial, Shark Bite Victim - They're so under utilized in these early episodes, that it's nice just to see Belushi, Radner and Curtin do anything, but these are mediocre skits. Trial feels like something from Laugh-In. I can almost imagine Ruth Buzzi and Arte Johnson doing it.
The Impossible Truth by Albert Brooks - I like most of Brooks' films, but this one is not a standout.
Bee Hospital - Yeah, it's the first appearance of the Bees, but it feels like another leftover from a traditional variety show.
Show Us Your Guns - Weak, but way better than some of the films we'll get later in this season and next.
Home Securities - I barely remember this skit. It gives Aykroyd his first chance to stand out, but otherwise, not very memorable.
MUSICAL GUESTS
Janis Ian and Billy Preston, who are fine. Preston is entertaining, Ian is fairly downbeat in that '70s confessional singer sort of way.
GRADE: B (I'm sure I'm a little biased, since it is the first episode, but there honestly isn't much here that's so bad as to stand out.)
RANDOM THOUGHTS
That really is an odd skit to open on. It may be one of the lest mainstream things they do all season (not counting Andy Kaufman), and it's the first thing viewers see.
Chase is definitely the stand-out here. Obviously, Weekend Update helps, but he also already has a charisma that the others don't quite have yet. Future stars like Aykroyd and Radner don't register much, and even Belushi seems like he could go either way at this point.
Introduction
One of the joys of being able to stream video is the ability watch entire runs of television shows, and nothing excited me more when I got a Roku box than being able to re-watch nearly forty years of Saturday Night Live.
I grew up with SNL, and I've probably seen 90% of these shows already. Staying up late on a Saturday night was one of the great joys of my childhood, and I stuck with SNL through good times and bad. Sometimes, the bad times were just as fascinating as the good times.
As I begin this blog, I'm about a third of the way through Season Two. I'm going to go ahead and review Season One, but my memory will likely be dimmer than on later episodes. I'm not about to go back and watch them again, though. As good as the first cast was, SNL is and always has been a wildly uneven show. Watching these episodes in their entirely can sometimes feel like a death march, but it's the good stuff that keeps me coming back.
I grew up with SNL, and I've probably seen 90% of these shows already. Staying up late on a Saturday night was one of the great joys of my childhood, and I stuck with SNL through good times and bad. Sometimes, the bad times were just as fascinating as the good times.
As I begin this blog, I'm about a third of the way through Season Two. I'm going to go ahead and review Season One, but my memory will likely be dimmer than on later episodes. I'm not about to go back and watch them again, though. As good as the first cast was, SNL is and always has been a wildly uneven show. Watching these episodes in their entirely can sometimes feel like a death march, but it's the good stuff that keeps me coming back.
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