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.

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.